vt1977

10% want GWB… I’m scared! Vicki

Vibes to you both... and I'm sure chocolate and flowers would do wonders for her right now! Vicki

Haven't see that one yet - but I have a night in front of the tv planned for tonight so I'll look out for it! Vicki

Hey Alana, When I’m travelling with my rigbag I always take all my docs out and put them in my hand luggage together with my helmet, alti, audibles etc. I usually leave my jumpsuit in the rig bag and then wrap the whole lot up inside an extra sleeping bag for extra protection and maybe a towel or some t-shirts for extra padding too. I also secure the reserve handle with a pull up cord just in case it gets knocked in transit – NB – use a pull up cord a very different colour to your container/harness as you really wouldn’t want to forget to take it off… Vicki

A group of us at my home DZ who are going to Eloy for the Holiday Boogie were discussing what the landings are going to be like. My understanding is that Eloy is about 1,500 feet up and my home DZ isn’t! So… what should we expect? Faster landings I know, but how much faster and any good advice? (btw – apologies is this has already been discussed, but the Eloy threads are just so long…) Vicki

Agreed, although 134 jumps on a canopy before moving on doesn’t seem like all that many to me. Wayne, by all means think about what you might get next but don’t set yourself timescales by which you need to get something else and enjoy learning as much as you can about your current canopy in the meantime. I did over 400 jumps on my 1st canopy and I learnt a vast amount from it – looking back I’m glad I waited to downsize. The best advice I can give you is to take a canopy control course and seek the advice of experienced canopy pilots who know your abilities. Vicki

So just to clarify - how many jumps are you planning to have done on the 155 before looking to get something else? Vicki

Geez - that's a tough one! Vicki

IMHO the RSL decision is a personal one. Do a search and find out as much info as you can, weigh up the pros and cons and then make an informed decision. This may help: http://www.dropzone.com/gear/articles/FactsaboutthequotReserve.shtml Vicki

I have recently gone from a Sabre(1) to a Spectre of the same size and they are lovely, lovely canopies. Compared to the Sabre, the Spectre feels very solid and a little more forgiving. The openings are wonderfully predictable - soft and on heading and the landings are great too. I'd definitely suggest that you demo one before deciding what to buy! Info on Spectre flight characteristics can be found here: http://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/Spectre-Flight-Char.pdf hth! Vicki

Fingers crossed for some formation loads here too... Vicki

I can’t really give you any particular suggestions about first freefall nerves but you are certainly not the only one to suffer from them. I remember my first freefall well – it was my 20th jump as I was just about the worst static line student you could imagine. I had problems with weak exits, problems with dummy pulls and real problems with nerves! In fact I’m now convinced that a lot of my problems with DPs were caused by fear of the first freefall – I knew that if I didn’t pull the DP handle I wouldn’t be cleared for freefall. My first freefall was a terrifying experience. After getting cleared for freefall I got the briefing and was literally shaking all the way through it. I was almost in tears by the time I was kitted up and apparently I was white as a sheet the whole way up in the aircraft and I am happy to admit that I came very close to wanting to ride the plane down. I kept telling myself that I really wanted to do my first freefall, that I’d been struggling on the static line for so long and that if I hated it I never had to do another one. I kept telling myself that thousands of other people had done it before and had been just fine. I kept telling myself that I could do it and that it would be worth it. Don’t be put off. If you don’t feel ready for freefall yet then go and do a few more DPs. I can well imagine that the cold was making it worse this weekend (if it makes you feel better I didn’t even get in the aircraft this weekend as it was just too cold!). If you’re shaking from the cold and are nervous as well, it certainly doesn’t help matters. Perhaps try and get hold of some good thermals before your next jump – Millets do excellent leggings and tops which are really thin but do a great job of keeping you warm. Also look at getting some good winter gloves – nothing worse than cold hands – but obviously check with instructors and check you can still feel handles whilst wearing them. Good luck – and I really hope you get there. Do some more DPs if that’s what you feel is right for you and keep thinking positive. I have no doubt that when you do that wonderful first freefall you’ll be grinning from ear to ear!

I don’t want to come across as a canopy nazi or anything but I have to ask – what’s the rush? 100 jumps on a canopy doesn’t seem like that many to me. Vicki

vt1977: 25th (late) - 3rd Big ways! Vicki

It depends on whther the winds are constant or gusting - I am happy to jump in 20 knot constant winds but I tend to stand down when it is gusty. BPA rules limit us to 20 knots anyway. Vicki

In the UK we have to wear a knife on every jump – BPA rules. I have never had to use one though. Vicki

A choice between no beer or drinking cider – that is a seriously tough decision to have to make! Vicki

That thread about skydiving with braces just got me thinking… I am going to have to have my wisdom teeth extracted sometime in the fairly near future and I am wondering how long it will be before I will be able to jump afterwards? If it makes any difference, I intend having them out under general anaesthetic. Thanks! Vicki

Cider... eeeeeeuuuuuggggghhhhh! Evil stuff! I've drunk cider once - I was 16 and it was very messy and I have never had a hangover like it since!

When I was at University, I drank 10 vodka and redbulls one evening… I don’t recommend that to anyone. I was drunk without being sleepy and didn’t get any sleep at all that night as my head was spinning and I couldn’t keep still! Vicki

I drink an unhealthy amount of diet coke and inevitably ended up trying the vanilla version. The taste wasn’t too bad (although I don’t think I would buy it again) but about an hour later I had the most horrendous pains in my stomach – and I am sure it was due to the weird Vanilla Diet Coke! Vicki

Sounds awesome! I did a high altitude jump at Quincy a few years ago and I loved it – even if the briefing did scare the cr*p outta me!

I've just bought a Spectre after over 500 jumps on Sabres. Comparing my Sabre 135 to my Spectre 135 I can't say that the flare is better on the Sabre or worse on the Spectre, they just land slightly differently. I've get lovely landings out of both! Most of the openings on Sabres are ok, but it's those slammers! One in every 70 or so jumps, no matter how carefully you've packed, even if you've packed exactly the same as the last 70 pack jobs they can bite. I had one opening on my Sabre 135 that was so hard I thought I had broken a rib! . I could give you plenty of examples of experiences froiends of mine have had with bad Sabre openings... by and large the openings on the Sabre are fine but when they bite they're nasty! Vicki (now a very happy Spectre owner!)

Yeah, what he said! Keep smiling chick!

Send gremlin a PM – I know he has done his but I have no idea what he used. hth! Vicki