Recurrency excitement

[Katzeye 0]

Two weeks before my 1-year whuffo mark, I finally have blue skies and low wind to make my recurrency jump. I spent 3 weekends in a row at the Skydive Hawaii DZ, praying to the sun and wind gods for good conditions. This last friday my wish was granted.

I learned many valuable lessons (and owe lots of beer):

1. ABORTED TAKEOFF: First time I've ever been on an aborted take-off. Seems we had that little plane loaded off, so out we all go. Do the plane shuffle and back in and away!

2. WING EXIT: Never having gotten out of a small plane (big door planes only), my first challenge was NOT falling off that damn strut! The Cessna 182 was a long ride to 12', but the view made up for it. Door was open, out goes Alaska Jim and he did it so easily, I was amazed. My turn, scoot foward, reach left (WOW, it's windy out here), step right. DAMN - foot find the step. Reach right, left foot out. SUCCESS! I didn't fall off. Count, arch and PLAY!

3. RELAX (back to basics): I really didn't find my arch until well into the bottom half of the skydive, but Jim had a good time watching me "blow the rust off." Wave off, arch and deploy.

4. BORROWED/RENTAL CANOPY: Beauful opening, full canopy, time for traditional canopy check. Left turn, toggle to shoulder. The Saber 170 turned slooowwwlllyyy. Right turn, toggle to shoulder, WHOA, zippy right. WEIRD! Why is it uneven? Full flare - very short flare which I am not used to, but it did stop so I decided to land it.

After a great time playing over an ocean so clear at 3400' you can see the reefs and turtles beneath you I went over to the playground to burn some altitude. I was on radio, so Wyatt sang me some nice songs. Downwind at 1000', on my left-hand cross wind at aobut 500' I lost tons of altitude and slowed big time. Time for some sashay's (from instruction from Jim). Time for final - WOW, that canopy picked up speed.

5. SETUP AND LOW TURNS: Since it's been a year, when Jim called "it's all you" I went into final. There was no way I was going to do any more aggressive turns on a sketchy canopy in a tight landing area at that speed. Needless to say, I went long. VERY long. So long that it was either me or the barbed wire fence surrounding the LZ.

6. HOW TO AVOID A FENCE: I had three choices, pray I make it over the fence (not likely and there's barbed wire on top), go into 1/2 brake and smash into the fence side-body style (ouch), pump that bitch as much as I can to lose as much altitude as possible before the fence and PLF. I chose the last. I got maybe 2 good stalls in before it was game time. I shut the canopy down, dropped about 10 feet and did a beautiful forward-PLF (ankles, knees, hips, hands, face). I was so close to the fence that when I looked up from my fall, my canopy had gracefully laid itself over the 6' fence, lines straight. The slider was just under the barbed wire and the canopy was curled softly on the ground in front of me.

Me? I'm fine. A little bruised, my left leg is a little sore (muscle wise). My pride is shot, and I'm kicking myself for not listening to my instincts rather than the instructor. BUT I've got a great story for my first jump into Hawaii.

I'm baaack!

Blue skies,

LA*

Is a chicken omelette redundant?

[sinker 0]

great post! I enjoyed the read... I just got recurrent three weeks ago after 6 1/2 years off, and like you it was out of a 182... yep, strong wind, can I really stay on that strut?

congrats, welcome back!

-the artist formerly known as sinker

[Keith 0]

Hey Resrie great post! Glad you're back in the air. Give Boo a big smooch for me 'cause you know what happens when I do it myself

Keith

Don't Fuck with me Keith - J. Mandeville

[Shark 0]

Hi Bunny,

Welcome back to the sky! If I can remember correctly, I lent you my borrowed Sabre2 fer your last recurrency jump. Anywho, it's still fun here in SoCal and LoCal. Don't know much about NoCal.

Miss ya!
Shark