CanuckInUSA

I'm going to have to take a rain check until the Bytch Boogie. But I will be looking to do some fun jumps then. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Whatever ... believe what you want ... truth ... who's truth is that? ... yours and your religion? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Happy birthday Christie. Mine was yesterday. High: Knowing that skydiving exists ... Low: Knowing that some can no longer skydive ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I'm sorry I missed it (the weekend, not the accident). But I was up in Canada renewing my work visa and doing some mandatory RW. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Seeing this flic on the big screen (in KC) was phat!!! But I still enjoy watching it on my TV. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I'm not a small person (about 200 lbs naked) and most of the people I jump with are smaller than I am. So from day one of my skydiving career, I've had fast fall rate issues I've needed to learn to overcome. At Rantoul I asked a small yet bad ass freeflier that I got to jump what I could do to slow down, and his response was "baggy clothing". So now I find that by using my XXXL sweat shirt, I can go head down with smaller people and the chances of me going low are reduced. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

For American citizens, the answer is "no" for both questions. But because you're talking of visiting Canada, I'll be sending out an A.P.B. to intercept you at the border (you know to protect the few sheep that there are in Canada). Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

One day I will have to come out and do those coach jumps we talked of in the past with you. I'm getting better (I've recently done some very good jumps with some bad ass freefliers) and have resolved some of my fast fall rate issues by wearing a big baggy XXXL sweat shirt. But I'm still learning and have yet to be accepted into the Jedi freeflying school (unlike a friend or two who are naturals at this ever so challenging skydiving discipline). Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

He's in FL. But being in CA, you've got to think that you can find good canopy instruction somewhere there. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I DO!!! I DO!!! But I have a question. Would it be better to stay up all night or to just drag my sorry ass excuse of a morning person out of bed before the sun rises? (keeping in mind I would have only gone to bed a short while before hand) I am very much looking forward to coming out to Sebas for the Bytch Boogie 3 1/2 weeks from now!!! Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Tom First off, welcome to the darkside and nice vid (I'm assuming this was your first videod jump?). I find the darkside to be a whole lot more self fulfilling than RW, but the darkside does not come easy and if not approached right could hinder your long term progression. In otherwords don't rush it, you have the rest of your life (especially being so young) to become a bad ass freeflier. 1) As a freeflier, it's sort of weird to be saying this, but don't ignore RW in the early stages of your skydiving career. RW does teach you to fly relative to others and as a low jump number skydiver as well as an aspiring freeflier, you could be losing valuable experience in learning how to fly relative to others. I'm not saying don't try to learn to be a freeflier (freeflying rocks), just don't ignore RW jumps. 2) It is imperative for you to learn how to sit. Head down is for sure the glamorous side to freeflying, but just like a belly jump (arching), the sit is the neutral recovery position while freeflying. When something goes wrong, freefliers must be able to go to a sit. Learning to sit isn't always easy (it wasn't for me), but the safety of yourself and others you jump with could depend on this mandatory skill. 3) When first learning to freefly, you need to do solo jumps, align yourself perpendicular to the flight line (it's so easy to be cruising across jump run while head down and not even know it) and never spend more than 5 consecutive seconds head down (in other words flip back into a sit after five seconds and make sure you are oriented perpendicular and that you have not lost altitude awareness). 4) Do not lose altitude awareness while head down. Use an audible but don't rely on it. Watch the horizon and learn what 5000 feet looks like, what 4000 feet looks like and especially what 3000 feet looks like. 5) Find the tube while head down. Successful head down freeflying is achieved when neither your head, upper torso or legs are catching a lot of air. When doing your head down solos and during your five seconds, purposely expose the back of your body and the front of your body to the relative wind and learn what that feels like. Then as the jump progresses, try to narrow down the inputs until you feel no wind pressure on your front or your back. When you have done this, you have found the tube and this is where head down freefying takes place. But once again while learning, don't spend more than five seconds head down. 6) The key to successful freeflying is to relax. The more you fight your body, the harder it will be. 7) Once you think you've got a good sit. Go out on a jump with a more experienced freeflier to determine if there are any backsliding issues and see how well you can fly relative to the other person. 8) Successful freeflying is achieved by being legs dominant. It's okay to use you hands and your arms while on a jump. But freeflying really is about flying your legs. Relax, have fun and be safe. You have your whole life to get better. But don't ignore RW at this stage of your skydiving career and please make sure you can sit before you go head down. All of this was told to myself and sometimes I listened and sometimes I didn't. But now that I have a few experiences under my belt, I recognize why these things are said to new freefliers. Freeflying rocks, but it must be respected. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Hey as long as she's not spending my jump $$$, any future spouse of mine can spend all the time she wants shopping just as long as my kindergarten is located at my friendly neighborhood DZ. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Andi 1) Pay off any consumer debt that you can. 2) The responsible next choice is to invest it (not necessarily in the markets though). But who said skydivers were responsible people thinking of their retirement. I know I haven't invested a penny ever since I started jumping. 3) Do you need gear more than you need jumps (once you're healthy of course) or do you need jumps more than gear? Right now I need jumps more than gear, so I know how I'd lean. But your situation may be different. Above all else, do what you need to do to be happy and secure with your present situation. Having $$$ for the future is good, but being happy now is what counts in my world. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Some form of context needs to be factored in here. Yes I see your point of not overloading the younger skydiver with more advanced piloting techniques. But at the same time, I think it's okay for Drew to talk about certain skills. And we all really need to practice these skills up high first before we ever think about using them down low. But when you need them, it's nice to know you know how to do it (based on your experiences up high). Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I like to think of it as flying with the seat of your pants (an old aviation term) and each jump is a little different from the last one. The way I approach my landings is to initiate the initial plane-out flare (often by letting go of the front risers, sometimes initiate with a short toggle stroke) and then I wait to feel my canopy start to lose it's lift (the seat of the pants feel). Adding a little more toggle input until I feel the canopy plane-out and then repeat the process of waiting for that seat of the pants feel, etc, etc, etc until at some point the canopy losses all lift and it's time to shut down. I'm no swoop machine, but I've got neat video of myself with my shadow showing this seat of the pants approach to flaring. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Damn ... that 4th pic looks too good to be true. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Sign me up for these beach jumps and I have my "D". Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

This weekend while doing some mandatory Relative Work I couldn't help but notice how different I've become compared to my whuffo family and friends. To my family and friends what seems most important to them is their families and their homes. In other words you must get married, buy a house, redecorate the house and let's not forget to have plenty of children, spend weekends in the garden or at the soccer field and watch lots and lots of TV related to couples and redecorating. And for us (as the whuffos would believe) people with death wishes, all we want to do is tempt fate (which when you think about it, is what we're doing everytime we jump). Anyway, here I am spending time with my brother and sister-in-law and they're watch episode after episode of "Trading Spaces" and while I'm sure this show has some entertainment value, it's geared towards this whole be a couple, buy a house, redecorate and don't forget to have plenty of children attitudes so that you spend weekends at the mall and/or home improvement store, at the soccer field and/or in front of your TV watching golf. So who's more mixed up? Us or them? Or are all humans just mixed up period? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

As long as the offer comes from a female, I like this idea. Thanks for the vibes people. I just got home after a long 15 1/2 hour drive (I broke many speeding laws in the process) and I have a new TN-1 work visa (actually a I-94 card) which is good for another year. So look for me to be bugging y'all either here or at a DZ near you. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Thanks for the vibes folks ... I'm out of here ... wish me luck? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Invade with what? Our hockey sticks? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Visa or no visa, I'm all over the Eloy Holiday boogie (even if I have to sneak into the country). Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

You need to have a Green Card first before you can be a citizen and the only way to get a Green Card is through work (a total time consuming hassle with no guarantee) or through marriage. Marriage would be my better option, but I'm not about to get married just for a Green Card, and besides ... I currently don't have anyone interested in me. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

My source my be wrong, but a friend who works at Mile-Hi told me that Frank was planning on having the King Air operational by Saturday. But you know how these things go some time. But it won't matter to me as I'm travelling up to Canada this weekend to renew my work visa and do a very small amount of RW work. So no jumping for me. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

For the legal residents of the USA who aren't against (legal) aliens like myself, I am looking for some positive INS vibes from you. You see my NAFTA TN-1 work visa expires on Saturday. So today after work, I will be starting off my long drive from the metro Denver area to the Alberta/Montana border to renew my visa. I have made the drive many times before (so I know what to expect), and I find that renewing my visa at this border crossing point to be less stressful than say somewhere like the Toronto Intl airport. But it would be nice if I never had to do this because make no mistake about it, it can be a stressful time not knowing what the INS agent will do. I don't aniticipate problems (I've renewed numerous times aleady and have been in the USA for almost six years). But at the same time, some positive INS vibes would be appreciated. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over