jimmytavino

........ .... can anyone explain to me why novices and intermediates are so "hung Up" about HAVING to do High performance landings..?.. what is the attraction....????.. I would much prefer watching someone else try it,,, than to feel I HAVE to do such landings on EVERY jump..... man what happened to "the jump isn't over until you are SAFELY on the ground"....???....Are people today so UNsatisfied with the excitement and exiliaration of a "plain old skydive",,, that they MUST create added risk,,, at the bottom of it... man... Give me a safe and accurate stand up landing (sometimes a ONE footed stand up..,,,,) ANYTIME.... I believe THAT demonstrates better knowledge of canopy flight, much more consideration to your fellow jumpers who are also flying final landing patterns, and certainly MUCH more finesse'....than does "cranking a front riser 180" and carrying so much speed,, that you pucker up,,,,,,and then "save yourself" (or NOT ) just as you get to the ground.......Granted jumpers like to stretch the limits, and TEST themselves,,,, but in reality,, it is more difficult to consistantly do Accurate, Gentle, Soft landings ON Target,,,,than it is to swoop...... and in my way of thinking MUCH much more satisfying..not to mention safe........If you want to be a "show off"..knock yourself out...... you literally might do JUST that......peace signed....... an UN-dead Man..... "downsizing??????.... for me it has mostly been Upsizing", my momma didn't raise no fool...... but she sure taught me how to recognize one and how to steer clear of them...... PostScript..... absolutely NO offense intended to those careful, deliberate, cautious and well practiced canopy pilots out there,,,, and you know who you are.....You each have my respect. My post is aimed at the novice and intermediate folks,, who because they spend alot of time on the ground,,see landing after landing. They watch and then try to emulate the swoopers who they see safely accomplishing such High level canopy maneuvers...... Chill out brothers and sisters,,, your time will come,,,, but only if you are careful, deliberate, and yes lucky,,,, Learn how to crawl, then walk,, then run , then sprint,,,, BEFORE you declare yourself ready to strap on a Rocket Pack, and start to do "relative work with terra firma". Carry too much momentum into a freefall RW formation, and maybe you can mange to avoid hitting it,, or your buddies, can "brace" for your dock,,, and absorb you,,,, Carry too much momentum into a CReW formation and maybe you can dance away from an entanglement, or rely on a cutaway to save you,,,,, Carry too much momentum into a "Ground RW" situation,,,,, baby .... "dirt don't give"..then the only thing getting "carried" will be you........... so go easy... Our common goal should be..... NO annual injuries or fatalities due to jumpers having poor landings under fully functional parachutes.... How does that sound????

rantoul, baby!!! ya goin?? well I WAS thinkin' about it..... I went to Quincy in '94 and again in '98 and had a MOST

Good Girl....way to go Skyrose7.... Likewise I also attended, endured,() and completed a Coach Course this past weekend (although I do have to assist at a first jump course or two,,, to complete my proficiency card)... Yes it is a nice feeling of accomplishment,,,,After 30 years of jumping, and after training and jumpmastering hundreds and hundreds of newbies, in the mid to late 70's......I got away from that upon being married in '81 and having young children,,, throughout the 80's.....Now my time constraints are a bit looser and this course allows me to validate my abilities in working with students again.....It is nice to know that I am officially qualified to do what I have been doing for years and years,,, which is to skydive with novices, bolster their confidence, fine tune their abilities, monitor their safety, and help to prepare them to be deliberate and SAFE jumpers..... The evaluation dives were great,, and the entire course was very well done......

... "stuffing it into a Student Javelin.........."

...Here's what i am thinking.... Are you jumping at a large DZ,, or at a small place with only 2 or 3 tandem masters..... so that "all of them know you"????.... Are you jumping at a cessna DZ ?? which may mean,, that you are simply "filling a load"..?? A Tandem pair, and a camera person,,,,, leave one slot left in a cessna....Are you grabbing that slot,,,?? and then saying,,,"well I don't wanna do a solo.".... I'll "chase the tandem"...???? cause THAT my friend is a lousy mix..... I shot tandem videos for my first 3 or 4 years,,, mostly from Cessnas.... I HATED it when a lurker,, would grab that last slot,, and then,,,if his pal was the TM,,,, (without any consultation with me,,,,) the TM would allow the guy to become a chaser....... As video man... I become target # 2 !!!,,,, or maybe target # ONE,,, cause the lurker can get so fixed on the tandem,,, that they don't even CONSIDER where the camera person is... Plus out of a cessna,,, the exit is often lower, by 4,000feet...and so the tendancy is to RUSH,,,, in order to GEEK the student...... Gimme a break dude.... Do every one a favor,, and exit that cessna at 4,500 feet!!!!,,,,,, I will be happy to shoot your exit,,,, and be mentally saying,, " good riddance" ... as you get the hell out..... AHHHH..!!. Now,,, instead of your cheststrap in my face,, for the next 6,000 feet of climb,,, and instead of having YOU geeking my cameras,, AND me trying to shoot around you,, to get to the student,,,, I have much more elbow room,,,I am Happy,, The TM,, is happy cause HE has more elbow room,,, the pilot is happy cause we are climbing faster,,, and the student (who perhaps would rather NOT have you intruding into this experience),,, becomes the focus of MY attention and the TM's attention.... and THAT is what a tandem skydive should be about......

What do you think are the minum requirements that a jumper should have before being able to do tandem video ?? Josh

I put on WOMEN's Clothing,,,, and hang around in Bars....!

... sad news..... "If you want to have a Million dollars,,,,,from running a dropzone...............then START with 2 Million.........

Great..We knew all along that Ashley would "Be on the big way" !!!.....and best wishes for your NEXT 400 .. mouth...

Generally speaking,, I'd tend to frown on it It's not necessary, and we all get "high" just being in a planeful of our friends, and climbing to altitude.. .......But... if I KNOW a jumper on the load has been indulging during jump hours, and has manifested on a load of which I am a part....I might approach it 2 ways.... If they are important to me.... I would calmly express my concerns, beforehand . If they assure me they want to make the decision to go on the skydive,, I think I would grab the slot next to them,,,, during the dirt dive... and sort of " lurk them " throughout the jump,,,with a wary eye....and an alert attitude.... If it was someone who is NOT important to me...I would again calmly express my concern. If they assure me they want to make the skydive,,,,I would again approach the jump with a wary eye,,, but I would choose a slot slightly AWAY from that person,,, yet close enough to respond, should there be a lapse of judgement, or a traffic conflict, or God forbid,,,a collison..... I'd be watching out.....But it isn't my place to 'rat out' that person..... Oh Yes..... regardless ,,, AFTER the jump I would approach that person again,,,, and ask them if they felt better,, skydiving "that way",,,, or if their jump was awkward, uncomfortable, tense ,,,,, and a lesson in humility... Hopefully they will reconsider.. the next time they think about repeating such "sillyness"...