CanuckInUSA

This last Monday was my first skybirthday and I'm happy to report that I made 330 jumps in my first year in the sport (not too shabby). But then there's always guys like Matt who make my jump numbers seem minimal. Oh well, I guess I still have some whuffo agenda (like a job) just naggy away at me ... nag ... nag ... nag ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I too have had good customer service experiences with Sunrise Rigging. They replaced my container with a new one once it was figured out that my original order was messed up by the dealer and my original reserve tray was built too small for my reserve. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Congrats ... damm how'd you do that? I've been told that my DZ will likely be needing videographers in the future but they won't even consider someone until they have a minimum of 500 jumps and then they obviously need to prove that they can fly the slot. But hey most of my camera jumps have been during freefly jumps and you've been geeking tandems and RW groups for some time now right? See you in Rantoul ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Amy Andyman BartsDaddy BillVon Blondeflyer7 Cajones Canopycudler CanuckInUSA Carbonezone ChasingBlueSky Clownburner Craichead Craig Dagimp DJan FallinWoman Flyangel2 Fozchek Freaksister Gemini Gravityrat4 GroundZero HeatherB Indyz Jari Jceman & TLML Jerm Jfields JnL Kolla Konradptr Kris LewMonst Lou Diamond MonkeyLip Mujie96 Nightjumper Nightjumps OmriMon Opie PhillyKev PhreeZone PLFking RevJim Rhino SkyBytch Skydekker SkydiverChick Skygod7777 Skymedic SkyMonkeyONE Skynole Snowwhite Sunshine Thighman Trent Unstable WFFC Wingnut Updated the list ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I'll be coming to the WFFC as well. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

It's important for all new floppers to be doing their jumps perpendicular to the flight line. Of course it's easy for people to tell the floppers about this, but once in the air, you've got no control as to how the jump goes. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Normally when we talk of exit orders, we talk of belly fliers first (largest, to smallest), freefliers (largest to smallest), AFFs, Tandems and other high pullers. But I'd like to propose a new category to be inserted into the exit order. Lately my DZ has seen a number of newer jumpers show a desire to get into freeflying. But for most (if not all) of the new freefliers, they all go through their growing pains in learning how to sit and go headdown. Of course these new freefliers aren't really freeflying, they are pretty much like a belly flier with brief moments of flying fast vertical speeds (hey we all went through our growing pains learning to freefly). And thus tend to drift down the jump run much like a belly flier would (mainly because they are exposed to the upper winds longer than a freeflier). In fact I had a close call with one of these jumpers on Saturday. I was doing a two-way headdown jump (I'm no freefly rock star, but it was a good solid headdown jump) and upon breakoff and deployment, I hear the sound of a canopy opening and about 20-30 feet behind me I see the guy who jumped after my group opening up. Now numerous things could have happened on this jump. The guy following my group may not have given us proper separation, he may have been backsliding (as he is currently known to do) into our airspace. But I think one of the main culprits for this close call was that he was drifting horizontally across the sky much more than I was because he wasn't able to stay in a freefly sit (in otherwords he's still in his floppy stages of developing as a freeflier). So instead of chewing him out for almost killing me (as well as himself), myself and some of the more experienced freefliers at the DZ are going to try and include this new jumper category in the exit order. So here goes: Belly fliers (largest to smallest groups) Floppers (people learning to freefly but still flopping) Freefliers (largest to smallest groups) AFFs Tandems High Pullers We need to convey to the floppers, that it's okay to be stuck in this stage (everyone flops when they first learn to freefly), but they need to be honest with us when we ask them how their sit is and in some cases the floppers should have to make a two-way jump with a more experience freeflier to ensure that they are not corking all over the sky before they be allowed to be included in the freeflier groups. Once again I am no freefly rock star, but I do maintain a stable sit and am coming along nicely with my headdown skills and I write all of this in the name of safety. There's been way too many close calls happening around the DZ and we might as well try and reduce the risks where we can reduce them. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Having zero BASE jumps under my belt, I'm obviously not very qualified to talk about this sport. But BASE seems to have many more unknown variables to each jump that swooping doesn't have. So in that respect I do believe that BASE may be more dangerous. But the margin for error in both disciplines is small, and they are obviously both dangerous (but fun). Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Having zero BASE jumps under my belt, I'm obviously not very qualified to talk about this sport. But BASE seems to have many more unknown variables to each jump that swooping doesn't have. So in that respect I do believe that BASE may be more dangerous. But the margin for error in both disciplines is small, and they are obviously both dangerous (but fun). Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

