mustard

Seems to me that the main problem with S/L is its instructors. Most S/L instructors who encourage their students and are good for the sport are the ones with more experience. Someone with 100 jumps isn't over their *own* difficulties with skydiving, much less handling an overamped student. The best part about a good S/L program is the canopy control the student develops. Then moves on to freefall, with longer and longer delays. But each time they fly a canopy back to the DZ with less and less instruction, the better they get with those wings before moving on to becoming a body pilot. I've seen many a former AFF student put off for a long time the need for that first hop-n-pop. Not S/L students, they know what the ground looks like after a low exit, but AFF students don't. I know I waited until 50 jumps to make my first low jumps, they scared me after getting comfortable with long delays. *** DJan

Well, mark it on your calendar, BikerBabe! We will have a coach course March 14-16 at Brush, and I will make sure you have the chance to get your jumps in, even if we have to travel to Eloy to get them (what a sacrifice!). Order your SIM and IRM from USPA and read what the course is all about. I'm going off to the USPA BOD meeting in Jacksonville in just over two weeks, and I'm sure I'll come back with some interesting information to share with everyone. Unfortunately, New Mexico is not in the Mountain region, but I think you're on skydive-announce, right? if not, go to http://www.skyrush.com/mailman/listinfo. -- everything I learn will be available there. Maybe we can redraw those areas and get NM in this region. You're a *lot* closer than those guys in Idaho! (Edited to remove email address on request of owner. ~ sangiro) *** DJan

I'm also working today, but I actually have work that needs to get done. I couldn't resist taking a look at DZ.com before I begin, though. My current picture was taken by Mike McGowan on Christmas Eve, coming down from the last jump of the day. It was an awesome boogie, although I had to leave early to come back to work. I hear they have extended the boogie through the coming weekend. It was really beginning to rock when I got there, but I'll be this morning there aren't too many people rushing into Manifest (except the teams, of course). *** DJan

196, the lowest number I've ever done in a year where I didn't have an injury to hold those numbers down. the biggest cause was being winded out weekend after weekend. As an AFF Instructor, I would be grounded when the students were grounded. I also am a wimp when it comes to winds, don't go when they are over 25mph. 52 student jumps among those 196 -- the rest video, RW, or evaluation jumps (as an AFF evaluator and a Coach Course evaluator). Doesn't help to rack up the numbers. But that becomes a little less important than quality once you pass a few thousand jumps, I'm finding. *** DJan

I have recently come to the conclusion that we pretty much make our own reality -- although I have experienced this intellectually, just recently it seeped into my consciousness. Here's a scenario I've experienced dozens of times: I get on a jump with some hot jumpers, but I'm nervous about performance. I don't do well, because I want so much to do well. I get into my own way. I've seen so many students that only need a smile and someone else to believe in their ability to do well in order to have a good outcome. If I am looking for them to perform for me, they don't do well. But if I can reassure them that they have what they need (the magic feather), then they do well. Skydiving is so much more the ability to relax and arch in freefall than it is thinking about legs, arms, body position, etc. -- at least in the early stages of skydiving. Once you have the basics, then you can concentrate on the frills. *** DJan

Do you know the story about Dumbo the elephant? He didn't believe he could fly, but he was given a "magic feather" that he held in his trunk, and when he had it, he knew he was OK and could fly. You need a magic feather. This is what I suggest: get yourself an object that has meaning to you. then sit with it, and tell yourself it is your magic feather, and that you will think about this feather while you are training for the next jump, while you are in the airplane, and finally, just before you exit, remind yourself that you have. This feather will allow you to arch and relax, if you imbue it with the power. We human beings sometimes don't have enough belief in ourselves, and by doing something as simple as giving ourselves this belief, we can do anything. It's worth a try. What have you got to lose? *** DJan

I've read what others have said about the difference between the USPA Coach Course and the SDU course. I am not an SDU coach, but I am a Course Director for the Coach Course. I agree that it's what you want to do with the rating. You want to get your AFFI? Then get every rating you can. Start with the Coach Course, see how you feel about working with people who basically don't know how to fly yet and are need to learn the basics about canopy flight, how to make a safe skydive with another person in the air, etc. If this bores you, then you won't much enjoy teaching AFF. Some people love to help others through the narrow doorway into the skydiving world, others love to help skydivers learn to get better. They are two different worlds, and each world needs to be populated with conscientious coaches. *** DJan

And how many *was* that? I learned by doing 3 tandems first, then AFF. I was supposed to pull on my own altitude awareness on my second tandem in order to skip AFF Level 1, but I didn't do it. So I did a third tandem, then started in AFF at Level II. I was terrified before every jump and still did pretty well. I did repeat Level IV 4 times before moving on to V. Then it was cruisin' to graduation. *** DJan

September 30, 2003. *** DJan

Well, I watched a couple of people jump a demo PD 126 this weekend and they both were really sore from the hard opening at 5K field elevation. The canopy flew very nice but it was a *whack* even when expecting a hard opening. *** DJan

Yeah, I also had a canopy entanglement with another jumper on opening, which made me wonder if all CRW (intentional or not) reserve rides would be under "other." *** DJan

