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I wouldn't brag about that being my claim to fame if I were you. Three dedicated human beings spend a lot of time cleaning up the mess in SC that results from people stirring the pot just to stir it. Intentionally wasting their time and aggravating other posters seems a rather useless trademark. Arrive Safely John

1. Whats your name? John 2. How old are you? 40 3. Why did you decide to start jumping out of airplanes? An Army recruiting video. 4. Are you single or taken? Married? Married (18 years) 5. Do you have kids? A son and a daughter. 6. What do you drive? 1999 Chrysler Sebring Convertible 7. Have you ever done a kisspass? Yes 8. Where do you live? Pinehurst, North Carolina 9. Do you have any pets? One dog. 10. How many jumps do you have? 3344 11. What color eyes do you have? Green 12. What is your nationality? American 13. Have you ever dated someone you met off the internet? Nope. 14. Favorite Movie? Too hard to choose a favorite. 15. What do you do when you arent skydiving? US Army Parachute Rigger. 16. Have you ever BASE jumped? No. 17. If not... do you want to? Yes. Angel Falls. 18. Do you have siblings? 2 brothers and 2 sisters 19. Where do you want to travel to the most? Scotland with my two brothers. 20. What's your favorite color? Purple. 21. Where was the last place you flew to ( not skydiving )? Tucson, AZ Arrive Safely John

Amen to that! If there's one thing we do well at Raeford, it's our conservative weather calls. If there are thundestorms in the area, we monitor it's track and speed using online weather assets. If we can safely jump between them, we do - this happens quite often. If there is a chance that the storm will arrive over the DZ before the jumpers are safely on the ground, we stay down and wait it out. Arrive Safely John

It's time for some people to be reminded that this is a topical forum. From the General Skydiving Forum description: Simply adding the word "skydiving" to a post does not make it belong here in this forum. This forum is not for one-liners, rambling posts with no point, or PWing. Blatant trolling is not welcome anywhere in the Dropzone.com forums. A lot of new posts are cropping up on subjects that have been covered thoroughly and effectively in the past. Use the search feature to research answers to your questions, then post new content or questions if that didn't pan out. Arrive Safely John

I have seen that one too - I'd love a copy for my collection! Women screaming like in Godzilla movies, and the tandem student saying "what did I do wrong.? Arrive Safely John

Even though this particular topical forum is intended for Instructors, you are always welcome to chime in with relevant content. In this case, we now have a student's point of view - thanks! Arrive Safely John

Moved Mike Forsythe from CPS to RWS . . . Arrive Safely John

I have everything but the freebag. Arrive Safely John

The best way to get the answer you are looking for is to call your harness/container manufacturer and ask them if the canopy you are considering will fit in the container you own or are planning to buy. If you are looking to put a new canopy in your Micron, I would call Rosi Sigmon at Relative Workshop. rosi@relativeworkshop.com or (386) 736-7589 Arrive Safely John

Removed Egon Sussman. Arrive Safely John

That is an easy job - a Master Rigger is required, but he can handle it. Arrive Safely John

Stretch. Concentrate on your abs & hip flexors. The more limber you are, the better your arch will be. Hydrate. Start taking really deep breaths when you are in other stressful situations. This helps you r-e-l-a-x, and the technique works very well during AFF. Otherwise, get excited! You are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime! Arrive Safely John

From PD's website FAQ: Arrive Safely John

this is my personal opinion - to help you understand my viewpoint here's a little bit about me: I am a big belly flyer who does mostly tandems and AFF when I'm not making military jumps. I have a lot of non-competitive RW and demo experience. I believe a skydiver can "fine tune" his fall-rate and special-purpose flying ability by using different jumpsuits, and that a jumpsuit provides a smoother, more uniform flying surface. Otherwise, street clothes work fine, making sure that the top and bottom are secure enough that no operation handles could inadvertently be at pull time. I jump in street clothes doing tandems from time to time, and have considered using them more often. Jumping without full coverage, like in shorts and a t-shirt is a different story. My buddy calls it "like a cat on ice." I enjoy the freedom of it, and find that I am able to relax more and fly smoothly since I don't have to fight a jumpsuit. I fall so fast that way that I rarely do anything but solo jumps that way. I enjoy those - it's like having a little quality time with the big expanse of blue. In your case, dress for success - however your Instructors dictate. Then pick this discussion up with them later in your progression - they will set you up for success! Arrive Safely John