LOL ... ya I saw your other post concerning your (or was it our) color schemes. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Which do you feel is more dangerous? Swooping or base jumping? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Which do you feel is more dangerous? Swooping or base jumping? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Hey I liked those wing loading restriction values used by this Carolina DZ. They allow for some adventure by the up and coming canopy pilot, but still enstill some sort of canopy progression structure. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Check out ftp://ftp.skydivingmovies.com/public/landing and look for SA_Swoop1 through SA_Swoop3. In those WMV movie files you will see me jumping my Sabre2 with a stock Blackberry, Silver, White, Blackberry, Blackberry, Blackberry, White, Silver and Blackberry color scheme. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

0:12:1 No humps ... 12 jumps including a really fun freefly night jump, participating in a buddy's 500th jump and likely my best freefly headdown jump to date on Sunday's sunset load with two of Colorado's better freefliers. Beer owed for swooping our high performance landing area for the first time. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Today is my 1st skybirthday. One year ago my life changed radically after I did my 1st tandem jump and I fell in love with the sport of skydiving. In that time I have jumped my ass off (for many reasons) and developed into the skydiver that I am today. I feel that I have fallen victim to the "Skydiving Curse" (or was that just an addiction) but I can't see myself going back. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Dude you must like pie and abuse. See you in Rantoul. PS: Today is my 1st skybirthday. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I'm a big tub. Sit is some where around 145-155. Headdown is faster at 180-200. But in a little over a week, I will be sporting some bird-man tracking pantz and I'm hoping they will slow me down a bit. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

You guys are getting off of the topic here. It's obvious that many people would like to see something done in terms of educating people in the dangers of flying a canopy they may not be ready for. And that is what we really should be talking about. But instead, this thread is turning into a I know more than you know thread. Sure someone with several hundred jumps will have a certain experience that someone with 100 jumps won't have. Just as someone with several thousand jumps will have more experience than someone with only a few hundred jumps. But to say things like "you need to see someone bounce before you can have an opinion" or "you need to be in the sport long enough to change your cypres batteries before you can have an opinion" is not helping here. There are things which are said here which are sometimes ignored by myself just as there are things which are said which cause me to sit up and take notice of as good information. I know reading and participating in these threads have caused myself to seek canopy control instruction and I'd like to believe that my current skills are better because of this (and I have recent video proof that my skills are coming along). In fact there is a certain person on these threads who's trying to sell one of his canopies which I would love to have (and it's quite possible that I could safely fly it now). But another person I respect has recently told me that while he thought I was ready for this type of canopy, he warned me not to downsize too much all at once. So I wrote the first person and told them that I would regrettably have to pass on their canopy (even though buying the same canopy in a larger size will cost me more $$$). So it's threads like this that are making a difference in my own personal opinions. But it still annoys me when some people claim that we 'x' number jump wonders (an incredible insulting term I might add) don't know squat and that we need to witness accidents or that we need to wait for our first cypres battery service before we are allowed to have an opinion. Come on people. Keep to the topic of canopy control education with possible BSR changes and/or recommendations and let's keep our egos in check. I respect the opinion of the more experienced person when they are trying to educate me. But as soon as they start trying to preach to me, I become disinterested. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I won't address the downsizing scenario (for fear that the canopy nazis will jump on me, plus I've never seen you land). But I do know that I like the Sabre2 canopy because it's a 9 cell as opposed to the 7 cell Spectre. The Spectre is a good canopy, but the Sabre2 will glide further and surf more. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Cool and thanks for the speedy reply. I will talk to my people in terms of setting myself up with a pair. And if I'm lucky and they have my size in stock I'll be sporting a pair at the WFFC. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I'm seriously thinking about picking up a pair of BirdMan Pantz (Freefly style) for not only tracking, but more importantly to help slow me down while headdown. Any comments by those who have used the Pantz for this purpose? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I was going to say the exact same thing, but you beat me to it. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Heck just sell your soul. Most of us have already done that. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

LOL ... it wasn't that long ago (5 weeks I'm guessing) that sunnydee123 had only ever jumped at her home DZ of Sebastien. In that time she's visited Z-Hills, Aggieland, Raeford with Cross Keys, possibly the Ranch and what Richmond in her near future? But Rantoul is still not in the cards. It's all good though ... I'm just jealous ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over