somethinelse

sum1mom- Thanx via PM for all the helpful stuff! Blues to ya - L.

Finally got it right! Since it was set at GMT-6:00, and was off still by 2 hours, made change GMT-4:00 and now it displays the correct time for my time zone. Thanx for steering me in the right direction. I appreciate your help! - L.

Hi... There is always other options for getting into the air. How about static? More affordable, and gives ya confidence! That helped me get back at it this year. Wind tunnel is excellent idea too! Wish we had something like that available to us up here in the Northern midwest! But by all means, go for it! But that's Just my $.02 worth for ya!

Hi sangiro, I did get that far, but what is GMT? I need to change the time to 2hours later... Do I choose a time zone? or add hours? HOW? This stuff drives me crazy! Thanx-L.

Thanx Andrea... I tried to do that and did add a 3 to my display setting...When will that change be made to my email? Does it take a while or? I just checked my email, and it still has the time off by -3 hours. No worries, tho, I suppose....??? See Ya! -L.

Help! How do I change the time that's posted on my dz.com email account? My time zone is 3 hours later than what it is showing. This messes me up when I try to figure out my emails later. Please, can someone help me figure this out??? Thanx!

HMMM.... How can you tell when someone is lurking and following your posts if they don't post themselves? L.

Thank You! I am...But all that I see and soak up can be overwhelming...It's like learning a new language, especially when I haven't done it or experienced it yet. I love the folks at my dz, and they are taking me under their wings, so far so good, and they do encourage me too... Gonna be doing coaching jumps really soon. GOTTA LEARN LOTS MORE ABOUT: Precisely flying my body in the air, getting stable from lots of differing positions, and canopy skills. Precision & RW are my first priority, LATER maybe freestyle/freeflying! BUT FOR NOW, the discriptions of sensations felt during freeflying sound pretty intimidating to me at this point anyways! So THAT is NOT something that I think will be any time SOON!

Well Said, Billvon... I've been really getting discouraged because of all the stuff I don't YET know how to do, or that I haven't perfected... But the more experienced jumpers tell me some of the stuff I want to do "just so" before I get my A can take dozens, or many, jumps to get just right. I agree you should be safe to jump SOLO and safe for other jumpers TO BE AROUND YOU when you jump... But new A license holders gotta realize, you do have a long way to go, in skills and abilities and experienced jumpers got lots to offer, IF you're willing to learn from then & with them. & IT IS SAFER than JUST sticking with other newbies. YA KNOW?

Thanx for your encouragement. I think it's a good thing. Can only help, right?! Any tips about how to use a coach? What do you do prior to going up together?? Thanx. I appreciate it!

I'M STILL IN STUDENT TRAINING TOO. This is my 2nd time trying to get my A thru a student program. But at a different dz, in a different kind of program. I found this time that static, helped ME to deal with different issues necessary to move along better. MUCH MORE CONFIDENCE NOW TOO. It can be discouraging to see other students just FLY thru the program, and quickly work on becoming regular fun-jumpers while we struggle with simply learning how to acquire skills to safely move our bods around in the air to be able to safely freefall solo! Be patient with yourself. I'm trying to be, too! EVEN AFTER I FINISH MY STUDENT PROGRAM, I'M GONNA WANT COACH JUMPS. SO, HANG IN THERE! & Remember to HAVE FUN! It seems like every jump is teaching something new, and learning & experiencing something totally different & cool! SKYDIVING IS AN AWESOME SPORT!

WOW...WHAT'S UP WITH THIS?! Blocking somebody out from posting- Isn't that idea a bit SUPERIOR or SNOBBY???? Gonna offer any insight to why you asked anyway? I DARE YOU!

THAT'S REAL COLD MAN! Your initial post seems insensitive and heartless... Is this because you meant your post to be like a hook to reel people in to read on & post OR a real glimpse into the left side of your chest to see the lump of ice that is really there?! WOW!

Jerm, Don't worry dude. I'm No kid. I know advice for what it is...Especially from thus far faceless strangers, Ya Dig? but I DO GLEAN valuable advice from the forums, and take it to my dz trainers for their take on what best for me, anyways. Love the different take and expereince that gives me differing scenarios and applications that all these folks have had. So thanx for your concern. You seem truly thoughtful.

I'm not sure why I've been under 280's so long. I'm progressing thru my program, but gotta a lot to cover yet. It's a really docile chute size, but such a big chute does present other problems for me. My instructor is a really high#jumper& extremely experienced and I trust him& his judgement completely. He says I'm ready, now, so he's gonna start down sizing me now.

My istructor was talking to me about how far to pull down the toggles for best effect. ...from all the way up, to about shoulders, is that considered about half brakes? and then lower to about chest-waist, is that considered 3/4? where does it start to be an actual flare?? I'm 5'5", under a 280 chute. I was playing around a lot trying to find how the canopy reacted to lighter and heavier braking.

