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Just make a note of your outs every time you are up. The only time I have landed off (so far...) i pulled a little low and there were a bunch of trees, (nay, a forest!) between me and the DZ. I probably could have squeaked by with the wind that was behind me, but what if it had stopped? i found the closest field to the DZ near a road. Off is better than power lines, trees, and buildings. Look 360 degrees around your DZ and find the outs, ya never know with bad spots, weird winds, or extened/short tracking dives where you will may land off. Be safe, clear skies! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

I started freeflying early, and i am still in my very wee stages of skydiving. I initially thought belly looked kinda slow and dull which is why i started freeflying. I hadn't seen a 4-way team in action till recently and was blown away. I need better belly skills was the conclusion i drew, especially after going back to belly after a bunch (relative term) of freefly jumps and realized how much i sucked. From my limited experience, belly and backflying are musts which is why i have been adding em back into my "routine" when i hit the DZ on weekends. For new people like me, i say keep up with the belly flying even while learning to freefly, there is some cool shit to do with it. We never would have learned in the first place if we didnt have some nasty belly flyers on either side in the beginning! Be safe, clear skies So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Yay ASC crew! those pics are sick! #1 fan. So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Hollister is thorough as anything with AFF, i did a tandem and AFF 1 there, go back every chance i get. really friendly to fun jumpers as well, HIGHLY recommend it! Tell cliff (if he is there) Aviva, Tom and the crew Brett & Boobs sent you! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

I agree with lots of these posters. I like buying beer for my firsts cuz i learn a sh*tload from the experienced guys from all their firsts. ive never looked at it like a tip. I suppose when i have my first cut away *knocking on wood* it just seems right to at least buy my rigger a bottle assuming my reserve opens (repeat the knocking), will have saved my arse! buy beer, be friendly, and learn stuff! P.S. I tip cuz im a server, sometimes income IS tips, as for getting a better job, when i graduate from Vandy in a couple weeks I certainly will!!! More to life that whats on the surface mah friend! buy beer So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Im starting to figure out my sit. best advice is to just get coaching, watch videos of yourself and get good coaching, it helps. I was instructed/coached on some basic backflying after getting frustrated with my sit, sure enough, popped right into it after i could fly on my back. Recover to your back, power down, dont lean forward, the list goes on. I am an extremely novice freeflyer, so i cant tell ya specifics, but what helped me best was coaching. at my home DZ that just meant covering a jump ticket. Good luck, freeflying is fun as hell! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

I DID IT! ha! Again, ryan i apologize for making you fly video. it was awesome, i was told on my aff I at hollister that it had to be done, so sure enough, # 100 @ asc in GA i rocked the birthday suit. This was about a month ago, the staff made this other guy go naked a couple weeks later. I highly recommend it, make sure you stand up the landing! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

a random fire at 150 is basically unheard of. Remember, they are set to 750 feet anyway. Only swoopers need to worry about anything like that, and that is at the most extreme end of swooping with 720s from 1000+ feet. This past summer I saw a student AAD fire when a heavy experienced jumped did some double front riser stuff to test the new canopy. just opened into a biplane and he landed without incedent. if stuff looks ugly, u can chop the main. AADs save lives, period. Im still really new to the sport, but i already know someone that would still be here if he had had one. I absolutely refuse to jump without one, and you should too, esp. before any kind of crazy low level stuff. My $0.02 Brett Edit: the previous firing incident was on a student cypress, not pro. it went off as designed at altitude. also, as for being knocked out- no one plans on that, but if you get scared or slip, its the unforeseen that may have you hit your head on something on the way out. "Professional skydivers stay on the ground while watching the non-professionals become professionals..." -Preacherman, ASC Clear skies, stay safe So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

I just jumped one a couple weeks ago at ASC in georgia for the Good Vibes boogie. Cool little plane. considering the size it fits a lot of people. Is not the best for tandems, but gets the job done. The speakers were cool, got to listen to music on the way up. it is a little rocket ship, esp. considering it is a single engine, must be a powerful turbine. Pretty cool that it flies with a stick and not yolk. Very true, tough for divers vs. floaters. we tried an 8 way with me being the second least experienced, only linked 5 or six of us. seemed like it was a little touchy while flying, but i liked it. I think itll be an awesome plane for newer DZs that want a turbine but cant afford a king air or otter. :-) Clear skies! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

I just got one put on a couple weeks ago. When i went to get a repack i asked my rigger if he could do it, he threw it on for minimal cost. Love the thing, just get prepped on the risk of it ;-) I'm flying a safire 189, havent learned to swoop yet (emphasis on yet!) but I just prefer to fly with it down, and i figure it is good practice for when i do begin to learn. No one has made fun of me yet, Im flying with some of the CPC and PST guys too, great group to learn from, and no mean comments yet :-D clear skies So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

I used to be VERY into flying before i started jumping, he was one of my idols, so glad he is ok. must have been an intense few seconds!!! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

"If you can learn to turn off the loudness (or manage it), all of a sudden skydiving goes from an intense activity to dancing in the skies" I never thought about that but as i get more jumps i dont notice the noise at all anymore. I assume that must be destracting to us new guys. I suppose we also learn to focus on the more "important" parts of the skydive. Good point Canuck!!! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

The method offered is probably best. From what it sounds like, that program will take you straight to your A license in exactly 25 jumps which is a good thing, and youll be a sound and safe skydiver from the start. The downside is that it will probably cost a lotmore loot. Research the other DZs, figure out which one you feel most comfortable and go with that. :-) clear skies, be safe, have fun! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

I recently read some posts about some of you old timers starting to lose interest in the sport. Now, let me preface this post with a couple things: First, Im still pretty damn new and get a hard on from the whole jumping out of a plane thing, but experienced enough to realize how awesome it is to improve on a skill. Second, I have all the respect in the world for all the coaches and instructors out there who have made this their life for years. In those afformentioned posts, there was less complaining and more searching for reasons to keep jumping. Again I still consider myself a newbie and skydiving is still a hobby, not a job. The point of my post is for suggestions for those looking for the ideas to maybe "Re-light the fire," to remind everyone how absolutely amazing what we do really is, no matter how obvious or quirky it may be. So here is my abbreviated semi-sober list of why i cant stop jumping, please add on! 1. You get to jump out of a plane and live... a lot. 2. Cuz there is lots of beer 3. The new crazy and interesting people I meet every weekend. 4. ASC 5. No matter what, I'll never have a perfect skydive and I can always improve something, or at least learn or try something new. 6. Seeing others around me reach new milestones 7. ...and drinking to celebrate... 8. Knowing I have the ability to leave all my stress behind and not give a shit about anything except having the time of my life for those 45-60 seconds. 9. Realizing the painfully embarrassing extremes of "shrinkage factor" at 15000 feet...and genuinely not caring (inspired by my very recent and very first naked skydive, im sorry I made you fly video Ryan, but i'm sure at some point we'll be thankful). 10. Because you don't know what you've got till it's gone. Though this applies to all walks of life, it should be a reality check for all y'all. I'm sure we've all seen the grounded jumpers from injuries or what have you watching everyone else jump knowing they can't get back in the air; for the lucky ones it is temporary. I have yet to see a grounded jumper, experienced or not, with a look of relief on his/her face. I was inspired to do this because i just had so much damn fun this past weekend, i hated leaving, i wish I could have made it last forever... In addition to the "I'm getting bored" posts. I could go on and on, as Im sure you can. But I'll leave it open so we can hear all sorts of fun stuff that'll keep us looking forward to next weekend. I LOVE SKYDIVING! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Hollister is awesome, drawback is a 15 minute van ride back from the LZ. Skydance may be closer to you and they are pretty awesome too. Byron isn't open as much, monterrey is really pretty but expensive. PM me for more details on all of em ;-) So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Im kinda in your position. I started trying to freefly around 30-35 jumps. Before i did anything i got coaching, it definitely helps and gives you something to work on when you arent being coached. Ive been taught to learn to backfly first because it's supposed to be a great tool to build the rest of freeflying from, esp head up. I've been doing AT LEAST 1 coach jump for every 9 solo freefly attempts, usually a lil more frequently than that.But yeah, get coaching to start just so you dont do anything that could be dangerous (backsliding a sit over or under someone else...) It is much harder to feel forward and rear movement in vertical positions, having others around you gives much better perception. Get coached, stay safe, jump lots!!!!! Jump, Land, Pack, Repeat! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

I was terrified at the door my fisrt 15 jumps. Everytime i finally let go i remembered why i kept doing it. Eventually i learned the equipment thouroghly and got enough jumps ina short period of time to really trust my equipment, reactions, and procedures and fully appreciate the entirety of the sport So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

I dont know anything about the DZOs, but ASC cedartown is one of the best places to jump. I understand you were refering to the DZO, but if he is anything like the staff he is fine by me. ASC is part of my family as far as im concerned. "While I don't agree with what you say sir, ill fight to the death your right to say it!" Brett So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Where I jump, we usually claim the lethal gas that can arise from the skydiving ass. Generally it's a simple "DOOR!" coming from somewhere other than the door, well before jumprun. Or, "you may wanna crack the door...TRUST ME" So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

I heard there is a tradition to do your 100th naked? Im closing in on 100, true/false? I mean im always down to try anything once! Expecially if i can use tradition as an excuse... So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

it's a bit of a money issue with me, rather than do the water training and any jumps w an instructor, id rather work on my backflying and sitflying. Put money towards more jumps and airtime experience, plus i just bought a rig which helped empty my account. There is definitely a laziness factor, i still havent sent in a photocopy of my A yellow card...finished that about 7 months ago... So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Yup, over the past year, at least half of my fraternity has told me they are "dying to go" 1 of about 80 guys has actually come. Same thing: When are you going next? Im going this weekend and every weekend after that... excuse, after excuse, after excuse. not too cool So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Here is a classic story- So im in DC this summer cuz of an internship, out to the bars in G-town with a couple aquaintences who are dead set on getting laid. These two guys are like the dudes in "A Night at the Roxbury" Real over the top, sleazy Mofos. One of the guys is the biggest bullshitter ever, found out i jump through one of my friends and he is like "O yeah I skyboard!" Im like no shit man, im not good enough to even try that yet, how many jumps you got? "Uhhhh, 28." RIIIIIIIIGHT. So that's the kind of asshole this guy is. ANYWAY, back to the bar story, weeks later im out with these guys, just getting wasted, havin fun. Ive got a girlfriend so im not looking to get laid here. They send me to go talk to these girls, so im like aight, no shame. I chat it up with the girls, i guess the dudes wanted me to wave em over or soemthing, but they come up and start acting like it is a huge coincidence that we are in the same bar. "Brett!!! What's up! what the hell are you doing here?" I give them the blankest look, and i was like, "DRINKING WITH YOU GUYS! REMEMBER?" then they moved past the awkwardness of the comment, introduce them to the new lady friends. So then the guys go "Yo so you know he skydives?" "Yeah, he does it all the time!, crazy guy huh?" My jaw hits the floor, handnt mentioned skydiving. The girls look at me and are like, so these guys are with you huh. bout a minute later it was a sausage fest again. Ive never seen that approach in any context before, hit on a girl through someone else. i only had like 40 jumps, i barely have 70 now, im barely a skydiver. i wanted to smack em, not cuz the girls left, but cuz they were such pussies! That's an irritating way of someone bringing up skydiving if ive ever seen it! i agree with whoever said it isnt what you do, who you are earlier in the post. It just happens to be that the coolest MFs are skydivers! HA HA, and sorry, no gushing vajs and open flood gates this time... So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

From a newbies P.O.V.: Definitley say something on the ground. Us new guys won't learn as fast unless others speak up when we fuck up. Prolly best you didn't shout to her in the air cuz she may have panicked like you thought. Just an aborted landing is frustrating, and into a swamped LZ? That sucks even more. Obviously don't go in bitching and screaming, but just let 'em know they fucked up in a very matter of fact way, and explain how to avoid similar incidents in the future. Recently I had a student track right below me, pulled just under 5, im usually dumping at 3.5, if i hadnt glanced down and caught him reaching to deploy we both woulda been dead. On the ground i just explained to him the purpose of perpendicular tracking, and he was super apologetic and will prolly take note of jump run now and wont do it again :-) Say stuff, we need to learn, but be nice! Clear skies all! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

with a football background, here are my thoughts. Holy Vince Young, your shoulders tired? Cuz DAYAM did you carry your team! (Yeah im a trojan fan) umm, other than that, awesome game, came down to who had the ball last which is cool by me. I still feel USC is much more balanced on offense, but UT's defense was up to the challnge, SC needs some help on D, i think the teams are very well matched, toss up on any meeting between these two teams with the current players. I think the officials were AWEFUL. A tremendous amount of blown or just plain wrong calls that hurt both teams. Skydiving still kicks the shit out of playin ball. Peace! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983