dthames

Are you more mech or electrical? Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

For no specific reason I waited until I was 54 to do my first jump. Skydiving had always been something I thought I wanted to do but never really seriously considered. With the kids grown, and enough income that I could afford it, I started jumping. Someday I will stop jumping. I don't know when that will be. I will never look back and say, "One that I wanted to do but never did was skydive". Right after I started jumping I had some problems that made me always consider if I wanted to continue. I even purchased a good used rig with the idea that the rig was a commitment that would keep me in the sport long enough that I would not bail before I had given it a good run. Having my own rig did help me settle into the sport better, but at the same time I figure I could sell it today and get 70% or more of my initial cost out of it. I have spent more on skydiving than about any other hobby in my life. That is just the cost of having fun, I guess. If I didn't feel it was worth it, I would have quit already. I can't say that I am "in love" with the sport but I have always wanted to fly and now I fly. Don't put your family second to skydiving but you can skydive for a couple years or a couple hundred jumps and then reevaluate. I reevaluate all of the time. You might look back 30 years from now and say, "Wow, I am glad I started with I did". Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Would a jury of peers be 12 skydivers? Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Short answer, yes. Advice: 1. Before you start jumping, purchase a log book. Most Pro Shops will have them. 2. Tell your instructors what your expect to happen (regarding moving), take any advice they can offer, AND get the USPA license progression card in your hand before the first jump. 3. Insist (politely) that the instructors sign off on all of the training objectives that you cover, each and every jump. With your log book and progression card in hand, you will be ready to show up at the next DZ down the road. Expect to be asked to repeat your previous jump (if in AFF) or do some other form of evaluation jump with an instructor to demonstrate that you are current and have the basic skills expected for your level of training. "Been there and done that", as they say. Edit: And also get a copy of the SIM, study well the student section, section 4, and understand that at each category there are things that need to be done and signed off on your progression card. Take charge of this understanding and don't hope that someone else will watch out for you. Know that when you finish Category B, what you should have done and have signed off. That is what you need to avoid being behind and repeating jumps because of missing documentation. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

His canopy opens about 17 seconds after exit on the video. That would be more like 15k or so. The gentlemen looks a little heavy and recently there was a thread about people passing out from circulation being cut off in the groin area. Originally he posted the video, and then removed it after many criticized him. On the video, he is talking, gives a little moan, and drops his camera hand. I wish I would have saved the original video before he removed it. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I have an R-bird with lots of white on it. A couple of months ago I tripped on landing and got grass stains on the white. A toothbrush and some Cheer on the problem area and it came out without hardly any effort at all. I have had the suit about 9 months and washed it about 4 times. Crawling in my knees in a C-182 seems to be the quickest way to get it dirty as the floor pads take on whatever is on people's shoes. The suit comes clean, nice and bright when washed according to instructions. I am not sure what Scotch Guard would do to help unless it would protect it from more oily type grime. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Maybe I was not able to clearly state what I was thinking. Yes, a control check can reveal (and could clear) a problem that is not visible and should always be done. In the end everyone has to decide if the canopy is good or bad. But it sounded like the jumper was being way too subjective when it should have been clear if there was a problem or not. That is why I first suggested talking to the instructor. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I think you should carefully talk this over with your instructors. The canopy is good or it is not good. I don't think the practice flare instruction was meant to cue you to cut away or not, but to help clear specific problems. If those problem are there, did they clear or did they stay? I can't see how your perception of the "goodness" of the flare would weigh on the decision to keep the canopy or not. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I know a number of people that have purchase a Flysight and then did nothing useful with it. That is a shame. The Flysight gives you audio feedback, if you desire and records the flight data. But after the flight, you have to do something with the data in order to answer questions and learn from the data. Be sure you want to the information enough to put a bit of work into it and you will learn a lot. Here is a Flysight thread with a LOT of posts. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=3954333;page=14;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25; Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I had 200 jumps and started on an I-bird. I had a slow and difficult start (with control). I had about 20 flights before I felt like I could fly where I wanted to if someone was flying with me. After 26 flights I went to the R-bird with good success. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I don't know what the USPA does with the lifetime membership money but in my state, the Game and Fish Commission have a sweet deal with the lifetime license. 100% of the lifetime license fee goes into something like a trust fund. The Game and Fish Commission can't touch that money but get the interest off of it each year to spend on their projects, in place of the annual license fee that the sportsman would normally pay. So, they can't just spend it one year and then hurt from that lack of cash flow becuase of the sportsman not paying the annual fee. This might be all about cash flow. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

++Flysight if you want flight data. If you are only interested in flight time, a video recording can get you that. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Interesting clip. Listen to what the guy says about his legs. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=831011146926483 Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

The bowling speech is when you are told, "You need to get into a different sport. Skydiving is not for everyone. Maybe it is just not something that you need to be doing." I got the bowling speech. I wanted to fly a wingsuit and I have been doing that for more than a year now :) Stop skydiving when you no longer want to skydive. It is just that simple. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

When means my GPS data does not say thing about the airspeed of the aircraft. But we were in a gentle decent according to the GPS data. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Just a note: I did 2 flights from a Caravan last Saturday. With 3 of us poised for exit, the plane was in a decent of about 10 MPH just before exit. We had a strong headwind, so I can't really say anything about the speed. The second flight I was solo and the last out. Even though the pilot had "cut" for the other jumpers, I noticed that as I positioned myself for exit, that he cut it back a bit more. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Sorry, but....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCh7z5EwYF8 Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

During an early student SL jump, i dearched reaching for a practice pull. After the canopy opened, I was confused on why I had suddenly got motion sick. Someone had video of the exit and it was clear I was whipped around pretty hard during the deployment. I get motion sick, so I was not surprised after seeing the video. But I didn't really have a clear sense of what happened until I did see the video. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Yes, I just hung around the area as I was too far out to even think about getting back. I landed just downwind of my bag and had to hunt a bit for the main, as I had taken my eyes off it as I set up my landing. The rancher offered me his 4-wheeler to look for it. Nice guy. What Twardo said about the risers had me in a very slow turn that I did not even notice, other than the fact that the thing kept torqueing back when I would ease up on kicking. Big lesson, don't unzip the wingsuit but use it to get the twists out. An arm/wing in the breeze under control is better than all this suit dragging behind you like an anchor. [inline slowturns.jpg] Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Recently I have gained the tool needed to put the GPS data on Closed Caption Youtube videos. I added it to this cutaway video so that is possible to see what the vertical fall rated and altitude does from a stable slow cutaway. At the bottom of the Youtube screen there is a CC button that needs to be on to see the Closed Captions. edited to correct link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWZGOVQbXQ8 Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

You know the progression of that, don't you? Girl "Wow, you skydive!" Later in the relationship "Wow, you skydive a lot." Too soon "Skydiving or me." Goes full circle though. After 20 years of marriage ~ "Would you PLEASE get the HELL out of the house and go SKYDIVING!" That happens after being married X years, no matter what the sport. While my wife has not told me to go, she has learn that a happy husband make for a happy wife,.....and I will add, vise-versa. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

So should I maybe just not bother till I grab suit #2? My thinking as well. You can always practice your Split-S in the meantime. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Many struggle with the training and wonder, "Should I continue?". I was one of them. Now I always say, "Keep trying as long as you have the desire to". If you are not driven in some way, then I would not think it worth while to continue. Jumping in a group and the intense pursuit of the jump objectives is what I enjoy most about the sport. And there is just something about being in the air and flying that I have always wanted to do. As young as you are, you have a lot of time ahead of you to come back if your interests change. Just take note that if keep looking and thinking about the sky, you might have something wrong with you. :) Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I have never seen anyone hyperventilate in their sleep. Just saying. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I downloaded the video and looked at it frame by frame. It appears the camera is rotating at 30 or 60 hz, I am not sure. The audio has a waveform that makes two full cycles per frame. From what I read, I think the shutter speed is 1/(frames per second setting). If this is true, then about 33 seconds into the clip, the camera is rotating 30 times a second and sweeping 360 degrees (forward or backward rotation, I can't tell) per frame period. In any case, it is amazing that it oriented to rotate on that axis and also at a rate that the picture was somewhat stable. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”