Jumperpaula

I did not fall in love with the canopy on the first jump. The opening was slow alright- slow as Christmas and the canopy seemed "twitchy" and I spent the whole first jump playing with the toggles, and the stall point and the flare. I paid close attention to my body position in relation to the canopy in full flight and level light etc. like Colbalt Dan recommends. My landing was nice. Seemed like a reasonable flare. Second jump, I had a little more fun with it, still opened slow, but I was ready for it. I wanted to help it - I played with risers and some spirals, fun to dive that hard - my Sabre could NEVER do that. I had the whole sky to myselft, and was having sooo much fun watching the canopy perform during the manuvers. On the second landing, I found the bottom of the flare - the flare inputs are no where near as forgiving as the Sabre, but nothing I couldn't run out. It seemed in full flight the twitchy nature was worse, almost like the thing was flying me - I've never been a wingload junkie, but this is the first time I really felt like a canopy over me needed more weight. Like the ride would be smoother. Should I be feeling LIGHT under canopy going from a Sabre120 @ 1.3 to a Stilletto120 @ 1.3? I weigh 155 in full RW gear. Or I've been hanging around Ramon too long? As far as the opening being slow, Maybe I should take it to terminal? Did two hop-n-pops. Not a blonde.... Paula Fly Your Slot !

To take a try at your initial question... You know how when your driving slow and you hit a bump and you really feel it hard, but if you had more speed, you would take that same bump smoother? If your going above or below someone, and there is no possible way to stop or turn, just get out of the bad air as quick as possible. The faster you go through the bad air, the less "bumpy" it will be for you and possibly the other. Test Score please..? Fly Your Slot !

So true, it wouldn't be RW if it wasn't all about falling relative. The rate of fall for all of us - and being more "in tune" with fall rate issues has come a long way in the last few years with the developement of the Pro-Track. Now, we can measure and have averages- and know if formations are falling fast or slow. If you don't already have one, add to your wish list. If your goal is to fall faster, you will need to know how fast you fall now and use it to measure improvement. Another issue would be weights and jumpsuits. 4way team stuff will of course require a faster average fall rate than fun DZ-ways. You will have to experiement and research to find what works for you personally, physically, mentally, and aerodynamically. As a "floaty' faller, for RW you will really have to increase your mental focus on the "the next point" and "the one after that", if you float between points. You may want to try arching harder just a split second before you release, and pick up grips just slightly low - in other words, staying one step ahead of "floating". Getting "a little up" if you need to will be a lot easier than getting "a little down", so stay a split second ahead of the skydive. And Skycat.....are you recruiting babes for Ugly Chick Numbers again? Come play at Spacyland... Fly Your Slot !

Very Nice. I can make out lil skydivers in the pattern. Jump it yet? I WANT BEER! Fly Your Slot !

Born: Martin Army Hospital, Ft Benning Ga. 1968 Currently LIve: Friendswood TX (Suburb-Houston) Home DZ: Skydive Spaceland (where lot's of people don't have AAD's) First Jump: Skydive USA-Wharton TX (now closed) 9-1998 Fly Your Slot !

Great advice! Lot's of it the same as I've already heard. I've asked and talked and thought, and researched and read. I've narrowed my concerns down- I don't feel anxious about the landings, it's the "more prone to spinning high speed mal's" part that's kept me from trying it. but...time to shut up and jump it! Thanks Everyone! Fly Your Slot !

What should I expect and what advice can you give me? I have 400 jumps, last 100 on a Sabre 120 - moving to a Stilleto 120 Loaded 1.3. Paula Fly Your Slot !

Im gonna do some solo's with a new canopy soon. What can I work on doing a solo and pulling high that will improve my RW skills? (Excluding freeflying) Style Series perhaps? Any suggestions for Solo Drill Dives? Fly Your Slot !

I was just looking for suggestions and encouragement. This thread is excellent timing for me. I loaned my weightvest out - and don't have it to jump this weekend. I was anxious about flying without weights and even considering not doing RW this weekend because I will be floaty! (Floaty Bitch, by exact terms on the DZ) . But with some of the suggestions here, think I'll just decide it's time to try new things and find ways to fall faster without weights. -I am a little worried about establishing some altered muscle memory that I have to UNDO later. One weekend without a weightvest won't kill me ...right? Luv Blue Skies, Paula Fly Your Slot !

I can do this! Lets Track (paula's busted reading the freefly threads!) Fly Your Slot !

You get your Parachutist and immediately look for friends or DZ.COM members. Fly Your Slot !

