mustard

Congratulations to all of you! I wish I could have been there, but since I've retired from work, I hardly make any jumps at all any more. Eight people is the biggest skydive I make these days, and not many of those. I have enjoyed looking at all the skydiving pictures from the event. Again, it's great news! That means the rest of the weekend can just be laid back fun jumps, right? *** DJan

Alphonz taught my First Jump Course in 1990. I last saw him at the World Freefall Convention and he wasn't jumping then. I also have some wonderful memories of him way back when. He did some awesome video, too. Blue skies, Alphonz. *** DJan

Jeez, it's been so long since I've been on DZ.com I've forgotten how to send a PM. I'll figure it out. I'm buying some of these, now that I've met John and Valinda, they are GREAT people!! *** DJan

I have more than a thousand jumps on a Sabre2, wingloading 1.1, so pretty lightly loaded. I don't think I had more than 10% of the openings right on heading, but I found that the tail had to be hanging straight down and the slider quartered with just a little pull towards me before wrapping it. Then I was ready with rears when I opened, just in case. Every opening soft, but it was definitely seeking to open off heading. Switched to a used Stiletto that I just love, but it also has issues on opening. Rear risers are my best friend. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I had a packer who psycho packed it and it opened on heading every time. I could never get that myself, though. *** DJan

I've been following the thread and am thrilled to hear it! I can't wait to see the picture(s), and big big thanks to Bill for the quick updates. It made me jump up and down to hear the news. *** DJan

47, now almost 20 years ago. Still jumping. *** DJan

Just finished my first weekend demo'ing the Storm 135. I have lots of jumps on the Spectre and didn't want one, moving from that to a Sabre2, with more than 1000 jumps on it, looking for a canopy that would land better. I have been jumping a Stiletto for the past two years or so, and I love the flight characteristics and the landings, but don't like the openings unless I or my husband pack it. It's hurt me a few times. My first impressions of the Storm: (1) it does NOT fly like a Spectre, at all. Doesn't open like one either. (2) plenty of flare at the bottom end, not exactly like a Stiletto, but it seems to like a two-stage flare like the Stiletto. Turns are crisp and snappy but not the same as a Stiletto but MILES better than the heavy toggle pressure of the Spectre. (3) Glide angle is much better than a Spectre, and landings seemed pretty good except I did have to run a little because I think I didn't complete the flare (because of being used to the very narrow control range of the Stiletto). (4) Braked flight and light turbulence really wowed me: both improvements over the Spectre. Bottom line: openings were snappy, nothing like the Spectre, flight characteristics were good, turns took a little time to get started but toggle pressure was light at 1.1 wing loading, and landings were way way better than a Spectre but I would need more time to dial in the landings before I could compare them to a Stiletto. I have another weekend to test it out before I decide anything, but my first impressions are really good. *** DJan

I miss you too, dearly. I was momentarily taken aback by your current avatar, but once I recovered, I figured I could answer you quickly before we head off for Abbotsford for the day. During the boogie, they have the Kapowsin Otter, but usually Abottsford jumps a Porter, which is a great plane but they load it up with ten people (or worse yet, five tandems) and that makes for a pretty tight airplane. Roger Ponce is there organizing this weekend for the boogie. At Pitt Meadows, they have a King Air, which is so familiar to me from Mile Hi. It's funny, I don't even usually count the 182s (but all the DZs here have at least one) because I won't get in one very often. I think I might have made a half dozen jumps out of them, but that will change, I suspect, when I make low jumps in the winter to keep current. I wish we could see each other, but unless we meet at some boogie or other, it's a long way to commute. :-) Edited to add: my $111 by credit card came across this morning as $107.80, making each jump cost $35.90. *** DJan

I just went to Abbotsford, BC, Canada for a boogie today (Saturday) and paid $111 CAD (about $110 USD) for three jumps. This was just accepted by the participants -- even though the jumps are cheaper in the US, there is that pesky border crossing to deal with whenever you go. It took 2 minutes to enter Canada, and 1 hour to leave. But I'll be back tomorrow. If it were not a holiday weekend in Canada, I could have stayed in a hotel overnight, but I waited too long. *** DJan

I agree. Thank you, Sangiro. I wear my DZ.com t-shirts with the cool logo proudly at the DZ and at boogies. I keep my head down and lurk here a lot. I read my favorite sections religiously, skip the rest and occasionally post but usually stay out of the fray. One could get lost in here, but I take what I want and leave the rest. I have my favorite posters and my least favorites, and I salute you for giving us this well-organized space. *** DJan

I found this picture, which was taken after his first cutaway on a tandem. *** DJan

