Albatross

Welcome to our little Nut farm. All of us are safe as long as you don't have beer. You owe for the first post. BE safe and have fun just don't give us too much to play with. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

You did it girl!!!! You made that critical jump from being a skyfaller to being a skydiver. You have learned to love the air and let it take care of you. You will now be in control of your body. You rock. I am so bumbed that I couldn't be there to see you do it. Now don't think that everything will be easy from now on but you now know that no matter how bad the tumble you can recover and be in control. I am so happy that you stuck with it and feel privaledged that you have brought us all along with the writing. I think that you sould write one for each jump to A licence and make a little book for new skydivers... You could inspire a whole generation of skydivers!! Love Ya Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

Hi my name is Albi but I was born Chris Riley. I am a jack of all trades and general freek. That doesn't pay well so I work as a Molecular Genetic Technical Specialist. That means I work with blood and DNA all day and fix the problems that come up. At night I teach Self deffense. My goal in life is to jump with all of you. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

Dave give him a break he is a student and exempt from this. Great job on the cut away. You did good and got right back up in the saddle. Welcome to the club we are glad your here. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

Sniffel, Sniffel My little girl is becoming a skydiver and is flying all by herself. Congratualtions on the great jump we all feel like we fly with you every time. You are doing a great job dealing with the the fears and yourself. I am soooo proud of you for how well you are doing. Talk to you soon and See you all the 28th. Chris Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

Go screw around in the air. Get unstable and get comfortable then belly fly and do little to nothing on the freefall other than fall. Enjoy the wind and look at the ground and sky. If you don't try so har relaxing is fun and easy. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

Kimmer, I am glad to see that you went with Michele. She told me about the concerns that you were having and I understand. I ahve to call my mom every monday morning and tell her that I am alright so that she doesn't call the cops to check on me and I am almost 30. Your level 4 went fine. You had a a few minor problems in the air but one major one on the ground. You have let this thing psyke you out. I am in total agreement with everyone that you need to just relax and let the air cradle you when you are in freefall but more importantly you must be ready to jump before you get in the plane. We all have had to fight this deamon and still do after a scare but if you look really carefully you will see that the deamon is only you and your self doubt. You are competant to do the only critical thing on a skydive PULL. Now you need to master your mind and body one step at a time. I gave this advice to a student of mine who was overwhelmed by tought running through her head. Sit down and practice one skill over and over at home until you are sure that you have it. It will feel natural and instictive then move on. You can not think or paractice in the air so do it on the ground. When you have practiced and are sure that it is going to go well, then jump. If you jump and things don't go perfectly relax and get ready to do it again. I will tell you that of the last 40 RW jumps that I have made only 1 went just like it was planned on the ground and I have done this alot more than you have. Morral is don't expect perfection just expect things to get a little better each time and to have fun. I hope to meet you soon. Chris Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

I will be there. Small group like 4-6 ways sound like the way to go. I don't think that we are going to be doing many points in that large formation. CONGRATULATIONS on the baby boy. Another future skydiver I hope. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross Edited by Albatross on 7/12/01 06:55 PM.

I am so there. I love real women who love something besides their reflection in the mirror and anyone woman who understands why I want to... have to jump is the best. I want to meet the legands Mandy and Jumping Kay Aus. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

Sangrio you the man in all the best ways. THat take sguts and intelligence. I love the community that you have built and totaly respect you for the way you run and protect it. My sincerest thanks. Chris Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

O.K. it is deal time for you my friend. First I think that the idea of doing more than one in a day is perfect, especially if you have problems. Next, if you keep having this problem we can go to Las Vegas and I will buy you 10 min in the Wind tunnel. I know that it is not the best around but FL is a long way off. Just think of it like doing a complicated kick for the first time. A jumping spining axe kick or a jumping spinning heel kick. They all suck because you are trying to figure out what a body needs to do. You practice and visualize the move and the feelings based on what you have done. Right now I am asking you a student with 6 jumps to do that type of complicated movement... right the first time. Now that i have built you up I have a few words of advice. Just feel the wind and the pressure it exerts on you body. Focus on the feeling in you arms and legs. Live in the moment. You will do it and when we toss you in the pool after finishing a 10 point 4 way with Nelson, DiverDave and I you will laugh at the little things that are going on right now. Remember that even when you don't think that you can do it, I would bet my life on it. Take my vision of you and see how the world sees you. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

