chrismgtis

I owe you a beer for this one if you're ever at Skydive Carolina. Then again, you could just buy me a beer instead. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

I feel your frustration, I think all the recent treads about the decline and death of this sport is nonsense. At the DZ where I work at, our student program has never been as busy with solo freefall students and graduates as it is right now. As Wendy pointed out, we have a large amount of sport jumpers with 25 to 200 jumps that are eager to jump all they can, go to tunnel camps and participate in competitive skydiving at the local level. When we have 100 tandems on the books, the boss provides the sport jumpers plenty of slots with multiple aircraft and the Otters and Caravan stay very busy with sport jumpers and solo freefall students all day long. Seriously, if there are any quality AFF instructors out there looking for a place to roost, we have never been busier; the sport is flourishing in our part of the world… So let the opinionated talk, they are entitled to their perspective even though it has no bearing with reality on a world wide scale, skydiving is far from extinct or unpopular. Ditto to everything you said. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

You aren't the only one. In the past, it was so bad for me that I would break a sweat paying for gas. I felt as if no matter where I was that everyone was watching me. Even those indoors when I was standing outside. I have always envied those kinds of people that are able to walk up to just anyone, start a conversation, smile and get others excited. I would love to be that outgoing. On the plane ride to altitude I always feel somewhat left out when everyone is yelling and having a good time. I'm usually the quite one that sits there waiting for the door to open and doesn't say much. I've gotten a lot better since my first jump, because I've gotten used to everyone and feel more like I'm part of the whole drop zone family, but I guess I'll always have those issues to an extent. It was much much worse in the past and I attribute that mainly to the way I was treated by so many people I've met in my life that I just learned to shut the hell up to avoid being ridiculed. This sport actually helps people be more outgoing. I know it's helped me. If you feel like such an outcast at your drop zone. You're at the wrong drop zone. You probably can't help that because it's not like there are that many choices in driving distance for many of us, but NOT EVERY drop zone is like that. I've been lucky enough to make all my jumps at an excellent drop zone. Everyone is treated with respect, if you have questions they will get answered by pretty much anyone you ask and people speak to you no matter who you are. I just hung around the guys in my first jump class all the time. We all became friends and kept tabs on how each other was doing. All but one of the four of us that were in that FJC got licensed and still jump after about 10 months. What you probably want to do is just engage in conversation with people that have something in common with you. The ones that started when you did, have about the same number of jumps, your instructors, the people at manifest, etc. From there you can meet plenty of other people. Hell, next year make a trip to Skydive Carolina for the Rodriguez Brothers boogie. Get initiated. As shy as I am, I went through with it. There are some things in life that you are scared as hell of that you just have to do to if you want certain things. You were able to make that first jump and continue doing it. If you can do that, you can take being initiated. I'm the last person I thought would ever have the balls to do some of the things I've done in the last 10 months. As far as those people that instruct for a paycheck. I've not met a single one yet that had that attitude. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

Can someone that knows about video cameras make a list of their opinion of the "best" cameras in specific dollar ranges? (eg., $200, $300, $400, $500, etc). For use in tandem video for example, not just for anything. Along with different types of media and which is better for what types of situations? I'm curious myself and I'm sure it would be beneficial to others. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

No no. Not at all. I don't remember exactly how he said it. He could explain it better than I can. I just know what he meant when he was explaining it. As someone said in an earlier reply the wind speed doesn't matter and it doesn't matter if your flying downwind, crosswind or upwind. You flare at the same height every time and whatever technique that works best for you in a flare, you do it the same way no matter what the conditions. Hopefully that makes a little more sense. Sorry. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

Well, coming from someone who has had plenty of non-stand up landings, what I do right now is bend my knees (holding them out slightly in front of me) and get ready to PLF. Which has helped. Problem is I flare too late now, when I was flaring too early so I need to work on flaring earlier again. I busted my knees up a few times a couple of weeks ago. It's a pain in the ass to learn to land, I've had some perfect landings consistently for an entire weekend and done nothing but slide in on my ass an entire weekend. According to Scott Miller, who has over 8000 jumps and worked for PD at one time if I remember correctly, you flare the same no matter what the conditions. Do it the same every time. If you're doing a one stage flare, there may be some kind of different scenario there, but I doubt it. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

I got in a few "RW" jumps this past weekend at the boogie and played around. This time adjusting fall rate actually worked very well, so I was able to see that what I was doing really worked. The guy I jumped with was about the same size as me. The other week I was jumping with someone much bigger than me and I just couldn't catch up. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

Because you didn't read the entire thread. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

Actually, you don't have to hit the "circle" (whatever the circle may be). You have to land, within what 20m for B, right? (can't remember) That's 65.62 feet. It's pretty easy to get within 65.62 feet of a target. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

