Dutchboy

Does he rent planes that don't have a GPS? If so, a handheld GPS would be a great gift. Another thing you might get him is some time in a different plane. Perhaps some time in a retractible if you can swing it.

Congratulations! These are always fun for the student and his instructor.

I've had my company for over two years. It's only in the last year that I've been using airplanes not provided by someone else. I have three Alarus CH2000's in my fleet. I was forced into the business when Mike left me hanging without an airplane in December 2002.

You are so busted. I knew you got lost going to Centre, AL! I didn't think you just decided to stay there for a while.

Not a chance. If the weather is good, I might jump somewhere else around Georgia.

Shame on you. You don't recognize the phone number? This is the old Elijay DZ that became Skydive Atlanta after they were kicked out of Elijay and moved to Thomaston. I MIGHT know who's number that is though.

I'm a high school math, science, and aviation teacher at the moment. I haven't been an active skydiver for a while due to how little this pays.

Are you referring ot Mary Jane?

Flight instructor, skydiver, and high school teacher. I tried my best to get Clay his license, but he just got nearly to the end and stopped. I've heard from some women that he does this all the time.

Wow, I don't every want to work at the DZ where all that happened to you. Sounds like they need new mechanics!

Clay Fowler...your facts are a little off...there is not a tandem instructor who lives off the runway and drives to skydive atlanta to jump every weekend. But sure, there are skydivers and instructors who live closer to Monroe or Thomaston and drive to Cedartown to jump at ASC as there are the other way around. We have former Thomaston and Monroe staff members now at ASC just as there are probably instances the other way around. Every DZ has its loyal following. I'm not sure what part of "ASC Blows" though: Mike, Clay doesn't own a business that is associated with ASC and that makes him considerably more objective than you. I have personal knowledge of at leat two deaths at ASC. I have spoken to several individuals that have worked at ASC and would never go back. I have jumped at ASC once, and will never go back. I certainly didn't get this warm family vibe when they demanded that I leave a credit card with them before I could jump, was charged more than their advertised rate, and never got full altitude on any jump. I don't have the time to discuss their business practices and I think you are too close to the problem to see any of this either. If a great DZ were nothing more than having great facilities, than SD ATL has everything ASC has, plus a much larger landing area. A DZ is much more than just facilities, which is why I'm just as happy to jump at Georgia Skydiving Center in Rome as to jump at Skydive ATL.

no i dont think there has been any deaths at asc swoop pond.... You might want to do some research before you say that. All of the Georgia DZ's have had fatalities. ASC has had the most, and the most recent to my knowledge.

As far as I know, this is also the only swoop pond in Georgia that has a fatality to its credit. I've heard more than one pilot confused about the big puddle next to the runway. I've thought that I should open a dropzone at my flight school in Thomson which is 20 west of Augusta. There doesn't seem to be anything close to there, and all the pilots are already looking around whenever they hear jumpers away at Thomaston (Skydive Alanta). I learned to skydive in Thomaston (Skydive Atlanta), and while it was 98 miles from my house Northwest of Atlanta, it wasn't any longer timewise than driving to ASC which is not accessible by any interstate or major highway. Rome is another good choice if you are North of town.

I moved here 9 years ago, don't see myself living anywhere else any time soon. The weather is pretty good, mild winters, average January temp of about 42F. Summers aren't too bad, average july temp of about 78F, not too humid. You can jump all year round. Living on the North side of the city is genrally desirable. Whether Northwest, North, or Northeast depends on where you work. Where you live might also determine your home DZ. Several good choices. If you are Northwest Rome is a great choice. If you are in the city or South Skydive Altanta (100 miles from me, nowhere close to Atlanta) is an excellent choice. If you are east, I've heard good things about Monroe, but haven't jumped there myself. I've jumped at the other Atlanta area DZ, and won't be back. Overall Atlanta is awesome. Big city living, but without the normal costs. Also, traffic isn't nearly as bad as in other large cities. We have more lane-miles of road per capita than anywhere.

Lots of jumpers in the Atlanta area. There are several DZ's that serve Atlanta. Closest to you would likely be Rome (Georgia Skydiving Center) and Skydive Monroe. I need to get my butt back in the air (outside a plane) over Georgia again soon.

Hmmm...never heard of the Alarus until this post, and I did a Yahoo search....and found a bit of info about it. What do those sell for? Looks like a nice little airplane, about equivalent in performance to a C-152. A new Alarus is only $129,500. As for performance, it is much better than a C-152. The only thing these two planes share is number of seats. You can put two real people in the Alarus and it will fly faster and climb better than the Cessna. I've had students as heavy as 320 lbs. in the Alarus. It was really uncomfortable flying with this guy in a C-172 and there is no way he could even fly solo in a C-152.

I've flown hundreds of hours in them, but could never bring myself to own a 172. I much prefer the wider cabin of my brand new Alarus with it's full Garmin IFR stack to some clunky old plane designed in the 50's I haven't met a single A&P that would recomend a Cessna over a Piper. That best plane in terms of ownership cost will be an experimental, unless you are an A&P.

If you want to go North of Atlanta, then Georgia Skydiving Center in Rome, if you want South of town, then Skydive Atlanta.

Thomaston is a great DZ, I learned to skydiver there. It can be a tad far. Georgia Skydiving Center up in Rome is half the distance for me and also very cool. Both DZ's are cool for different reasons and they have vastly different feels.

Help the world is conspiring against me. I've got school starting again soon, and my flight instructor in my new school on the other side of the state just quit. He must have suspected I'd have some free time to jump this weekend.

A Zenith CH601HDS Super Zodiac. Technically it was a Polstra CH601HDS because I built it myself, but I got the kit from Zenith. I really miss my Zodiac. Now my new plane is on the other side of the state too. I have to get another plane so I can fly back and forth between my two flight schools.

I keep hoping to get some time on the weekend to come and jump with you all again, but either the weather stinks, or I'm busy, like this weekend with the open house. At least I got my rig back in date which is the first step.

See attached. also see my website.

I got a new airplane to replace my homebuilt that had an engine failure and was destroyed last month. I went to the factory today to pick up my brand new Alarus CH2000. It even has the new plane smell. It can't compare to flying the plane I built for the first time but it is close. Now if only it didn't come with a huge loan.

Lisa, That totally sucks. Hopefully you'll be well enough to drink heavily at Karen's departure party.