dgskydive

I'll tell you who is pathetic. People that feel the need to put others down for the way they feel. What is pathetic is skydivers that don't feel a connection in at least some way to what others may be feeling when someone goes in. Now the Greenies are worried aboutpersonal attacks. IMHO this thread was started as a personal attack against a bunch of people on DZ.com. Ever heard of the old expression, "If you can't sat anything nice, then say nothing at all." You guys feel the need to call people Post Whores and the like. I think youguys need to llok at yourselves in the mirror. Imagine if you went in. Wouldn't you want your family and friends to see how great this sport is. How wonderful the people are and how we all feel attached to each other in some way. To see that you died doing something that you love and that you probablyhad no regrets from the way you went. Nobody says you have to feel like the rest of us. Nobody said you had to give vibes or send prayers. Nobody asked you to do anything. Yet you felt the need to make fun of others for caring and now you don't like it when they speak the truth. Dom

Thanks Curt! Dom

I think it is more their realization that it could be them next. For some they have never seen death before. For some they have never thought that this sport was actually dangerous. Really, how do you know what any persons motive is for posting a condolence on DZ.com? Can you read minds? I will agree that some feed off the drama. That is common in life period and not specific to skydiving. I also know that this online community is different then others. A lot of people on here actualy know each other. We have actually hung out and had fun together. We have a shared passion. I know that it makes me feel better to see people on here post vibes or prayers. I know that it has helped many family members find some comfort as well. Eric Denney's family last year really loved to see how people responded on the site to Eric's ordeal. I know that Adria's family has read these forums in the past. I am going to print out the vibes threads and pass them to her mother, unless it has already been done. It will be good for her to see the things that we all had to say about Adria. It will do her good to see that others are either feeling her loss or can understand how she feels. I bet it will also help her see that her baby girl was involved in something that didn't just take her daughter away from her. She will be able to see that her daughter surronded herself with good humans that had a passion for life and adventure. Maybe she will see that her daughter passed doing something that she loved to do. Maybe all these terrible bandwagon jumpers helped a grieving mother handle her pain a little better. I have never thought of skydivers as uncaring and thoughtless people. That is until I read some the posts in this thread today. Dom

I guess that is the thing that Tuna doesn't get. The next skydiver you smile at may become your best friend. Don't we all share a bond already that brings us closer together then most people? I am not living in a fantasy world. We don't all get along and we don't have to. We don't even have to talk to each other.......... but we are all the same in a way. We all like to live life to the fullest as best we can. We would all rather get up ealry on a Saturday morning and go hang at the DZ with a bunch of fools then sit at home and watch TV or go shopping at the mall. We are different then most people weather we want to admit it or not. We are a little off in the head and that is fine. I know that no matter were I am, if I run into a skydiver I am going to have a good time with them. I don't care the age or sex of that person, it is almost a sure thing that they are going to be a good person. Maybe that is why so many people feel the need to talk about things like this. Dom

Why don't you join the human race. Why don't you become a true part of our community? If you feel no need to offer any sympathy or condolences then don't. Why do you feel the need to put others down for being a caring person? I can tell you one thing for sure. Adria's family really appreciated every person that came to say goodybye to her. Weather they were a good friend or "sat across from her on the plane" WHo are you to judge the way people feel and there reasons for feeling that way? Why is your way right and others wrong? How do you know the guy that sat across from her on the plane wasn't severly effected by this death? Maybe it was the first time in their life that saw that type of thing happen to somebody. I have seen nothing but people that offered some sort of sympathy and expressed some type of emotion. That is a good thing. Maybe things like this let people see how fragile they themselves are and that the next time it may be them or one of their really good friends. Dom

I have had 12 friends die on 10 years. Actually most of them in a 6 month period in 1996 and 1997. It didn't make me Jaded, but it did push me out of the sport for 5 years at one point until I finally realized that the hole not jumping left in my life needed to be filled again. Now I try and enjoy my sky family as much as I can when I am with them. You never know when sombody will check out. You never know which jump may be yours or someone elses last. Enjoy them when they are here. Forget the small shit. Be happy and enjoy life. For me that means skydiving. I would rather go out doing the most enjoyable thing in my life then to die an old man unsatisfied with the life I lived. I want know questions in the end. Could I have? Should I have? Am I tired of deaths? HELL YES!!!!!! Am I tired of seeing people in the prime of their life kill themselves under a perfectly good canopy? YES!!!!!!!! Would I like to see everyone grow a brain. YES!!!!!!!!! Will I stop again because people don't grow a brain? NO!!!!!!!!!!!! This sport is now my life and will be until the day I die, and if that death comes from this sport and a stupid thing I did. Well so be it. At least the last few good minutes of my life were spent doing what I love. Dom

