JohnMitchell

A lot of good definitions of success here, and we all agree that it starts with no one getting hurt. For me, a successful jump is where I and my friends had an opportunity to fly at the higher levels of our abilities and were able to do so. Whether it's number of points completed, complexity of the moves or smoothness of the flying, it's all about operating at your personal peak ability. I can be on a dive where we get a zillion points, but if my slot was too simple or unchallenging, my enjoyment is diminished. But sometimes it's okay, like when I'm trying to be a good reference point for someone working on their skills. I know Pat Works used to talk about that happy feeling in your chest when the skydive was going great, those moments that make this whole goofball sport so worthwhile. To all the load organizers: I really like back-ins.

Congrats on the new degree. I hope it opens a lot of doors for you. As far as what's going to drop the panties for ya, you still need some work.

I had a pilot yesterday who's radar transponder had failed, so the previous controller cleared him "as filed" via Victor airways at 10,000 feet so we could manually separate other aircraft from his route of flight. So far, so good. When he checked on my frequency, he reported approaching a reporting point not on his filed route. I started asking him questions and pieced together that his smartphone app from AOPA had amended his flight plan to a more direct set of airways, disregarding his need to stay clear of several busy terminal areas. He was 10-20 miles off course and invisible to us. Crap! He had caught the app SNAFU and refiled the correct route thru flight service, but the 2nd proposal didn't print out at the controller's sector until after he had departed. I'm glad I caught the mistake, but sheesh! To all the non-pilots here, sorry about babbling on in ATC talk.

Thanks for that, Jerry. All of those young kids, expecting to be part of the bloody invasion force on mainland Japan in the Fall, all of a sudden getting a miraculous reprieve. It must have seemed a miracle to them.

Melissa's rabbit Thumper, over 10 years old, is on her last legs, almost blind and paraplegic. Our poor daughter is giving her pain meds and grappling with that very decision herself. I'm very sad for her.

That's why they SEPARATE canopies in time or space at good DZs, rather than banning things. Landing would be so freaking boring without being able to swoop on every jump. I'd hope jump prices be halved to make up for the loss in fun. Either that, or I'd have to go back to accuracy as I used to do and 260+ sq ft canopies. Slow but at least not mentally dull like some normal landing. Not getting killed by a swooper never bores me.

Cut away/clear risers vs just firing reserve into the mess. Wow, that debate was over in the 70's. Two tries to clear, then cutaway and pull reserve.

A 90 degree turn takes up much less of a volume of airspace than a 270, 360 or greater, airspace that is filled with canopies. That alone decreases risk of collisions, even if no one is scanning for traffic. ( And many people fly that way.)

As graceful as Valinda is in the sky, I think she adds a lot to the video. You can definitely be a plus to the video and not an obnoxious distraction. If I wasn't busy, I'd do a couple of "free" tandem RW jumps a day.

Personally, I would (and did) buy the little stuff first. Helmet (Benny is great if you don't want to blow hundreds $50-60). Altimeter. Goggles. Bought all those while in AFF / Student status. Then I slowly pieced together my rig. Bought my Wings new, as I wanted it a good fit, but got the main, reserve and AAD used (become friends with your rigger :) ) Good advice there. Our DZ gives you a pair of new googles in the FJC so you don't have to use the old ratty ones. Keep an eye out for someone selling a used altimeter. I love the Alti-3's. They're inexpensive and will last a lifetime if you don't drop them. It took a couple of dozen jumps before I could say the butterflies went away. The sport is even more amazing after that.

Vskydiver has swooped dozens and dozens of my tandems just for grins. She's very damn good at it and has never worried me a second. More than once she's gone with TI's that have never been swooped before. They loved it. Funny thing, we were down in Utah skydiving once when someone we knew from Seattle showed up to make her tandem. Valinda told her I'd swoop and she'd video the jump. The DZO is an old friend of ours and said "Sure, go tell the TI." Vskydiver went over and said "My husband is gonna swoop your tandem and I'm going to video." He was pretty shocked by that until I went over and told him our experience level and got briefed on what he wanted. The jump went great. We flew exactly as briefed, slow approach, soft docks, nice breakoff and video. Funny thing, under canopy, the TI had so much fun he told our friend "Wow, they fly better than I do!" That scared her a bit. She thought "Oh no, did I jump with the wrong person?" When I heard that after the jump, I told her what he had meant.

Very good on the "no broken bones." So, how many ex-girlfriends in the past 10 years . . .

I was out of the plane last one day, diving for the formation when all of a sudden part of the forest moved in front of me. It was a slower moving jumper with a green helmet, rig and jumpsuit. I almost drilled him at mach 3. With Vskydiver always making suits, I have black, white and gray, all with enough accents and colors to make them visible enough. I do think the white is a little cooler in the summer. It's the one I take to the tropics.

Nice exit. It really took 5 people to hold you stable?

Dark colors, maybe cordura for the butt. Dark colors for the grippers for people's dirty hands. Whatever colors you want for whatever else. Like Skymama said, you can always wash it. Safety note: Avoid being all one color that blends in with everything, like forest green up here in the Pac. NW or all desert tan down in Eloy. You don't want to be invisible in freefall.

Good things happen to people that go after them. Best of luck to you.

As a TI, I have to turn down request like this from time to time. The requirements are 500 jumps to chase a tandem. Sorry, but it's very unlikely you have the skills yet to guarantee you won't be a danger to the tandem or yourself.

Absolutely.

Hot sex, cold beer and maybe some skydiving, but that's the dad talking, not mom.

Breakin' up 'cause he wants it "Swiss Style"!

I've heard statistics called the most powerful medical tool of the last 100 years. You're absolutely right, Mr. Bolas.

That's great. I'm gonna use that some time and pretend I thought it up. Thanks.

Hey Everyone, We need to warn that poor woman. She couldn't possibly know what she's in for . . . Congratulations to ya, Bolas.

Because I just ain't his type. Sorry, Johnny.

Does too much landscaping.