If you look at the picture on the 300-way site, http://www.300-way.com it sure looks pretty. *** DJan

What's the second point? :-) :-) :-) Just saw the picture posted on the 300-way site, both small and large! *** DJan

There will always be someone :-) out there to entertain you! You shouldn't have been so helpful with my landings! BTw, I really love that Sabre2. I can land it at sea level (where it feels huge), 4K, 5K, and 6.5K without any problems, even with no wind. The only thing that still happens sometimes is that I'm coming in so fast that I have to tell myself I'll be OK -- and believe it! *** DJan

Ahhhh. Now I can relax! The tension all the way over here in Colorado was intense, and just about the time that I would say I have to post something about my anxiety, flyangel would beat me to it! Congratulations, everyone, and billvon, please give us the details. It's great that Jan is now connected, but she has not been as voluminous with her words as you have. I am thrilled. I cannot believe how thrilling it has been to follow everything on a moment by moment basis. Well done, everyone. *** DJan

Good observations! I'm glad you've decided to step into your fear. I wish I could be your instructor, but alas, you are over there in the UK. Your fear will always be the one thing you have to face, to look into its face and say, "I'm going anyway." And when you leave the plane, when you face that fear, you will be stronger than before. But it doesn't make it any easier right up to exit. Trust me, I know. But as you said, we could die turning off an alarm clock! How embarrassing and ... well, ordinary. I'd rather be one of those people who made a leap than one who groped in the dark for the electric shock. *** DJan

It's #2, right? I just went and studied them again, and I think it's a good second best to #4. :-) You will not be sorry, either way! I have a Mirage too. *** DJan

#4! The first moment I looked at the 4 of them, my eye went to it. I like it best. *** DJan

How exciting! I am sure it will be today or tomorrow. They must be stoked. I can hardly wait to read what Billvon posts tonight!! *** DJan

I'm actually one of those people who didn't stop being scared for my first thousand jumps. The scared feeling raised my "arousal level" and I would be thrilled to be alive from week to week. I miss getting that now. So I decided to become an instructor, and with almost a thousand student jumps, now I still get scared when I'm out there with someone I'm not sure about. And I get a contact "high" from the student as well. When it stops being fun and thrilling, I'm probably going to stop. However, just *thinking* about being on that 300-way gives me goosebumps, so I guess I've still got plenty of fear to be tapped. Skydiving changed my life. Sometimes I wonder where I would be without it. *** DJan

Andrea, (although I'm not Bill) I looked it up on the website, and if I'm correct, if you look at the blue guy in the middle 4-way, then look behind him to the last blue ring, Bill is the next to last guy on the right in the outer blue ring. (am I right?) It"s a pretty good slot, actually. *** DJan

Ah yes, now it all comes back: the door. We had a door that you had to place in just right, with two sticks on the inside the rounded door so that it wouldn't fly out. There was a message on the door: "if found, please return to Skydive Colorado." Not that there would have been much left of it. And the rounded door made it impossible to have much of an exit. I remember once being inside watching a 4-way exit -- I think it was flyangel who had both of her feet standing right on top of everybody else's when she gave the count. I much prefer an Otter or Caravan exit! Not to mention camera, which was pretty much impossible since there was no camera step. For a while we had a board hammered in underneath the door jamb, but it was unstable and didn't last long. *** DJan

When I first started to jump ten years ago or so, at Skydive Colorado in Loveland, we had two rusty old Beech-18s and a tattered turbo 206. I had, in less than 100 jumps, two emergency exits from the Beeches. I learned that they were not exactly the best planes, and had not been well maintained either. when I look back on those days of jumping the Beech-18s, I get a little bit scared. I much preferred the 206. The picture of this one looks a *lot* better than what I jumped out of. *** DJan

First *actual* reserve ride on jump 2900-somthing: new Sabre2 with one unstowed brake and line twists. Chopped it and rode my Raven Dash-M into the landing area at Eloy right in front of the rigger who had packed it-- the day before! (I'm not counting two cypres fires that gave me two canopies out, one was a downplane which I chopped, and the other was a biplane, which I landed.) All reserve rides were with Ravens, which I loved. I think now, however, that my next reserve will be a PD, since I had to pay extra to have those bar tacks put in a couple of repacks ago... Now don't ask me about those cypres fires, OK?? *** DJan

Coming back after an injury is really hard. Coming back after a *second* injury is enough to make almost anyone stop. But as you are finding our, nothing, absolutely nothing, can take the place of skydiving. There are plenty of reasons to quit, and not many reasons (according to the "sane" world) to continue. But as you so eloquently said it, only other skydivers understand. Just an aside to what Skratch said, I hurt myself on Jump #2640 and now have 3100, so I've been working hard to learn canopy control for several hundred jumps now. I still get nervous on the last thousand feet, but now I feel more confident in myself and my canopy. I had never once used rear risers before my accident. Now I use them, as well as front risers, but even more so, I try things out in low stress situations, thinking about how I would respond with "what if" in mind. I hope you will be all right with whatever you decide to do. Jump with braces. I know of two women who use full braces on both knees to protect injured ACLs. Good luck! DJan *** DJan