peregrinerose

My backup rig is a Racer, I have about 450 jumps on it, maybe more. My husband's first rig was a Racer, he had about 500 jumps on it. They are good rigs, we both had 1 sided RSLs on it. The only thing I don't like about newer Racers are the gazillions of rubber bands on the reserve freebag, so if I ever lose my free bag, I'm selling the rig. I'm a rigger, and find Racers easier to pack than most reserves (with a few tricks). Jump Shack's customer service has always been very very good, even with my older model of Racer. There's no reason not to jump the rig. Though I do think you have far more money than brains if you bought a good rig like that just to 'practice packing' Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

TI: $35 AFFI: $35 Video: $30 (?) somewhere in that ballpark Coach: $15 Radio: $6 Pack sport/student: $6 Pack tandem: $13 This is a weekend only (for now) 1 cessna DZ. They pay instructors fairly and treat everyone that walks on the DZ well, worth the drive for us to get there. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I didn't think your husbands face was THAT disgusting. You don't have to look at it as closely as I do Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I'm glad my husband's disgusting face vs. bug incident could help

My husband pulled at 2500, and the carnage across his face was unbelievable. I don't know what it was, only saw bits of wing and leg left, and lots of green goo all over his face. We gave up on the post-mort evaluation of the body (what little was intact of it). Left a nice bruise on his cheek too. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

So what happens when you hit a bug on opening? Ever see a bug smeared across goggles? I have, it's ugly. Sure would not want that in an eye. Do you wear glasses/contacts? Risking losing your eyewear is a bad idea. If you've had LASIK, jumping without goggles is one of the stupidest things on the planet to do. As DSE said, ice crystals, rain drops, damage from the dryness that will result from jumping without goggles, dirt, riser hitting your face on deployment, etc.... there are a LOT of reasons for some form of protective eyewear. If you do ever get an eye injury due to not wearing goggles, I hope you get an eye doc as blunt as me to treat it... The only 2 circumstances I call patients to their face stupid are contact lens abuse and lack of protective eyewear in appropriate situations. Stupidity is great for my wallet, not so hot for long term vision. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I agree... unless he was wearing some kind of spray-on all spandex jumpsuit, 150 seems a bit out of line for body type and jump suit that was in the myspace pics. However, to the OP, great job on getting some tunnel time and really working at this skydiving thing... I wish more students took things like fall rate, tunnel time, and actively persueing learning to skydive this seriously!!!! Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Love the thought bubbles in your video... nice job putting the visor back and carrying on with the skydive

It's not really possible to be afraid of heights in an airplane. Beyond 1000 feet or so, the brain doesn't really 'get it' that you're that high, it's not real, from a visual perceptual stance. You can be afraid of a lot of things in a plane, but heights really isn't one of them. BTW, I'm fucking terrified of heights... buildings, cliffs, bungee jumping, ladders... I shake like a leaf and get violently ill. The only time it's been an issue in jumping is the first 1000 feet after liftoff on the hot air balloon jump I did. I was ready to go fetal on the floor of the basket, but it was too crowded to do so. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Regarding #4, Kutztown Skydiving Center shared at the previous airport with Life Flight, it was never an issue, we always knew to keep an eye out for them. But KSC is moving to Perkiomen Valley Airport in Collegeville, PA this spring, so I don't know if there is a Life Flight there or not. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I can honestly say at the two DZs I've worked at, I've never heard an instructor tell a student they 'failed'. Not once. But I HAVE heard students referring to themselves as failing a level several times at the same DZs. Students are generally harder on themselves than instructors are on them. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

First, I don't do a lot of rigging, as living in DeWolf country, you can't spit without hitting a rigger and I don't like stepping on other peoples' toes, so don't even advertise that I do rigging work. I do mine, my husband's, and a few friends'. My new house, however, has the ideal rigging situation. I live in an 1890 bank barn that was renovated into a home 30 years ago. The top floor is a loft... so my rigger's loft is up there. It's a fairly long room, never measured it, but never had a problem laying out rigs to pack. All my tools and manuals are up there, plus my 2 sewing machines. To inspect, because the loft is over a living room with vaulted ceiling, I made my own canopy hangar. It's made of 2 painting poles hooked together with some pvc and duct tape, and clamps on it. I have a pulley system set up on one of the barn beams in front of the loft, so I can hang and inspect rigs in the living room, then take them up to the loft for packing. The loft is well-lit, no one goes up there but me (my husband is only allowed up there for occasional conjugal visits ), it's my man-cave. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

All good experience here... Got a $1000 antique table for $200, got a $5000 elliptical for $700, got a free kitten who's been a lot of fun, and a few other smaller odds and ends. Met some nice people, every transaction was easy. I haven't sold anything on there, but have given a few things away (old furniture, etc), and again, no problems. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I'm thinking the prisoners might like the fresh meat dropping into their yard Chad, if you land in the prison... no jokes about the 'fifth attachment point' and don't bend over!!!! Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Just clear your landing space of canopy-eating goats. You never know what kind of livestock might be lurking in prison yards. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Yippeee!!! We'll get to see you and Teri more often!!!!

I think that one mistake, even a major one, does not warrant a bowling speech.... there needs to be a lot of poor judgement calls, a bad attitude, history of unsafe behaviors, etc that would make me want to give a student a bowling speech. I had a student just like yours... I was a brand new coach, maybe 300 jumps, student pulled a similar maneuver (low turn, ground came up fast, no flare, butt landing) and broke his back in two places. I spent a lot of time working with him (after he healed up) and a year to the day after his injury, he got his A license. He's now considering being a coach, and will most likely be a very good one, in part because of his own experience. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

A man is not engaged in a relationship with the bartender.. there's no physical contact, no possible sexual connotation, no relationship. He's buying a thing (drink) not a very intimate service. In the case of the OP, she is providing a very intimate service to these men. Some of these men are in relationships. If she chooses to involve herself in a 'taken' man's relationship, she needs to take the good (money) with the bad (dealing with the SO). If she can not effectively handle the 'bad', then she can solve the problem by either getting into another line of work, or screening her clients to ensure that she is not stepping on any other woman's toes (whether see single guys only or guys who's SOs know about her services). As I said in my original post... infidelity, cheating, and dishonesty are not her fault, however as the party that is contributing to the lies, she may occasionally be faced with answering questions about them in order to enable another woman to be able to gain closure, move on, and eventually heal. Her animosity toward these women who (justifiably) feel very hurt and betrayed by their SOs and just want answers says far more about her than it does about the women that call her. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

LOL!!! That's a great way to put that. I love their stories

The whole point of my post is that the SO shouldn't be calling me ranting, when: 1. Calling is not going to solve or accomplish anything. 2. The trust is already lost and anything I say is going to be irrelevant in their couples circumstance. 3. The problem resides with the SO who's abusing trust. I think you are completely missing the SOs perspective.... in the context of your relationship with the guy, you are interacting directly with his body including genetalia to some degree. Whether you consider it sex or not is irrelavent... you are physically engaging in relations of some form with the men who come to you in a manner more typically reserved for their SOs. You have thus voluntarily put yourself into their relationship. When the SO calls you, it is because their SO did not tell them about you. You, as part of the relationship triangle on some level, have answers that the SO feels she deserves to hear. 1. Calling you will give the SO closure on some level, so that IS solving or accomplishing something TO HER. 2. Yes, trust is lost, but some women need confirmation of that rather than just going by phone numbers found or other mitigating evidence, again for closure purposes. They have lost faith in their man, but although angry at you, they need to hear confirmation from you. 3. As you are a part of the relationship (sure, you call it your job, but you engage in physical relations of any type with someone else's spouse/so, it does make you a part of the relationship) you become a part of the trust abuse in the same way that any other mistress or piece of ass on the side does. The world does not revolve around you. You clearly thrive on attention and you paint yourself as very unidimentional on here, and honestly you sound very insecure in yourself, needing attention from DZ.commers. On that level, maybe you can relate to the insecurity that the SOs must feel? If you don't like that facet of your job, refuse to work with men that are attached/married/dating so that it becomes a non-issue and you are not the 'other woman' on any level. Have a little empathy with the pain, fear, frustration, and betrayal that these women legitimately feel. No, it's isn't your fault, but you are aiding/abetting the behavior that their men have engaged in, and are a part of the picture. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Comic relief? Us? Never... You guys were a great group of students, a lot of fun, worked hard, and good senses of humor. I'm still blown away by the fact that all 31 of you worked so efficiently and well. And Andy... I'm not a post whore. Really. Crap, I can't even type that without giggling a little bit Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I promise not to call your aunt and mention your ulterior motives for visiting more frequently

There was probably well more tha 150 years at any one time... MEL, Bob Mehl, and Dewolf alone probably hit that between them

Hi All, Some of you know that Kutztown Airport is closing, thus forcing the DZ to find a new home. Well, the new home has been officially announced. It's going to be in Collegeville, PA... not far from King of Prussia, Phila, Reading, etc. So, if any of you want a nice DZ with a great vibe, good fun jumpers, low stress, extremely safety and teaching oriented, check out the new digs when they open in the spring. Besides, you can jump with Skydivingchad and I, so what more could ya'll want??

I agree, it was a great group of students... well prepared, worked hard, motivated, and learned FAST (I was a little envious of this class... they all caught on much more quickly than I did as a student in their shoes!) Even if a couple of them did refer to me as a DZ.com post-whore.... they were still a good group