benny

Sounds like a great time, would love to be there. For anyone who doesn't know, Nate's DA MAN. Very personable too. Even though I'm just a lowly AFF student he was one of the first people to come over and welcome me at ASC. Never go to a DZ strip show.

higher loading = more strength? i think my student canopies are trimmed rather conservatively, would this make it harder to front riser dive? Never go to a DZ strip show.

Hi there... I was looking over my A license progression card and noticed that the requirement for front riser dives was waiverable if insufficient strength. How much strength does it take, and does that vary with wing loading? I'm 6'1" and about 150 lbs, so obviously not the strongest cat out there.... Am I going to be able to do the front risers, should I hit the gym, if so, what sort of excercises might I do to help with that? Thanks! Never go to a DZ strip show.

Yeah, for that matter my last jump (Tuesday) was my first release, and my JMs were telling me about a guy they had recently whom they had to chase all over the sky. Now, I'd think they'd try to get to me and pull if they could, but I wouldn't expect them to go in chasing after my ass either. Of course they'd do everything they could, but I'd never jump thinking "hey, it's ok if I mess up, someone will pull for me" Never go to a DZ strip show.

no kidding, I know now that for me anyway, skydiving with ron would be UNsafe, as I believe he'd try to kill me. Never go to a DZ strip show.

Oh yeah, I think they'd try but as the saying goes, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." What I trust more than them pulling for me is that they felt confident that I displayed enough cognizance regarding what they had taught me that they'd be willing to let me jump out of the plane. Never go to a DZ strip show.

Man, you take things way too seriously. Grammar check: "un" when added to the beginning of a word means "not"... like unnoticed, or not noticed, not "the opposite of noticed". unsafe, being "not safe" and by the way, I claimed to be more educated than Bush, not smarter than him. And that, technically when it comes to degree status, I was wrong about. A slip of the tongue or keyboard as it were. Now as for being smarter, or more intelligent than him, yeah, I am. At least if those reports about his SAT scores were on the money or if knowledge of the english language has anything to do with intelligence. Ok, so to get back on topic... skydiving = unsafe (or not safe) cars = unsafe at any speed Never go to a DZ strip show.

As they told me, I am responsible for my own life. Stay altitude aware and now that I'm on single JM status remember the 5 second rule. Never be afraid to pull Never go to a DZ strip show.

Skydiving is dangerous.... So is eating, I almost choked on a piece of chicken once (no, not choking my chicken) So is driving So is sex Yada yada yada, whatever you do can and will kill you if you do it enough or in the wrong way... Ron tells elfanie that skydiving's not safe and he's right, but he seems to have convinced himself that some metal will save him if he or someone else screws up on the racetrack. He's wrong. Plan like you'll live forever, live like you'll die tomorrow. Never go to a DZ strip show.

I know I'm new and I know that skydiving isn't safe (I was involved in a previous thread on the stats), but I think it might be ok to give elfanie a little bit of a break. She does seem to understand that there is risk involved, however, as she points out, there's risk in everything. What makes skydiving unsafe, I think, is the speed. Driving your car at 120 mph is unsafe. Anything at that speed is unsafe... If you hit something at speeds that great, odds are, you'll die. I think race car drivers will tell you that their sport is unsafe. The mistake is for any of us to think that anything is safe, weather driving to the store or jumping out of an airplane, it's not safe, you just might die or get maimed in the process. So, plan like you'll live forever and live like you'll die tomorrow. Never go to a DZ strip show.

I know I'm new and all, but it seems to me that another lesson that should have been learned is, when so low than your siren is blaring, pull the reserve, not the main, then you don't have to worry about that pesky cypress fire and two canopies overhead, entanglements etc. I mean, that's what my instructors told me to do if I ever found myself that low... Never go to a DZ strip show.

Is this Fast Eddie from ASC? If so I did my level II with you last Saturday! Hope ya have fun at Mardi Gras. My brother's in New Orleans, I've tried to get him jumping but he's a chicken. Oh well... Thanks for jumping with me if I've got the right fast Eddie! Ben Never go to a DZ strip show.

The only time we might impress her by being smaller than the next guy.... Never go to a DZ strip show.

Yeah, I saw all these experienced jumpers on my load with no gloves on and thought, "oh I'll be fine"... hah, I forgot these guys weren't pulling till about 3-4K and were jumping with much higher wing loadings. Therefore they were in for much shorter rides... I thought I might be frostbitten when I was trying to gather up my canopy to walk inside. Never go to a DZ strip show.

Sitting here in this empty mall on New Year's eve, supposedly to sell cellular phones I agree. Who wouldn't? Are you nuts?? Hell, even if it meant eating Ramen noodles for the rest of my life, it's gotta be better than this shit. Never go to a DZ strip show.

Gloves gloves gloves, try handling toggles with frozen paws. Never go to a DZ strip show.

Yes, now everyone thinks exactly like this... "The dz guys hear all this and think "Sweeeeet, we won't be seeing him again and we'll shortly have a new single chickie on the dz." " Never go to a DZ strip show.

hey, great post man... seems that you and I are at about the same spot exactly. After going out for level two on Saturday (passed), I was quite bummed Sunday and Monday, as it appeared that I wouldn't have the cash available to make another jump before at least a week and a half went by. I'd have a plane ride in between but I woulnd't be able to jump out of this one. I remember before all this started I'd get very excited to be on a plane at all. Now, all I'm thinking is, "what good is this damn plane anyway if I have to land with it??" Anyway, after coming home from work Monday I discover that I have received payment for one of my ebay sales. Cha-ching!! I've got enough to make a jump! And, I have Tuesday off.... go to weather.com and what do I find? Upper 50s, winds from the northwest at 9mph, and not a cloud in sight! I'm there. I get there Tuesday around 1:30, the parking lot is crowded so I'm hoping there not to busy to fit little old me in. I walk in the door and talk with one of the video guys who tells me there just about to put the first load up. "Wow, running late huh?" On to manifest. "No problem, we'll get your AFF jump in, you may have to jump from the cessna though." Having one King Air ride and 2 on the Otter, I'm kinda apprehensive about the whole cessna thing. But I figure, a plane like that, I'll want to jump. So, Otter load 1 is preparing and I'm waiting, I watch them descend, checking the winds and practicing my exit at the mock-up while I wait. Everybody's down safely and manifest announces a 20 minute call for Otter load 2. Sweet, no 182 for me, riding in style! Stewart, who taught my ground class and jumped with me on level one, and Mike (my reserve side instructor from level II) will be my JMs today. Stewart and I go over the dive flow, dirt dive, etc... Get my equipment, downsizing this time too! Stewart's like, who the hell put you on a 209?? 190 this time. He tells me I'll be on a 170 soon, probably not before I'm off student status though. Before I know it we're headed to the plane, one practice exit before getting seated, taxiing, and we're off. I'm the only student on this load, there's a two-way plus vid and a couple of freefliers. The apprehension about jumping out was significantly less in level II (although I felt like blowing chunks right before exit) but this time I think apprehension was non-existent. Even was able to joke around with Mike and Stewart about how one of my level II JMs couldn't have been with me on a release dive because there would be no way Fast Eddie could have fallen as slowly as I do. Butterflies starting at around 12000 but nothing I couldn't handle. 14000 feet, throttle back, door opens, rush of wind. The exits start. There are a couple of hotties on this load so I'm thinking, "just follow that fine ass!" Scoot forward, Stewart's got a grip on me, Mike climbs out and I'm getting in the door. Checks all around. prop-up-down-arch, the first few seconds always sends my heart into my throat. But unlike the tandem and AFF-I I'm aware the entire time. My presentation was a little flat and we were sliding sideways. Punch the arch out and gain stability. Thumbs up on both sides at 14K... hmm, what am I forgetting here...... I start to notice the bumping around Stewart warned me of, not them holding me, but simply bumping into me. I'm doing it by myself... Oh shit, I never did a PT, I hope they don't fail me, might as well do it now! Goes well, oops 45 degree right, stop... 7K... 6K, wave off pull! Whump! Look up, oh shit, my first mal! Line twist, kickout, spin around. Whew, good canopy! Man my hands are cold. Try to grab toggles, owww! Shoulda worn gloves. Struggle to get my hands through the toggles (I thought they were stuck together in the loop for a second but it turns out my hands were so damn could I just could use them). Sweet canopy ride, definitely quicker response on the 190, felt like it was turning on a dime. Veered a little out of my playground early but easily corrected. Approach, final, woohoo, third landing in a row only about 5 feet off target, third stand-up as well. This time I didn't even have to run it out. Just "hi, i'm here, both feet on the ground!" ARGGH, does it get worse every time, I mean how it feels during the time you're not jumping? Never go to a DZ strip show.

yes....? Never go to a DZ strip show.

Airline Passenger "No sir, I swear the Kama Sutra is not a terrorist manual... it's Indian, not Arab, please no, please don't open that in front of my mo-" FBI "Damn, what will these terrorists think of next?? That squatting lotus position is a perfect replica of LAX!" Never go to a DZ strip show.

250:1:0 ... ha I'm going with the miles... or 0:1:0 normal AFF level II was great, I too only had enough $ for one jump that day (Saturday) and hund around my DZ for a while too just watching people land... wishing I could be there. 750:5:0 that's dollars I'm gonna ask dad for:jumps left in AFF:likelihood dad's gonna give me the money to do it Never go to a DZ strip show.

my god that's hilarious. I love it. Here I was thinking it was going to be a shredded canopy... Ha, kitty's having some fun. Never go to a DZ strip show.

The 27th was wonderful! Did AFF Level II... wonderful, no need to bundle up, only a t-shirt under the jumpsuit. Made the canopy trip in particular much more enjoyable! Never go to a DZ strip show.

Ok, I had just about decided not to post to this again, but I've got to respond to this. You see, I happened to have been overseas (in the middle east for that matter), during the whole Lewinski affair and you're right, they were laughing at us. But not because Clinton was getting his dick sucked, or asking what the definition of "is" is... but because the Republicans in the legislature and apparently the American public actually gave a fuck what the president was doing, or who, as the case may have been. I mean hell, those people know what it's like to live with terrorism, they face it every day. You and I my friend, unless you just happen to live smack dab in NYC, have not a clue what living with terrorism is, and none of us do. So, we can spend time worrying about who's getting their dick sucked. Personally, I'd rather have a president who's getting it whenever he wants it. I think the stress release would be beneficial to our nation. Hmm, 8 yrs of unprecedented peace and economic prosperity.... Never go to a DZ strip show.

Hey, I like Clark too, and yeah, Rhodes Scholar is impressive. I think Clinton was one too. Dean, well the whole MD thing, that's an education... but I was really just referring to how well educated they seem, not actually are. I mean, I consider myself to be more well-educated than GWB, but I don't have my bachelor's yet. Then again, I'm not going around planning national strategery either. Never go to a DZ strip show.