skydivermom 0 #1 October 30, 2005 I became a REAL skydiver today! No more dope rope! For the first time I was beyond excited and just had the time of my life. It was so awesome going into freefall and pulling my own chute! Stand-up landing as well. I was seriously crying when I landed. For the last few jumps, I've been mostly overcome by fear and anxiety. Having heard all of you talk about how fun this is, I can now proudly say I TRULY UNDERSTAND! Your support and encouraging words helped a bunch. Thank youMrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #3 October 30, 2005 I can now proudly say I TRULY UNDERSTAND! *** NOW ya did it...! You'll never look up and think the way you did yesterday!Congrats! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #4 October 30, 2005 wahoo. nice that would be beer alsoYou are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EvilLurker 2 #5 October 30, 2005 So, did you watch the plane as you left? Have any trouble staying stable and on-heading? Congrats! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #6 October 30, 2005 That's great! Just remember, as you go thru your student progression, the key word for any student is PATIENCE as you learn to freefall with stability. You'll have some jumps where you're very stable, and others where you'll have trouble staying stable. DON'T GET FRUSTRATED with unstable jumps and start saying to yourself "I just can't ever learn to stay stable". Yes you can, just be patient & take the time to let it all sink in. There's no magic number to how many jumps it takes you to get off student status - what's right is what's right for YOU. Edit: P.S., I agree that watching the plane as you fall away is a good way for a new freefall student to learn to stay stable. It imparts a natural arch to your spine that counteracts the tendencey to de-arch, or drop a knee, etc. Talk to your instructor about this. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike111 0 #7 October 30, 2005 Hey BIG CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Enjoy !!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Orange1 0 #8 October 30, 2005 Awesome, Kathleen!! And it just gets better from here on Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woodpecker 0 #9 October 30, 2005 Congrats and welcome to the family.SONIC WOODY #146 There is a fine line between cockiness and confidence -- which side of the line are you on? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bdbrown 0 #10 October 30, 2005 congrats, welcome to the best family in the world -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstime 0 #11 October 30, 2005 welcome to a sport second to none. Congarts on your "off the dope rope". Fear and anxiety is not a bad thing as it keeps you sharp. I would like to extend my hand to you with "great job". Larry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivermom 0 #12 October 31, 2005 yes, I kept my eyes on the plane and my head up the whole time. I was very stable, but my JM said the only thing he saw was I had a little trouble keeping my legs far enough apart, so next time I will work on that. Considering my classic d-arch on my AFF jump and flipping everywhere, I'm pretty elated!Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivermom 0 #13 October 31, 2005 ***Just remember, as you go thru your student progression, the key word for any student is PATIENCE as you learn to freefall with stability. __________________________________________________ That's one of the great things about SL. They can combine several skills in other jumps so that you can still finish the course in 12 jumps. Of course I have no problem going beyond that, but I just love how gradual they make it. So that it's not too overwhelming if I'm learning more than one thing in a jump. I love that I was already comfortable with canopy control and landing when it came time to freefall. Of course, I still have much to learn in canopy flying and landing, but at least it wasn't all new to me at one time.Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
noblesmelissa 0 #14 October 31, 2005 Congratulations! How wonderful for you! Sorry I haven't had a chance to meet you yet at SSM!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
goose491 0 #15 October 31, 2005 Way to go!! We knew you could do it. Thanks for sharing along the way, I certainly enjoyed following your posts. Just like someone already posted, patience is the name of the game now. Patience and Percevearance. Congratulations! Nick My Karma ran over my Dogma!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivermom 0 #16 November 1, 2005 Thanks so so much! I'm looking forward to moving on with my training now that I've Jumped (excuse the pun) over a major hurdle! I don't even care if I get everything right the first time, I'm just so glad I finally did my own freefall! I can't wait to try the back and front loops and everything else. The best part about learning to skydive, for me, is that it has changed me in so many ways. I never imagined getting into this would have such an impact on everything else in my life. It's awesome!!!Mrs. WaltAppel All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
