Kelly

alright, Red flag being raised. okay, we all have problems w/ sitflying (at first). me and heath refered to it as "my inborn ability to naturally make slow turns". basically, i was doing the same thing. He just had me go back into a sit stable. legs together, knees bent. arms out. get back into a regular sit that way. *** you said that you usually just arch etc etc.. please, please please dont go back to youre belly. dont get into that habit. if youre freeflying, going to your belly before breakoff can lead to deadly results. so please dont go to your belly. some good advice a very experienced FFer gave me (he's a freefly coach, on a team the whole 9 yards). watch your altitude, it goes by a lot quicker. Stay small if you cant get stable. DONT GO TO YOUR BELLY. It can be a deadly habit to get into http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

jimbo, Monkey Claw is opening up a school out at Chicagoland I believe. i know its a dz in chicago, and it isnt skydive chicago. In any case, its the one Damo was entertaining the idea of going to work @ next (now this) season. Brandon is a friend of thiers who helps occasionally, but is now stepping up to a full time Monkey Claw Coach. http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

back to another point. there is Chasing Amy, mallrats, Dogma, Jay and silent bob strike back and of course Clerks. but there was also an animated version of clerks out. cant forget about that one. BTW.. if you go to dogma.com (i think) you can search and find regular pics from their rehersals. Like pics of Matt Damon and all in regular clothes, scruffy hair, bags under their eyes.. pics like the one's we have from nights @ the dz and family parties. its pretty amusing.. ya almost never see those pics of famous folks. http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

i see your point. hey, youre from Perris.. what ever happened to michelle? she doesnt post anymore. http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

im here in New Jersey. Its in the 50's today, but windy. Weather is looking to be sunny, warmer, warmer and warmer right thru monday! I got out of ambulance duty this weekend. I think i might actually become a winter warrior (i refused to jump since i got home. too cold). whoo hee! it has been 3 weeks. http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

Jay and silent bob movies.. theres gotta be a website out there.. anybody know the addy? http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

lisa can answer the technical parts as far as how many jumps per month/thru the cycle, how many months you can be on the demo program and all... I went thru Square 3 (its a 'baby' of square 1, the gear company @ perris). A friend of mine did over 100 on square 3's demo gear while buying brand new gear. it took about 3 months before she even ordered it. so they give you a good amount of time. me~ i work @ my home dz. I was able to go on the demo program in the middle of july and just finished up in December. I was billed $99 monthly (after i had paid off my rig, waiting for it to come). So i got 5 months and about a week worth of demo gear. During that time I got hurt. so i guess i technically came off the demo program for 7 weeks (maybe that allowed me to still fit into the max. time to demo gear?). In any case, they worked it out with square 2 in eloy arizona and i was able to demo their gear w/out any costs. i really liked doing buisness with "The squares" (i almost pissed myself laughing when mary called it that!) The good things are that you can demo gear at the other 2 locations. The even better part, all three dropzones are biggies as far as DZ's are considered, so youre not loosing out (going from a turbine dz to a cessna dz). They work well with you, are very informed, offer additional discounts.. the list goes on and on. I love my new gear and was very pleased that the squares were able to help me out when i decided to go out to eloy. http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

haha. did my first H&P from 13'5 when i had 20 some jumps. it was a 2 way. Right before another friend gets out for a 'regular' skydive he turns around and yells at me "hey kel! youre gonna get out, dump, look down and realize youre very high up.. youre gonna shit yourself! BYE!!" then he jumped out. That friggin jerk :) I got out, dumped, looked down and realized how high i was.. started cursing him right away :) but in all seriousness, think about it. You've got a lot more time to react to a mal (that worry goes down). Just make sure that you keep yourself upwind. Have fun on them hop and pops from up high! Their awesome jumps. Where else can you 'jump' with a friend for more than just 60 seconds at a time? you get a few good minutes to play with your buddies and you can even talk to eachother. http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

remi, yeah. Got empuria brava confused with Port Maquarie. I know, their on different continents, but I confuse easily :) eb was the dz for WAG. PM is having a Freefly boogie at the end of febuary.. thats what got me. i heard freefly boogie in febuary and EM... :) http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

amen to that. Glad to see that youre making smarter and safer decisions... this way, youre chances of being a hot canopy pilot down the road are increased. http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

i didnt get a PM in the last couple of days.. i might have forgotten to write back before (whoops :) http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

