ZoneRat

Well it was not to be. Ya know how you can sometimes just sorta tell that something is a bad idea? I got that feeling about this thing. Mismatched canopies, mismatched rigs, high heat/ humidity, zero preparation... Basically none of the things that yall suggested he do had been done. This was looking like a set up for failure and an accident waiting to happen. He was cool about it when I expressed my concerns and happily planned a birthday hybrid jump instead. Thanks for your suggestions though. They helped us make the right decision. “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

•14•1 Fri: 40-something Skyvan/ Otter Sunset Formation: Very sweet. Sat: 4 happy FF's and one very messy Skyvan/Otter formation. Sun: 8 Team Training jumps. Aint never jumped me no Skyvan before. The tailgate's nice, but I prefer the Otter. “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

Thanks Dave! Just an old beat up Z1 I found in a bucket in the back of the SDD gearstore closet. Yep. A little paint... a little shoegoo... an old college bud that can paint like a muthah... who still owes me money from like 10 years ago... and is crashing on my couch in-between jobs for a couple months... lol... you know... same old story.

I'll be there! Here's a couple fav moments from Skyfest last year.

I knew yall would come through with the info! Thanks to all! (He's shootin' for it Monday July 5th. I'll let ya know how it goes. ) “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

Hey congrats on your jumpsuit. It's purty! Does it have inside leg grippers? I can't tell from the pic. If it doesn't, you might consider adding that to the list of alterations. They arent required for basic fun jumpin', but if you ever decide to get on a team you'll need them. I'd bet your avatar could be embroidered pretty easily... if you wanted to trick it out a little. Make it your own. “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

I have a friend who wants to do 30 hop n' pops for his 30th b-day. I'm ground crewin' for him. Anyone have any helpful hints on making this thing go smoothly? He wants it pretty bad. I'd like to see him get it. I'd appreciate any advice/ thoughts yall might have. Thanks! “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

No worries. You'll get the hang of it. Everyone does and you will too.

Roadtrip! There's 5 DZ's listed in NC on dz.com... and there might be more than that. Surely one of 'em'll be open. (Don't forget to take your logbook, A licence, and the all-important case of beer. ) “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

ok.. here's a couple I use...Prime the pump a little more. When I'm jumping with a low time jumper... I know that somewhere between their 50-150th... they often "find their legs". That is, they suddenly really start giving legs out. They can't control it well yet. And they can't stop it. They become topedoes. Seems to last about 3 or so jumps. Often not consecutive. So. If I'm on a jump with a low jump person, I think about what I'll do if I see one of them coming in way too fast: 1. I present my side. So if there is an impact it's not head-head. 2. If the torpedo is a thin person I'll ball up to sink out of the way. If it's a heavier person I'll pop up. 3. If I have plenty of time to see it coming, a simple side slide is usually enough. Then I watch for their 2nd and third pass... they're coming. If I'm near them under canopy, I try to stay behind, high and right. Works well with a left hand pattern. What are some others? What if your doing a campfire dive with someone learning to sit? Do you choose a heading so that when they backslide they backslide perpendicular to line of flight? Stuff like that. “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

Check out this post by JustRelax: Clicky He mentions a desire to learn what he coined Defensive Flying Techniques: >> "Since I am new at this sport I figure I am going to learn defensive flying techniques, much like defensive driving. Be aware and predict what people could do around me and be at the ready and skilled to avoid what they could possibly do."

Skybytch said it on post number 2. “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

I packed one time for my A license... took me about 4 hours... lol.... My fingers hurt, my back hurt... I vowed I would never_pack_again. So I completely forgot how to pack. Eventually a group of us planned to visit a small DZ that probably had no packers. I was so embarrased at the prospect of having to ask others to pack for me that I became determined to learn it. Plus, I felt that my A license was a bit of a sham. To own that A, you have to know how to pack and I didn't. (Truth be told, I already had my B licence when I finally learned to pack. ) I invited an experienced jumper over, and fed him beers while he taught/ watched me pack... over and over and over. I practiced every night that week until I locked it in. Then I started timing myself until I could get it down to 15 minutes or less. Took a while. Once I learned how, I never looked back. I've used a packer maybe 4 times in the past 450 jumps. @ $5.00/ pack, that's a savings of $2,230.00. Plus, I know my gear. I know that my main closing loop is not worn and is properly tensioned. I know that the stiffiner in my toggles is getting a little soft and I should replace them soon. I know that my break lines don't have a bunch of twists in them. As for your head packer. You can pay him back for his helpfulness by letting him pack your brand new canopy for you for the first 30-50 jumps (shiny new chutes are notoriously harder to pack), then invite an experienced jumper over, feed him/ her beers, learn how to pack, and pack your gear on your own after that... Start working on YOUR 2200.00 savings... “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

