calledisrael

Originally my biggest fear was definitely hitting something on the ground (or the ground) when I was trying to land. I was pretty poor at estimating distance and altitude. Now my biggest fear is hop and pop... I am trying not to think about going out that low... life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

i think one of the best things i was told was don't just go to the dz to jump. go, and watch, and listen, and learn. pay attention to what is happening and what people are doing. listen to their conversations. watch some packers pack, some riggers rig, some teams turn points. you learn a ton. even when you can't jump or the weather is bad or whatever. and then talk to your instructors before believing anything

If it's the DVD I am thinking of, that's where I bought it, but you have to buy the whole set... life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

i would say start now. i started in central texas in january. i could live with the cold - actually, i think the tandem i made the day after thanksgiving was the coldest i ever was - but that's not actually the biggest deal, it's the wind around here in early spring that will keep you grounded. february/march there were several weekends i went out and couldn't jump because of wind. otherwise, you learn to wear gloves, and it's not that big a deal. ah, the memories of shivering on the creeper in ground school...

Ben, just wanted to say I am glad you got such a great opportunity. sad times for us. Thanks for flying us so well and have a great time in Alaska - blue skies, ali life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

Dear shoulder, Please stop itching and hurting so damned much. I know I let that guy probe around all inside of you with some needles and cameras and other assorted metallic instruments of torture, but this is for your own good, so that we can both get back in the sky and you can do your job like you are supposed to. I promise he'll take the stitches out soon. So until then, chill out, and heal faster. Sincerely, C.I. life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

let's set it up and have an austin area skydiver night at the cedar door! i think the houston guys do it, we should set it up.

i think i learned that if it was near the edge of your canopy, and you aren't spinning or anything and have good altitude, pull the risers and see if you can get it to come off. otherwise, straight to EPs. well done... makes me think about the things that didn't sink in for me in FJC, and how much more meaningful they are slowly starting to get for me. reading in the incidents about the student in washington, i remember being told a slow spin was likely an unstowed brake - but would i have remembered right off to start with that and unstow the toggles? i would now... i hope so then.. life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

i wanted to agree with this. i totally screwed up my shoulder in a landing in february.. and have dislocated twice since then in freefall. not fun. sometimes i talk myself into thinking that it won't happen again, or i can manage it. i am having the arthroscopic repair next week. and i am thrilled. i would way rather have the surgery, deal with it for six months, and (hopefully) never ever again wonder on deployment if my arm will all of the sudden quit working. thanks to craichead, for her advice, to all the skydivers who shared their experiences, and to tspillers, for his beautifully packed reserves. life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

i found it at half price books and video, for a dollar. it's fun to watch... in the right mood... life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

none of it is that hard. stability is easy - do a bodyscan, i figured it out now. the hardest thing for me about tracking at first was remembering to watch your horizon point, not the ground, or you won't track straight. ilya will teach you well, i am confident. so to get back on track... it looks like a bunch of us need to hang out this weekend, all you AFFs in austin! life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

oh, mockingbird, you know my story. it's no big thing. and why does that mean you will repeat them? it was not about my flying for me for either of them. i repeated 6 because i was grievously stupid and made one big error - although diveflow wise, it was my favorite AFF jump and the most fun skill set. i repeated 7 because the first time somehow my instructor ended up all the way across the sky from me on accident, and i was so surprised... and didn't make it to the end of the diveflow to track. it went fine, i just had to do it again to be sure to get everything in. i'm not sorry. you'll be great. i am thinking about coming out to cheer for you this weekend if i can. it's really not that hard, and ilya will keep good tabs on you. life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

hey, i invited my radiologist today while he was MRIing my shoulder. from a skydiving accident. he just laughed at me. but i am committed... are you going out this weekend? i may try to come hang out for a while... life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

a few more comments on these, since i wished i had more info before i went out and bought them all: "Parachuting: The Skydiving Handbook" by Dan Poynter and Mike Turoff good book, but like mdrejhon pointed out, did not say the same thing as some of my instructors. i read it several times, and it was well worth it, i learned alot - just remember that your instructor might tell you something else or you might have a different system or whatever. "Parachute and its Pilot" by Brian Germain fabulous. i read it as i was finishing aff, and it helped me so much. i did skip the chapter on swooping :-) but i'll go back to it someday. i got convinced to love my canopy this way because some lights went on when i read this in a big way. "Jump! Skydiving made Fun and Easy" by Tom Buchanan this wasn't as useful to me, because i had already tandemed, and knew i wanted to skydive... but it seems to be a great one for me to give out to friends who are considering letting me drag them to the dz. it has worked. who has more? i want to read some more stuff... life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

it made me laugh on my last jump, though, when i turned around and my AFFI was all comfy, leaned back on his rig, and popping a red bull. :) life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

ha. yep, my first aff jump the radio didn't work. i landed on the far edge of the field. my instructor came over and was like, why didn't you listen to me? and i was like, why didn't you talk to me? and that's great that you went ahead and found a new dz... it's not an easy transition to make sometimes, but it's way worth it. refreshing, isn't it, to get asked questions and really learn something?

yep, this was the most memorable advice i ever got. my first tandem i was at the front of the bench, totally wigged out, and the woman jumping ahead of me put both her hands on my shoulders and said "whatever you do, don't close your eyes.." and she grinned and leaped out (and i think my heart stopped.) and if i could do anything differently, i wish i had gotten video. you only have a first time once. life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

i am not a physics person or anything, so i will let someone else answer this. but i will encourage you to read _the parachute and its pilot_, which was SO helpful for me and talks about lots of these principles. brian germain. i stole a copy from one of my coaches :) still need to give it back now that i am finished... life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

i just saw that you also live in austin, too... we need to get some more of these women skydivers in austin to hang out... life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

i am prone to motion sickness too... sick, just like you, under canopy on my first tandem. hadn't eaten, which i think was the mistake. took dramamine before the next few jumps, but never had a problem after that. even with nerves and riding backward in the plane.

i was start...coast... stopping around the office kitchen the other day without even thinking about it. and i like the guy who practices his EPs while boarding passenger planes. i am not used to wearing a heavy backpack, and this summer i did while i was overseas. i found myself getting on planes and subconsciously trying to 'protect my handles' in the crowd. life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

oh heidi, i knew i liked you. heal well. i am going to need some cool girls to jump with in the not-too-distant future. i liked your gallery photos, they made me all happy and nostalgic. life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

girl, go to the doctor!! please please please. i had a crash landing once, hurt my shoulder, but it felt better a few days later and so i didn't go. three jumps later, i dislocated it bad. three months of physical therapy later, i go back to go jumping, and now i have hurt it again. it's not worth this. i wish more than anything i had just gone to the doctor the first time, dealt with it to be safe... and then i would have spent all day yesterday landing in the peas at aggieland, happy as anything. instead, i laid on my couch with icepacks and my friend brought over the tequila. what's up with that anyway, i know that yesterday wade had an ankle brace too that he said he had a pretty rough landing... anyway, whatever you decide (like the doctor ) i hope you feel way better soon. i have to go the the orthopedist tomorrow, so we can whine together. life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)

dude, those aggieland guys might be the best ever. happy birthday.

i hope this sounds encouraging.. because that's really how i mean it... thanks windcatcher... i have been discouraged tonight, because i feel just like you seem to, that i am often too emotional and artistic type... and i keep being not very good at this. i have problems with deployment because of a shoulder injury which i think i reaggravated today. i had had a very hard time in aff, and then found a new dz which has totally changed my outlook on jumping... and it seems like everything was starting to go right just in time to go way wrong. but what helps me from your post is to know that 1. i am not the first skydiver to feel like this, and 2. i know that i really love it... and for me it's still really worth it. whatever choice you make, i am confident it will be the right one for you. thanks for encouraging me and making me feel not quite so alone in it. life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. (helen keller)