Gato

Gosh, he must work out. T.I.N.S.

I'm sorry, that wasn't the intent. I agree that it takes two to tango, and yes, I suppose the person who cheats is the real homewrecker. But I have met quite a few people (I was a bartender for a few years, and you hear about this shit) who found themselves in situations they didn't intend. Of course, when the time came, they CHOSE to take their clothes off, and there is clearly conscious intention behind that act. However, who you are attracted to, who you develop love for, is not a choice. It just happens. I'm not excusing bad behavior, please understand. People who are not secure in their current relationship are more vulnerable to temptation, and I happen to think men are more likely to wonder if the grass really is greener on the other side. I heard Jim Carrey say this, once: "Madness is as close as saying yes to the wrong impulse." T.I.N.S.

Agreed. I didn't intend to lay fault at anyone's feet, though, and I certainly don't think being attractive predisposes a person to be more likely to cheat or wreck a home, so to speak. I can tell you that, even though I've never cheated on anyone I've been with, I know, without question, my own levels of possible depravity. And I'm telling you, whether it's biological, visual, olfactory, or otherwise, that alot (if not all) of us are susceptible to temptation, especially if it has a Brazilian. What? Oh, never mind. T.I.N.S.

True, but if the person has a penis, be suspicious. Seriously. Remember, for most of us men, information from the outside world must first pass through the "Penile Filter" before it reaches the brain. I'm a good man, I'm loyal to my wife, but the filter is still there. Discuss. T.I.N.S.

Not at all - I'm saying SHE has the potential to become one because 1) Her previous posts. 2) She IS attractive, and I'll wager she knows it. All I was trying to say is that it's possible for a woman who is aware of her attractiveness and the power that comes with it to become a homewrecker. Same goes for any man in the same position, though a man is less likely to be able to talk a woman into leaving her husband, I'll bet. Or, I'm full of shit. You decide - but don't put words in my mouth, please. (Edited to fix grammatical error.) T.I.N.S.

I thought for sure someone else would say something about this, but one simple fact of the matter is that you want what you can't have. Welcome to the club, darlin'. You know very well that anyone in a good relationship is more attractive by virtue of the fact that they are confident - why are they confident? Because they are in a good relationship. I'm not trying to scold you or bitch at you, but, being the gorgeous lady you are, you are very capable of being a homewrecker - I'm not saying you want to be, I'm just saying it's very possible. I'd advise you not to let this person occupy your thoughts too much - you are running the risk of idealizing him/her, which can lead to large-scale disappointment. I've known MANY homewreckers (not carnally, mind you) and very few of them set out to do it, whether they knew it at the time or not. Does my bias against infidelity show much? T.I.N.S.

In October of last year, I passed my Clear & Pull jump. A week later I did two 5 second delay jumps, which went pretty well. Enter midwestern winter, and I did not return to jump until May 18th of this year. Got my refresher training, and recurrency jumps (1 PRCP, 1 C&P) and was cleared to return to my progression - 10 second delays. (My exit weight is around 235, and I'm under a PD300 9-cell for all of these jumps.) This last weekend, I met terminal velocity for the first time. I'm not even going to try and describe the experience, the one AFF and tandem babies have right from the moment they enter the sport. All I can say is that skydiving just became much more personal to me. And a whole lot more fun. Briefly, here's how the weekend went: First 10 s/d: I completely chipped with 3 complete revolutions - lost my altitude awareness, and pulled low. Too low for comfort, and for passing marks. Stand up landing. Second 10 s/d: Much better, actually saw my instructor as I deployed, falling away from me. Opening shock was a bit more comfortable, but still a bit brutal. Stood up my first solo flare!! Passing marks, and I have to do one more. I'm exhausted from the heat and the adrenaline, so home I go. Sunday, I return to the DZ for the third 10 s/d. This one was fantastic! No chipping, I stayed stable and on-heading, and pulled exactly at my assigned altitude, 3500' AGL. Great time playing with the canopy, doing flat turns from different brake positions, and a couple of turn-reversals. No radio assistance on this jump, and a great stand up landing. I'm now cleared for 20 second delays!!! A few hours later, it's still hot as hell, and I gear up to go. We go over a new exit plan - I'm hanging, with my instructor, Gary, on the step, and Scott in the door. I give the nod, and Gary moves back, forward, Back/GO!!! I chipped a bit on this one, and thought I pulled at the assigned altitude, 4000'. Completely boned myself on the landing pattern - I forgot the rules about the wind, and couldn't see the direction the sock was facing, resulting in a downwind, buttsliding landing about 50 feet from a truck parked near the bonfire pit. FUCK!! This will probably be the last entry in terms of my progression in the sport - I'm too busy trying to sort it all out in my head, and although I REALLY enjoy the feedback I get from all of you, I don't know that I want to take it so public anymore. I will, however, share what I took away from this weekend, in the interest of my fellow noobs and their survival/success in skydiving: - 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. - If you are a big boy (I'm not really fat, by the way) you will fall out of the sky like a fucking brick - and thus you will pass through 1000 feet faster than others. A simple 2 second distraction costs me about 500 feet, I'll bet, and that's enough to ruin my fucking day. Want to know my favorite new phrase? ALTITUDE AWARENESS, MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!! - If you are a noob in this sport, don't rush yourself into any decisions, circumstances, or beliefs about anything, or any one. That last one is VERY important - there are people in this sport who will brush you off like a gnat if you have an attitude. Those same people will love you, and put their faith in you and your abilities - IF you are humble, willing to listen, and willing to face some of your faults head-on. These are the people I want in my corner looking out for me, and I love them. That's about it, for now. I'm still processing all the details, and I may never finish. I'm simply awestruck by everything I went through these past few days, and learning so much about myself. I feel as if I'm peeling off paper-thin layers of dumbass, one at a time, every time I jump, and it feels damn good. Scary, but damn good. Blue Skies to All of You, Chris (Edited to fix a dumbass mistake.) T.I.N.S.

