CanuckInUSA 0 #1 July 23, 2002 I just thought I'd introduce myself here. I am new to Drop Zone and new to the wonderful sport of skydiving. I've been wanting to jump for years, but for whatever reason I found excuses to prevent me from doing it like: I'm too busy, it's too expensive, WHAFOE (spelling?) you jump out of a perfectly good airplane, etc, etc, etc. But on Sunday July 13th, 2002 I did my first tandem jump in Longmont Colorado and quickly realized that it wasn't going to be my first and last jump. So then on Saturday July 20th I attended an all day AFF ground school class and that afternoon I was lucky to get the opportunity to make my first Level One solo free fall jump. Then the following morning I was lucky again to have scheduled and passed my Level Two jump. I will attempt to pass my Level Three jump this coming Sunday and I'm not expecting any problems, but I think things appear to get more difficult once Level Four starts. Now something funny happened to me yesterday as I browsed through the Drop Zone forums. By the time Monday evening rolled around, I was starting to become spooked with skydiving (which is really bizarre because I was not spooked at all during my tandem and two AFF jumps and I should also note that I am a licensed private pilot so I am used to being in the skies). But I guess reading about some of the skydiving accidents on Drop Zone (especially accidents happening to experienced jumpers) made me think about the dangers involved in the sport. But at the same time, I was trying to remind myself that learning to land an airplane didn't come natural to myself either and that maybe this spooky feeling I was getting was just because I wasn't all that familiar with the sport yet. Anyway, last night I rented the movie "Cutaway" which didn't win any academy awards (the plot was kind of lame as it usually is in these sorts of movies), but it did have tons of great skydiving scenes (most of which seemed somewhat accurate compared to some of the skydiving crap you'll see in other movies) and my spooky feelings faded away. So, if you're still with me. I know that this post was long and drawn out, but I just wanted to introduce myself to the Drop Zone community. I'll probably be pretty quiet reading the posts and trying to imitate a sponge with all the information pertaining to the sport. But I have a good feeling that this is a good community to be involved with. Happy Flying ... and for the daring ... Happy Skydiving Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bbarnhouse 0 #2 July 23, 2002 Canuck~ A warm hearty welcome!! Welcome to your new home. Sometimes we do get in spats here, buit there is much to be learned. In the end we are a family. Cheers! BB Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slappie 9 #3 July 23, 2002 Spats? You mean people actually argue on DZ.com?? I never noticed. Yea Canuck welcome to DZ.com don't let the farm animals scare you a few of the jumpers like to keep their loved ones around. Makes them feel at home. "Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #4 July 23, 2002 QuoteHappy Flying ... and for the daring ... Happy Skydiving Dude...if riding in an airplane is flying, riding in a boat is swimming. Welcome aboard!!! You'll learn a lot here...but don't take it all as gosphel. Most needs to be taken with a grain of salt! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PLFKING 4 #5 July 23, 2002 Welcome ! Quote But I have a good feeling that this is a good community to be involved with. I realized the same thing my first month here. A great group, and knowledge out the ass. Don Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunshine 2 #6 July 23, 2002 Quotebut don't take it all as gosphel. Clay writes "gosphel" - should say "gospel" And be prepared to get your bad grammar and spelling corrected..... ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowbird 0 #7 July 23, 2002 QuoteI'll probably be pretty quiet reading the posts and trying to imitate a sponge with all the information pertaining to the sport Hey Steve there is so much info drifting around in here, just make sure you use generous grains of salt, like Clay said. I consider myself a good sponge, and have picked up so much information and awareness since I started hanging here last fall. Now that you've started skydiving after years of waiting/wanting, you're in for a wild ride! It's better than anything else out there, and twice as addictive Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #8 July 23, 2002 Or was that a boulder of salt I should be taking everything with. I do know that the AFF Instructors and Coaches I may encounter at the Drop Zones should give me my best interactive information. But it's still nice to have something like Drop Zone to suppliment things with. I know thanks to Drop Zone I now know the difference between a ZP canopy and a F-111. As far as that addicition is concerned, I worried that my flying time might suffer (and I really do enjoy flying airplanes, though my finances wish I didn't). But one of the reasons why I got into skydiving was that after my student AFF training is completed, it will be cheaper than flying (the most expensive hobby I've yet to encounter). Happy Flying ... and for the daring ... Happy Skydiving Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #9 July 23, 2002 QuoteClay writes "gosphel" - should say "gospel" Thats it!! You're going over my knee as soon as I get to Rantoul!!! You've been a very naughty girl!!!Heheheee...I never could spell that word correctly. It just doesn't look right!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hobbes4star 0 #10 July 23, 2002 welcome aboard. good to have you.if fun were easy it wouldn't be worth having, right? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymedic 0 #11 July 23, 2002 Welcome to the OTHER DZ.... Marc otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymut 0 #12 July 23, 2002 Welcome to dz.com, from another relative newbie (to dz.com, that is). Let me be the pre-second person to warn you about using the "THE WORD" that preceeds the word "second"...as in statements like, 'that was my _ _ _ _ _ jump on my new main'. I'll probably get rotten veggies tossed at me by the veterans for warning you, but hey, I'm just a nice guy. Students need the money for their jumps, I remember the times. Have fun!! Matt A well-informed person is somebody who has the same views and opinions as yours. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunshine 2 #13 July 23, 2002 QuoteThats it!! You're going over my knee as soon as I get to Rantoul!!! I think my sweetie and my girlfriend might have issues with that.....they're the only 2 allowed to spank me. ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #14 July 23, 2002 QuoteI think my sweetie and my girlfriend might have issues with that Ohh....so...does she wanna wrassle too? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TEB6363 0 #15 July 23, 2002 Canuck, Welcome to the family. Cutaway was a pretty fun movie. You should go rent the good old movies and have a skydive movie night: Fandango, Point Break, Terminal Velocity, Dropzone, and then Cutaway. They all have their fun points. Again Welcome to the group. Once the plane takes off, you're gonna have to land - Might as well jump out!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slappie 9 #16 July 23, 2002 QuoteStudents need the money for their jumps The following definition comes from the DZO Handbook. *** Definition for Student n; 1. someone who still has money. 2. A person{s} with money in their pockets trying to achieve the USPA A License. {house note, plane note, electric bill, morgage, kids braces} "Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #17 July 23, 2002 I have seen Fandango (with some good old time skydiving footage not to mention the freaky pot-head pilot) and Point Break (overall a good movie, but with less than realistic skydiving footage). But I have yet to see Terminal Velocity or Drop Zone. I liked Cutaway because they had almost non-stop skydiving footage. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DENGOPHER 0 #18 July 23, 2002 welcome to a new life style.... and get ready to be broke all the time.. the people here are great ... if you have any questions you will get plenty of input here.... well good luck on your next jump.... have fun and be safe!!!!just jump!!!! gopher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymut 0 #19 July 23, 2002 Quote...and Point Break (overall a good movie, but with less than realistic skydiving footage). I agree with you, I tell my wife it is the best, worst movie ever made. One day, when the weather got poopy at the dz, we threw in Point Break and timed the first freefall sequence, at a whopping 4:35. Funny, I didn't know a King Air (as I recall), had a max ceiling that high? Never timed the final sequence ('pull now or we're gonna be meat waffles'-great team name now that I think about it-"Meat Waffles"), but am certain it is as bad. As I recall, he tells the pilot to 'take it up to 5 thousand on this heading', then they proceed to freefall for around 3 minutes. Matt A well-informed person is somebody who has the same views and opinions as yours. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #20 July 23, 2002 Skymut You've got a good memory from Point Break. The 2nd free fall sequence was almost as long as the 1st (they jumped from an altitude of about 5000 feet AGL which by the way is the altitude I've been pulling at for my first few jumps even though I know eventually I will be pulling somewhere between the 2500-4000 foot level). Also, it's my understanding that Reeves wouldn't have been able to hold on to Swayzee after Swayzee pulled (if people will remember Reeves jump out of the airplane without a Rig). The forces from the canopy opening would have been too much. Now I'm just a skydiving newbie, but from my training so far, the action in Cutaway seemed much more realistic. The only big glitch I saw was that the jumpers weren't waving off before they pulled. Is this because the movie makers didn't want to confuse the public with hand signals? Or do some jumpers out there not wave off? To me waving off makes sense. If I'm near someone who waves off, I know I might need to do something ASAP to avoid a possible collision. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scottbre 0 #21 July 23, 2002 Quotethe action in Cutaway seemed much more realistic that's because most of the "action" in cutaway was real. And yes you should wave off and track away from others before depoying, but that tends to put most of the action out of the camera frame. "Your mother's full of stupidjuice!" My Art Project Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DivaSkyChick 0 #22 July 23, 2002 Hi Cannuck, If you think the levels look like they're getting more complicated and you want to get a really good idea of what's coming up next, check out the AFF Tutorial on Skydive Elsinore's Website. It's a Flash animated tutorial that goes through eight levels of the new USPA dive flow. There's one up there for tandems, too, for anyone trying to talk their loved ones into giving it a shot! [http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/jumpstart/index.html] Good luck! PS I really hope the url clicks thru from here - I've done everything everyone has told me to do but it never frigging works! --- www.facebook.com/mandyhamptonfitch Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
goose491 0 #23 July 23, 2002 Hello and welcome, I am new to this site too and just like you, I spent a lot of time "lurking" the forums before creating a profile of my own. I also have my private pilots license.. got it at Sault College but "left" before writing for mi commercial... I've since decided that flying planes is cool but getting out of them is DA SHIT! The site is very informative and entertaining but beware your boss if you have internet access at your work I consider DZ.com my cutaway from boring desk job Where are you from in Canada? I live in Markham, Ontario and jump at Skydive Toronto. My Karma ran over my Dogma!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #24 July 23, 2002 DivaSkyChick The URL wasn't clickable but that's ok. I just copied it and pasted it into another browser. By the way, thanks for the info. It will come in handy. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #25 July 23, 2002 goose I was born in Toronto, lived in Winterpeg as a small child, grew up in Montreal, spent most of the 90s in Calgary but have been in Colorado since January of '98. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
