JohnMitchell

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Everything posted by JohnMitchell

  1. JohnMitchell
    I saw a newer jumper doing S-turns on final in the experienced area. Definite no-no. Back in the hangar, I wandered over and started chatting. He's 72, started jumping in 1963 and quit in 1974, the year I started. He's made 30 jumps since starting back up this year, first ever on square canopies. Super cool guy. We chatted a little about how much everything has changed and even talked about hazards in the landing area, like S-turns that no one does anymore. Mission accomplished and a new friend to jump with. You are so right, Remi, no one learns from yelling.
  2. JohnMitchell
    That's a great feeling, isn't it, when you wreck a helmet instead of your skull?
  3. JohnMitchell
    Yes, Mike is an old friend of ours and runs a great business.
  4. JohnMitchell
    I wish she was up in Olympia, WA, 35 minutes from the Pacific Northwest's only Twin Otter dropzone.
  5. JohnMitchell
    Smart. Over the years I've made 4-5 emergency exits out of broken airplanes. It's nice to have your $hit together when it's time to go.
  6. JohnMitchell
    I had a few years in my late 20's where I got down to maybe 30 jumps a year, after years of doing 200+ a year. But I never had to shut it down all the way. My longest break has been 8 months off recovering from shoulder surgery (non-skydiving injury). I hope to keep going forever, even if it gets back down to 30 jumps a year.
  7. JohnMitchell
    I'd say slang is a whole 'nother animal, a conscious inversion of meaning to confuse outsiders and form a bond with a group. I doubt any skate boarder will be using "epitome" or "decimate" on the ramps anytime soon. Funny you said how "sick" used to mean "ill". Last I checked, "ill" was slang for cool, gnarly, etc.
  8. JohnMitchell
    Good to have you back. I hope you achieve all your fitness goals. You'll feel great and be so happy to be back in the air. Glad to see you doing it right. I often joke that if it wasn't for skydiving, I'd weigh 300 pounds, 'cause I love to eat. Our little sport can be a surprisingly good influence for some people, like me.
  9. JohnMitchell
    Got that t-shirt. Never a good thing. Big thanks to all who were buckled in and helmeted, and to the pilot for making the best of a bad situation.
  10. JohnMitchell
    Because an honest and respectable instructor wants to see their students succeed. Become safe and active jumpers. Not see them screw up to generate more income. Agreed. I have plenty of work without repeat fees. I hope no instructor out there enjoys flunking students.
  11. JohnMitchell
    Yep, another good one. . . But literally is easier to say than figuratively.
  12. JohnMitchell
    Ooops, sorry, my mistake. Yes, I agree with your math. Our local tunnel runs specials during slow periods, where you can fly space-available for around $12/minute. Getting time in the tunnel before skydiving is like learning to ride a bike before you hop on a motorcycle. I can train them on the ground, but nothing is better than a student who knows how to fly their body already. Repeat fees? Not my goal. My goal is to have every student pass every level first time.
  13. JohnMitchell
    One AFF jump here costs as much as 14 minutes in the tunnel on ride-the-bench time. Tunnels are the best thing to ever happen to AFF instruction.
  14. JohnMitchell
    My pet peeve of definition drift? The word "epitome". From Greek epi - center and tome - cut, it means "cross section" or "quintessential". It does NOT mean "apogee", "best", or "pinnacle". Sorry, that's the word Nazi in me coming out.
  15. JohnMitchell
    What you didn't mention was that it's the WOMEN doing the deciding once a week. The men just think they're in charge.
  16. JohnMitchell
    And their prices seem to be pretty competitive, esp. on the new components you might need. The one price advantage out there is to find the right rig for you owned by someone who just wants to get rid of it. I've seen some amazing deals from that. But it can take a long, long time to find "that guy".
  17. JohnMitchell
    That's the one way I would jump from one. I'm sure you could cool the engine down some in flight before you shut it down. Planes are shut down on the ground all the time.
  18. JohnMitchell
    Just glanced at the New Yorker article on the show's demise. Might have to do a little binge watching. . . From the little I read, the title seems a bit ironic?
  19. JohnMitchell
    Not ever done where I jump. I'd love to hear their reasons why. We do lock @ 6, wave-and-pull @ 5.5. If I don't trust someone to pull at 5.5, I don't take them up. Bad idea. Never sit on the plane and dwell on what you did wrong on the last jump. Always use your free time on the plane to visualize your next jump, over and over again, going smoothly, perfectly, in slow motion; at regular speed. Mentally rehearse your dive flow over and over, thinking of how the wind will feel and what you'll see as you do everything perfectly. This visualization thing isn't just for beginners. Experienced jumpers, including world champions (I knew a few) use this technique extensively.
  20. JohnMitchell
    Sorry to hear that. I've sold many items, big and small, thru the ads here. Wish I had a rig for ya.
  21. JohnMitchell
    Wow. Make sure he's super slow, lots of flaps, and roll out low. Not a good time to try your new wingsuit. Story I heard from a former coworker. He said it was true. Middle of the night in the Albuquerque Center radar control room, two bored controllers are watching a Cessna 337 drone its way across their radar scope. The two controllers start arguing back and forth as to whether or not you could skydive from that type of aircraft. Finally one of the controllers decided to ask the pilot. ATC - "Skymaster 337, Albuquerque Center, can you parachute jump from your aircraft?" Long pause . . . . Pilot - "Uh, Skymaster 337, negative, Center. Du-do we need to???"
  22. JohnMitchell

    Quidditch

    JohnMitchell replied to ryoder's topic in The Bonfire

    Oh heck, Harry Potter, both the books and movies, were a big part of our childrens' childhood. Vskydiver used to sit around the campfire on vacation reading those stories aloud to the kids. So I guess I enjoy any quidditch match. But esp. this new one.
  23. JohnMitchell
    Wow, if I could have done that as a kid. . . Much better than bike riding. I do know of several kids, 3-4th generation skydivers, that are being raised that way.
  24. JohnMitchell
    Vanilla starfish?
  25. JohnMitchell
    Agree. Makes AFF sooooo much easier. I wish all my students had tunnel time.