I want to hear your sucess story!

[GravityGirl 0]

In a moment of frustration in the incident forums, I made a post about loosing it!

I'm getting frustrated that young jumpers don't seem to be listening.

ccowden brought up that there are lots of jumpers that do listen.... and survive!

So please, do an old girl a favor and post me a nice story about how someone, somewhere along the line was able to steer you along the right path and how it has made a difference in your safety and success in this sport.

I'll start:

I was a 100 jump wonder. Quick to downsize. Found myself landing out and made a panic turn to avoid a fence. A fence that would not have been a factor had I more decision time under canopy. Had I not been soley focused on making it back. Luckily I escaped with a broken pelvis.

I received plenty of tough love from the Bango Family and Marty at Bay Area Skydiving. Actually, I felt rather foolish for my canopy choices. I upsized. Came back some months later and continues a reasonable progression to my current Stiletto 89.

If it had not been for Marty and the Bangos, I may not have been able to put things in the proper perspective, and I would not have been able to accomplish what I have so far in this sport.

By the way. I've been so uncurrent lately that I'm thinking of upsizing.

Next!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[feuergnom 29]

tricky one, maybe not exactely what you are looking for, but i'll give it a try anyway

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somewhere along the line was able to steer you along the right path

somewhere along the line started right after getting my license - when i met my mentors that became my best frieds. they are both ti's, aff-i's, riggers and they are running a skydiving school. so over the last two years i've been hanging out with them a lot. no wonder i got to hear loads of stories, and participating in such a small dz as ours i also saw some scary things
they encouraged me to get my coach rating. coaching my first students was a big eye opener for me, especially after one of them had a brain fart that could have gone terribly wrong (spiraled into the ground for no reason at all and he couldn't tell anybody why he did what he did. incredibly enough he didn't hurt himself...*stillshuddering*)

some weeks later - the student had just passed his license test - he watched as we gave each other pin-checks on jump run. that moment he realised that this was something everybody does and it's not only reserved for students

guess he knows - just like i did and how the teachers teach - playing safe is better than playing cool and ending up broken

The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle

dudeist skydiver # 666

[ladyskydiver 0]

People do listen. That's why my first canopy (and so far only canopy) has been a Silhouette 170. I was told that if you looked around a DZ, there were two types of skydivers - old and bold. And that if I wanted to live to be an old skydiver, I'd take my time and progress at my own pace - not what other's thought I should do.
I sat down with the person that I ordered my canopy and rig from. I had a whopping 33 jumps at the time and knew diddly squat about the different choices available for canopies and rigs. Randy took the time to ask me what my goals in skydiving were - to be alive and in one piece was the first words out of my mouth...followed shortly after by "I want to be an old skydiver." He said that since I was a conservative skydiver, he'd recommend a Silhouette - nice, gentle "student" canopy. Ok...sounds good to me. What size should I get? Well...after much discussion, we decided on a 170 - as that was the smallest canopy I had flown at the time.

I received my canopy and was quite happy with it (and my 150 reserve - especially considering I used it a few jumps later ). At dinner one night, I was talking with some experienced jumpers and they said that there is no way I should be under a 170 - I should be under a 135. Now, I've flown a Triathalon 135 - stupid at my jump level but it was the only thing available after my reserve ride. And, I've demoed a Nitro 150 (loved it) earlier this year. But the realization is...I'm not ready for a Nitro (maybe in the future) and I'm definitely not ready for a 135.

I will be downsizing this year to a 150 but probably a Sabre2 or something along those lines. However, I'm going to be exceptionally current AND take at least 1 or 2 canopy control classes when I get ready to downsize.

So, although there are people out there that are downsizing too quickly or hooking it too early in their career or....there are an equivalent amount that are willing to take their time and learn and progress at a good pace.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[mr2mk1g 10]

I was a 100 jump wonder (and still not far off that). We'd been doing some formation stuff and had been given a designated landing direction by the CCI which was not perfectly into wind.

It was the last load of the day and I was doing a long straight approach on the designated line - perfectly parallel with a line mown in the grass which had been pointed out by the CCI.

I could see another canopy level with me in the setting sun to my right. Because of the sun I couldn't tell if they were moving towards me or not.