I'll jump anywhere. I'd rather visit a new Cesna DZ's than visit a turbine DZ I already know. Exploration is fun. “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

Ah Lubbock. My hometown. 300 sunny days a year. Only about 150 of 'em over 100°F... but it's a dry heat. Be sure and eat at Chow Thai's on 19th street, and get a Calzone at One Guy From Italy pizza on University. (Not places I'd take a client too, but good grub never-the-less). Feel free to avoid Prairie Dog Town. “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

Has anyone EVER decided NOT to jump because there was a cloud, say half or 3/4th a mile away? I think I'll use that as my reply should someone complain that our setup in the door took too long. "Sorry Bob, I understand your frustration... But once we got out there we just couldn't launch the exit. There was this puffy lil' cloud about half a mile away. We had to wait until it was a mile out... you know... visibility requirements... " “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

Tricky. I've watched from the sidelines as various types of All Womens Events have come and gone through the past few decades. On one hand you can't escape the fact that they are, by their nature, exclusive and separatist. On the other, I think the women bond/ social dynamic thing is real and tolerance should be extended to allow those dynamics to be explored and understood. Is this exploration discriminatory? Absolutely. Is it bigotry? Maybe, maybe not. Depending on how things are being handled. Some members of almost any group will go to what I would consider an unhealthy extreme. But most simply enjoy exploring what it's like to be a member of that group. I say let 'em. If whites or asians or women or redheads or left handed folk or bad hook femure survivors or whatever want to get together and jump, or hold their own art openings or conferances or whatever, It's generally not a bad thing. These types of events help us to understand who we are and why. When groups get together and decide to take it to what I would consider an unhealthy extreme... well, It can get ugly, but I think it's generally worth the risk to increase overall understanding. But that's just me. Is that the kind of discourse you were hoping for Crwmike? “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

yep. You done good. Both during and after. Remember that this person has an impulsive nature. Prepare for it. Maybe give him a little extra room under canopy in case he sudenly decides to make a hard turn or spiral. Keep the break off a little higher than usual. Keep the number of jumpers limited to 2-4 ways for a while. That kinda thing. Also. If yall want to jump together, then jump TOGETHER. If yall want to sorta do some sits and kinda some flat work and whatever... Then do three solos. “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

For what it's worth: A couple month ago I was out at the DZ to take care of some stuff for a boogie that was coming up. I didn't have my gear as I didn't expect to jump. Someone needed a practice student for AFFI certification. Also, a student rig just had some modifications to the break lines and needed testing. So.. free jump. 2 jumps actually. (The lines were a little long the first time). Anyway. We put the Belly Band on it both jumps. I can honestly say the Band was comfortable both on the ground and in the air. In freefall, I forgot it was there. “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

Think about it. A beer and a few dishes washed... and she's already disrobed waiting for him at the table. He's not whipped. He's a genius. “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

That's exactly how it feels. Equally unnerving is that glance over the shoulder and seeing someone above you. We all get to be on both sides of that little gambit from time to time. When I'm above someone, I do anything to change that. Side-slide, track to one side. Stop tracking completely, turn 45°... whatever seems right at the time. When I'm low, I keep goin' straight and hard and I pull low. “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

Yeah. That's more or less it. Although your solos can (and some really should be)just pressure free fun jumps, on many of your solos you'll want to do stuff that will qualify you for your A as well as the instructor jumps. Like I say, your instructors will fill in the details for ya when the time comes. For right now, it's probably best to concentrate on only those tasks required for your next AFF jump. “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

Typically, when you pass the AFF student jump progression you are approved to "self jumpmaster". That is, jump solo. By passing AFF, you've proven that you CAN safely jump by yourself. You get to relax and have some fun without all the pressure associated with the student progression. It's fun! But keep your eye towards getting that A. There are specific tasks you have to perform during your solo jumping in order to become licenced. Your instructors and/ or certified coaches will be able to sit down with you and explain exactly what you have to do to get your A. When you do, you can jump with others. This will open up a whole new world of skydiving! “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

I prefer Carpe Nocturn. “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

true, dat. Don't discount it. It's especially true 'cause that was what, your second or third time to jump your new rig? Shows you were paying attention and using what you've learned. If it wasn't for that repulser field generator buried in the peas, you'd-a nailed 'em. Hey. Pretty much everyone on the planet has a few landings like that in their closet. Taint nuthin' but a growin' pain. (Not everyone, however, has a great friend like me to post videos of them on the internet though... lol). “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”