I rarely teach first-timers to pull, unless the student fully intends to continue their training via AFF. In that case I make the skydive as much like a Cat A as I can, modified to accomodate tandem characteristics. I used to, but I found that sensory overload on a student's first skydive most times resulted in me pulling the drogue release anyway. I started polling TIs to find out their preference. Most of the ones I talked to don't have first timers pull either. Letely I have been considering going back to teaching to pull on the first jump. I am seeing, as you alluded to Tom, that the value and "ownership" a student can get from a tandem can be significantly increased by having them perform the "life-saving" maneuver. Arrive Safely John

60% slide, 40% standup Arrive Safely John

I took a friend on her first tandem yesterday. She and I see the world in quite the same way so it makes for some riveting conversations. As I always do while we're gearing up, I asked her why she wanted to make a skydive. Her reasons were to lead the way in taking risks to achieve a breakthrough in her life, so that she might affect people she is closely associated with to risk and achieve breakthrough in their own way. After we landed and the camera was turned off, I explained to her "transfer of ownership" in such a way that made it even clearer to me why I enjoy teaching first time skydivers. When students show up, many of them doubt their ability to complete the task at hand - stepping out of the airplane. Many times they show huge trust in me, knowing that I will do my best to guide them through the experience safely. At that point they see "ownership" of the experience being mine. After we land I sometimes point to the sky and show them where they came from, and acknowledge them for making the decision to fly through the clear blue. At that point the "ownership" transfers . . . I explain that THEY made the decision, THEY answered the "ready?" question positively, and THEY followed through on their intention. I was merely a facilitator. Those students leave with the knowledge that they have created something for themselves - a level of courage, daring, confidence, etc. that they can apply elsewhere in their lives. It is a privilege to be honored with their trust, and to be their caretaker for a short while as they truly learn to fly - both literally and figuratively. Arrive Safely John

I am at the DZ . . . they have been paging her all day. "Dr. Griesser report to the school -- STAT" Congratulations, Kate! We are proud of you! Arvel says - "whatever" Arrive Safely John

The bunkhouse has been renovated - not sure if A/C was included in the renovations. Previously it did not have A/C . . .you'd better check. Arrive Safely John

The thread will continue . . . you can simply choose not to read it any more. Arrive Safely John

He's older than I am, that's all that counts. Happy birthday, brother . . . you are a gentleman and a school bus. Arrive Safely John

I assume you are talking about

DJ Associates Website That has their email address, phone numbers, etc. Arrive Safely John

There's a phrase I use all the time . . . "choose from what's important." Different people have different things they find important in their life, and have different priorities. You should take some time away, maybe a mountain hike or time on the beach alone where you can get very clear about what's important to you in your life. Then you can share that clarity with your wife and both of you can prioritize the things that are most important to focus on financially. I am blessed to still be married to the same woman after 18 years and have enough "stuff" and hobby time to make me happy. I give a lot of myself to other people, which I have never regretted. Many times I have made a decision in favor of my reltaionships with my wife, my kids, or others rather than what I wanted. There are some of those I would do differently if given the opportunity, but overall my choices have resulted in a hapy, productive, stable life. Arrive Safely John

Yes it can . . . it will provide a place for military units to hone special skills with access to all necessary assets and free from distractions. The business establishment itself is private enterprise. As far as contracting use of the facilities, this is quite often much cheaper than paying for use of training areas on military bases and use of military aircraft. The true key to the facility's value will be the training and service that is provided there. Arrive Safely John