Eiley

Yeah, and it took you all of what... 2 seconds to reply? Anyway, AFAIK you haven't done your 'time' as ground crew/video/boatboy yet. Be very good and your dues could be served on an all-chick load. Cheers, Eiley nothing to see here

I was at Rantoul when this happened (though, fortunately, nowhere near the incident) and there was huge discrepancies between the stories of those with first and second hand information. Fact is, I, along with so many others, just adore Rod (and I certainly had no hesitation flying with him afterwards) and definitely want the 'Muppet' version to be true... but there are enough people disputing this version to raise serious questions. Perhaps the lawsuit will be partly a good thing because the truth is more likely to come out once and for all and the rumour and speculation can stop? Just my 2 cents worth. Cheers, Eiley nothing to see here

Unfortunately, you're not invited on the next one either... unless you have an EXTREMELY radical operation... erm... "down below". Cheers, Eiley nothing to see here

If you can't afford such insurance, you can't afford to skydive on your travels. I spent 9 months in the USA last year with two friends. We could only get insurance for six months, then had to renew it. We carefully chose a policy that specifically covered skydiving (I think it cost around $(AUD)800 each). Despite not using it at all in the first six months, we renewed it for the final three months. Two weeks before we were due to return home, my partner (Paul) died as a result of a canopy collision. Although the insurance company tried hard not to pay out, in the end they paid for my early return home, all of Paul's repatriation costs and also $(AUD)20,000 to Paul's estate. I dread to think what would have happened had we not had insurance. I believe I would have been paying the bills for the next 20 years or so. It's like a Cypres - you buy it never intending to use it, but it pays for itself thousands of times over if you do. Cheers, Eiley nothing to see here

Saw every sickening last second of the person I love most in the world (from a bit above). Getting back in the sky was hard, but not an option - had to scatter his ashes. But I'm still not back to 'normal' jumping. I'm more nervous and I find I am far more harsh on my friends taking dumb risks that I used to thing nothing of. [waves finger at Skymick]... hook turns are BAAAD.. okay? nothing to see here

LOL! Can I forward this on to Simon??? (He's having a baby in 5 months, by the way... scary, isn't it???) nothing to see here

The Blue Man Group came and did a skydive at Hinckley last year. Midweek, very low key, no video at their request (except for their makeup artist). They had to come out a couple of times because the weather crapped out on them the first time. If you have a couple of friends, the quadricycles you can hire from Navy Pier are a great way of tootling around the city and Grant Park. Also the "maze" thingy at NP is really trippy - we thought it would be stupid, but spent hours in there. You could get two tickets for the price of one by pinching a McDonalds tray mat when we were there. The aquarium is really cool too. Art Institute is home to the original 'American Gothic'. Just wandering around at night, listening to all those awesome buskers and popping into bars when tired is great. I loved Chicago. It's a clean, beautiful city and I never once felt unsafe there.

USA PROS: Bigger, better, faster aircraft! 7 days a week jumping. Met some awesome people! More going on all the time. CONS: last USA jump ended in tragedy AUSTRALIA PROS: It's home. It's my comfort zone. I jump with people I love. CONS: See USA "pros" Cheers, Eiley nothing to see here

Unless the 20 jumps include all your B-Rels, $3400 is way more expensive than doing your 9 AFFs (assuming all pass) and a further 11 jumps on student gear paying jump-by-jump. - FJC and jump: $495 - stages 2-3: $195 ea - stages 4-8: $165 ea - stage 9 and subsequent jumps by student on student gear: $65 ea You do the math. I'm really not sure how it can be justified (and believe me, though I love Nagambie, the bunkhouse accom sure ain't 4-star) Cheers, Eiley nothing to see here

The (non-US) incident reports for 2003 have already overtaken the number for all of 2002 Keep it safe people. Eiley nothing to see here

Congrats to Sunshine!

Yeah, I can chat to Aussies any time! What I like about here is catching up with USAian friends and hearing about stuff from all over the world!

I'm not one for censorship, but looking at the UK fatality thread in Incidents, I notice it has had over 20,000 views. This seems to indicate that many more than dz commers are checking it out regularly. It would be a shame if the jumpers here had to start self-censoring for fear of being (mis)quoted in the tabloids and the delay idea could help a little. Cheers, Eiley nothing to see here

Oh yeah, if I didn't love her so much I'd have to scratch her eyes out! Well.... we're WAITING! Hurry up - some of us were a bit far away to make it to the party... I can't wait to see the cushman in its new livery - GO THE TITTY BARGE!!! Eiley nothing to see here

You find that 'exciting'? Eiley nothing to see here

Thanks Val.

I'm not usually one for sappy poems, but this one describes how I feel so precisely I need to share it. I didn't feel right inflicting it on my email list, so I thought I'd post it here, where people can read it or ignore it as they wish. ============= You Can't Win With Me --------------------------------------------- by Jane Warland 1996 If you say to me,"How are you doing?" with such sympathy and meaning in your voice I reply,"I'm fine," and brush you off, because to talk about my loss with you is just too painful. If you see me and don't mention the loss that is consuming my thoughts, I think you don't care enough, or are too scared to mention it for fear that you might upset me. You can't win with me. If you say,"I'm sorry the love of your life died," it is hard for me to reply to that. What do you expect me to say? I want to say,"I'm sorry too!" or "It's Awful!" I want to scream,"It's not fair!!" But I won't because I don't want to upset myself today, not in front of you. So I reply, "Thank you." That thanks means so much more than that. It means thanks for caring, thanks for trying to help, thanks for realizing that I'm still in pain. If you don't know what to say to me that's okay because I don't know what to say to you either. If you see me smile or laugh don't assume I must have forgotten him for the moment, I haven't, I can't, I never will. Tell me that I look good today. I will know what you mean. I'm getting good at picking up unspoken cues from you. If you see me and think I look upset or sad, you are probably right. Today might be an anniversary day for me, or some event might have triggered a wave of grief in me. If you don't say anything I'll think you don't care about me, but if you do say something, it might make me feel worse. You could try asking if I want to talk, but don't be surprised if I say no. You can't win with me. Don't give up on me, please don't give up. I need your attempts however feeble, however trite you might feel they are. I need your thoughts. I need your prayers. I need your love. I need your persistence. I need all that but most of all I need to be treated normally, like it used to be before all of this happened. But I know it's impossible. That carefree, naive person is gone forever, and I am mourning that loss too. So you can't win with me. ====================== Eiley Missing Paul Nov 8 1975 - Nov 22 2002 nothing to see here

I remember your incident (out of the biplane?) - it was on such a busy day! Then we had some bad advice as to what your left-behind stuff looked like (helmet bag, etc) and spent half a day looking for it! I agree with you, Chicagoland jumpers ROCK!!! I think it was your first time at Hinckley? I'm glad it didn't turn you off our DZ. It's so cool of you to say such nice stuff though

Read Dropzone dot com Miss America so much Getting "homesick" heaps nothing to see here

Nooooo.... it's 2.35 am.... Believe it or not, I'm having an online conv with a certain DZO... every time my computer goes 'ding dong' I just have to check the email... Yah... life off the computer... right... nothing to see here

Feh... least you're not a 'Newbie'. I mean... 14 FRICKIN YEARS I've given to this sport... and 'Newbie' is what I get.... (another one down...only 40ish to go...) nothing to see here

Them accuracy comps shure do bite! In my 14 years attending the JB Acc comp, I don't think there has been a single one without at least one ambulance ride. Target fixation is baaaaad... mmmkay? That's why a few years ago the ambos pressured our DZ into donating a special scoop stretcher for lifting people who are out in paddocks! nothing to see here

Section "the Unplanned Freefall" makes me think that perhaps the site is a little more tongue-in-cheek than it seems at first instance. But then... who knows...? nothing to see here

... by a whuffo! Amusing site: "A few people have survived a fall of thousands of feet without a working parachute. This research page is dedicated to recording their stories." http://www.greenharbor.com/fffolder/ffresearch.html Sorry if this has been posted before. Does anybody else find this site a little weird< nothing to see here

I already PM'd you, but just have to add my congrats publicly. I feel so proud that I saw you two meet! How did I miss most of that other thread Erica mentioned up top? LOL big time at the 'down under' remark - how could I not have seen that coming? Yay for you guys. Lotsa love Eiley nothing to see here