If you're jumping student gear, you should check the card on the gear you're jumping because you don't when it was last repacked or is due. If it's your own rig, you should know when it was last repacked and is due, therefore saying you should check the card is a little ridiculous, even for the first jump of the day on your rig. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

Yea I know, that's partially what I was saying. That he shouldn't have to get out of his flight plan because of traffic usually. The reason I say that is in 58 jumps I've never had to abort my original plan because of another canopy. Not that it won't happen. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

It doesn't get any less fun each time. It just gets better. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

Well, if they are flying smaller canopies they may not be able to help it (faster descent?). Usually if you are below them they should be applying brakes to get vertical separation from you. It kind of depends, cause I would probably try to give someone that is moving a lot faster than me the right away. You're pattern shouldn't really be effected too much by other canopies unless someone is doing something they shouldn't or you're at a large boogie just coming down from a big way. I mean, usually mine isn't with (between 23-35?) other canopies in the air. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

I knew it. Thank you It was a blast. Pepe, let's have the next boogie earlier. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

In other words, it sounds like the tandem passenger is pretty much screwed. Dave should counter sue for any money and time he loses dealing with this guy. Never understood people like this myself. They buy coffee, sit it in their lap while driving and sue when it spills and burns them. They inhale smoke into their lungs for twenty years (I am a smoker myself) and sue when they finally get sick only to claim they "didn't know". Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

If you're not thinking about where you want to land and trying to hit that spot, you're not really going to get any better. You're just going to get lucky. If you used to a large landing area and don't work on accuracy you're going to be in a lot of trouble when you go to a DZ with a smaller landing area. Think about where you want to land every single time you jump and try to hit that spot right on. I usually try different techniques every jump I make, so I land right on or way off randomly depending on what I do differently that time. When I'm going by eye and instinct I land within 20 feet every time, but I try not to do that. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

Beer... jello shots....margarita.... then there came the tequila...one..two...three times? I lost count. Damn you shaggio. The last thing I remember was stumbling to my tent, falling over (takes too much energy any other way) then the tent started spinning. Finally got the strength to lift my 1500 lb head up and roll over to the sleeping bag. So much of last night is blurry. I won't ask. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

I will try that and see what happens. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

It seems to me that such arrogance, ignorance and stupidity isn't something you want to purposely have when you're a skydiver. I mean, giving other jumpers a reason to be really pissed off at you just doesn't indicate the ability to think clearly. It's one thing to be arrogant to a McDonald's employee that might spit on your cheeseburger, but it's entirely another to piss off a bunch of skydivers. I think if I was pissing off a lot of jumpers I would be apologizing and buying lots of beer. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

I can't understand why a person would want to move at extreme speeds inches from the ground. Weirdos. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

I think you would seriously need to be an expert freeflyer in sit, head down, etc to start sky surfing. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

lol that is how you learn. We didn't intend on staying with each other because we were pretty sure we couldn't. He's falls much faster than I do and were both not that experienced. Sure thing. Flag me down if you know me by face. Are you at the DZ regularly? I'm not sure if I've met you or not. Well this is one reason I asked this question on here. I do that and I get some movement, but it's not as much as I want. I do most of what people have said to try in this post, but I want a faster forward movement. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

I have a few times. I just usually get mainly the same answers. Not that I haven't done what I've been told to try, it's just that I haven't jumped a lot with others that weren't staying in proximity themselves (I didn't have to do any of the work). In AFF I was able to do these things, but obviously I didn't do them extremely well cause I didn't have the experience. I know it's hard to explain techniques since you can't physically show them to me. Most of what you talked about I believe I already do. The guy I jumped with jumps a 230 so he weighs more than I and falls a lot faster. I'm not really sure what my fall rate is, but I believe he said he can fall at about 150 belly to earth. We jumped this weekend for fun and weren't intending on staying with each other, but we gave it a try to see what would happen and I was just curious if anyone had any thoughts on getting to a fast faller quickly. I jump with a Bevsuit, ordered specifically for me so it isn't very loose. It's mostly made of nylon. Lately I haven't been wearing a suit most of the time. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

I have a few questions as I'm just curious how some of you accomplish several freefall maneuvers yourself. I haven't had a whole lot of practice and I plan on doing more 1-on-1 RW to get better. I've done a lot of solos and high pulls which are what most of my jumps consisted of. Stability, turns and tracking are no problem. What I find that I'm not very good at is flat tracking towards another jumper (increase horizontal speed). That is the main thing that I want to work on. I jumped this weekend with a friend who falls a lot faster than I do. We exited the CASA, and I immediately went into a track towards him. Then when I got much closer horizontally I raised my arms and legs up to fall faster, but never caught up with him. How do YOU do the following. What have you found to work the best for you so that I can attempt these things to see if something works better for me. - flat track (example: to dock) - increase/decrease fall rate - track steeper/track with faster descent Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

I wondered about that. It looked hot cause I saw that he had on some kind of soft material suit underneath the silver suit. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan