peregrinerose

You can value the life of the unborn while still being able to empathize with a rape victim and at least try to comprehend the hellish situation she may face, carrying the child of the man that assaulted her. Could you truly look into the eyes of a scared pregnant 14 year old and not see the fear and anguish that she is going through? There are a lot more people involved and emotions in play than the fetus alone, and to close out all of the picture and all of the scenarios and at least acknowledging the pain involved for the other people makes you appear to be narrow minded. There are a lot of grays. Look at it this way, even if abortion was illegal, abortions would continue... in other corners, in illegal centers, 'home abortions' etc. Sure, making abortion illegal might reduce the numbers, but not eliminate it. Are there other, more socially productive means to reduce abortions? Yes.... reduce the 'market' for it. Better parenting, better services for high risk kids (ie those in foster care, low socioeconomic areas, etc), better access to birth control, better psych services for kids, better access to sterilization services for those who know they don't want kids, better adoption structures, partner clinics that do provide abortions directly with organizations that provide adoption help, get the pregnant women hooked up directly with care during the term of their pregnancies, get rid of the loopholes in the laws that prevent adoptions (that moms can show up even years after giving birth and get the kid back), etc. Solve the problems, and there are a LOT of problems that lead to people getting abortions, rather than just treating the symptom... short term will be much harder and will require actual personal real work done by every single person who feels like you do. But the long term benefits would be much greater. If every pro-lifer was a big brother/big sister, volunteered with at risk kids, took a pregnant teen into their home to support her during her pregnancy, adopted an older child out of the foster care system, or volunteered to help high risk parents help their children, there wouldn't be so many abortions. Unfortuntately, most people would rather just run their mouths than make an actual difference in a person's life. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Ummm, if it comes in a can it doesn't really count as beer. BOTTLES are preferred. But you are also exempt from the beer rules while as a student, or you'd be buying every jump. Case number 1 is graduating AFF, case #2 is A license, and then the beer rules really take effect! Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I get the both, read them both, but like Skydiving infinitely better. Some articles are written with more of a sense of humor, there is greater breadth of coverage of skydiving related topics (BASE, more rigging, etc), and the writing tends to be better anyway. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

So are you going to show up, Spence? Chad and I would love to run into you again!

That fatality was earlier this year, I believe. There's a thread in Incidents on it somewhere. Unfortunately, that's the reality of AFF...students can panic, students can be hurt, students can die. It's a lot of weight to carry, and something to need to be aware of every single AFF jump. Don't get complacent. But also understand that it is possible for a student to get away from even the very best of instructors, you can't save them all from everything. I had a coaching student 2 years ago, just off of AFF, turned low, flared high, landed straight on his ass, and broke his back in 2 places. He was off radio by that point, and we had covered landing patterns just prior to the jump. There was absolutely nothing I could have done to prevent the injury, but even now I still blame myself for it. If you're going to do AFF, be ready for absolutely anything. Here's a best/worst that illustrates that point.... I had a student, a girl, first jump, out of a cessna. I was main side, so climbed out first. As she started climbing out, she snagged her bridle, so I'm watching 1.5 ft of bridle flapping in the wind. Then the main flap pops open. I'm shaking my head 'no' to the other instructor, and yelled for the student to climb back in, as I'm watching the main pin intermittently shifting. We got her back in the plane, I wave 'bye' to the video guy, since it would be almost impossible for him to climb back in from his perch hanging from the rear of the door, I get back in, close the door, do some in-plane rigging (about 1mm of main pin was left in the loop), we do a go around, and the jump goes flawlessly. This student was a tiny girl, so easy to get back in the plane, and completely calm. Any other student could have taken down the plane entirely by fucking around and not getting back in quick enough or had a horse-shoe if I resorted to dragging the student off the plane myself (that thought crossed my mind). She told me on the ground after I complemented her quick thinking and ability to do exactly what was needed at the time to having 4 kids... 'after 4 kids, nothing gets to you any more'. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Grannyinthesky eUrNiCc skydivingchad peregrinerose Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

She definitely wants to come back... 18 year olds aren't made of money though. We'll see. Her grandfather is making his first jump (AFF) Saturday, and her dad wants to jump as well (he did one AFF 14 years ago). Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I don't have many stories as I've only been an AFFI for a little over a year.... but a recent 'best'.. Last weekend, for her 18th birthday, a girl jumped. She was typical teen at first, all eye-rolling and snotty, but the more I worked with her, the more of her story came out. She was extremely quiet, very shy, had been in 'a facility' for residential treatment of some form, I gathered behaviorally related. She was very insecure, that rough age that girls go through of no faith in themselves, no real concept that THEY are in control of their lives. It was one of her mentors that inspired her to skydive. So, we're in the plane on the ride up, she's fine. Until the door opens. And then she's fetal trying to merge with the pilot's seat (cessna). I ask if she's ready to skydive. She says no. I offer a go-around, or ride the plane down. She says, 'let's just do this and be done with it'. I verify that she's sure, she is. I climb out, vidiot climbs out. She is staring out the plane, absolutely fucking terrified. I'd never seen that kind of fear before. So the reserve instructor pretty much nudges her out the door, she's moving like she wants to go, so I grab her harness and yank her on the step. She has a death grip on the strut and looks completely paniced. So I start screaming 'check in, check out, prop, up, down, arch' in her ear. She goes through all the motions, has the nicest exit I've had yet with a student, despite the fact that she screamed her guts out (a first for me to hear an AFF student scream). About 3 seconds into freefall, she scissors kicks, but the rest of the jump is fine. She did everything she was supposed to, pulled at 6 k. When we landed, it was like meeting a completely different woman... she walked straighter, made eye contact, stood taller, and for the first time, she had a huge grin on her face. I made sure that she knew that SHE made the jump, SHE did the work, and she did a great job! Of all the students I've worked with, she's the one I hope the most comes back. Best part is... all of this is on video

