Spudmuffin

Count me in, Dave!

Well, I guess it's over now. Hope everything went well! Enjoy the TLC while you heal up!

Glad you guys are having fun! My DZ has a comprehensive price list http://www.stljump.com/AFF.pdf). It's probably not the same as the one at your DZ, but I'd bet they have something comparable.

Way to go! Isn't it AMAZING!

Thanks for the great advice, Ed. I've already started squirreling my money away for next year. I can sure see how going more frequently than once a month would help my learning curve. ~Spud

Great essay...and great pics!

Thanks for these great ideas. I'll call my DZ and see what they think!

Thanks so much, as always, PM! Ironically, I just did a quick search for skydiving fundraisers and I quickly wound up at the Chicagoland Skydiving Center's site.

Thanks for the advice! I'm planning on laying out until spring (until it starts warming up), so I'll give it some good thought. This probably is up to my DZ but I'll ask anyway... I know after 30 days, you have to repeat your last jump...does the same hold true if you let several months pass? (I don't see the point of redoing the very first "sky tourist" jump...although it was awfully fun!)

I work with Ronald McDonald House Charities and was thinking about ways to have a skydiving fundraiser. We could call it something like "Freefall for Families." I could have each jumper raise at least $500 which would cover their jump fee and, at my DZ, leave another $320 left over for families. (I'd also have an award for the jumper who raises the most money, screams the loudest, etc...) Due to the liability and (gulp) horrendous press if someone should get hurt, I'll probably work with a friend outside of the organization to put it together as an "external fundraiser." Anyhow, I was just wondering if anyone has ever heard of doing anything like this or would like to share any thoughts or ideas? Thanks a bunch!

AMBIEN - You'll have to get a perscription...but so worth it. I suffer from chronic "brain race" when things get quiet and I drive myself crazy. I had been "switch hitting" between Nyquil, hydroxizine (left over from when I was in the hospital), and over the counter sleeping pills. This not-so-bright-idea worked (pretty poorly) for a little while, but I finally sought help. I finally went to the doctor when I really thought I was losing it. Weird things were happening, I was getting muscle spasms in my back, my ears were ringing, my feet/hands would tremble, and of course, I couldn't think straight. I thought was ready to be committed and that my doc would think I was a hypochondriac. That didn't happen. The VERY FIST THING she asked me was "How are you sleeping?" I nearly fell off the table. Anyhow, that's how I got my scrip. She gave me a months worth, but I only needed to take it for four or five nights. It just got my internal clock reset. THANK GOD! I kept the rest for emergency use only. Insomnia is one of the most miserable things I deal with. You don't really have empathy for it unless you've suffered with it. Good luck and sweet dreams!

Thank you for the advice, Ed. Is there ever any trouble completing your training series at a different DZ that the one where you started? I'm not completely sure I want to switch, but am curious about my options. (I do have my little logbook with its one entry where my instructor signed me off as ready for TAN 3.) Thanks again! Spud

Ha! I've always been a huge dud in the area of "working it" ... unless I've got the ol' spirits in me. Always fun, but not a great way to jump.

Hmmm...hadn't thought about taking that angle...but whatever works!

Did you practice reading an altimeter and pulling the handle in freefall? - Yes and yes Did you participate more on the exit, and getting stable? - Yes Did you wave off and pull the handle at the correct altitude? - Yes Did your Instructor give you more info under canopy about collision avoidance? - No How to flare a canopy? - No I did get a logbook and he wrote down "good for TAN 3" at the end...or something to that effect. As you mentioned, I really wanted to know about the things I need to work on, rather than getting all warm and fuzzy over the things I did right. (I know, I know...I need to chill.) I'll be sure to check out the materials you recommended...they must be good, I've received that advice from some other nice folks, too.

I wish I could go out to the DZ in the middle of the week. Unfortunately it's over two hours away, so I do well to get down there once a month. I've kept some notes and hope to "corner" an instructor before my next jump. There is one instructor at my DZ (not the one I jumped with, but the one I sat behind on the plane) who actually took the time to ask me "How did it go?" (It was about the nicest thing that happened that day.) I might try and request him next time.