For me it's like we talked about yesterday Matt. What is heaven and what is hell? Is there a Heaven and Hell? I know this sounds funny, but you and I and many others are a part of her heaven. We will always remember her and feel happy. That is part of it. SHe will always look down and know that she was loved because of the way we remember her. Can you imagine an eternity of people remembering you for the good you did. Now, imagine the other way around. If we look down (or up) and see that people remember us for bad things then we are doomed forever because of the way that people remember us. Can you imagine an eternity of people remembering what an ass you may have been. Keep smiling and she will always know you loved her. Dom

It is expected from a new jumper to go low, to float, to slide off into never never land. Just don't get discouraged. We have all been there. It's good that you are jumping with others. If you had been doing those jumps solo. You never would have known that you were sliding away from people. Then when you have thought you were ready and went to jump with folks it would have been more discouraging later on when you have 100 jumps and wonder why you suck still. Working on fall rate and staying in front of people. This proves my point about awarness. It takes time and jumps to figure out that type of stuff. Good luck and be safe! Dom

The only thing you can't do in the tunnel is track. It is for the most part a bad idea to jump solo especially right off student status. Must new jumpers have no idea if they are doing things right on a solo. How many times have you heard a newbie claim that they can sit fly at 50 jumps? Then someone gets them in the air and they figure out the can't fall straight down. Or that newbie that thinks they can track and they actually don't go anywhere. I see that all the time. This last weekend I jumped with a few coach jumps with a guy. When it came time to track away, he didn't move at all. Got right into his tracking position and just fell straight down. When we got on the ground he asked me how his track was, seems he had been working on it and he thought he was getting really good at it. When I told him he didn't move at all he was shocked. He said he remebered seeing me at pull time but assumed that I had followed him while he was tracking. This is the case with a majority of solo newbie jumpers. They jsut haven't had time to figure it out yet and most won't while doing solos. I think it is a good idea for newbies to get video of as many jumps as they can in the beggining also. They can't argue about if they where on heading or if they where back sliding or spinning or what ever the case is. After seeing it a few times they get the hint and then they really start to learn. Always jump with people right after student status. Of course two ways to start with. You waste more time unlearning bad habits later on. Jumping solo for a newbie is almost always a waste of time and money. They don't know enought o know if they are doing what they think they are. The references aren't there and the awarness that comes with jumping with others hasn't been developed. Dom

THere will always be more tunnel camps. You can't jump without a rig. Spend the money on the rig now and if you come to Perris I'll coach ya for free in the tunnel. Dom

You said it. Thank you. Dom

Hell, I put her in a bad mood the first night I met her. Right away I knew I would like her. She didn't take any shit and could give it if she had to. She was a great woman. Why her?Quote This was so unlike Adria. It still boggles the mind. She wasn't that type of canopy pilot. Maybe it was her time and God used her as a lesson to the rest of us to not get complacent (sp?) Maybe God used her to help us all realize how precious life is and how fragil it can be, and how fast it can be taken away from us. I know there are a few people at the DZ at least that have rethought what they are doing under canopy. I hope they pass on the lesson they (we all) learned that day. By taking Adria from us in that way, I think she has helped to save a few other lives that God has other plans for. I don't know what her real purpose on earth was, but she has helped me to see a few people in a different light and hopefully from this tragedy I have made stronger bounds with a few others. I refuse to let this be a wasteful death. Dom

I never met Holly, but from the pictures I have seen, these two will be a handful in Heaven. Those are two beautiful Angels! Bet they are doing a two way standing on there heads right now! Dom

Curt you deserve some thanks as well. I appreciate you hanging at the hospital and taking care of things and keeping us updated. I am sure you where a blessing to her family. You are a good man! I hope you are ok if you need to talk I am here buddy. You and I where there with her right away and it brings it home a bit harder when this stuff ends like this. Joe and Atilla you guys are heroes as well. You both helped her the best you could as well. Thank you. I hope she heard me that day on the grass and at least took with her the knowledge that she was surrounded by people that loved her and cared for her. I still believe that God brought her to Perris that day to be with the ones that loved and knew her the best. I have seen a lot of people die in this sport, (friends and strangers) and this has been the hardest one for me. Some people you can kind of see it happen and it doesn't really surprise people. They may have been warned many times before abut the way the landed. They may have been real sketchy from the start. Not Adria! She was level headed and had never really pushed the envelope before. That is why this is such a shock. Everything that she did on that last jump was not the person that we knew! That is what makes this so hard. Had she just done what she normally did, she may still be here with us. People please! If you are going to start swooping learn from someone that has experience. Don't try and teach yourself. Remember that the big dogs took a long time to get where they are today (that is why they are the Big Dogs). God Bless you Curt! Dom