Jumping with glasses is no problem. Good call on PRK over LASIK as a skydiver... you'l be back in the sky much quicker (I recomend a week off after PRK, 2 months off of skydiving after LASIK) and no risk of a dislocated flap later. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Yipppeeee!! I'm skydivingchad's wife and really want to give a wingsuit a whirl too

First, think positive. Imagine the perfect skydive, and that's how it will happen. If you focus so hard on what NOT to do, you have set yourself up for failure. Second, practice your arch at home on the floor or in a swimming pool, get those hips forward, your legs out, clench your butt cheeks like there's a $100 bill between them, that helps a lot. Third, RELAX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Relaxing will help you 'balance' on that column of air better, if you are stiff and fighting the air, you potato chip a lot more. Relaxing is important. Fourth, jump more often than once a month, currency keeps you safe, but also keeps you much more relaxed and sure of yourself. Fifth, trust yourself. You CAN do this... if you couldn't, your instructors wouldn't let you in the plane.... they believe in you, so believe in yourself. Finally, remember, this is freaking fun! Smile big and enjoy the jumps! Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

You are making the assumption that Rigger A actually did pencil pack, which there's no evidence of other than Rigger B saying that is the case.... be careful crucifying people, especially in skydiving where there are a lot of egos and misleading information coming from people. It could be that Rigger A and B have similar packing styles, so it was mis-interpreted. It could be that rigger B is pissed off that HIS client dared use another rigger for a repack and is trying to protect 'his' turf. It could be that rigger A liked what he saw when he unpacked rigger B's repack, so tried to mimick it to learn something new. It could be that the rig really was pencil packed.... but given the number of options and lack of evidence, there's no reason for any of us to get involved. The situation was extremely poorly handled by rigger B (if it was as described by the rig's owner). Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Get video so you can see for yourself what is going on. Remember, you have 120mph wind trying to push your legs on your ass, you need to PUSH against the wind to get forward movement, and it's very very very common for students to think they are sticking their legs out when they are not due to the wind pressure. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

That price sounds high given the age and condition of the gear. I personally wouldn't recommend any of my students pay quite that much, given the several hundred bucks of work it needs. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Personally, it seems a little unfair for the rigger to involve you at this point. He's putting you in a position to believe one rigger or another and be powerless to do anything about it. It's just words at this point, no real proof of anything. Of course, I also have a policy to distrust riggers that bash other riggers' work. If I was the rigger and suspected a pencil pack on my job, I'd be on the phone with the previous rigger to discuss the situation and only if it was resolved that way first, let the owner know what happened, what I did about it, and how the situation was fixed, but that's just me. Yes, every rigger packs a little bit differently, just like we all have different handwriting... that little individual 'look' to a pack job. I love looking at other riggers' work, because I always learn something from it. But I also always have the people I pack for pull handles... it's good practice for them, gives them faith in their gear, and they know for certain there's no pencil packing from me. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Contact the ALS organization, they probably have resources to help. Contact his medical insurance, sometimes gadgets like that are covered. Contact the state office of vocational rehabilitation, they like to keep people employed and independent, so provide adaptive aids. Contact the Easter Seals lending library branch in your area, they have a ton of gadgets for loan indefinitely for all kinds of disabilities. I'd suggest considering a self contained unit rather than a pocket PC software, only because long term that will be more functional as motor skills decline. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

As a fun jumper, sure, I'd have gotten out, but tandems are a whole other story. Isn't 3000 feet well below what a tandem is supposed to have something already out canopy wise? If that's the case, riding down is the right thing to do. Clearly, you lived, so you made the right choice

My husband and I went last year as Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder version) and an Ooompa Loompa. Extremely easy outfits to come up with. I even got the Ooompa wig on line.

I think that the people arguing about standing still vs. moving are arguing 2 different scenarios. 1. If you are in the landing area, face the canopies that are landing, and stand the fuck still. That way, landing jumpers can aim for clear areas that are actually there without worrying about who's going to be walking where in another few seconds. 2. If you are in the landing area, facing the canopies that are landing, and you are in imminent danger of getting taken out, get the fuck out of the way. I guess option number three is that you are totally clueless to the world around you, whether standing still or walking, and not keeping an eye on other traffic, in which case, you probably deserve to be taken out for sheer stupidity

Oooh, that sounds like fun too, need to try that

As you turned on to final, were you watching the guy walking across your path? If so, is it possible that you had a bit of target fixation and realized it too late to simply adjust your flight path? This isn't a rip on you.... I did the exact same thing around 350 jumps, was staring at someone on the ground as I was landing, and where one looks, one goes. The only thing that kept us both in one piece was exactly the same landing you had. But it was my fault for not picking a clear area, away from other jumpers, and attending to that clear area rather than the other jumpers. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I'm glad you'll be coming out for the course, it'll be great to run into you again!! Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Oh yeah, know your knots. Last year I taught knots, and I like being lazy, so it's great when students already know them all Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I would STRONGLY recommend having all of the reading done in advance, go through all the practice questions in advance and know the answers, and watch/do as many reserve repacks as possible in advance. The more information already in your head, the more you will be able to gain from the course rather than starting from scratch, plus you'll pack a little quicker, and the more you do, the more you learn

I just sent to Kutztown and Maytown's mailing lists