youre jumping a 135~or at least you were~ now you mention you have to jump a 150 (demo gear, i totally understand. you jump whats available) downsizing a little might help. note the might. jumping a colbalt or something elliptical like that b/c you want to be able to jump in windy days?!? Think about it, if all you want to do is be able to have more jumpable days then adding a tiny elliptical canopy to the situation is only trouble. You wont even be able to buy something like that from any respectable dealer, and im pretty sure if you do find a sleazy dealer to buy one from, then the company youre purchasing from would refuse the order when told your jump numbers/experience/currency/mindset. and dont get upset when folks ask about your experience... or how many jumps you have logged. Their looking out for your safety AND (quite possibly) formulating information so they can decide if they want to jump with you. (would you jump w/ somebody who has shitty gear that prematures all the time? How about somebody known to track off after you at breakoff? i dont think so) they've got to make all the decisions they can so that they can make this the safest skydive for themselves. if you did get a tiny elliptical i wouldnt jump at the dropzone youre jumping at! Not unless the dz is going to pay me for scraping your ass up. I do the volly EMS thing, dont do the "jumper making a huge mistake, i think ill go out to the dz so i can be traumatized by seeing a fellow skydiver splattered all over the ground while i work my ass off to try to save their life" thing. (im getting sick of your attitude. Shit like that will kill yourself. Do the rest of us a favor and save us some USPA $ that would otherwise be spent on improving our sport.. Dont jump some tiny shit that you cant handle in all conditions. Cause then theirs the investigation, the dealings with the FAA, the bad plublicity etc etc. We dont need that.) for anyone thinking im being mean, go check out the Swooping forum. you might get my point then. http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

scratch that... got confused. wrong dz. http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

im assuming (since america is backwards) that youre going from feb 2 thru feb feb4th...? wait 3 weeks! seriously, Empuria Brava is hosting a freefly boogie the last weekend of april/early march http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

now youve got me getting serious. you posted this in the first place, but you didnt ask any questions. Do you have any? Have wing loadings been explained properly to you? can you correctly calculate one? cause if youre doing it wrong, and dont fully understand it, then you could possibly come up with a number that seems reasonable (even though it should raise a mental flag). are you getting the correct guidance at your home dropzone? remember that jumpers with out YEARS in the sport and many many jumps arent always guiding you in the right direction. were at about the same level. Ive only got 64 jumps. the thought of loading 1:1 (which I am now) involved a whole lot. Recurrency, upsizing first before i went back to what i was jumping before then eventually downsizing, traveling 2,500 miles for 5 1/2 weeks to better jumping conditions, canopy control jumps, lots of solos and Hop and pops (not from 3 grand either, descent altitude), testing my skills (landing off, crosswind etc etc) granted, i went to the extreames, i even gave up the thought of going on a non skydiving trip to OZ b/c i thought my skydiving/canopy skills couldnt afford a break at this point but sometimes more emphasis on taking it easy is better. lemme tell you, i wasnt standing many landings up before i got hurt. 7 weeks w/out jumping, by the third jump i was standing them all up (and have, save the reserve ride). The desicion to downsize again came only after careful analasis, lots of landings on video being seen time and time again, consideration of altitude, winds, landing area, landing conditions, other canopy pilots (who id be in the sky with under this smaller, new canopy), and safety. I wont be downsizing again for a long time, many many jumps.. Its not that fast, but i need to learn a lot more on the 135 I hope all these posts just affirm that little voice in your head thats telling you this is a bad idea. downsize reasonably, one size at a time.. not a good deal smaller and eliptical. Sincerely, kel http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

Tiffany, please explain why you would either A) troll outside the Talk back forum, which is specifically designed for whatever we want to say (sangiro created these additional forums for those needed further answer in specific disaplines) * or* B) would actually consider such a drastic downsizing. If youre trying to poke fun at someone or make a point go to the talkback forum. If youre seriously considering this, god help you. http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

I could tell your dad every second of this skydive -if- he was jumping @ xkeys. Each dropzone does things a little differently. Call the dz he will be jumping at and ask to talk to the person who does the student briefings. Ask them to explain what happens during the class. http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

next time somebody asks you that look them dead in the eye and say "because im afraid of the landings... you should see our pilot fly..." it works everytime for me. it usually gets a laugh then when i dont laugh they shut up.. thats usually when i smile :) http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

2nd tandem- an old friend/tandem instructor came along. it was awesome. the video is sweet. 4th tandem- 9 instructors/tandem masters/cameramen/ experienced, on staff friends came along. We definitally should have dirtdived it more, but the important issues were covered: one person was to dock, nobody else get close. pay attention to the drouge and where the tandem is going (in this case, all over the sky). watch out for each other. at 6grand back the hell up, cause the tandem student is pulling @ 5k on the dot (i was given objectives, including turns and deploying). The skydive was a bit crazy, but everybody remembered the important parts, and it went safe. another idea.. i had an old high school friend come out to the dz to do a tandem (to my surprise). Since im nowhere near experienced to jump with him the plan was for me to leave right before him. (i got hurt the jump before, so i didnt make that load). this way, even though you cant jump with them your friend still gets the awesome sight of seeing his sooo coollll (whuffos view) friend being all happy and relaxed as they dive out and wave to him. Remember, ultimately, youre doing this for your friend. YOure already a skydiver, the oportunity for you to jump along w/ a friend will prolly be there in the future. this may be his only skydive. And just having you in the airplane, seeing you leave (very happy and relaxed!), maybe having his instructor pointing out which canopy is yours while under canopy, then having you there when he lands would still be enough to make him very happy. keep it safe. and let us know what you decide to do http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

when i purchased my new gear buying a cypres wasnt even a question. I had the money to go all out. But even if i didnt, i think that i would have purchased one somehow. I know of at least one friend (a jumper) who would have gladly let me borrow the money for a cypres if i needed it, or let me use one out of his multiple rigs. (he didnt jump b/c of injuries) 3xs this season cyres' deployed reserves b/c of altitude loss w/ jumpers who have over 1,000 jumps at my dz. im so new to this sport, so inexperienced, that i compare it to a newborn, still with the ambilical cord and all. Im going to lose alitude awareness one day, so much so that its not just 500 feet but actually alot more. I want the cypres for that moment. I dont think the chances are as great for me gettign knocked out, but who knows. and even if my cypres fires when im unconscious, whos to say that i wont regain consciousness seconds before landing? even if its only enough to give a little rear riser input, a half flare or something. The facts are there. youre not dead until you hit the ground. Everything from exit to that point are chances to save yourself. Dont forget about those last couple of moments, because they are the most critical. Excuses like "if im unconscious my tiny reserve will be my death anyway.." dont fly with me. A reserve deployment will slow you down dramatically and give you something you didnt have before ~more time, specifically, canopy time, time for you to wake up, gain awareness, whatever. just time to save yourself (possibly) thats just my .02 cents. BTW- if i didnt have a cypres to jump with i would still do a jump or two. I'd really consider what type of skydive i was doing and with who, but i would still make a couple of jumps. Accidents can happen anytime, i know that, but thats a risk i would take (just not on a regular basis) http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

coolest: a tandem 11 way (tandem, 9 friends) w/ a friend docked on my chest strap and other jumpers on thier bellies, sitflying and in stands all around us. I was the only person on the skydive w/ less than 1,500 jumps. I had 7. http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

Can you still take the A license test? _____________________________________ From what I've understood, you can't take the A license test anymore. It doesnt exist anymore. I started my Solos in march. i had done tandems before that. While other students were doing their first jumps, because i had done 3 tandems before that, I was able to continue with the old program. I still got the "A license checklist", which ISP students still get. But i was able to take the A license. I think that taking the test in April, before i even had 3 non tandem jumps under my belt, allowed me to do this. I know that I was one of the last students @ xkeys, if not the very last, to do it the old way. Other students who graduated with me still had to do the oral quiz. hope this answers your question better. http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

hey. i sent you a PM back, cause i got urs. i was just wondering if their is footage from the xgames on the web anywhere. got a couple of friends who participated in opening ceremonies... ~kel http://kel197.tripod.com/skydivefriendsTRIPOD/html Updated!!

snowflake, aw! you did your first jump on my birthday. it was a sunday, and here in jersey it was raining/snowing/sleeting. i remember cause i did my ground school on my bday (happy bday me!) http://www.geocities.com/flynfroggie/skydiving_friends.html Updated!!

jessica, oh! i didnt know you jumped at san marcos. We just ment Lance, Chris(1) and chris (2) from there. Timmy was at xkeys this summer... what a trip. http://www.geocities.com/flynfroggie/skydiving_friends.html Updated!!