mfrese

Of course...the A-license card only says "Pack a main parachute without assistance", doesn't say it has to work. Seriously, don't get all stressed about it. I know people who are learning to pack get tired of hearing this, but it'll probably work fine. Listen to whoever is teaching you, and make sure to watch everyone else...you probably won't learn anything earthshaking, but you'll pick up a lot of little tips that will make it faster and easier as you go along. Just remember, you're gonna be doing this a few thousand times, so no need to rush Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

If I roll to my feet at the end of the PLF, that counts, right? Seriously, stand up means standing...you may have to take a few steps, you may have to run like hell, but you end up on your feet. The graceful, tippy-toe landings are pretty rare, depending on your preferred mode of transportation... Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

I assume you're talking about the adjustment strap...When you can afford a new helmet , buy a roll of gaffer's tape (or beg a couple inches off someone else's roll) and tape the loose end in place. Did that on my Aviator as a quick fix, finally had to replace it last week after SIX YEARS... Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Started when I was 38, just turned 47. Do RW, freefly, tandems, and coaching, thinking seriously about BASE. POPS #6136 Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Thanks for the good advice, Chuck. I'm thinking about trying a few new things like wingsuits and maybe BASE (thanks Mischo!) to get the love back. But about not selling the gear...if I did quit and came back, why would I want to put up with all the new 200 jump wonders freaking out about my "unsafe" old gear . I can hear it now..."You're not getting in the plane with that old Mirage G3"!...or "You only wingload at 1.8? That's way too slow, you'll be clogging the pattern"! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Very true...I've almost blown my ACL trying to get from the red line to the gate on exits from just the CG change. But looking at the two pics, it looks like the horizon only shifts about a degree from the first to the second, so it looked like they were getting a real big push off the step. And just a little too close to the door as well . Lucky it didn't tear his leg up in the process. Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Hey, tandems are definitely different. And I don't want to give the impression that it's just the tandems making me want to hang it up. But truly, you're gonna have some real up-and-down feelings about tandems (pardon the lousy unintentional pun) if you do more than a few. Some of it depends on the type of DZ you're at. If it's a little quieter, slower paced, and allows you to spend some time with the student before the jump, it'll probably be pretty cool. If it's a tandem factory where you're literally meeting your student on the plane after unhooking the last one, grabbing a rig, and heading to the plane, then I'd try to work elsewhere until you have a few hundred tandems under your belt, cuz that environment will burn you out quick as a newbie IMHO. Good luck! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

I've got to agree here...I was just reading through a PP presentation thinking that it's a poor workman whos blames his tools. Generally, people try to put bare bones information into a PP pres, but unfortunately make the wrong assumption about their target audience's prior knowledge. This usually means I end up taking notes and referring to at least three other documents before it makes any sense. Maybe we can do the FJC in PP and see how THAT works! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Hey, it's newbies that have kept me sane for the most part...it's still fun to see people just starting out, and try to remember what it was like for me back then. So don't ever categorize yourself as "just a newbie", you're one of the people keeping the sport alive. And if you get a chance, tell Justin (the Otter pilot) that Mike and Lynn say hi, and he still sucks in the nicest possible way Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Actually, this lady was pretty adamant that she would never do it by herself, but she would probably do a tandem again. A standing joke with TMs around the world is we should all be wearing a "Please exit this ride to the right" T-shirt or something equivalent. Frankly, that's one of the weird things about tandems...in a few cases you're starting someone down an interesting and fulfilling path (I think), but for the most part, you're just a freakin' amusement park ride, and you never really get to know your student at all. At best, they're non-troublesome ballast; at worst, they're actively trying to kill you while thinking they're having a great time. And after reading that, I'm thinking "Gee, I'm just a little ray of fucking sunshine today, arent I"? Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Interesting...both of these guys seem to be getting REALLY BIG air off the step. Trying to ease into the relative wind rather than hit it hard and steep as you're normally forced to do with a Skyvan exit, I assume. Looks painful! I don't recall seeing these hooks on the Deland or Eloy Skyvans, but I'm gonna look next time I'm in them... Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Meat-hauling is definitely one of the things causing the problem...but some days it's really great, some days it really sucks. I was actually talking to a former passenger on Saturday, and she kept going on and on about how wonderful it was, what a great experience, etc. Of course, she will probably never do it again, but seeing her eyes light up recalling it was one of the few bright spots that day. 'Course, you'll notice I didn't even bother calling her a student... Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