Words fail me. I was home packing up for our move to the Pacific Northwest when I got a call that this tragedy took place yesterday. I thought about Dano all the rest of the day and night and every time I woke up I thought about him. Then this morning the local news had his smiling picture. Dano was one of the best FJC instructors I know. He knew how to teach but not overteach brand new students. He was proud that very few of his students had to repeat their first jump. I watched him just last weekend teaching his students and thought about how calm, inspiring, and just downright good he was. That actually sums up Dano in my mind: good. He was good to the students, good to his friends, just plain good. He was well respected at his job, and many times he would provide free pizza for my coach courses, without me asking. My heart is heavy for all of us who knew him, because he's one of a kind. Goodbye my friend, I will see you and my other friends and family who went before me when I show up on the other side. *** DJan

That is such a beautiful thing to say. It is also a wonderful testament to those who are gone, that you are following in their footsteps. I am an almost 65-year-old skydiver, three weeks away from Medicare, and I made 6 jumps this weekkend. I also started late, not as late as you are, but I have made more than 1,000 jumps since I turned 57. So look at it this way: even though you started late, you still have lots of jumps to look forward to, as long as you keep current, find good gear and keep it well maintained, stay on the larger canopy sizes so that you have lots of room for error, and listen to your mentors. It always makes me happy to hear stories like yours. It makes me feel not so alone when I'm out at the DZ seeing all the young vibrant people. But skydiving makes me forget that I'm not one of them. This weekend I heard an "elderly" grey-haired man in the airplane waxing philosophically about this tandem jump that had been given to him for his 48th birthday! (That's the age I was when I started.) He is almost as old as my son would have been, if he were alive. Talk about feeling grateful! And old! *** DJan

What he said. It's funny to learn that the things you worry most about before you make your jumps often turn out to be insignificant. I remember a guy whose wife had bought him a first jump. He went through the First Jump Course and worried the whole time about the landing, which was just fine. The freefall was so overwhelming to him, though, he couldn't stop talking about it in the debrief. He went on to make several hundred more jumps before moving on to some other challenge. *** DJan

I think of you, Rob, every time somebody snaps the connector you put on my Mirage legstraps. Yep, I'm definitely married to Skratch. We will celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary on May 5th. We got married on 5/5 at 5,500 feet over Loveland, Colorado. It was 1994. Left the airplane single and landed married. Clarice, Skratch's first wife, still writes occasionally (she never forgets his birthday). She's retired from her job and probably doesn't read dropzone.com. I look forward to having been married to Skratch longer than she was. Two years to go! *** DJan

Something to consider: I think we all have learned the lesson. That is really not the question. The question is how to *apply* the lesson in a way that can be appropriately implemented. There is no obvious answer to this. I was at Eloy for the Christmas boogie, but my habit is to get there at the beginning and leave before the last weekend, when there are so many people there that I don't know. Skratch and I left the morning of the first fatality. My application of the "lesson learned" is to limit the jumps I make with so many unfamiliar canopy pilots, and to land on the edges of the landing areas outside of the swooping patterns. The only thing that I injured at Eloy was my neck, from trying to turn it in unnatural ways under canopy in an attempt to find all the possible threats to my safety. *** DJan

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Omigod! We lost Josh Nahum. Josh was an instructor (AFF and tandem) at Mile Hi in Longmont, Colorado, and I count him as one really good friend. I wish I were not the one to have to start this thread, but since no one else has, I will. I was at the DZ the day he had a bad landing, but I was so sure that he would be jumping again with me. He was supposed to make a full recovery. My heart is really broken right now. Josh, you are the brightest light up there. I look forward to seeing you again one day. *** DJan

Hope she does. I've enjoyed the thread too, and hearing of your concerns. Skydiving is not for everybody, but for those who catch the bug, it can be very life-affirming. I made what was going to be "just one jump" 16 years ago and now have made more than 3800. It's how I relax and put into perspective the rest of my life. But it's not everything. Relationship is very important, and I hope that she keeps in mind the fact that you are making a huge effort to accommodate her new obsession. When I first started, I could not keep myself from going to the Drop Zone if it was the weekend, whether it was snowing or blowing or whatever -- I was afraid that I would miss out if I didn't go! (Couldn't have my friends have fun jumping out of airplanes without ME!) But that does eventually moderate. Now I can actually spend one of the two weekend days away from the airport. But still, if it's beautiful out, I feel those twinges. Keep in mind that everything changes, even falling in love changes and doesn't stay the same. If you hang in there with your full support, moderation might begin earlier... *** DJan

Well, coming from Colorado where I thought we had a lock on great scenery, was I suprised! Both Mt. Baker and Rainer like ice cream cones in the sky, beautiful ocean views, Pugent Sound, etc. were more than impressive. The DZ is mostly outside and very friendly, and I was warmly welcomed by the owners, Tyson and Elaine. The DZ alternates tandem loads with fun jumpers, and we went on a load with only 6 fun jumpers in an 18-seater Grand Caravan!! Wow was that a fast ride to altitude! Needless to say, I will return. Thank you Skydive Snohomish for a lovely day in the sky!

