npgraphicdesign

Now...are you talking about after the dive, or after hours...?

Another great bit of advice I received from another instructor this past weekend. My first complete solo exit was out of a 206. Ok, fine. I sat at the door, gave the count, and plopped out like a sack of potatoes, managing to close my eyes in the process. (don't ask.) My 2nd solo exit was out of a 182. Here's where i was scared/nervous. "...wait, so I open the door and climb out onto the strut BY MYSELF give the count and go? Am I crazy? What if I slip & fall? (yes i did ask that question)" My instructor didn't bat an eye and said "So what if you fall? You have a parachute & then you go skydiving." A light went off above my head, and i said to myself "oh yea....that's right!" So while the nervousness is still there because I'm brand new to the sport and still learning, the fear of actually climbing out onto the strut isn't that much of a block anymore.

That is perfectly fine. I have 5 generations of doctors on my mother's side, last two being psychiatrists (mom/grandma.) So I am relatively well-equipped for dealing with any REAL mental breakdowns.

Well you ARE suppose to fall out...if you don't, you don't skydive. Sounds like you're really psyched! Have a blast! PS. Yes you are nuts...seems like all skydivers are...

...and it's a big one!! I am a student on his Cat E2 jump, and lately, whenever I look up at the sky, I wish I was up there jumping instead of wherever I may be at that moment. There's so much to learn, and from what I've seen so far in this sport, one never stops learning. But I'm looking forward to every single moment. Does that sounds unusual, or do most people catch it that quickly?

Well judging by your post, congratulations are in order, rather than sympathy. So when/where's the party? Are single ridiculously ridiculously good-looking guys invited, as well as newly single women looking for ridiculously ridiculously good-looking guys? If you need entertainment, I'm available.

Butterflies? Pfft...amateur. I get pterodactyls!

Amen. I was in NY yesterday visiting grandma, and as much as I love her, as I was doing some food shopping for her, I was looking up in the sky and wishing I was up there.

...does your heart rate stop increasing on the way to altitude? ...does your mind stop saying "WTF are you doing standing on a strut of a plan 14K above the earth?" ...does your family accept what you are doing and stop giving you hell about it? ...do you cross the line between learning and having everything you've learned become second nature? ...do you realize that skydiving isn't just a hobby but a sport? ...when do you stop being nervous about making a mistake? ...do you stop making fun of noobs at the drop zone for doing something funny, stupid, wrong, etc..?

That post is worthless without a picture to put things in perspective. Well, if I ever try I'll make sure to splurge and get a video...or at least some pics. I'd imagine I could convince someone to do it for free considering there would be a naked girl involved. Where do you jump out of?

1. Whats your name? Nikita (I am a guy.) 2. How old are you? Biologically or attitude-wise? 3. Why did you decide to start jumping out of airplanes? My first 2 tandems: to prove to prove to myself I am not afraid of something I've put off for almost two years for various 'excuses' My first AFF: to prove to myself that I'm not afraid of doing what I wrote above on my own Since my first AFF: I'm addicted. Give me money and time and I'll jump every day. 4. Are you single or taken? Married? To quote Mitch Hedberg "..I don't have a girlfriend but I do know a girl who would get very mad if she heard me say that." Kidding...single. 5. Do you have kids? I don't....think so... 6. What do you drive? Other people. Crazy. ***Hey LadiDadi, you stole my answer!! I drive a TC btw... 7. Have you ever done a kisspass? No...what's that? 8. Where do you live? CT. And don't judge a book by its cover... 9. Do you have any pets? No. 10. How many jumps do you have? 10 so far..hoping for my A license before mid-December 11. What color eyes do you have? Hazel 12. What is your nationality? Russian. 13. Have you ever dated someone you met off the internet? Yes 14. Favorite Movie? Too many to list...depends on my mood as well. 15. What do you do when you arent skydiving? Working, designing, reading, listening to music, etc... 16. Have you ever BASE jumped? No... 17. If not... do you want to? ...yes! 18. Do you have siblings? Stepbrother. 19. Where do you want to travel to the most? Give me 1 month in each country and let me travel/live in some of the major cities in that country within that timeframe.. Would do that until I've been to almost every country in the world...dream vacation. 20. What's your favorite color? CMYK 21. Where was the last place you flew to ( not skydiving )? London, United Kingdom/Jena, Germany

Amen. Single as well with a similar mindset. There are a lot of cuuuute women at my DZ. Too bad most of them have a few hundred jumps more than I do...so someone who skydives doesn't impress them as much...

I don't have a problem with that. Where do you jump?

Hey, Where do you jump out of? I jump out of CPI...well, I jump whenever I can make it out. I'm sure that Pilotdave will chime in and make some joke about me and my excuses of why i CAN'T make it out every weekend... What level of AFF are you on?

Big Bill Morganfield - Sloppy Drunk Absolute Blues Hits 1.FM station on iTunes

I received some great advice from one of my instructors about relaxing. He simply said "Relax and don't worry. There's nothing that can hurt you for 13000 feet, and you have plenty of time to do everything you need to."

I guess I'm a skydiver then, because I did pretty damn good on my D2 jump: first good solo exit, solid 180/360 turns, good pull, and decent landing. Of course, spinning like a frickin' dreidel and not getting stable on my E1 a few hours later didn't look too good...

...maybe someday....

If you're going to do that, I would choose your lodging location based on where you're flying into. If you're flying into RDU (Raleigh), then I recommend you stay in Southern Pines or Aberdeen (30 minutes from the DZ in Raeford and about 1:10 from RDU airport). If you're flying into Fayetteville then staying on the southwest side of Fayetteville is your best bet. Don't forget the ParacleteXP wind tunnel which is only a few miles from the DZ in Raeford. You may want to book a little time there as well. Why not bring your friend down from Raleigh for a day to make a tandem? Those are great suggestions, thank you. I'll probably be flying into Raleigh seeing as my friend lives about 15 min from airport. Any specific relatively cheap places (that you know of) to stay in the towns mentioned? If I spend 5 or 6 consecutive days at the DZ, all I'll need is just a place to sleep for the night. I won't need a penthouse suite for 5 days. Don't know if I'll have the money for the tunnel time, but we'll see when I get closer to the date when I plan to visit. I think my friend would love to make a tandem. We'll just have to wait and see come decision time how she feels...

Um cause it is very early in the morning and most people havent read this yet Fucking hilarious though!!!! Early my Russian a$$! It's 7:48am....I was in the gym by 615.

[tumbleweeds]I hear no laughter.[/tumbleweeds]

Hmm...is that normal driving speed? I might just find a place to stay around Raeford, do some jumping, and then go visit my friend for one or two days afterwards.

How to wait in line by Bas Rutten. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNXRInrSSVU Check 0:50

Thanks Diesel! I'm looking to visit a friend in NC in either January or late March for about a week. Would love to get some jumping in, or, if I don't have my license by then, finish out my AFF. Living in NE stinks sometimes! Doesn't Ft. Bragg have a DZ?

My question wasn't in reference to specific instructor, but more a general question. That being said, I've felt 100% with any instructor I've had so far. So no, I didn't mean 'safe' but 'at ease.' Thanks for the clarification. My English 'ain't' so good in the morning.