Michelle You know that you mean alot to all of us you fill our days with beautiful words and fill our minds with toughts of blue skys and better days. That any of us have the opportunity to help in any way to get you up this hill is an honor and a priveledge. I think that even though it may not seem like it now that the day you graduate will be allthe more special for troubles and fears that you have had to overcome. Please Oh please let me make that next jump with you it would a honor that you could never imagine. MUCH LOVE AND RESPECT TO THE WOMAN WITH THE BIGGEST HEART AND MOST COURAGE I KNOW. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

Congratulations Donna!!!!! I will agree with you most people might say it is not much but we all know better. Whenever you get shaken it is a very important skydive the next time even if all you do is get out and fall. I am glad that you beat you inner fears and have gotten back up in the air with us. Blues and Squares Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

I am glad that I could make you feel a little better about a hard dive but don't be so hard on yourself. You did good. You didn't panic you delt with a shitty situation and you did the most important thing PULL. When you go skydiving remember that you are not only entering a new environment but also a new dimention. You wouldn't get mad at a child because he could walk his first time or if he fell down after 6 attempts. It is the same thing. Many people have the same problem you had today even when they have 20, 30, 40, even 50 or 60 jumps. It is really common for people to have an asymetry which causes them to turn or spin. You WILL get it you are too strong and to special a person to let something as dumb as an arm out of place make you stop. If you need an ear I am always there. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

O.K. here is the bottom line what you don't know could hurt you. Every DZ and school has slightly different philosophy of teaching when is what order and how to best prepare the students to progress for the best safety and most enjoyment. Some teach everything at the begining assuming that more information is better. Some dole it out giving it to you in small bite sized bits and others (unfortunately) seem to give you the bare minimum to survive and get you off student status. Now that we have established that all DZ seem to be different my advice is to to switch if you feel uncomfortable with thte level of information that you are getting. You are the pilot and will always be the one making the decisions and the judgements. YOU MUST BE COMFORTABLE THAT YOU ARE INFORMED AND KNOW WHAT TO DO. IF you don't feel that where you are talk to them, ask for more and then if it doesn't make you satisfied MOVE. Be responsible for your own learning don't let them dictate what you know. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

You GO!!! I am constantly impressed by your writing. I am also so glad that you made it back up in that plane. Our world is brighter for your being in it. See you sunday. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

Don't forget learning how to pack if you need to pay for that. Having a mal sukc but having a mall that someone else packs is worse. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

Michelle Watch a ton of students land and people who re jumping big canopies. Watch when they flare and how fast they stop. I found that feet just in front of me and "athletic" stance was the best that way I could take a few fast steps if I needed it. My feeling is that under a student canopy you will not stop but rather slow down and ease into the ground using a two stage flare. Down to quarter breaks to slow the approach and give more room for error then all the way for the flare. We can chat Sunday. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

I have j-3 which is supposed to hold at most a 170 zp but I find that it is very large. I am going to have ahard time when I down size to a 150. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

I am the first one to ignore pain. I walk around with broken ribs, toes and finger all the time but don't screw around with your head. It is probably something small like dehydration, allergies, or a sinus but why take the chance. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

Come down south and work at the DZ. The job market is better and it doesn't rain as much. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

Julie welcome to the club. We have all had some problems that we would rather have missed. I had the pilot chute wrap around my had on my first hand deploy even after I had practiced it 50 times. I have spaced and gone a little low. The thing that makes it O.K. is that you didn't freek and that you learn from what you did wrong. If you can do just that then you have had a valuable learning experience not a tragic mistake. The door demons are hard just don't let them win. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

Sorry to hear that you are hurting but glad that you made it out without anything worse. Complacency kills in this sport. Thanks for the lesson. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

Welcome to the skys. It seems like the best thing in the world getting out into the air that first time but you are just starting to enjoy the sky and just learning to fall, wait until you start to fly. I am glad that you finally got off the bench and are in the game. Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross

Does that no mans land ever end? Ready, Set, GOOOOOOO Albatross