Why? Opening up my beautiful canopy after an exceptional skydive, looking around, setting up my canopy pattern, flying to the ground with a perfect landing... The smile of a fellow skydiver with freefall face, white fluffy clouds in the background... All life is temporary, after all, but some scenes and memories will live for a long long time... When I'm lying on my deathbed taking stock of the life I have lived, these are some of the ones I will remember and be grateful for having experienced... *** DJan

Yup. It *is* my problem. I read DZ.com regularly, and have paid my dues to be a contributor (being a premier). But posting is a real two-edged sword when you are a "public figure." Jan knows I am not running again. Once I have become a regular jumper again, I'll post a lot more. (I wonder if there will be a backlash for being a former member of the BOD, I guess I'll find out.) Jan has a much stronger constitution than I do. She lets people yell at her and doesn't get assailed by self-doubt, as I do. I have been attacked because of actions and stances I've taken, and there have been situations where nothing I did would have been OK, somebody would be mad at me. This is a volunteer position that is taken on by most people because of a real desire to serve. It's politics, though, which takes on the inevitable taint of special interests, whether or not you are a DZO in a particular region, or if you simply work at one or more DZs. Many times I've peered out from my bunker at the conversations taking place here and have wanted to chime in but have resisted, since I'm usually opinionated in what I want to say... Plus these forums are not the most friendly of venues for even the most mild-mannered folks. I'm appalled sometimes at the (to me) unwarranted attacks and quail inwardly. *** DJan

I just recently went through this thrash in my head. I also jumped "back in the days" with Mary when the only AADs available were FXCs and Sentinels, and experienced jumpers wouldn't jump with you if you used one. I had about a thousand jumps before getting my first cypres. So it turned out on my last repack that my cypres needed its 4-year check. I told the rigger to pack it up and send it in, that I would jump without it until the cypres came back. I remember when I put that rig on the first time without it I went to turn on the nonexistent cypres and had a moment of hesitation... but then I got over it and went out and made three skydives that first day. By the end of the day I was used to it again, after thousands of jumps with one. I wasn't as comfortable as normal on the airplane ride, although I know for a fact I will pull for myself. But by the time I was in freefall, it was a non-issue. Who thinks about the cypres then? I remember years ago when some jumpers chose to do some low RW jumps (because of clouds) at Lost Prairie and decided to intentionally turn off their cypreses. It was a 4-way, and the two cypreses that were not turned off fired; one cut away and the other landed two out. But the two who intentionally turned theirs off got a lot of grief for their decisions. It seems to me that people should make their own decision about automatic openers because it's an individual decision. There is something kind of empowering when you realize that there is NOTHING between you and the ground but you. *** DJan

At Mile Hi in Longmont, we get a fair number of Air Force Cadets who have done "490" training, with a ripcord, at the Air Force Academy. (It's 5 jumps from around 4K with a week of training, they exit solo with an AAD on the main and on the reserve. They wash out if either one fires.) But some of them decide they like freefall and skydiving and decide to continue in the sport. But they don't always throw away the "ripcord" (read throwout) because of the intense training they had during that week. I was main side for a 490 student doing his first AFF jump. I'm not very tall and have short arms, and as I tried to help him put his hand on the P/C at pull time, this 6'3" cadet punched me HARD and I fell off from the blow (with full face helmet). There I was on my back looking up at the student with his P/C at arm's length and not letting go. Fortunately, he finally did, once he realized his mistake. It's almost impossible for R/S to do much in this situation. The student looked at him for guidance, and he mouthed "let go!" which he did. Very scary skydive, and not much that I could do to fix it, once I was gone... *** DJan

As I have followed this thread and thought about it, this statement pretty much sums it up for me. That, and what billvon said. My life is completely different than it was before I began to skydive: I met my life partner, who enriches my life daily; my students who became lifelong friends who also enrich me. I don't know who I would have been had not skydiving entered into my life. As the years pass, and the jumps add up, the passion I had for jumping itself begins to fade into something else. But still, when I open up under canopy after a wonderful jump and feel the moment, I cannot imagine life without having had the experience. I had a terrible accident that could have paralyzed me, but more than a thousand jumps later, and the wrestling with whether to return to skydiving and possibly get hurt again, I'm sure glad I did. But what was right for me is not right for everyone. *** DJan