So, I'm having one of those days where I'm seriously thinking about selling all my gear and hanging it up. Greedy DZOs, lazy S&TAs, dead friends, money, attitudes, and too much other shit to catalogue have left me ready to just walk away from a sport that I've loved since the first two seconds of my first jump nine years ago. I'm almost shocked that I'm even thinking about this, but the last few weeks have made me realize that I've reached a point where I'm just not sure the joy is worth the hassle...or if there's even any actual joy left. So my question is...has this ever happened to you, and if so, what did you do about it? I appreciate any feedback from anyone, but I'm especially hoping some of you longtime jumpers can reassure me that it's just a phase, and it'll pass if I give it a couple weeks. Thanks in advance. Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Iwan, that's only true if we can't get video Scotty, I'm kinda disappointed...I was getting ready to buy the Chronicle to see who might need bail money today, sounds like a H left town with a whimper instead of a bang. Probably getting ready to be all serious about her job and shit now that she's moving... Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

For posting that, tomorrow you're gonna get the spanking we neglected to give you on your birthday. So Scotty, did you venture up to SF to watch the carnage as Hilary and Lizzie bartended at Butter? Tell us some stories, buddy... Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

That would be "In Before The Lock". And really, I prefer to lurk here anyway, unless one of my local buds posts something pertinent to our area. I used to debate in college, not really a fan of it online Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

You win...now stop this immediately! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Thanks, Andrea...now that I'm officially welcomed, I'm gonna start a gun control thread, post personal attacks, talk about my sex life in painstaking detail, and start with IBTL posts in every forum J/K...but I have days here where I REALLY sympathize with you greenies...

Bad Sex Must-see TV Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Jeff, we ALL say things we regret from time to time. I seem to recall that Kath bitch-slapped you good online about it at the time, and I also seem to remember you apologizing then. So as far as I'm concerned, you're still welcome at H-town, and I'll still jump with you. 'Course, that's assuming I can get them damn tandems off my chest for a day I'd be thinking about joining you guys in Byron for a change, but I told Kath I'd work this weekend. Y'all have a great time. Blue Ones! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

My niece was an absolute nutcase for the Wiggles for about two years. Fortunately, while Uncle Mike was usually the one to get stuck taking her to most of her events, her mom and grandpa got to take her to the two concerts. I still know all the words to "Hot Potato", though I have lost my ability to speak like Dorothy the Dinosaur She has since moved on to a total fixation on Star Wars (the original AND the Episode I stuff), so at least we have something NEW to go nuts over. I'm guess I'll have to buy her "The Fellowship of the Ring" pretty soon so I can talk about freakin' hobbits all day... Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

...in not posting here when I started on DZ.com, so now I'll make up for it. Not a newbie here; been jumping for 8+ years and on the forums for a few months. My experience: started out with a tandem, signed up for AFF the minute I got back to the DZ, started AFF with two friends a few weeks later, haven't gone more than three weeks without a skydive since then. Along the way, I've become a decent RW jumper, a pretty competent freeflyer, learned to swoop, earned a Coach and a tandem rating, allowing me to introduce about 500 people to skydiving (and, yes, is SOME cases, I consider certain tandem students skydivers), lost a few good friends, made a lot of good friends, and have basically wondered how the hell I survived before I started jumping. That being said, I hope I get to get to know a few of you in the forums. I've avoided most online forums because the signal-to-noise ratio is usually way too high...and, well, this one's no exception . BUT, this place is still mainly about skydiving, and there's a lot of good info to be had, if you look and listen carefully... So, hope to see you out there, take care, check your gear, keep an open mind, pull on time, and last but not least remember: The First Amendment guarantees you the right to express your opinion...is does NOT guarantee you the right to have it taken seriously.

Congatulations, Peter...it's always nice to get some recognition, especially when you don't expect it. And if you can hang it on a chain from the ceiling, it should keep Kira occupied for several hours at a time looking at all the pretty reflections... Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

As Jerry Lee Lewis supposedly replied when a reporter asked him if his band could read music: "A few of them do, but it don't hurt their playin' any". Seriously, I used to sight read when I started playing (OMFG...37 years ago !), but I've lost it since then through lack of practice. I still play (just getting ready to buy a new electric, amp, and a digital 8-track, in fact), but I must say, having a good acoustic guitar that you can play a little bit can really save your sanity sometimes. Good luck with the lessons Lisa...the pain in your fingertips goes away in about three weeks, once you get your callouses Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Cool...OK, we got: Adam Lizzie Zac (maybe) Mike Lynn Gav Eleanor Kath In the first hour...shit, we're gonna need a bigger table! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash