skybytch

I grew up at a dz just like that. Takes a dzo that is truly a skydiver to build that sort of dz - someone more into fun skydives with great people and building a community than making big money. The sport needs more of them.

That's likely to come to an end soon. I would imagine the tandem ride market has mostly dried up at the moment. Same with AFF. Even if the dz is still operating, the likelihood of getting enough work to survive right now could be pretty slim. I'm just saying please take care of each other. If we're gonna call skydivers family, we need to treat them that way when SHTF.

Nobody's jumping right now, right? A suggestion. While stuck on the ground, don't forget about your brothers and sisters who have no work at the moment, and little hope of getting any work in the next few months at least. Might be a great time to send that AAD off for service, have that little cosmetic repair done on your rig/jumpsuit/canopy, go ahead and get that repack done since it's only a month or so out. Your rigger will appreciate the work. Bring a bag of groceries to an instructor or three. Check in on them. Lots of them won't ask for shit - offer it. We are family.

Hubby went to Costco last week, Sacramento metro area. No TP, no water, freezers damn near empty. Every cashier line open and carts ten deep at each one at 4 pm on a Friday. Hit our local grocery store on Saturday. No TP and a limit on bottled water purchases but everything else looked normal, even the alcohol selection. Wasn't even any busier than it was two weeks ago. I guess it helps that it is a good sized supermarket in a city of 1000 people though. We keep 20 gallons of bottled water on hand pretty much all the time, enough to cover two of us and the dog for about two weeks. Being on a well that we have yet to upgrade to a solar pump, there is always the chance that we won't have running water regardless of what is going on out there in the real world. Those who get city water shouldn't count on it running in a lockdown situation either. We learned that up here during the public safety power shutoffs last summer when several localities were telling residents to be ready as they were not sure they could keep enough generator power going to keep the pumps running. No guarantees that the grid will remain stable through this (farfetched, I know, but better ready than thirsty). Hubby works for the state in a complex with over 6000 people, mostly cube farmers. Expecting him to get an unplanned vacation starting sometime this week. Him bringing it home from work is about the only way I could be exposed to it (I rarely leave the property any more), and epilepsy is now on the list of conditions that can cause complications, so I'm really hoping the governor shuts state offices down, like, today. Already planning the projects we can get done if hubby doesn't have to go to work; the garden is going to be amazing this year ;-)

<waves from the cheap seats>

Wednesday evenings in the Pub. The Rack, all versions. IBAD. Lmao. He was soooooo pissed!

Plan for a PLF (have you practiced them since your FJC? ). Standing up is a bonus. And talk to your instructors about it. They see you fly and land. They can give way better advice on your landings in person than you will get from anonymous internet users (like me)

Can't find my first jump pic, but here's a favorite from a dz.com boogie.

February 4, 1990. I was sitting in a Cessna 182 and this guy told me to get out. So I did. Then he told me to let go. So I did. And there it began. There have been so many changes and advancements in skydiving since my first jump. There were pretty much four disciplines back then (five if you count instructing) - RW, CRW, freestyle, and style and accuracy. We all flew big slow F111 mains. Some of us still had round reserves. A 180 to final was okay. So were big S turns on final. AAD's were for sissies. Audible altimeters had one beep. If we wore a helmet, it was a leather "frap hat" because only students wore hard helmets. Swooping was what you did in freefall to get to the formation (don't you ever swoop my slot again!). A case of beer was a case of beer, not a 12 pack. Very few dz's flew turbines. Most students did their first jumps on a static line out of a Cessna. USPA D license numbers were in the low 10,000's. And look at the sport now. Tunnels and coaches and turbines and modern gear and canopy education and GoPros and so many different things to do in the air. Jumpers today have more skills at 200 jumps than lots of us dinosaurs had at 500, 600,1000 jumps. Makes me wonder what skydiving will look like in 2050 (not that I expect to be around to see it). Just like I couldn't have imagined what skydiving would be today, I can't even imagine what it will look like by then. It's been an awesome thirty years for me. Thanks to everyone that has been a part of it.

Relaxing is the key to stability, and damn it can be hard! I'd suggest learning a few relaxation techniques before your next tunnel trip, then use them prior to your tunnel sessions. Also, smile when you are flying. You're there to have fun, right? And it just might help you to relax. As for failing, you only fail if you don't try. As long as you are learning something each time, it's a win. Even if you NEVER figure out a stable body position (the likelihood of that is slim), the fact that you did it at all means you are not a failure. Keep it up!