Perhaps you held a deep (abrupt?) toggle turn for too long? The Pilot is semi-elliptical and SUBSTANTIALLY smaller than anything you've jumped yet. Did your instructor/friend tell you it would be OK for you to do a 40 sq.ft. downsize at 14 jumps? I'm a noob, as well, and I'm pretty sure one of my instructors would freak out over the mere suggestion of a drastic downsize like that, especially to a different planform on the same jump. Having said all that, I'm really glad you're OK, and you kept your head on a swivel. T.I.N.S.

Ha!!!! Did that just yesterday!! T.I.N.S.

Thanks for all your responses, folks! They confirm my feelings about the rig. This is a lot like guitar gear I sometimes deal in; somebody comes in with an import guitar from 81, and wants to modify the shit out of it. Two months and $200 later, he wants to trade it in on a new guitar, and it's only worth the cost of the new parts. I think he just let the rig sit too long without trying to sell it. If only I'd been jumping in 1992....... Incidentally, does anybody know how much a Vector II sold for when new in '88? It would be interesting to me, as used music gear is tagged for half its original MSRP, and I'd like to know how this compares to used jumping gear. T.I.N.S.

A lot of people at my DZ have used F-111 canopies as their first one - I think it's kind-of a tradition. Not that I agree with it whole-heartedly, and I've not yet made a decision about what I'd most like. I've seen a few people fly an F-111 canopy for 6 months or a year, then go through the demo process that most folks do to determine what they want to fly. I'm not sure how many jumps they make in a year. This can, although not always, coincide with a substantial downsize. This is the problem I have with it. One of the smartest (and safest) skydivers I know got himself a Sabre2 170 as his first main, and subsequently put 500 jumps on it before demoing other canopies, and downsizing to a 150. That does seem to make sense, but he was also trained on ZP canopies as a student, and I think that is relevant. I've been flying only F-111 up to now. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't F-111 have very similar characteristics to ZP when it's new? T.I.N.S.

That's kind-of what I figured - and I KNOW it'd piss him off if I offered him $800 for it. Thanks, Lisa! T.I.N.S.

It's getting close to the time when I'll be buying my first rig, and I've been offered the following deal: Vector (II, I think) DOM October 1988 - Less than 60 jumps on it. Looks really good, no wear on 3-rings, but virtually no padding in the leg straps. Has B-12 snaps and a Vector II reserve pilot chute. Raven III Reserve - Unsure of age or repacks, but never deployed. Raven IV Main - Same number of jumps as container, probably close to same DOM. The container IS ultra clean, Cypres mod done, no RSL and no BOC. Harness will have to be stretched by my rigger for my size/shape. I'm certain the seller is a stand-up guy who only makes about 3 jumps every couple of weeks, and I know he's not been using this container. Here's the kicker: he's asking for around $1500 for this setup, but I'll have to spend another $235 for mods, and I still won't have an AAD to put in it. I would rather fly a 9-cell than a 7, and I have a VERY crispy PD230 available to me, which I can get for around $450. So my questions for you wise wheelers-n-dealers are as follows: What would you consider to be a non-insulting offer for this rig? How hard is it to sell an old Raven IV main? Just for clarification, I know I've seen newer complete rigs (with AAD) for sale for less than what I'd spend here ($1735 before AAD), and I don't have to buy this one (READ: I have not bought it, and then asked if I got a good deal.) I also know I can get a brand new Dolphin for under a grand. While I'm on the subject, if anyone knows about a container and reserve suitable for my size (exit weight, 235 lbs.), I'd be happy to hear of it. T.I.N.S.

Jumping in the UK seems to be a lot like jumping in the midwestern US, in that most DZs are small C182 operations that are only open on the weekends, so the stars basically have to align correctly before you'll be getting any jumps done - if I have the money, the winds are up. Or the winds are down, but it's raining. Or the winds are down, and I'm flat broke. Or I have an out-of-town gig, have the money, but can't get to the DZ. I made my firs jump on Oct. 8, 2006, and I'm STILL working on getting my license. I'm not complaining - everyone at my home DZ is really cool about it, as they went through the same process. We Static Line and IAD students RARELY get our license within a week, unless you can spring for Skydive Chicago's "AFP in a Week" program (assuming they still offer it, of course.) I cannot tell you how many times I've driven to the DZ and not been able to jump, but I know it's close to 25 or 30 times. Nobody questions my dedication, and no one should question yours. The fact that you've only missed 2 days that were jumpable is a sure sign that you ARE dedicated, in my opinion. I'd advise you to have a talk with the DZO about your goals and desired pace - he'll probably care more about keeping you interested in sticking around than your "skygod" instructors. You are a paying customer, not a soldier who has to take shit from his C.O. Be proud of the fact that you've gone this far, sir - well done.

Yep. That's the way I understood it before I ever stepped foot on a DZ. I hope I'm not in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I have accepted responsibility for that possible outcome. If it were any other way, it wouldn't be a sport, it would be a ride at Six Flags. Do pro football players sue other players for their injuries? Can a skier sue a resort because he or she CHOSE to go down the double black diamond? T.I.N.S.

Again, you are very harsh. Should I assume T Man Mike stands for "Tera's Man, Mike?" If so, then you should identify yourself as such and actually contribute to the conversation - unless it's just a stupid fucking conversation, as you said. T.I.N.S.

Did someone see the movie, "Dropzone" recently? Remember, Swoop worked for free T-shirts, so make that part of your salary requirements. T.I.N.S.

Ok, then - since skydiving isn't the be-all end-all, my jump numbers shouldn't matter in what I'm going to say. For someone who just registered yesterday, you words are very harsh and judgmental. And quite unnecessary. A lot of people love this sport (as someone with your jump numbers can attest), and a lot of us can envision the death of our home DZ or skydiving itself every time a new lawsuit is filed. I'm not excusing anyone's behavior, but you sir, were downright insulting. T.I.N.S.

1.) What made you want to go skydiving - I saw this video: http://www.bird-man.com/index.cgi?n=gallery&q=video You can't fly a wingsuit without being a skydiver, so...... 2.) What did you feel prior to jumping out of the plane - Sweaty, nervous, excited, almost sexually aroused. 3.) What was the free-fall like I am in the static line/AFP program, so not much free fall in the beginning. 4.) When you touched down how did you feel Like doing it again, and again, and again..... 5.) Anything else you want to say about skydiving Skydiving is one of the few things I've done, in my 41 years on and off this planet, that you cannot fake, you cannot pretend you're something you're not, where an attitude can kill you, and you make friends unlike any you ever had. Plus, you get to fly like freakin' Superman!!!! How's that?

If I could delete my previous post, I would. I do not feel, however, that it is hypocritical to "freak out" just a little bit over ANY lawsuit taking place in this sport. My apologies. T.I.N.S.

Then you should have congratulations, yourself, Mamajumps!

Yes....a certain photographer expressed his "confidence" in me. "Don't fuck up," is as good advice as any, I suppose - and I'm way too much of a noob to expect a "legit" vote of confidence from the likes of our cameramen. If I'm not give at least a little bit of shit, I'll start to think something's wrong. Besides, I dig that lanky, switch bitin', drywall hangin' bastard! Thanks again, Plummeteer - U Da Man. Gato the Noob T.I.N.S.

I need to think of something offensive, quick!!!! Wait, are you going to teach us that lesson via webcam??? Please??? T.I.N.S.

Sounds like the husband and wife weren't paid-up on their health insurance premiums to begin with - another reason she shouldn't have been jumping in the first place. I really don't get this. Skydiving is an ADULT activity, with ADULT risks, and possibly ADULT consequences. Ever notice you don't have to sign a waiver at an amusement park? That should tell you something. If you can't take responsibility for making the ADULT decision to strap on your own ADULT gear and board an imperfect aircraft with an imperfect pilot and other imperfect jumpers, you have no business in the air, and personally, I don't want someone like that on a load with me - I might get sued for farting and contaminating her perfect air. Suing other skydivers is just fucking wrong. Put on a fresh pair of panties, let your leg heal, and shut the fuck up. T.I.N.S.