Guess everyone with the "Go Lows" knows where to jump now! I follow the Golden Words of Ms Jane at SDH "I'd rather strap it on than wear it" (much funnier coming from her!) Fly Your Slot !

Paula's dream date: Clay's friend walks up and says "I was going to spend this 78K to meet you on coincidence, but you look like a sensible girl. Just take the money yourself, and we can get to know each other over dinner." Fly Your Slot !

Wonder what Tom does for a living that lets him travel to all those fun drop zones in 17 months or less? Im in the wrong business. Great Story and Great Pic of Brit (go girl!) Fly Your Slot !

Can't believe no one mentioned this one... "Have you ever hit a bird in freefall?" , I heard a student ask a jumpmaster once "If I need to cut away my reserve, how would I do that?" Fly Your Slot !

155 in 2001. 2002 will be alot better

2:8:0 I jumped Thur-Fri-Sat. (I was asking Kat about you Sat Zen.) Absolutely Gorgeous till Sunday! Made my 400th on thurs

On the issue of the advanced class moving to the open class, - say for instance, Im fortunate enough to medal in the advanced class, then my team breaks up. I form a team at the DZ with 3 jumpers who have never been on a team. Would the fact that I have medaled in advanced class disqualify my team from competing in intermediate? If the answer is 'YES, your team would have to compete in open since you medaled in advanced last year"... I think this needs re-thinking. Fly Your Slot !

Planning RW Dives is sooo much more than 4 way. - It's knowing skill levels and being able to put someone in a slot that challenges them - Yet still have a good skydive. Im sure we have all bought a jump ticket on a skydive we KNEW would never work. But I watch people plan and execute good skydives, challenging even pushing our level of experience, but only so far. A very well planned RW dive builds your confidence with your skills. Fly Your Slot !

Personal agenda's such as making Eloy the USPA Headquarters for the Nationals? The current system of taking bids and awarding the work to the most efficient proposal keeps these dropzones competitive and inovative. What would happen to any DZ that had THE WORLDS TOP SKYDIVING EVENT locked up for several years? What would happen to jump ticket prices? Training Schedules? Team Rates? What's the incentive to grow and provide good service to the customer? (yes, the skydiver is THE CUSTOMER..) I like the bidding process. I like competition in any marketplace. Fly Your Slot !

[url "http://www.uspa.org/CurrentMembers/Competition/100101.htm http://www.uspa.org/CurrentMembers/Competition/100101.htm [/url] Here's the link to proposed changes - Fly Your Slot !

Mikie says my long hair smells like Jet A after a day at the DZ. If I don't wash it, he doesn't stop sniffing it. - ...just like junkies. Fly Your Slot !

