A most beautiful jump

[AggieDave 6]

Today was spent at the DZ instead of reading the book and a 1/2 I have to read this weekend to complete my take home exam for Monday...
Anyways, first jump of the day (for me) was a bit after noon, there was a storm front moving in, but we thought we could get up and out before it hit, so we all climbed into our beloved C-182.
Sitting in the student position I watched to the west as the plane took off, looking at the obviously raining front moving towards us and I saw lightening! It was still quite a ways off, but it woke me up, so I told the pilot and we decided that we'd try to get as much air as we could before it got close enough to really effect us.
As life lived in a 182 would be, due to climb rate we only got to about 5,500ft when we decided it was go or ride the plane down, so we ditched our preplaned dives and did some hop&pops.
I dove off the back of the step, flipped over, went to a sit fly. For those brief few seconds I was in my sit, I looked to the west and saw the front marching towards me, a curtin of rain. Dancing in the sky was lightening in the distance, giving me one of natures most beautiful shows. Track, pull.
Flying towards the peas (I wanted down NOW), spiral, spiral, smooth out and land. Daisy chained my lines, grabbed my canopy and jogged back to the packing area just as rain started to fall.
Looking at the lightening dance in the sky a few miles away left me definately in wonderment of nature. So powerful, so beautiful and differnet.
If the lightening had been closer then it was, I know I would have left with a much different outlook(scary), but from where I was (4.5k) it was pure beauty.
"Homer Simpson, smiling politely."

[INSANEDADDY 0]

I know what you mean. I watched the AWSOME light show last night as the front moved through Houston. Got some nice size hail and a ton of rain. You truly have to respect mother nature.

[Viking 0]

ya its all good until mother nature decides she wants to cook some bacon.........ZZZZAAPPPP!!!!
I would have liked to see a picture of that!!!
I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver

[dove 0]

I am so jealous! I will never forget one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. It was years ago - long before I discovered skydiving. I was in an airplane going somewhere and there was the most beautiful sunset out my window. Bright oranges and vivid pinks with dramatic sweeps of violet through it. It was positively magical. I turned to tell the person next to me they had to check it out and noticed on the other side of the plane you could see the most magnificent lightning show ever! The lightning was dancing around inside the clouds and it was constant! Some people were freaking out but it was the most stunning thing to be surrounded by so much sort of conflicting (?) beauty. I was completely awed. Mother Nature can sure put you in your place quickly. But it doesn't take a show like that to take my breath away... every time I see a sunset of any type I am completely humbled.
dove *tear, I wanna do a sunset jump!, tear*

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

One of the best sights I've seen has been a sunset at 12k. Didn't do much on that dive, just looked at the sun going down.
When you participate in sporting events, its not whether you win or loose, its how drunk you get.

[BikerBabe 0]

I think my most beautiful jump was one where it was fall, in Colorado. the cloud layer was broken around 1500 ft. We jumped anyway (there were lots of holes), and we opened above the clouds. It was incredible riding down under canopy, looking at all the puffy white clouds below me, and the mountains rising up above the clouds at eye-level. When we landed, everyone was sort of quiet...I think we were all in awe of what we'd just experienced.

[rgoper 0]

Dave:
where did you jump today? missed you at SDH. we're jumping tomorrow, come out and play!
Richard
"Lightning Strikes Again!"
Don Dokken

[AggieDave 6]

Richard,
I've been at Aggieland for the past while. I'm going to make it back to Houston once the semester is over. As busy as I've been with school, its nice to beable to drive 5 minutes to the DZ and snag a couple jumps, instead of an hour one way.
Are you going to be at the FFF? I should be there, remember look for the big guy in the truck with "Aggie Skydiving" across the front... (wondering if anyone else will catch that one...)
"Homer Simpson, smiling politely."

[rgoper 0]

Dave:
I'm soooooooo there! look foward to meeting you, take care.
Richard
"If Nobody, Believes In War, Then Can You Tell Me What What The Weapons For?
Ozzy Osbourne