They were in fact cutting across the designated line by only a few degrees, so as to be perfectly into wind meaning that their path intersected mine.

At the last second I recognized that they were infact coming at me out of the sun and did a flare turn to the left and a hard PLF resulting in nothing more than a minor muscle strain and some grass marks. The more experienced jumper never even saw me and was shocked by the ground video provided by someone who had just landed before us.

I had successfully not downsized since getting the canopy before qualifying for my “A”. A smaller canopy could have meant the strain could have been a break.

I had successfully read Billvon's downsizing checklist, further read up on flare turns and practiced them up high. An ordinary flare would have planted me into the ground. Failing to make any turn would have caused a canopy collision.

[GravityGirl 0]

SAWEEEEEEEEEEEET!

Thanks for posting. More! More! I want more!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[DShiznit 0]

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I had successfully read Billvon's downsizing checklist, further read up on flare turns and practiced them up high. An ordinary flare would have planted me into the ground. Failing to make any turn would have caused a canopy collision.

this is what has kept me where I am as well. I'd like to be an old skydiver as well. I'm really in no hurry to downsize.

The smallest canopies I have jumped to date are a Cobalt 170 and a Lightning 160. I demo'd the Cobalt and jumped the Lightning (borrowed rig) several times.

Upon selling my gear, I was told that I can borrow a persons Cobalt 150 anytime I wanted. I told them I wasn't ready for that, but was told otherwise from others. I have just over 100 jumps in the past 1.3 yrs. I would be loading this canopy at 1.45ish. Too much for me. I learned this after doing Billvon's checklist, which I would recommend to anyone.

[ccowden 0]

Great thread, B! Kudos to you for starting it!
There was a jumper I know very well who bought a Velocity 96 figuring he was ready for it. He put a couple jumps on it and was quite cautious. He asked me from time to time for my input on some things. Then, on one particular jump, he made a really aggressive turn that was too low and just barely pulled it off, biffing in pretty good, but no real injuries. I could tell it had shaken him up and it had shaken me up as well. I went over to him later and spoke my piece. He sat down and listened to every word and never once bristled up or pulled attitude. He just listened and took it all in and was appreciative.

A while later, i got an email from him saying that he had really thought about it and had decided to sell the Velocity because he came to the conclusion that he wasn't quite ready to make the commitment to learning that type of flight. He fully understood the commitment and work it would be to do it right and safely and figured that he just wan't at the point where he was ready to do it. So he sold the Velocity and took a step back.

I can't tell you how proud of him and how much I looked up to him for taking that step! It takes a real big person to do that. I hold him in the utmost respect for that. Truly something to admire.

Could he have continued with the Velocity anyway? Yes. Would he get hurt? Maybe not. Could he have taken a step back with the Velocity and learned to fly it. Probably so. But he made a choice that not many have the courage to make.

This is one of those stories you don't hear. But if he would have hurt himself, we would most certainly have heard all about him. A true example to be followed.

[Mirage63 0]

This is different because it wasn't specfic jumping instructions but rather the thought process that many people go through in this sport.

A friend told me: "At around a 100 jumps most skydivers think that know it all, the good ones at 500 jumps realize they don't have a clue"

note: Change the numbers to fit yourself, now 1,200 jumps later I'm still learning and still keeping a sharp eye out for people that "know it all"

Thanks to Bill "Mr Bill" Lesman

Great thread btw.

[GentleTiger 0]

As many of you know from my posts, learning to skydive has been an uphill job for me...it doesn't come naturally to me as it does for some people, but somehow I've survived and just got my B license!!

First I had to deal with my fear. I examined all of the possiblities and conquered each one as it came to my awareness. In my self-examination, I asked my instructors a gazillion questions, quite possibly exxasperating a few, but I asked anyway. I believe that the only stupid question there is, is the one that's left unasked...so I asked a lot.

Then, on my 6th jump after AFF in March of '04, I broke my back on a blown landing, so when I came back to the sport, I was scared and cautious. But I came back and have made 65 jumps since late July.

By breaking my back I learned several things...knowing how to do a good PLF being the most critical.

A few weeks ago I made the same stupid mistake I made when I broke my back, but my response was completely different...instead of raising my toggles cuz I flared too high, I held them steady, and when I got the lift after the flare, I was still about 8 feet off the ground. Instead of trying a butt-slide, I did a PLF, and walked away without even so much as a bruise.

I have to attribute my success in this sport to all of the jumpmasters at Mile Hi Skydiving in Longmont, CO, and to this website. Since I've had so many struggles, I hope to become a coach soon...they say the best coaches are the ones that had the toughest time learning...

My recommendation for anyone reading this is to read all of the Safety and Training articles you can find, and stay current on this website. The jumpers with one jump or thousands of jumps can teach us all a lesson or two...so stay open-minded and in your mind, stay a beginner.

Great Thread!!
BBS to all,
Tiger

________________________________________
Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a tiger in the sky!! Throw down some steaks and run for the hills!!!

[ZegeunerLeben 0]

>>You made a big difference in my safety and success in this sport! Thanks!

• Quote

[GravityGirl 0]

Then come home where you belong!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[NWFlyer 2]

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I'm getting frustrated that young jumpers don't seem to be listening.

Trust me, there are a lot of us who are listening. At some point, I'll probably be tempted to get too big for my britches and it's good to know there's lots of folks in this community (DZ.com and skydiving in general) who will say "Whoa, slow down, girl." It helps me to maintain a healthy level of fear and respect for this sport, even as the abject terror of my early jumps has faded.

I also wonder how much of this depends on whether young jumpers = new to the sport or young jumpers = young in age. The fact that I'm in my 30s probably gives me more perspective on my own mortality and breakability than the folks who are 10 or 15 years younger than me. I know I did stupid stuff back then that I wouldn't do now. The irony is that I'm much more willing to take risks now, but I take them with open eyes and a sober evaluation of them.

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So please, do an old girl a favor and post me a nice story about how someone, somewhere along the line was able to steer you along the right path and how it has made a difference in your safety and success in this sport.

My story is about building confidence. I had a *really* rough start after my first 5 static line jumps. My first clear & pull ended up being a reserve ride because I went way unstable, couldn't find my main, and went to the reserve. Right decision given the situation/altitude, but I still had a problem to solve. Next clear & pull? Same problem, same ending. After that jump? I was a mess. I didn't want to give up, but I didn't know how to fix it.

I spent a lot of time soul-searching and talking to a *lot* of folks out at my DZ, including the DZO, instructors, licensed jumpers, other students. Every single one of them was willing to work with me to figure out how I could get past that roadblock. We ended up deciding to try the AFF progression for a few jumps, just to get me used to getting stable in freefall and to give me time to work on body position. Since that last reserve ride I've done 11 jumps, each of which has been successful, though not necessarily perfect. But I'm learning and progressing and feeling more confident every time. I finally went back to the clear & pulls on Saturday and got them right this time, from 4K and 3.5K. As excited as I am with my progress, I think my instructors are even more excited.

In my case, it's not a problem of being over-confident, but under-confident. I *know* I'm there mentally - even on my bad jumps, I didn't have a Cypres fire - I had altitude awareness and saved my own life, but it's nice to be reminded of that sometimes and encouraged to keep working at it.

My success story is a story of my own stubbornness and determination - I won't minimize that. But it's also a testament to the amazing level of support and encouragement and education I've received from everyone at my DZ. I'm certainly not going to set any "first jump to A license" speed records, but that's okay. Barring something drastic changing, in the next month or two, I *will* get it. I'm not sure I would have said that a couple months ago.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[mnealtx 0]

Realizing that there's a kernel of good info in almost any opinion, regardless of the experience of the person giving it. If nothing else, it brings other questions to mind that can be checked up on.

Oh yeah...and I found a really cool gear dealer that gives me good advice....

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Darius11 12]

I want to swoop. I want to hook it. The canopy part is the most fun for me.