This was sent to me a few days ago. Interesting topic of discussion. Should I sign it? Im not a competitor, but I support them. > Friends > Changes are going to made in the coming weeks > that affect the way YOUR U.S. Nationals are conducted. > This is your opportunity to change your Nationals to > better serve your interests. If you are, were, or will > be a competitive skydiver and agree with this > E-petition please take note. > > 1. Forward this petition to the address in the subject > box along with your USPA member# in the subject box. > 2. Forward this message to any and all concerned > friends in your mailing list. > 3. Feel free to add comments of your own, but please > do not alter the body of this petition. > 4. Delete this preamble before sending to USPA. > > It's takes only a few minutes to forward this > message. If you choose not to then you will have no > right to complain next year. So please, point and > click your way to change. > > PETITION STARTS HERE > ______________________________________________________________________ > > USPA Competition committee members > > We would like to take a few moments of your > valuable time to outline a few concerns we have about > the current rule changes for FS competition that will > be discussed at the Feb. meeting, and also outline a > few proposals we feel will better serve our needs. > > First, to allow the Advanced class champion to > stay in that division year after year would be a slap > in the face to most seasoned and novice competitors. > The proposal as we know it has been originated by Kurt > Gaebel of the NSL whom is also a member of Taewaz. > Mr.Gaebel has taken advantage of the success of the > NSL to push his own personal agenda. There are many > NSL competitors who do not wish for Mr. Gaebel to > speak for them, we are just a few of many. It is our > opinion that Kurt and his very well trained team have > aspirations of "camping out" in the advanced class for > many years to come in some twisted fantasy of being > "amateur Champion" of the world year in and year out. > If you are to consider allowing the advanced class > winner to stay then why not allow the intermediate > class champion as well? We can answer that for you, > because too many members would be upset, thats why. > Then why would you think for a moment that most of the > members would not be upset with allowing the advanced > class champion to stay. We have heard their argument > for staying in the advanced class: (Pro vs. Amateur), > "I don't want to quit my job, live in a roach infested > trailer, eat beenie wennies and haul tons of tandems > for years waiting to be picked by a top team". Well, > thats what most of the world class competitors choose > to do to be on top. If Mr.Gaebel wants to be on top > then those are the sacrifices that have to made. You > can't have your cake and eat it too. > > With the recent advent of "player coaches" it is > foreseeable that an "Amateur team" could live > indefinatly in the Advanced class. This would > discourage competition and eventually lead to disgust > among members. > > Leave the rule in place. All winners move up to > the next class. The only reason we are talking about > it is because Mr.Gaebel wants you to believe he speaks > for the 100 or so teams that use the NSL as a means to > "train" for what matters most to members..."our US > Nationals". Which by the way, will never be replaced > by the NSL in any way, shape, or form regardless of > how hard Mr.Gaebel promotes the NSL. > > Second, we do agree with Mr.Gaebel on a few > points. Yes, there needs to be a class between the > current intermediate and advanced. We agree with his > proposal for a class that "bridges" the gap. That > division would have, from the current dive pool, 16 > blocks, all randoms with no mirror/non-repeater > sequences of 4-5 points. > Entry level Competition continues to grow as > evidenced by the FACT that over half of the teams at > the Nationals this year were in the intermediate class > and steps should be taken to ensure their needs and > wants are met. That tells us the competition committee > needs to get busy pleasing the masses. > > Thirdly, we would like to propose a few changes > to the current competition format: > > 1. ALL Teams should be allowed to fully > demonstrate their skills via enough competition rounds > to cover all, or nearly all, of the blocks and > formations. Ten rounds will allow us to do so. > Competitors don't want to jump less, they want to jump > more. The average intermediate team may make between > 100-250 training jumps before Nationals only to get > there and be allowed to make 6 jumps. If lift capacity > and time needed to complete 4-way is the major concern > then allow an intermediate team to decide whether it > wants to do ten rounds for the championship or six > rounds for the experience. This option will help > reduce the total number of rounds and subsequently the > lift capacity and time needed to complete the event. > > 2. Skydive Arizona should host all future > Nationals events. They obviously have the capacity, > facilities, staff and weather to make every Nationals > a success from a competitors point of view. Members > don't care about distribution of funds to USPA member > DZs, we care about making 6-10 competition jumps per > day on fast, well organized aircraft into great > weather conditions. > > 3. We want fair judging. We want our out of sight > hand grip on a meeker to count the same as Arizona > Airspeeds out of site hand grip on a Compressed > Accordian/ Box, and countless other documented > similarities. It seems the judges look for an > Intermediate teams missing grips and ASSUMES Airspeeds > has theirs. This situation needs to change or judging > credibility, and subsequently, Nationals credibility > will suffer. Intermediate and Advanced teams take > their competition just as serious as our world class > counterparts do and demand to be judged in the same > like manner. > > 4. Rules need to be in place to curb a disturbing > trend of late; highly experienced coaches and > competitors, many current and previous medalists of > the U.S., France, GB, Canada, and other countries with > greencards joining with weekend competitors, either by > aquaintance or monetary agreement to compete at our > Nationals. Case in point; Optic Nerve had two highly > experienced competitors of world class caliber join > them to compete solely at this years Nationals. > It will be a dark day when a US Nationals medal > can be bought and paid for. We do not agree with this > blatant attempt to usurp the rules and demand steps be > taken to end it. > > 5. We would like to be kept well informed via the > member dues supported web site of all pertinent > information regarding issues that affect our Nationals > competition in a timely manner. > > In summation: > > 1. All medalists should continue to be required to > move up to the next division. > > 2. A division is needed to bridge the gap between > Intermediate and Advanced. A total of four divisions > are needed to better serve the needs of entry level > teams. The current Intermediate, The new division, > Advanced, and open will accommodate all members needs > and abilities. > > 3. All entry level divisions(Intermediate/new class) > should have the option of competing in a 10 round > venue. > > 4. All future Nationals events should be held at > Skydive Arizona. > > 5. Rules to prevent teams from using hired guns at our > Nationals. > > 6. Timely distribution of information via the > web site and Parachutist magazine. > > Respectfully > USPA Members > Fly Your Slot !

Sorry Sis, doesn't look like there are any plans for night jumps on New Year's Eve at Spaceland. - check skydivespaceland.com Fly Your Slot !

When I jump my Gath, I just use a rubber band and attach my Protrack on the inside of the helmet. I've never used the brackets-but I would if it were my regular helmet. Fly Your Slot !