oldnewbie

I think i can hear the rumble of OSHKOSH already

My 25th was a couple of years ago. I didn't go to any of the other reunions that we had, even though i still live in the same town. I wasn't going to the 25th until a friend called me (somebody i hadn't seen or heard from in 25 years). He talked me into going. I saw all of the people that i played football, basketball and baseball with in high school and junior high. I talked to all of my old racing (car) friends. I had the best time of my life. I am so glad i went. Three of my *old* best friends have now died in the few years since my 25th. I'm so glad to have gone and said *HI* for a last time. And yes, i will go to my 50th!!

Not only are we drinking 2 cups at a time, but my pot which is a 12 cup maker is only marked to the 10 cup line!!!! Did they run out of paint to put the 12 cup line on there??? I'm on my 18th cup (really only 9th) of good black java!

I started my AFF (January 2002) with a ripcord, and did 6 jumps with that. I went back one year later (january 2003 to finish the lessons, same school etc), and they had converted over to BOC. Since i didn't have a clue how to use that, i asked questions (like, what the hell is this). Anyways, they told me that they had made the decision to go BOC because "thats what the students will be using". As far as the burble, I probably had 4 of my first 6 had the burble. I have never had that problem since going BOC.

Yes to both crosswind and downwind landings. I was being coached for canopy control and he wanted me to do 3 this way. Since somebody had just got hurt trying to turn low for an upwind landing, he wanted me to know that *I can land in any direction* but don't turn low!! I had 30 jumps at that time.

A few years ago, the family across the street from me would start screaming at each other all the time. When you live in a subdivision everybody can hear, like 40 families. Their fights usually started on Sunday morning. I would be out having a smoke, and all of a sudden (they kept their windows open) this screaming would go on for hours. When it was done, they would get into their mini-van with kids, and go to church. They didn't seem to be embarrassed, but i always was for them. What asses!!!

Gosh,this happened to me 3 years ago. I took a vacation and a raccoon moved in. she/he came in through the vents in the attic, lifted up the trap door and crawled down into the house. This damn thing lived behind the bathtub. I had left the access door off (i will never do this again). This was a neat raccoon. Every night it lived there (i moved out while the coon lived there) it would take a poop in the kitchen sink. At least i didn't have to clean up the mess in the carpet. Paw prints over all of the windows, i knew that bastard was in there. I called the city, (they didn't care), i called the animal control company ($800 and no promises). I'm cheap and poor, so i had to *get it* myself. What i did was i would go open the back door that leads into the garage and leave the garage door open also. I would sit out and wait in my car with my garage door opener in my hand. About dark time, you could see this raccoon looking out of the garage, then prance off (laughing i'm sure). Then i would use the garage door opener to shut the door. END OF STORY, right????? HELL NO!!!! This thing would then crawl down the fireplace. It took me over a month to get this critter our of my house. I finally placed a trap in the house, with food, and finally caught it and her babies. Well,i was at work and my dad and mom came over to check if i had caught anything. Yahoooooo!!!!!! My dad was going to take care of the problem (does loudiamonds aviatar explain how) but my mom said NO, lets take it out into the country and release it. So as any good husband would do, he put the trap into the trunk of his new caddilac, and drove out to the country. He released it. YAY!!!story over right?????? HELL NO!!!! The police saw him release the raccoon and that is illegal. It seems that everybody has more raccoons around here and don't need anymore. So he earned a $250 ticket. MORAL of the story, i'm not sure, its either "don't listen to your wife" which may not be a great idea. or "Just shoot the varmit" or "Learn to have a new roommate" Sorry for the long post, but I'm still realing from my raccoon experience, and i HAD TO VENT!!!!! good luck!!!

I think that it was $65 a day, i think they also have half day rates.

On my 12th jump two birdmen got on the plane and i didn't know what they were, or why their suits looked so funny. My coach explained what they were and that is was *THE COOLEST FLYING THERE IS* in maybe 500 more jumps, i hope to be joining you, that looked so GOOD!!!!

I've been getting tired for the last few years after i drink a pot of coffee. I'm not sure why. I drink a pot in the morning (12 cups) , one when i get to work, one halfway before lunch, one at lunch, one for the last hour at work, one when i get home, and one at 7 at night. I never have problems sleeping or getting the jitters. My only problem is i gotta pee all the time, can you help me with that problem???lol

Hi I know what you mean. I think it makes a huge difference when they give compliments. I had a coach that after our first jump together, he asked 'What did you like about the jump" and i said "well my exit was very bad, and". He said "NO, NO, i asked you what you liked about the jump". and everytime i started to say something that was bad, he would stop me and make me say only good things. This helped me focus on *what went good, not bad*. And yes, after all of the good things, then he asked me what didn't go quite so perfect. So maybe it would help to get some *good things* said to you.

I'm about the same size as you, and I just got off student status. For about 8 jumps I was getting bruises on the arms and legs. They were so bad that I almost took some time off during my training to let them heal. Then I tightened up the leg straps and it seemed to me that the openings were much better. I haven't had any bruises since that time. I'm not sure if this was due to being in the correct position when it opened (I maybe (am) more stable now then before, since i only had 10 jumps at the time of the bruises) or to the leg straps being tightened. I was also having some hard openings at the same time as the bruises. I don't know if that was from my position, or from the packing. I do know that i changed packers at the same time as the softer openings. I also know that I am in a much better position upon opening also. Hope this helps

I haven't taken that canopy control course, but i was coached for canopy control. I started at jump 25 due to a few months layoff since completing my A license. I learned so much from these coached jump. I can now land much better than i did before, and i have a lot more confidence in myself (not over confidence) I have heard it said before here (dropzone.com) that you can spend 100 to 200 jumps on the same canopy and you are still learning. I know i can now spend that much perfecting my canopy control.

First time i have seen it. I'm laughing so much right now!!

Hiya skymonkeyone Are you serious about this, or were you just joking around???*shaking my head* How dangerous was this, Assuming youare serious?? *still shaking his head* I'm kinda new to skydiving so I've never heard of this. Thank

A very very long time ago, during swim season I know it was over two minutes. But I'm sure that on my first tandem, I held my breathe the whole time (maybe including the ride up)so whats that, like 5 minutes or more!!!!

Hi Scotty. I'm only a little bit further than you are (35 jumps), but i can remember the feeling well. What helped me most, was when i was getting coaching. After my first jump with the coach, he looked at me and asked me if I was having fun. Of course i said YES Then he said *then why don't you LOOK like your having fun. You never have a smile on your face, and you never laugh*. He was doing all kinds of funny things on our first jump together, and i never once cracked a smile. (I can't believe that people can fly circles around me that fast, on his back , head first etc) He told me to smile and laugh, you will be shocked at how it relaxes you. Well, on the next jump, in the plane he would look at me and *make* me laugh. We left together and it wasn't going that great until I laughed at my mistake. I was actually laughing and smiling up THERE. i noticed everytime i smiled, i relaxed. Now everytime something isn't going well, i smile/laugh and somehow I start doing things easily and correctly. Try smiling and laughing. Hope this helps

I will agree with what skycat says. I'm not a very outgoing person, so sometimes it seems that people tend to not want to jump with me or even talk to me. I guess just hanging around and jumping will help with meeting more people around the dropzone. I'm not sure if Eloy has a "greeting party" or not, but I have been there twice this year, and both times I met many people who went out of their way to make me feel welcome. I will soon be looking for a *home* dropzone as soon as it warms up, and I hope that I will find a "happy, friendly, greeting party" wherever I end up. Since this seems to be somewhat of a problem, why don't WE make it a point to say "HI" to several new people that we haven't met at our home dropzones???Maybe this will make somebodies day!!!

HI

aggiedave, i would like to thank you for posting your experience here. I would also like to thank the people that replied to your post with some suggestions. As a recent A liscense person, now with 35 jumps, this will help me to make some of my decisions. Some people have been trying to get me to pull lower than i do, but I felt that if i had a mal that I might not be able to make a decision quick enough at the lower altitude. This post and replies have helped me to make my decision.

QuoteI just wanted to throw in my two-cents worth. I'm just a beginner, with only 35 jumps now. I earned my A license in december, and went back to Eloy February for some practice. After reading these forums i decided to get some canopy control lessons so that when i jump at my home dropzone (which ever one that will be) I would be safe, while I was having fun (i'm sure my home dropzone will have much much smaller landing area. I picked a coach (after talking to my last instructor, who I wanted to coach me, since I felt he is very good) and dozens of people also suggested the same person. I didn't know what size to downsize to, i thought 30 or 60 sq. ft, and the coach said to go the 30 sq ft downsize. He said that there is so much to learn, and you will be safe with this size. I only jumped 10 times due to the bad weather (yes, it does rain in arizona), but each was on video, and after these 10 jumps, I am a much better person under canopy. He taught me many different ways of controlling the canopy that i never knew. There is so much to learn. The two coaches that i have had have both said to learn everything you can, before you downsize. then you will be a MUCH better skydiver. They said to Jump this size for a hundred to two hundred jumps, and you will be shocked and amazed at how much you know. And don't be in a rush to downsize. Yes, i was VERy happy with my control classesQuote

Am I the only one that hasn't jumped at dozens of places!!!!! Ok, i've only jumped at one place in my life, but i will soon be jumping at a HOME dropzone. Well, as soon as i find a home dropzone My only place was ELOY, for all 35 jumps