A truly newbie question

[spinmaster 0]

I have a question for experienced jumpers. I travel A LOT and I love sky diving but I don't yet have my my A license yet and I get the impression most DZ's don't like non licensed sky divers showing up trying to rent equipment to and jump. Am i accurate in this? I would love to get my A before jumping any place other than my home DZ (Airsportz...you guy's rock!) but the reality is I'll have time and opportunity to jump elsewhere first due to traveling. Are there places that like to have use non-sky gods show up just show up and jump for the fun of it?
Specifically in the Chicago, Milwaukee, or Cleveland areas but others will due.
Dan

[PalmettoTiger 1]

I jumped at X-Keys and Delmarva when I was done with student status but short of my A-license. It probably helped that I had my own rig with a Cypres. But both DZs were cool about it; just checked my logbook and asked enough questions to be sure I knew what I was doing. I think your best bet is going to be calling ahead to let them know your status, and find out their policies.
PTiger

[tigra 0]

How many jumps do you have and are you a USPA member?
Skydive Chicago *MIGHT* let you jump depending on the answers, but would probably make you take (pass) a written test first, talk with you, and check your log book. Also, Skydive Chicago's student canopies are Sabre 2s with maybe a few Safires available for rental gear, and all their student systems are boc throwouts. If you have no experience with the higher performance canopies, its probably not smart to start at a new dz.
Other dzs may want you to do at least one "level 8" type coach dive. (Do they still call them that?) A few years ago, I was expected to do this at Skydive Dallas. At the time, I had about 65 jumps and an A license, with a B on the way and my own gear waiting for me in Chicago. I didn't mind because I really didn't want to jump alone. They were concerned about my safety.
Its really not about "skygods", its about safety. Please don't take this personally, because I don't know you or how many jumps you have or how often you jump. But low time jumpers who don't stay current can be a danger to themselves and others. A responsible DZ knows this, and has to balance those risks against the individual's desire to jump.
Good luck, and I hope you do get to make some jumps while you are traveling.

[skybytch 273]

If you already have the 25 freefalls needed for an A, get it, especially if you travel a lot and want to jump at other than your home dz. Makes jumping at any dz no-hassle. Otherwise, carry your logbook with you and expect that some if not all dz's will require you to jump with an instructor (at additional cost of course) and jump either student gear or a Cypres-equipped rig, whether it's your own or a rental. Also, if you don't have your own rig yet remember that at many dz's student and/or rental equipment is limited and probably going to be for their students or grads first... you may spend some time on the ground waiting for gear to be available.
It's not that dz's don't like non-licensed jumpers, it's more that without an A license they really don't know anything about your skill level, nor do they know how you've been trained and how you've performed on the jumps you've done. An A license says that you are (or at least should be) capable of taking care of yourself and you aren't a hazard to other jumpers.
My best advice would be to get your A license first, but if that's not going to happen call whatever dz you're hoping to jump at and speak with the chief instructor or dzo before making the trek out there.
pull and flare,
lisa
--
life's a bitch.. and so am I

[jtval 0]

yea what they said..
but alot of places that have no idea about your skill level may want you to do a jump with an instructor so they know you are capable. that gets EXPENSIVE!! get your "A" lisence asap if you are traveling and you will see a much cheaper jump bill on your credit card. i think its still only $20.
i had a prob when i first sent for my "A".
it didnt get to me intime for my dz change-over. i called the uspa and they gave me my # over the phone. the sooner you send the sooner you get to jump!
Have fun, LIVE FREE, Skydive
JT

[skyhawk 2]

i still dont have my a :-) cause i have never got around to getten a photo i went to a boogie befor i left i just got my dzo to sign my logbook sayen i had passed all the requirments the other dz was more than happy to except (mayby haven over 50 jumps helped though :-)
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