When I went to Jeff (One of my instructors) he took the time to explain things. I think he actually talked to me for 45 min. Not to mention the countless hours we have talked since.
He didn’t say don’t do it or just brush me off. He right away gave me things to read. Shared some of his own stores. And set things that I should learn first.
Because of his explanations I know I am a long way away from swooping, but I am learning little by little. I also am in no rush mostly because he took the time to make me realize there is so much I need to learn first. If he would have not taken the time to explain things to me, to let me know there is a safer way to learn then just doing it I might have just said fuck it and tried to do it.

So some do listen. No one is responsible for our actions I understand that, but it is so great when people do take the time to teach. Jeff has directly effected my progression and safety in this sport. I am very grateful for his time.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[GravityGirl 0]

Now you see! The pros are already outweighing the cons.

Thank you all for participating in my therapy.

My faith in humanity is becoming restored!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[CanuckInUSA 0]

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post me a nice story about how someone, somewhere along the line was able to steer you along the right path and how it has made a difference in your safety and success in this sport.

1) At about the 160-175 jump mark I took a canopy control course and it was here where I was told how to do front riser dives (the pros and cons of this sort of thing). Plus I didn't actually start doing them with any consistency until I had over 200 jumps.

2) On average I've made at least 200 jumps per canopy before downsizing (too soon in some people's eyes, just about right from most of my experiences). Plus I have always been pretty current with my jumping habits.

3) I have done a fair number of normal hop n' pops and high altitude hop n' pops.

4) I have done some CReW.

5) I have sought out high performance canopy coaching from one of the PST's top competitors and I will continue to work with this coach in the future.

6) I'd like to think that I know I'm not invincible and I am capable of messing myself up if I do something stupid under canopy.

7) I'd like to think that I know when to abort my swoop due to traffic.

8) I'd like to think that my "you're too low to complete this turn the way you're doing it" spider senses still work and that I will get off of my fronts when it gets triggered.

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By the way. I've been so uncurrent lately that I'm thinking of upsizing.

Pretty soon I will own four different skydiving canopies:

1) Spectre 150 (for wingsuit jumps)
2) Samurai 136 (interim GL canopy, but could be used for more)
3) Crossfire2 119 (will be selling it in the Spring)
4) Velocity 111 (I start jumping this in a week or two)

So if I find myself uncurrent on something like the Velocity (which I haven't started to jump yet), I can always jump one of my bigger canopies. Plus I have a FLiK 293 BASE canopy and a Rock Draggon 303 BASE canopy being made. So I've got tons of choices besides the Velocity or the Crossfire2.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[kai2k1 0]

Right before I got my A license, I spoke with skybytch about some gear i wanted to buy. She advised me not to buy it since the main was a 170 and the reserve was a 176 (BTW I'm about 206 out the door) And asked me one simple question: "Would and could you land a 170 in the tightest landing area you can find? Or in someone's backyard? After answering that question I feigned at the thought and ended up buying a 190 instead.

On my first jump while I was coming in for a landing, I couldnt believe how fast it flew. When I landed (slid it in), I thanked Lisa in my head for talking me out of gear that I wanted to buy and making me think more of what was right for me with my experience level. I'm quite sure there has been an injury prevented to myself from taking her advice.

I now have about 65 jumps on my 190 and dont plan on downsizing until i have at least 200.

There's no truer sense of flying than sky diving," Scott Cowan

[skybytch 273]

Thanks Rick. Posts like yours remind me why I continue to care, even if most times it feels like I'm beating my head against brick walls.

[GravityGirl 0]

Bytch are you up here yet?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[mnealtx 0]

Lance McElhiny...taught my *FIRST* FJC, back about 10 years ago....

"Always look, always think, always check your handles and your gear - it's the things that you don't see, don't think about and don't check that will kill you in this sport"

Eric@SD Houston... my second FJC instructor.....

"Always check your handles whenever you have to move in the plane, and after you get up. Keep your eyes open and check other people's gear, too - the life you save could be mine!"

