Gato

Interesting - I'll make it a point to attend sometime. I think my home DZ is sending a CReW team, but I'm not sure if that's this year or not. I wasn't really asking anything in my post, I think I was just being rather analytical and shooting my mouth off for a bit. Observations, you know. T.I.N.S.

I've seen a lot of threads where a lot of jumpers admit they've gone beyond recommended wingloadings and/or planforms before they really had the experience necessary to fly well. In looking for my first rig, this has lead me to a couple of observations about how a new jumper arrives and survives in this sport. And how they might not. All things being equal (experience, jumpsuit, fallrates, disabilities, weight belts aside), every skydiver is basically on equal ground with every other skydiver, in that everyone is assigned a body, and you have to live with the way it flies. In this way, a novice skydiver may feel he or she is a "natural", and very well may be so. As long as a freefalling human can be taught to deploy a parachute, everything's hunky dory. This is obviously a separate topic from FLYING a parachute. What I think is that this confidence in one's ability to fly the body might lead to a belief in one's ability to fly and land a parachute safely. I realize some methods of instruction try and take this into account, and I'm not having a go at any learning method, though I may come off like a Static Line salesman. While researching gear for myself, I realized that if I were to buy a Samurai or Competition Cobalt loaded at 1.6 for my first main, that would be the functional equivalent to a new pilot buying an F-18 Hornet as their first private aircraft. Can you imagine that? "Yes sir, thank you for my recreational pilot's license; do you know that online tactical fighter dealer? - my dad gave me money for a new plane!" This just wouldn't happen, right? As a new pilot, you'd more than likely be in something similar to what you learned on, if you even bought a plane, and you sure as shit wouldn't buy a new one. I guess what I'm saying is that I think it would be a good idea to draw a parallel between planes and parachutes - when I earn my A License, I think it would be a good idea for me to fly a "Cessna" parachute, not a Spitfire or Mistubishi Zero type of parachute. This has been discussed before, and I've seen threads comparing motorcycling and other activities to our sport. After having so many canopy flights and so little freefall experience, I'm convinced that the canopy deployment and flight is more important than the freefall, in terms of your survival. Of course, this is all from a noob's point of view - I'm just trying to make appropriate decisions about what I'm going to fly. Just some thoughts........ T.I.N.S.

I was a waiter and bartender for almost 20 years - if you don't show up and REALLY do your job, REALLY take care of your customers, you won't take shit home. Period. I also remember my dad and I watching "Then Came Bronson" a looooonnng time ago, I think I was around 4 years old. He had just picked up this girl (Bronson, not my dad) and they showed up a job site where he proceeds to clean bricks or something to earn some cash - but the girl just sits around doing nothing. The next morning, she's looking for breakfast, finds an empty egg carton, and he's in the process of eating a dozen scrambled eggs. He looks up at her and says, "You don't work, you don't eat." Had a big, big impact on me. Kinda silly, though. T.I.N.S.

By the way, Stratostar, the gentleman in your tag line (T. Dolphin) is my freakin' hero - and my favorite DZO. I'm pretty sure I'm not his favorite student, though.... T.I.N.S.

No sweat, Mike! I probably should have used the wink emoticon instead of the one I used. The link is actually pretty funny. Cheers! T.I.N.S.

I was really just making a joke, but I'd expect to get a sound reaming if I were to fuck up in the air - say if I went low twice in one weekend as a student.... T.I.N.S.

Nice. Very classy - am I to understand it's ok to beat my ass because I was late to give a guitar lesson? Fuck, I'm sorry. T.I.N.S.

I know, I know..... T.I.N.S.

Please see my previous post on the resolution of this matter. Your response tells me you saw what I was saying as arrogant - my self-esteem is waaaayyyy too far in the shitter to be arrogant, sir. I am, however, quite confident in my abilities and in the my track record of turning out kick-ass guitar players. Thanks for your views, I appreciate it. T.I.N.S.