True dat. Especially this season. At least the Kings aren't doing much better than the Sharks this year.

Yup. I think it's a question that all long term jumpers should ask themselves. It can be hard to realize and accept that at least some of the knowledge you have amassed over your career isn't as valuable as it used to be (other than for historical purposes, bonfire stories and dead horse arguments, each of which I believe has some value). <blush>

Serious question that has been bugging me for awhile now. I'm a dinosaur. In the past I worked in skydiving equipment sales and I gained a lot of knowledge. Lots of it is still relevant, but there is a shit ton I don't know about gear items that have been introduced since about 2012. I did some instructing in the past and am now married to an AFF I/E, so I have a bit of knowledge there. Lots of it is still relevant and most of it is current. But. I did two jumps last year after almost 6 years off. I'm not an "active" skydiver anymore and it's likely I never will be again (the one or two jumps per year I am likely to do in the future don't really count). So I've been wondering. Is it time for me (and maybe some of the rest of us dinosaurs) to accept that what I know is ancient history and that it would be for the best if I STFU? Or is at least some of what I know still valuable even though I am no longer very active in the sport? Am I being helpful or am I just being arrogant?

That was the Blue Track right?

Only half? LMAO!!

That's me you were quoting, not Joe. Please direct any further attacks on someone's character to the correct person. It's not because you are "just a beginner" - although that term implies that you have at least done an AFF Cat A already - and we are experienced. It's because you have no experience yet you are trying to come off like you do. And how do you know that what he was saying was not accurate "or whatever"? Please elaborate. My instructional ratings are not current. Does that mean that any knowledge I might have is suspect? Instructors make mistakes packing. Riggers have reserve rides. Everyone makes a mistake at some point. Instructors are not gods. They can even give out incorrect information.

Dude. You've done A tandem. He's done 5000 not tandem jumps. He's been jumping much longer than you have been alive. Because someone's profile on dropzone doesn't say instructor doesn't mean they have never been one. You might consider doing an actual skydive before telling very experienced jumpers to shut up.

Do your parents support you financially - ie provide money to cover your living expenses so you don't have to work? If so, they have every right to tell you no, you can't skydive, and you should respect that and not go behind their back and jump anyway. If you are supporting yourself, different story. Regardless, don't expect her to be okay with you jumping. Mom's worry. That's just how most mom's are. It took mine a few years to even come to the dz to watch.

Did you miss the huge dirt landing area at Perris? That's where students land.

Go there. Check it out. Good people and training and facilities at both dz's. Elsinore has an awesome coaching program for new jumpers. You pay for your skydive and the coach's slot is covered by the dz. Now this is not high level discipline specific coaching. Lots of the coaches are pretty new to it (they are all USPA rated coaches). But you get to jump with people you can learn from, who want to jump with you, and all you pay for is your slot.

The students that I have worked with who impressed me most were those who went far beyond what I've done. It took a few years for them to get there of course, but watching one of "my" puppies go on to excel in the sport and knowing that I was a small part in that progression is very gratifying.

I'm old now. I'd fall off. Pain hurts. The closest hospital is 30 minutes away. So, yeah, no stripper pole. But the cable spool table is spot on. Going on the project list now!

How many jumps on the line set? Checking trim might be a good first step.

Thanks everyone! We have a tentative plan. The craps table and the dartboard we already have (GranBoard - google it, it's cool). Craigslist shall provide an air hockey table, a game table and a standalone bar and stools (for now... if we ever find time we'll build our perfect bar). Just found a Taxi pinball machine - our favorite machine! - on CL; if only it wasn't two grand! Maybe someday. Carpet on the floor (mainly for insulation). Fridge for beer and mixers. Shelves behind the bar for the booze. TV, stereo, media computer, Wii, Xbox. A comfy chair or two. A ton of board games. And one of those fake fireplace heaters. The walls will be covered with some cheap paneling. And 30 years of two jumpers skydiving shit collections - pictures, tshirts, pull up cords, patches, stickers, awards, medals, y'know all that stuff in those boxes in storage that haven't seen the light of day in eons. There won't be much in the way of visible paneling when we're done. I love the round on the ceiling idea Wendy! I still have my old 20' reserve somewhere in one of those boxes, it may need to get back "in the air". Last Load Lounge. If all goes to plan, the first load will be early next year. If you ask nice, you can be on it.

Skydivers are so cute when they're puppies.