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[GQ_jumper 4]

well first i'd like to say good luck to canuckinusa when he start flying his new canopy, i've heard you talking about it a lot in other posts, be safe and long swoops bro!!

then my success story...
like every young invincible badass such as myself i felt that i should take up swooping on my own without the beinifit of coaching around jump 50. so as every exceptional A license swooper does i started with some toggle whips thinking i had this recovery arc thing down!!!!!

fortunately i went up to one of the instructors at my dz one day and asked him what to do next. he told me i needed to learn how the canopy reacts as it comes out of a dive before i start making big turns. so he had me start doing double fronts(and kept an extremely close eye on me the whole time). which is where i still am, i am incredibly consisten with this. and at the end of every day take a second to discuss what i saw and learned that day. he tells me what to look for what to focus on, and has explained to me what the next step is going to be and how i am going to make this happen. and as much as i'd like to start whipping out 180s or more i hold myself back and don't go beyond what he has taught me. he goes out of his way to do a lot to help me, in more than just swooping so i don't go against what he says.

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

[skybytch 273]

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Bytch are you up here yet?

I am! Today marks one full week at the new job.

I think I'll be doing my "welcome to NorCal" jumpin' either Saturday or Monday at Davis.

[firstime 0]

level 5 ( AFF) I reached back to deploy and did not put
my left hand above my head hence I was on my back.
My thought was to get stable (belly to earth). I arched my
ass in half to no avail, I lost the thought process but I went to stage II all in about 5 seconds. At that point all
I could hear was just pull when in doubt. I then dumped
while on my back and expecting the worse. I had a line twist right to the slider (a whole bunch) and then started to kick as if you are a swing set. It worked and was sitting
in comfortable sadle @ 2K . Thank you Nikki,Army Mike,
Guy, Tom Buch. I will hear those voices for the rest of my
life

[firefighterchad 0]

I've felt like my years in the sport have been fun and safe ones..... I also downsized to a stileto at 100 jumps... and my other 1150 jumps have all been on smaller eliptical canopies.... but i've been cautious in my years of jumping... i've always been eager to learn and pick up on the good and bad things that happen under canopy..... i've only had one cut away at 407 jumps... it was a pilot chute and tow..... but just last month i was jumping my older stileto that had 1200 jumps on the original lines... and on opening my steering line snapped....( i've been joking for a while that when i have a line break that i would get a new line set) i just wasn't planning on it being a steering line.. that was a 1000 lb test.... but it snapped and the lined wrapped around my hand while i was trying to straightend it... so i was unable to cut away.. so i landed it rear risers..... and all was good.............. so i guess my morale to the story is.... keep your cool........... learn all you can from experiences and other jumpers stories....... and remember to always love life........... with my job as a firefighter and also a swat medic....... i see enough sad things... and people that just dont enjoy life..............

Blue Skies!!!

Griff25

[mfrese 0]

Great thread, Bonnie!

There are too many stories to pick one, but I'll mention a bunch of people who made a big impact on me in this sport, and whose lessons I will continue to remember as long as I do it.

1) Janni and Marty - nothing scared the shit out of me more than seeing Marty giving that "C'mere!" gesture with that curling index finger. You knew you had done something stupid and were about to be corrected, firmly but gently. And Janni still has the best quote ever to a jumper at the Byron Boogie about 6 years ago: "What kind of idiot shows up at a boogie with an out-of-date reserve?!"

2) Jan Davis - We learned together, and she taught me a lot, especially back in the days when I had about 50 jumps and no one else to jump with at Hollister on a weekday.

3) Raff - If you know him, you know what I mean.

4) Brian Germain and Scott Miller - outstanding canopy pilots (and designer), who can teach as well as they fly. Scott spent a few hours on the phone once talking to me about a canopy course syllabus...on his dime, and at about 1:30 a.m. his time. The passion he had for what he was doing was obvious. As for Brian, his meditative, low-key style is great to watch, and his comments and analysis are dead on. Watching the video of a friend who did a VERY low 270 during a canopy course, Brian was supportive, positive, and very, very clear: at the point where he started the turn - "Here's where you decided to kill yourself" ...at the point where he carved hard out of the corner and landed - "And here's where you did a great job of not dying!". Priceless.

5) Just about every other skydiver I've ever talked to for more than a few minutes - because I either learn something good I didn't know that I can file away for later when I need it...or because I'll learn something bad I definitely want to avoid doing myself!

Mike (almost 2000 jumps, and still smart enough to stay on the ground some days...)

Doctor I ain't gonna die,
Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash