elfanie

So...I'm confused. What's the point of her holding a bottle? And why would the babies care if she's holding a bottle?? Cute skydiving bits...could do without the writhing chick holding the bottle. (actually, if she weren't holding a bottle I probably would have less of a problem with it. heh.) -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

What is it they say....better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it? If you're worried about it, you can do what I did? I jumped with the radio a couple of times, but told them NOT to say ANYTHING to me unless it looked like I was messing up. Jumped 2-3 times with a silent radio and realized that I was doing fine.

Ok...so I scared myself a week and a half ago..and want to know if this is normally what people are talking about when they talk about stalled canopies.. When I first started AFF, my instructor made an offhanded comment about how he thought it was fun when up at altitude to pull both toggles down to stall the canopy. that you will get a feeling like you're tipping backwards (like in a chair you're tipping) and it's a little unnerving...but then if you release them the canopy will shoot back over your head and sort of "swing" you underneith and how much fun it is. At the time..I'm on the huge Nav288 (my exit weight even with that big of a pack was probably 160 or so...I weigh 135). I tried to stall the nav288....told my instructor I tried to stall it but it didn't stall. he said they are specifically set up NOT to stall. Fine. So I went to a nav220.....tried to stall...nope! No can do. Finally I am now on a Sil210. (exit weight is still probably no higher than 155...so very lightly wing loaded). Tried to stall it...didn't seem like I could stall it. Oh well... until a week and a half ago...I was messing around at altitude (spiralling, etc), flared hard...felt that wonderful 'floating' feeling of the flare. So I held it, just enjoying the slower feeling...and was looking around...and just enjoying the scenery and the light floaty feeling... Then I felt like I hit massive turbulance all of a sudden. I glanced up...and my canopy was basically collapsed. It looked like it does when it's snivelling. My heart did a huge thump, I released the toggles while watching my altimeter because I wasn't entirely convinced that I hadn't just screwed myself and wouldn't have to chop. It opened just fine..and my heart thumped in my chest while I stopped playing and did a very conservative final downwind/crosswind/upwind and a standing up landing next to the pea gravel. I never felt the "tippy" feeling I had expected to feel...so I have a few questions.. 1. did I just simply stall the canopy? I mean...is that what people mean when they talk about a stalled canopy? (I always thought the canopy would sort of 'fall' behind?) 2. Is doing that dangerous? Or is it something that's no big deal...? Can it cause problems...and if so, what problems? One of the other people that I was jumping with heard me commenting about stalling my canopy and he said, "Yeah..I saw you do that! It looked like a chopped canopy....I wondered what you were doing." Hrm. Educate me? -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

My favorite 80's television shows that I watched (and still do when I see them on).... * Cheers * MASH * Square Pegs * You Can't Do That On Television * Mtv (when it was good) * Family Ties * Cosby Show * Quantum Leap * Bosom Buddies * Empty Nest * Head of the Class * Highway to Heaven * Night Court * Perfect Strangers * 21 Jump Street * Who's the Boss *looks up* Umm....really, I DID have a life! Quite an active one! How in the world did I watch so much television, too??? -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

1) I think he looks pretty darn good. 2) He's lost about 65 pounds recently already. He's a 'big guy'...big muscles, big frame....not particularly all that fat. But more important is that he's healthy. I don't care HOW much he weighs, as long as he's healthy..and he is. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

dude thats a reptile Umm... a reptile isn't an animal? Where I come from they are... -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

Not vouching for his honestly or authenticity...however... the guy that I was talking with this weekend said that he saw someone do a 3-way Mr Bill...with one puller holding 2 Bills... -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

Not that I've done it..*snort* but some people were talking about it at the DZ this weekend. The one guy said he'd done it..and litereally looked at his hands afterwards to see if he'd sheered off the skin from his fingers. According to him....you're really not going to come out of a mr bill as a passager without some war wounds to prove you did it. He said he was amazed at exactly how tough it is..and how painful. From what I hear...it's the type of thing to be done to say you did it....not because you enjoyed doing it. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

OHMIGOSH, Deuce...that's you??? the funny thing is...that you're the ONLY thing I commented on while watching that segment. I think my exact words were, "Holy cow...look at all that head gear!" how do you hold your head upright with all those toys screwed onto your noggin? way cool, Deuce...way cool. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

Ok...if I wasn't a lady, I would probably reply with just this.... =9 (why isn't their an icon for that?) but I'm a lady...so let me just snicker behind my hand and hope I don't start cracking up laughing when my VERY serious DZO says to me this weekend, "Ok...time for your oral exam." *gigglefits* -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

*lol* I was wondering if you were going to figure out that it's ME! I finished up all of my A jumps...all I have left to do is my oral and practical exam, and I should do that this weekend. YEAH! (that YEAH is if I actually pass my tests...I'm more than a little nervous about that. I get major performance anxiety if I feel I'm being judged or graded. Obviously I won't be doing competition flying anytime soon...heh. ) -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

It was basically a no-wind day...and he did fine. Good questions... not just for him, but for myself as well. I don't practice flat turns, and probably should. what would he do if someone cut him off? Not sure...I will ask him. (or maybe HE will respond to these questions, since he is reading this) In fact, this thread is already useful to me...because looking at the list above and at your questions is making me realize what I need practice on. Eep. I'm not sure that I could do this...on any of the canopies that I've jumped. At least, not the 'average sized back yard' that we have here (which often constitutes a rectangular area probably 30 feet wide by 60 feet long..heh.) I've gotten where I'm much better at spotting my landing..but not THAT good! He can land in a crosswind..yeah. That I know he can do. And we jump basically every weekend...I did 7 this past weekend and he did 5. We've only skipped one weekend the last couple of months, and that was because of family in town. knowing him..he will stay very very current and keep jumping lots. Aww...come on, don't say stuff like that to an already paranoid wife. Obviously there's a lot that we BOTH have to practice and learn. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

How does everyone get to meet everyone else at places like the boogie? I just went down to Eloy for the first time a week ago (my main DZ is coolidge) and watched everyone walk past and jump and land and such...and it occurred to me.. how do ya'll meet up when it's so busy..and how do you know who everyone else is? In other words...it's not like we're wearing name tags or anything. So how will I know if I'm meeting someone from here that is a regular poster or who everyone is? (even though I went to eloy...I didn't even jump at eloy. even if the winds had been lower so that I could have jumped, I'm just chicken about jumping a new DZ...especially when I don't know anyone.) -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

Hey...if you're planning to be the first one to land a birdman suit...make sure to let Real TV know. You know how they are always looking for skydiving footage. But only the good stuff. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

Because he HATES the student rigs....they don't fit him well, and he has to share the 260 with another guy that jumps at that DZ when the other guy is out there. So he wants to buy a rig that fits...and eventually wants to put a 230 in it. So my understanding is that it's part wanting to get out of the rig because of the way that it fit him...and part impatience at having to share the one 260 that they have out there. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

Ok...looking for opinions here. My husband weighs 265 first thing in the morning unclothed...so lets put his exit weight at 290. As an AFF student and after graduating AFF, he was jumping a Nav 260. (wingload 1.13-1...he can't really help it, he's a big guy). Landings were rough in the beginning...but he got to where the landings were consistantly soft (even if they weren't always on his feet). He said EVENTUALLY he wanted to get down to a Sil 230. That was his goal. (remember that his exit weight is around 290) This past weekend at the DZ, he made a comment to the DZO that he eventually wanted to get to the 230. The DZO said that he had a Nav 240 that my husband could try. At this point my husband had 15 jumps total (including his 7 AFF jumps). DZO is a VERY VERY VERY VERY experienced jumper - 9000+ jumps...we both trust him a lot. (if there is anyone who walks around preaching "safety!"...that would be him.) My husband reminded the DZO that he was wingloaded so heavily on the 260 already and said that he wasn't sure he was ready to downsize. DZO had him jump the 260 and said he'd watch him. Watched him do the 260...and said he was ready for the 240 and wouldn't even notice a difference. My husband jumped the 240 for his 16th jump (wingloaded 1.23-1) and the DZO was right in that my husband didn't notice a difference flying or landing. I, however....got very upset with him. We had discussed downsizing and I was against him downsizing anytime soon...as in, certainly not before 50 jumps, and ABSOLUTELY not at 16! His argument was that DZO wouldn't allow him to do something dangerous. (we know that he's not allowed people to jump at his DZ when he felt they weren't being safe or jumping too small for their experience) His argument was that he trusts the DZO...DZO said he was ready, so he jumped it. MY argument was that it doesn't matter who thinks he was ready...HE had said that he didn't think he was ready, and HE is the one flying the canopy. There was no down side to remaining on the 260...there could have been a down side to downsizing then. That no matter who says you should advance - even if it's the most experienced jumper who ever walked the planet - you shouldn't do it until you feel you're safe in doing so. His argument was that after the DZO said he would be ok to do it....he then felt safe. (note: he's jumped the 240 now 4 times...no problem any time, and he says he notices no difference. I am 135 or so in the morning, and am flying a Sil 210, wingloaded 0.79-1 and I have no desire to downgrade anytime soon. I have 27 jumps.) Am I just paranoid and overly cautious? Even the idea of me going to a sil 190 makes my stomach flutter...and that would only put me at a 0.87-1. Am I just too cautious? Should I just trust the DZO's judgement explicitely since I don't know what the heck I'm talking about being so new (not claiming others said I don't know what I'm talking about...I KNOW that I don't know what I'm talking about)... or is my husband wanting to do too much too quickly? it made me feel distrustful of his (husband's) decisions and safety...and I didn't like that feeling AT ALL. Paranoid? -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