Thanks, again, Tom!!

Just wondering... How early do most students, upon arriving at the DZ and checking in, find out who their instructor will be that day? So far, I haven't found out until I'm called to get suited up. I'm going to be more assertive and ask next time, but have gotten the feeling many of them aren't even there until right beforehand. It would be so nice if, at manifest upon arrival, the person at the desk would say something like "Today your instructor will be Bob. He's right over there to go through your lesson and answer any questions you might have."

I agree!

No, I'm doing the tanem progression, so I'm not sure it will apply. Here's how uneducated I am... What does TLO stand for? Learning objectives? (Please don't laugh...trying to learn here...)

Great idea! I've put mine away for the summer, but I think I'll get it back out and give it a go!

As I mentioned to Belinda: For me I'm really alright until I'm right outside the door...and the wind starts roaring in my ears...and I start sucking that thin air...AAAGGGHHH!! My brain just seizes up. I think it’s something about falling forward…and forward…and never rebounding back up. Let's just say I'm glad I wasn't being photographed this last jump. With the heady days of my first tandem long gone (when I had no real responsibilities other than to enjoy the ride), I know I was, shall we say, fairly "wild eyed" as I did my best to execute my drill. Thanks, everyone, for your great responses! It's good to know I'm not alone in facing those door demons.

Thanks very much, Tom. It was frustrating yesterday. Due to the huge backlog of students (stemming from the weather delay), my instructor unhooked me, took my goggles and told me to go into the hanger and have somebody help me get out of my harness. He gathered our chute, sprinted in, grabbed another rig and left with the next load. He filled out my logbook on the way up to his next tandem and gave it to the gal in the office who in turn gave it to me. She's a licensed parachutist and was running around like mad, too. (They really were swamped!) She did tell me to hang on and she would look it over with me, which she did...sort of. She basically opened it, read the notes to me, smiled and said "Congratulations, you passed!" Let's just say I'm happy I passed, but almost wish I hadn't so I would have to repeat the jump. I don't know how "clean" student jumps have to be to pass, but I know I screwed up a few things and would have loved the chance to talk with my instructor. I thought about calling back today to see if I could catch him (I jumped yesterday), but I figured he wouldn't remember me from the mass of students he had this weekend. Sorry for the diatribe, but I'm just not feeling that solid about my performance or my next jump. Thanks, again, for your time! ...and the link recommendation.

* I posted this in Safety & Training but would like to get the opinion of an instructor. Thanks! * Quick question... I just went on my second jump yesterday. We had a two hour weather delay and I spent the time sitting at a picnic table doing work I happen to have with me in the car. When it was time to go, there was a huge backlog of students and, naturally, everyone was in a great rush. My instructor, who was very knowledgeable and very nice, gave me a drill of about seven or eight steps he wanted me to perform during freefall. He outlined the steps in the plane on the way to altitude. I wish I could have been "studying" or getting more mentally prepared while I had all that time to spare. Do all instructors vary their instruction per level per student? (I noticed that I'm not quite hitting all of the points outlined on the course price sheet I was given after my first jump.) If not, it would be so nice to have a piece of paper with what we would be learning that jump, or better yet...having someone knowledgeable to talk with...even if it’s not the instructor we’ll be jumping with.

Quick question... I just went on my second jump yesterday. We had a two hour weather delay and I spent the time sitting at a picnic table doing work I happen to have with me in the car. When it was time to go, there was a huge backlog of students and, naturally, everyone was in a great rush. My instructor, who was very knowledgeable and very nice, gave me a drill of about seven or eight steps he wanted me to perform during freefall. He outlined the steps in the plane on the way to altitude. I wish I could have been "studying" or getting more mentally prepared while I had all that time to spare. Do all instructors vary their instruction per level per student? (I noticed that I'm not quite hitting all of the points outlined on the course price sheet I was given after my first jump.) If not, it would be so nice to have a piece of paper with what we would be learning that jump, or better yet...having someone knowledgeable to talk with...even if it’s not the instructor we’ll be jumping with.