Thanks, everybody, for your views and opinions! I had a meeting with M****** about two hours ago, and THE EMAIL WAS NOT DIRECTED AT ME!!!! There are two other teachers he was very angry with last night, and it was targeted (not very well) at them. THEY are habitually late and leave their students waiting on a semi-consistent basis. He said he intended to send a follow-up email to clear up any misunderstanding, but he was too pissed-off, and forgot. I'm glad I didn't send the reply I wrote last night, and that I went and spoke to him face-to-face. He thanked me for coming in and talking to him about it on my day off. Yeah, baby, cool heads prevail. Oh, and he apologized profusely to me - I was the only teacher who responded at all, email or otherwise. Then he told me "No, we actually need more of you, Chris." I'm still going to continue to do my best to be on-time, as per usual. Thanks again for all your views, my peeps. Try not to be too hard on me for being late those two times. T.I.N.S.

You're talking about the AFP-in-a-Week program at SDC? I doubt if Rook Nelson would double the price - just jump when you can, and enjoy yourself. I've been going after my license since October of 2006, and I'm just now getting close. You'll get there. We'll both get there. Whatever you do, don't let your desire for that A card distract you from having FUN whenever you can - that's why we're doing it, right? Have fun, be safe - Gato T.I.N.S.

I've only been late about twice in a year's time, and it's never been addressed before, so yes, I do expect the first conversation to be more civil than this, even if it's disciplinary. Incidentally, the lessons I teach up there make up approximately 30% of the students' actual time at the school. Please understand, folks, I'm not trying to absolve myself of responsibility for my behavior - I'll take the heat for it, but you don't get to curse at me, period. T.I.N.S.

Before I go any further, I need to give a little background info: I teach music at a nationally known rock-oriented school for kids. I've been teaching there since around August last year, and I work there part time (only 3 days a week) for about 2 hours each day. I'm very good at what I do. I don't mean to brag, I just am. I've been late a couple of times (no more than 5 minutes) in the last few weeks, and while there is no excuse for being late, I ALWAYS call if I'm going to be arriving tardy. I am not a habitually late person - I think it's disrespectful and inconsiderate, so I do my best to always be on time. The following message was in my in-box last night from the "dean" of the school. The problem I'm having is that I don't know if it was something he sent to all the teachers, or if I was the only recipient. There was no opening to the message, and there were no other names in the "To" or "CC" fields. When I left the school on wednesday, everything was cool, there was no indication that he was upset with me. I have recreated it exactly as it was sent to me, with his name omitted, of course. After reading this, I was so angry, I can't begin to describe it. I've had overnight to cool down - now, I'm just fucking baffled. Since my name wasn't used in the (lack of) greeting, I'm inclined to think it's something he sent to all of us. If I was the only recipient, I'm gone, no question - the only person I'd ever allow to talk to me that way would be a DZO. In either case, his addressing a tardiness problem via email with anger and profanity is unprofessional and unacceptable, in my opinion; you don't talk to employees that way, especially if you're trying to motivate them into more positive behavior. And threatening to replace me (or any of us) "without blink an eye"???? Sorry for this novel, kids - I didn't intend to drag on. I haven't made a decision about this yet, but I do know that I am going up to the school to speak with him about this later today, face to face (not to fight, mind you!) Give me your wisdom, please. Thanks for reading.... T.I.N.S.

Absolutely not - I would never call my wife "the old lady." I can't think of a better way to start developing distaste for one's wife. I think it's a very subtle form of self-sabotage. But that's just me. Seriously, I'm not an old man, and I'm not married to an old lady - I'm married to my best friend, who happens to be a hottie with superior intelligence and wit, and a great set of sweater kittens - plus, she buys me jumps every now and then. And that's all I have to say about that. T.I.N.S.

At the very least, you have figured out that we speak in actual diction here - not in text message-speak. Perhaps that accounts for how fast you are getting posts up so quickly. It's time however, for you to brush up on your use of commas and capitalization. There might actually be a couple of us "geezers" that don't understand your ability to communicate with only your thumbs. T.I.N.S.

I couldn't agree more. I wonder if anyone has gone to trial over this, yet. T.I.N.S.

Flaps. T.I.N.S.

WOW! Backloops? I didn't actually have any backloops - the revolutions were on my belly - when I said I "chipped," I was referring to "potato chipping" - which I'm sure was from being too stiff and non-relaxed. A backloop on a 10 second delay sounds pretty scary. Thanks for the vote of confidence - admitting and correcting mistakes is how one improves anything. I taught myself that lesson as a musician, that unless you acknowledge where you are and accept it, it's almost impossible to grow into who you want to be. Thanks so much, Mark - I hope I get to jump with you again, soon. And I can't help you and everyone else with layers of dumbass you may accumulate - I've been assuming all this time you all were dumbass repellant. Aren't most jumpers? T.I.N.S.

Nice to see a useful discussion on this topic. I love being useful. I've had a few days to process what exactly happened on this jump that may have contributed to my ending up with a downwind landing. The main thing I've realized is that I hadn't really run out of options - I saw the truck on the side of the field way before my approach to the landing area, and knew I could avoid it. If I hadn't been in a mild panic, all I would've had to do was turn left (into the wind, and a clear field) instead of right (downwind, where there were obstacles that could kill me). I forgot that final approach is in direct opposition to my downwind leg, unless the winds change direction in the middle of the pattern flight. A lot of things directly relate to "new" experiences, requirements, and stimuli. Some of the new things over the weekend: - Wearing a wrist mount altimeter for the first time. - First exposure to the freefall environment, and the requisite sped-up thought processes. - First occasion to use an altimeter instead of counting. - First time flying in extreme heat combined with almost no wind. - Adjusting to not only altimeter-based deployment, but also to 2 different deployment altitudes, 3500' and 4000' above ground level. - Not really new, but greater confidence/overconfidence in my canopy-piloting abilities, or lack thereof. There can be no measure of how drastically my perspective of this sport has changed. It feels a lot like how I felt after my first S/L jumps, only about 10 times better. Thanks, everybody. T.I.N.S.

I was wondering when that would happen..... T.I.N.S.

Good idea. We have a permanent photo on the wall of the main packing area, complete with dry-erase markers, but I think I'd like to have my own version, as well. Thanks, brucet7 - I'll be printing off a picture from Google Earth as soon as possible. Later - T.I.N.S.

Inside cover of the Para Gear catalog - saw it about an hour ago. T.I.N.S.

Thanks, everybody, for your observations and suggestions. Please understand, as you read and assess that I have 18 jumps, that there have only been 6 this year, starting less than a month ago. Currency, and remembering every detail of what I knew well last year is a factor in this jump's outcome. I'm not trying to make excuses, but currency is an issue. I am jumping as much as I can afford to now, so I'm sure things will improve. T.I.N.S.

Well, it is usually done on every jump, and I did do it before the first jump of that day, but I think I was a bit disoriented after the second jump/deployment, and lost awareness of where I was in relation to the landing area. Basically, I spent too much time screwing around doing turns and whatnot that I screwed myself out of an optimal landing scenario. Thanks for the suggestions, and if you're into it, I invite you to read the post from which this comes: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3228260;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread T.I.N.S.

This is an excerpt from a post I made in GSD, but it's a topic that belongs here. I realize this may be a bit narcissistic, but I thought this experience over the weekend on my 18th jump might be worth discussing. "......Completely boned myself on the landing pattern - I forgot the rules about the wind, and couldn't see the direction the windsock was facing, resulting in a downwind, buttsliding landing about 50 feet from a truck parked near the bonfire pit. - There is a reason we are taught to pick a suitable landing target BEFORE WE ENTER THE PLANE. I hate to admit it, but my decision to make a downwind landing wasn't based on a coherent choice - it was all I had left! I was too low to turn crosswind or upwind, and the fact that I didn't knock the absolute shit out of myself on a GMC is purely luck. I will never, let me say again - NEVER leave the ground without knowing my pattern, and what the winds are doing. Don't get me wrong - I'm glad it happened, so I can learn from it, and I was suitably debriefed on why I cannot let that happen again." *** What do you think? Has this happened to you, and if so, how/why? T.I.N.S.