There seems to be a bit of contradiction between different people about half-brakes and deep brakes the practical application with them. Whey is this? My instructor and another coach have both said - & this is with student chutes mind you- that using brakes WILL help slow me down AND descend. SO DOES BRAKING apply DIFFERENTLY depending on the size and type of chute????

Before I went up, there wasn't any talk about thermals or any problems with canopy control. It was after the fact and talking with other jumpers that we tried to speculate on what could've contributed to my "hang time" aloft. My instructor said that my time aloft was "fine" but, I thought it was quite a while. I'm no light weight either, so, there most be some contributing factors. Downsizing will change the equatiion all the way around with everything. All the smaller chutes descend much more quickly...so I know that figures in a lot. RIGHT?? thanx, I appreciate it. I'm always trying to work it out to be a better alround jumper. -LILA.

VERY COOL! Wow, exit has never been faster...182 off strut doesn't compare at all, to leaning out the door and letting go off the plane. WHOOSH...and your flying!!! It was suppoed to be an unstable exit. Instructor had said it usually is for students the first time they jump out of the 206. But I nailed it anyways! & I kept stable off the hill. I am SO EXCITED! That REALLY was AWESOME! I'm one happy chickie!

I REALLY NEED ADVICE & IN-PUT... On IAF this weekend, in the late afternoon, I pulled as instructed at 6,000'...I had real trouble trying to descend to set up my landing pattern. I JUST COULDN't SEEM TO LOOSE ALTITUDE! Later someone said it could've been because of thermals...? I did really steep turns and spirals, tried lots of half- braking both into & with the wind, and even sought out grassier areas away from runways, but I STAYED ALOFT A REALLY LONG TIME! The tandem that exited after me beat me back by to the dz by at least 5 minutes! I ended up going too long on my initial approach to land, almost off the dz ( wasn't loosing altitude) got really near a farm, turn to base almost off the dz, and was in half brakes almost the whole time, and finally on final, being into the wind came down quicker, and landed it great. But I'm stumped about how to loose altitude better. My Instructor told me when this next occurs on my landing pattern to go ahead (above 1500') to make a gentle 360' turn to eat up some altitude so as to avoid going SO LONG next time, and then go into the regular landing pattern as planned. Kinda worries me making any kind of turns low, tho. Instructor also said that he's gonna start downsizing my chute size. I'm still jumping a student 280. How about some different ideas for canopy play for me to try next time I'm up so long? I'm just a newbish student yet, but there's gotta be more to play then spirals and turns...and still being SAFE tho! I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSES...THANX!!!

Grue, Did you have more luck with your flaring on your last jumps??? I DID! I took MikeTJumps' advice about the 3 second flare, and also the equaldistant from lines to canopy as feet to ground rule to flare this weekend... Also looked around to gauge height to landmarks in the landing area, too. YEE-HA! Had a wonderfully NICE soft landing and STOOD IT up on my toes too! This is only my second stand up landing. I'm so pleased, though. I do believe that I understand it better now!

RICHY! You dawg! So you do go to dz.com! SKybro! Talk to Marianne. She said a Bunch are going. Don't know who?all tho! See ya saturday :) LILA!

VERY COOL! SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD TIME! Guess I'll need to sock away some cash between now and then, huh?? I'm already making sure to block off Thursday-Monday to figure on driving there with a bunch from the dz. Hope to meet ya one of these days...Finishing off my student program next weekend, then it won't be long til I get my "A"... Then can check out jumping at some of the other Michigan Dz's too. THANX! - LILA.

YA-HOO! Wonderfully helpful tip, man! I've been the latest & growing "tall tale" about LILA's HIGH FLARE. It's gone from originally 15' to 30' to 100' feet high! But the everybody loves to razz me about everything else anyways. My flare was on an almost WINDLESS DAY, went too long on final and HIT TURBULANCE from off both tree line and hangar. SPEED ACCERALTED as I came in to land & FLARED TOO HIGH, b/c I was looking straight down as the ground really BLURRED by! Ended up trying a PLF & slid in just getting a little scrapped up. Everybody has there tips and observations about how and what happened. Never heard that tip about equal distant height from ground to canopy at flare time, and probably don't remember about the 3 second flare thing neither. THANX SO MUCH. HOPE THAT HELPS MY FUTURE LANDINGS BE BETTER. -LILA.

Already talking about Bridge Day...Group going from my DZ. I'm thinking about going along to watch it all. Nothing I could deal with at this stage in the game anyways! At the dz was asking the experienced jumpers, would you go off the bridge...? REALLY surprised by who said what. Funny, too... So while waiting around for jumps I & the other students talked -HYPOTHETICALLY- about BASE and what we thought we could/would do- HYPOTHETICALLY- and what'd be easier/harder to do.... So now we're starting to look forward to possibly going to "bridge Day" and checking it all out there. SO WHAT IS THERE TO DO BESIDES WATCH FOR THOSE LIKE ME WHO ARE JUSTING GOING ALONG FOR THE FUN OF IT ALL? Thanx y'all! - LILA.