steve1

Jason, There's nothing like trying to hit a tight DZ to get the adrenaline pumping. Years a go we used to jump at a small airport. Things were fine usually, but if you carried the spot too long, you ended up over town with trees, houses, and power lines everywhere. A lot of times we took too long on exit and this is where we ended up. I remember once making a wild turn once under my para-commander to miss some trees and then swinging into this tiny back yard just missing a roof top. My canopy was hung over the insulated power lines going into the house. To get out of this tiny backyard I had to walk through their garage. No fun! But very exciting..... I recall an experienced jumper telling me that it is important to be decisive when you are in a tight situation like that. Some folks have trouble deciding which way to turn at the last moment and end up hitting obstacles. Anyhow his advice stuck with me to use in that type of scenario. In other words keep your cool, until you're safe on the ground. Sounds like you passed the test!.....Steve1

Come to Lost Prairie if you get a chance......Maybe you could hitch a ride with Bill Von, Sebazz, or Skycat and Derrick. At least I hope they're coming this year........Steve1

I remember attempting accuracy with my old Para-commander. Someone told us the pros did it downwind, so of course we had to try it. I usually ended up missing the peas and then digging up dirt for about 20 ft. After the dust settled and all the oohs and ahs stopped I'd jump right up and try to act like it didn't hurt. My specialty was a big hook turn in a last ditch effort to hit the peas and then slamming into the dirt about 40 feet away. After that I decided to stick strictly with Relative Work......I wasn't meant to be an accuracy champ. I still have trouble landing in the right place.....Steve1

Cool picture Airtwardo. I was wondering where your capewells are in this picture. Were you jumping an early three ring version? I quit jumping in about 76 and started up again in about 2000, so I missed many of the changes in gear. I wish I could figure out how to run my scanner. I have a bunch of old pictures.....Steve1

I've been rolling the nose on my hornet when I psycho pack. Openings are usually on heading and I seldom have end closures. I'd say if your canopy snivels for a long time not to roll it. Mine opens too fast much of the time, so I roll the nose a lot.......Steve1

I'll never forget the first time I saw someone else in freefall across from me. I was hooked from that moment on........Steve1

Glad you're doing well! Get back in the air soon.....Steve1

I have three friends who own different drop zones here in Montana. None of them know how to fly. But it would probably be an advantage to be able to fly loads when no pilots are available. I'd say follow your heart, on whether to skydive or fly or do both. Spend most of your time doing the one you enjoy most, (yet can afford). I guess I'm not much help, am I?.......Steve1

I trained under a master rigger (Jack Nash) in the 70's who was an old smoke jumper. In fact he was supposed to be the oldes smoke jumper who ever finished smoke jumper training. Fred Sands (from Lost Prairie) was one of my classmates. I think we all paid about $60. each and this included everything you need to prepare for the written test. We didn't have to take a practical test, we just had to show Jack we could do things the right way and pack 20 reserves under his supervision. As far as preparing to take the written test, Jack let us look through his book, which was about six inches thick, and that was about it. There was a little classroom teaching that went on. Most of our training consisted of monkey see monkey do, after Jack showed us the smokejumper way of doing things. As a result many of us couldn't pass the written test. I think the minimum score was 70. Somehow I got a 72 the first time. I guess this was how things were done in the old days. I came out of this training with a senior riggers license, able to pack chest pack reserves, but I also felt very lacking in my abilities......I mean I could pack a good reserve, but knew little else.....Steve1

Derek, I read your article on tracking, and have been trying to incorporate this into improving my track. I tried pushing down slightly with my hands and feet as Skycat mentioned in a previous post. This seemed like it produced a much flatter track. I then relaxed this position, and my track seemed a lot steeper. So anyhow your advice works. I'll keep experimenting and thanks for all the great info......Steve1

Get well soon Deuce. You're needed back in the sky!........Steve1

I started with static line and have never made a tandem or AFF type jump. I don't see any problems with learning to jump this way. When (and if) my daughters decide to train, I'd like them to do a tandem first and then start static line. I think it would throw less at you at once, rather than going up and doing a 60 second free fall for a first jump. Just my opinion, but if you only have the cash to start with static line, I'd say go for it......Steve1

Andy2, That's how you learn is by asking questions. I'm still learning myself. I've learned a whole lot by asking dumb questions to the more experienced jumpers on this forum. I still haven't made up my mind yet if a barrel roll is good or not. If you get enough feed back, you can usually draw the right conclusions.....Steve1

I can understand the principal behind a quick barrel roll, but I would think that tracking on you back during a relative work dive could be very dangerous. After all the low guy has the right-away at opening time, and you can't see below you if you are on your back for seconds at a time. It seems to me that someone could come zipping in below you in a matter of seconds, and open, and you wouldn't see him, if you spend too much time on your back. If you were jumping with some others you weren't sure of, maybe a quick barrel roll would be okay. I'd like to hear what others think on this one. I often look over my shoulder for a second at pull time, but my main focus is what's below me.....Steve1

I agree, jumpmaster school was psychologicaly demanding. One guy I sport jumped with flunked out twice before passing. He kept missing things on the rigger check. When I went through, my pardner was a smoke jumper. He was also a squad leader in the smokejumpers which is another name for jumpmaster. We took turns throwing out a cargo bundle, making sure it was clear, and then having a jumper stand in the door. We knew lot's of guys flunked this part because they would forget to check if the bundle was clear before having a jumper get ready. So anyhow he threw the bundle out but didn't check it out long enough, only a very short peek and then he told me to stand in the door. So they flunked him out. I'll never forget jumping with a wooden ammo box filled with gravel. This was stuffed inside a P.O.E. bag, with a red ball on top which you pulled to release it on a lowering line. It was all you could do to waddle toward the door and fall out the plane. Those were the days!.....Steve1

Sounds cool!....I wish I could have been there....Steve1

My first jumps were all static line so I guess I don't know what it feels like doing AFF for the first time. Your situation reminds me of a friend of mine who started AFF several years ago. Each night she would come home and cry to her husband, telling him she didn't want to die, and was really really scared. Today you wouldn't know this was the same gal. She has well over a thousand jumps. She's one of the most aggressive jumpers I know......Try to tough it out. Believe me, the fear will turn to pure fun eventually. I have another friend who now has over 6,000 jumps. He was once on some world championship teams. When he first started he didn't even tell the relatives that he lived with that he was training to jump. He kept it a secret, because he didn't know if he could actually do it. It scared him that bad. Probably the most inspirational story I've read recently was in skydiving news a month or so ago. This lady was scared to death of jumping. She'd go up in the airplane and had to ride it down each time, because she was too scared to jump. But she was no quitter. Finally she just got pissed off at herself and did it. And then did it again. Today she's one of the only females on the Pro-swooping circuit. (I'm terrible with names....I wish I could recall what it is.) At any rate, I'd say don't quit. You're already a jumper and I have made some jumps. If you quit now you'll spend the rest of your life wondering if you could have done it. To tell you the truth my first static line jumps were all night jumps because my eyes were shut tight. It's nothing but fun now. I love every jump.....Steve1

Did he look like this? http://www.naplesnews.com/00/08/florida/d483884a.htm I was convinced he drowned in the river. But this TV special was about a guy in Utah who did a similiar hi-jacking of an airliner in Utah. He was captured days later and sent to prison. He was in S.F. in Vietnam and worked as a helicopter pilot for a Utah Reserve Unit. He later escaped from prison and was killed when they tried to capture him. He was a good Mormon and even taught Sunday School. They figure he was probably D.B. Cooper. Very convincing story, but I guess we'll never know for sure......Steve1

I'm thinking????.......Steve1

I had two back in the para-commander days. One at about 200 jumps and the other at around 300.....Steve1

No jumping this week Taking the kids out fishing It'll still be fun Will take two canoes Even bring a little beer Camp in a dome tent And bring a 22 Prairie dogs are everywhere Kids love to shoot em! I'm an old softie Seldom shoot little critters Would rather go fish

I tried a "normal" life... Fishing, hunting, boating, motorcycles... but there was something missing. After nine years, that's what was missing. The sky. The commeraderie. I sold the boat, the guns, the fishing poles and bought gear. I know the feeling. Life was boring until I returned to skydiving. It was kind of like being reborn. I quit for 25 years. Way too long!. It's great to be back!.....Steve1

You tell the best stories, Artwardo! Keep them coming.....Steve1

Airtwardo, Great story! Tell us another one......Steve1

I was watching an Arizona Airspeed member coaching a group of jumpers on exiting as one chunk out of the otter. He was having them all hop together on one foot as they exited the mock-up. I wish I could elaborate further on this, because I'm not sure what exactly was going on here. Anyone else ever seen this done? ......Steve1