Nightingale

No... I've had several jumps on square1 demo gear. Spectre 230.

I haven't been practicing flat turns because I haven't had the opportunity to learn how to do them yet. This is why I was asking the schools about canopy coaching. I'm not going to try to learn how to do something from someone else's words on the internet. Things you read that someone else has written can be easily misinterpreted. When I get someone to physically show me how to do one of those turns, I will try one.

No, my last two jumps were at Elsinore. They had me do a coach jump as my first jump there. Perris had been letting me jump the square1 gear because I'd finished AFF, and from talking to the Elsinore folks, it seemed as though their policy was the same.

sigh. Ok. I went out to Perris. Was going to borrow Michele's gear. Rosa brought it out. It didn't fit. :( so, no jumping for me yesterday. If I rented gear, by the time I'd have gotten it all hooked up and packed, I wouldn't have had time to jump. I have a little bit of cash today, enough for one jump on student gear at elsinore. I get all ready to go, and walk outside. LOW CLOUDS! D'oh! I call Elsinore to see if they're jumping. Nope. Too cloudy to get to altitude. I call Perris on the off chance they might be jumping. Nope. FUBAR. So, I finally get over my fear and was going to jump, and was really, really excited about jumping again, and the weather gods hate me! AAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!! Does anyone else see the irony in this?

I've tried the video thing... but every single time I have someone video my landings to see what I'm doing wrong, I have a tip toe perfect landing! LOL.

Its a Krispy Kreme!!!!! if its any consolation, you will get sick of them eventually. Took me three years, but I can finally say no to a krispy kreme.

When I was on AFF, they switched me from a 260 to a 240, and I didn't even notice. Also didn't notice a huge difference between the 240 and 230. Wingloading: 260 = .61 240 = .66 230 = .69 210 = .76 My landings on the 230 were PLFs. Not dangerous landings, but not tiptoe landings either. Now, my dilemma: If I want to jump regular rental gear at Elsinore, I have to jump a 210. They don't have 230s. Perris had the 230 Spectre, which I really liked, and I've pretty much decided that I want a spectre, because I really like the openings. If I want to jump anything larger than a 210 at elsinore, I have to jump the student gear. I feel more comfortable jumping at Elsinore, because the atmosphere's a lot more low key. I've had some of my instructors at perris tell me that downsizing from a wingloading of .69 to .76 should be fine. I've had others tell me to stay with the .69 (spectre 230) for now... The ones that saw my last few landings seem pretty equally split... I hear "with that wingloading, you should be fine..." and also "well, you're not standing up your landings on the 230, so maybe you should stick with it for a while..." And no, I can't do everything on Billvon's downsizing list. I can't find a school willing to teach me how to do it, and I'm not going to try to figure it out from something I read online. I've called both Perris and Elsinore, and asked if they offer canopy coaching to students. I said "I feel my freefall skills are okay for my level, but I'd like to learn more about the canopy. I know I have a lot more to learn about freefall, but I feel my main weakness right now is canopy. All I can do with it is turn left, turn right, go straight and flare. I can do this with toggles and rear risers, but that's ALL I can do. Is there any way I can pay a coach to teach me more about canopy?" Both schools said "take a canopy class after you get your license." Its scaring me that I have this wonderful canopy above my head that is saving my life, but I know almost nothing about how to control it. I don't want to be paying to jump student gear for my next eleven jumps! I want to practice packing, which I can't do on the student gear, and I'm uncomfortable packing for anyone other than myself. I like packing my own gear. um... Billvon? Skybytch? opinions?

I was thinking more of the other students, but yeah, that works too.

couple of years ago, I lost my wallet. It had $400 in cash in it. A HOMELESS man found it on the street, and turned it in to the local police station, cash and all! By the time I got there to pick it up, the man had left, but I left my name and number with the cops in case he turned up again, because I wanted to at least give him a little of the cash to say thanks for his honesty. Last week, my brother lost his wallet in his apartment complex. A neighbor who he didnt' know turned it in to the leasing office, cash and all. People are ultimately good... its just the few bad apples out there that give the rest of humanity a bad name.

Thanks, everyone. I needed that. Heading out to Perris now...

well, considering you've just announced to everyone that a computer will be living in your RV, probably not. lol.

um... if the cloud cover is bad enough to produce lightning, why would you jump in it?

That just about gave me a f-ing HEART ATTACK!

I've spent the last three weeks trying to figure out a way to get back in the sky. This is the longest I've ever gone without jumping. I've finally found a way, and can jump tomorrow if I want to. and I'm absolutely terrified. not just scared, but hands shaking, heart pounding terrified. and I have no freakin' clue why. Right now, I'm honestly not sure what's stronger... my desire to get up there and jump, or my fear of doing just that.

ah! that makes sense! thanks, Saskia.

lol... it is SO a dolphin. the fin and tail of a shark look totally different. I used to see them all the time when I was boogie boarding as a kid. the snopes link gives more info.

I'm not familiar with the way static line works... more info??

hehe... yeah... put your location into your DZ.com profile, and tell people where you jump at, so all of us can say hi!

hydrogen peroxide mixed with a little bit of dishwashing soap (the hand wash kind, not the dishwasher stuff) will take out a red wine stain. works better when the stain is fresh, but might work on an older one too.

I completely agree. Someone who can't handle the demands of the job is a safety hazard for everyone.

FUBU (n) Hiphop clothing company founded in 1992. FUBU is an acronym for "For Us, By Us", referring to the founders purpose: clothes designed by African-Americans for African-Americans. Many items from the clothing line display the number "05", which stands for the five childhood friends from Queens who founded the company. In an interview with HarlemLive, Carl Brown and Keith Perrin of FUBU state: "There were five of us all out of Queens, we grew up together as friends and remained friends. With $5,000 seed money we were able to start our business." In 1999 FUBU reported an annual turnover of about $350 million. "Under the FUBU is a guru" -- Common (The 6th Sense [2000])

Like Robinson Crusoe.... They're primitive as can be.....

hey, he'll jump it, it'll open fine, and then you'll have more confidence when you have to jump your own packjob! And if it doesn't open fine... well... um... uh....

ooooh do tell!!!!! please????

ROFLMAO!!!! oh man i needed that laugh!