I'll let Curt post the details when he is ready. Our friend Adria Allen has left us forever. She passed sometime this morning. Curt will have details I am sure. Adria you will be missed by us all. The memory of your smiles will always be with me. You take Heaven by storm and show them how we do it!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you Adria! Dom

See you there! Dom

As some of you have seen in the Incidents forum, one of our friends at Perris was in a very serious landing accident last Saturday. For information go to Incidents and read it there. If you feel so inclined to please post good vibes and prayers only here. I am going to read them and pass them to her family. I think it will do them some good to see the love that comes from skydivers when it is needed. Thanks! Dom

Yes there are teams lookiing for camera men for Staurday. PM me if you have some video I can see before. Dom

Hello Rob! Good to hear from ya. Folks this guy learned so much at the last camp he came too. I remember meeting him the day before the camp started. Seemed a bit in awe when he got to Perris. After a few jumps he was all over it and got better with each jump. ESPECIALLY after he found the true value of a big baggy shirt! Dom

You may want to talk to Larry Henderson about that comment. Stairstepping (Stadium) is the way it should be done. The people behind you should be setting up higher and behind you and following you in to your slot. This is the way it should be done. I don't make this stuff up guys. I have some of the best big way organizers sitting not more then 7 feet away from all day long almost everyday. I ask questions, listen and observe them all the time. One of the things they look for is how well you can set up in the stadium picture and how you can set up and follow the people in front of you in to your slot. Rob, maybe you will back me up on this. I know you have come to the camps and have heard the "heads" talk about how to approach and dock on a big way formation. Agreed. Don't learn on a big way unless it is set up as a learning camp where it is taken into consideration and that is part of the plan. One of the biggest requests at the camps is from people that want to learn to dive better. They are more then willing to allow you to do that, and will give you feed back on it. Dom

E-rok Just like Iran is not I-ran, but It is E-ron Dom

I don't normally get that mad about stuff. I still say I didn't through them in the trash. Dom

Not really. Booties work because they have more material which gives you more surface area and more drag. Thus the extra power when you drive forward, turn, and de-arch to slow down. Bottom line is that they will slow down your fall rate. I never really thought about that until I noticed Kate, Dan and Tony telling folks to take off their booties to help reduce drag and help them fall faster during bigways. I think htey may no a bit more then you and I put together. Plus I checked with a jump suit manufacutre to get there opinion on it. They agree with this. Dom

Must use weights! I know it sucks, but by arching as hard as you can you will not be able to fly like you want and as soon as you try and take grips you will float and stand a good chance of taking out the whole formation. You have to find a comfortable body position that allows for you to fall at the middle of your fall rate. This requires the right mix of body position, jump suit and weights for most people. Or the easy thing is to eat and lay around till you get nice and fat. I am 185 lbs and 6 ft 1in. and sometimes I have to wear weights when in the base of a big way. Helps keep the fall rate up for the outside people as they get on. See what the fall rates are from you bigways you have tried. If you have a lot of people wearing baggy suits and botties in the base it will not fall that fast and you will get hosed. That is one of the things to look for in the dirt dive. What is everyone in the base wearing? If you see big baggy jumpsuits then youknow the thing is gonna be slow. If everyone is wearing tight suits and no booties it shoudl fall a bit faster. In a big way the whole group needs to be thinking about there neighbor. Everyone needs to wrok together to make sure that the fall rate works for everybody. Dom

Stadium pictures when docking on big ways. You will get cut from most good loads if you don't do that. It is safer and helps others to know where they should be as well. If you get right over the top and drop straight dwon you may cut off someone heading for there slot. They won't be looking up, they will be looking down and won't see you. They can get right under you and take both of you out. You should be level with it and the last 4 or 5 feet should be a straight in level approach. IF you ever attend one of the big way camps they will teach this to you along with how to find your quadrant and how to come in on a radial. This reduces traffic and makes for a smooth build for the formation. Dom