*laugh* Actually, we usually have a twin otter or porter....although all winter we're supposed to have a king air. They use the cessna occasionally...although I"ve only jumped it one time at this dropzone - and that was for my hop-n-pop.

So I jumped 7 times this weekend....and just about every one of them was me jumping with an experienced jumper (not officially a coach jump...but might as well have been)...and working on rate of descent and docking. Now...to toot my own horn so I don't sound like I'm being too hard on myself...everyone I jumped with (4 different people) said they were VERY impressed with me...that I was very very good considering my experience (I now have a total of 27 jumps to my log book) that being said..I SUCKED! (in my opinion) First 2 jumps felt good...we were good, docked, he did a 360*, so I did a 360* just for grins...we did great, I tracked away...same guy twice. I actually felt my confidence coming up.

what hat? I didn't have to wear a hat or helmet my tandem. Just my normal clothes and goggles. Now, my level 1 ASP...not only did have to wear the helmet and goggles, but they made me wear a full jumpsuit. =/ I'm looking forward to the weather warming up again...because I'd like to try to jump again without a suit. (no, you pervs...without a JUMPSUIT! I'd still be clothed! Trust me...there isn't a person in this world that would want to see what *I* would look like in freefall naked!) -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

*lol* I actually think I got better with more jumps...looking a little less like a dork. DEFINATELY looked like a dork my very first jump (tandem)...and yup, he had to physically take my hand off of the Cessna door and put it on my straps and hold it for a second... you can look at my skydiving page (link below) and see me my first jump and have a good laugh at my expense...it's ok. =) the "just left the airplane" picture, if you know me, is definately an "OH MY GOD!" picture. tee hee. Yup...definate dork. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

I don't know who will be flying...but since the DZO was telling people yesterday, I don't think he'd mind me saying so here... He told us that we had a King Air for the full winter. Again, I don't know who will be flying it...but he did tell me that it had the same engine as Mike's and that it should take us up to altitude in about 7 minutes. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

Yeah! Congratulations!! I am so nervous about my oral test...I'll be taking that this coming weekend. That's the very last thing I have left to do before my A...everything else on the sheet is signed off. (I did 7 jumps this weekend...so I now have 27 jumps. Last jump was just to get something signed off that I didn't get before. Oh well...) did you find the oral test difficult? My DZO that administers the test tends to be....how to put this...a 'perfectionist'? heh. *waves to her DZO that she knows lurks on this board and never ever posts, just in case he reads this* so I'm nervous about passing. (he said that if I even missed one I'd have to come back and do it again. *sigh*) did you find it difficult? I can only imagine what a sense of accomplishment you feel faxing that sheet in to them...congratulations!!! (I'm surprised that a jump was the last thing you had to do....I was still working on getting the aviation stuff signed off and now the exam - jumps weren't my issue...) -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

You can also get prescription goggles made like my husband did. the company sent him 4 different types of goggles to try on and sample (for free...non-prescription goggles). He picked the one that he liked best...and they make prescription lenses. the ones he ended up with he seems pretty happy with...and the company will let you keep one pair of the demo's for free. (so I kept those and I jump with my contacts in) My husband is so happy with them that I'm thinking of getting a prescription pair made...so I have one pair to wear with my contacts, and another pair that I don't need my contacts in for (because there are times when my eyes are bugging me and so I don't feel like wearing my contacts to jump but right now I have to). sportrx.com is where he got the demo goggles from... (although I do want to point out that after demo'ing the goggles, he actually bought his from our dropzone....it's just that sportrx has the goggles to demo and can do everything, too....) -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

Yup...I have several rifles.. my husband has several rifles and handguns. Although last time I sighted in my 30-06 left me with a big bruise on my shoulder. I prefer to shoot the .22 and find it more fun. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings

Why would breasts be considered "private parts" in any part of the country? *confused* -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings