curtismelaniej

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Everything posted by curtismelaniej

  1. I'll be jumping my/your 120 this weekend too-- my second rig is complete and my 4-way team is doing back-to-backs-- SWEET! __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  2. I absolutely, positively 100% agree!! I shot video for a 4-way team this weekend-- something I've never done before, but have been dying to learn-- some of the most fun I've had all year! Not that 4-way isn't my ultimate passion, but doing something different for a change really revitalizes you. Good stuff! __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  3. Ok peeps-- so last Sunday I actually got to shoot video and I'll tell you it was some of the most FUN I've had in a while-- it was completely new to me, and I LOVE learning new things! I don't care how dorky that sounds, it's true. Elsinore Fuse was in need so I stepped up and took the opportunity-- of course giving them the sorry-in-advance-if-I-hit-you-suck-or-just-generally-f*ck-up disclaimer. So in the AM I climbed all over the plane on the ground to see the footing, handles, etc-- and realized that the handle isn't as far back as I thought-- with my height I can definitely reach. So the first jump I was suprised a little bit by the wind, and didn't end up taking my left foot out of the door, or my left hand off the door frame. I was clearly afraid of falling off on my first ever video attempt-- uhhh, didn't want that happening. My exit ended up being pretty good in fact, but I was VERY close to the team off the plane, the grips were like the only thing in the frame I was that close-- how I didn't take them out, I'm not sure. I told Pat on the ground what had happened, and he said that I'm just gonna have to get over that-- so on the next jump I stopped being a wimp and got all the way out there. Just f*cking do it mentality works well for me. Now, as for actually flying-- I was suprised also at how quickly blocks sink out on you-- being IN the 4-way most of the time I didn't realize that happened so drastically. Also, as for the actual wing flying-- I'm so used to having my hands in front of me, that I kept getting my hands in the frame of the video. I finally figured out by the end of the day to start flying with my hands out to my sides, slightly out in front of my shoulders-- then use/collapse the wings by tucking my elbows to my sides, not my hands to my front. Make sense? Oh, and another thing-- on exit, I'm back there, reading the count-- going on GO-- on one jump I jumped out to my left off the plane and that was the jump I clipped Morgan's a** and ended up low on the hill-- damn it!! From that I realized that I need to drop right off, straight down, almost slithering down the fuselage, letting my body go underneath the plane, so that I'm juuuust to the right side of the formation as it cruises out the door and down the hill. Sorry for the novel, but this is what I got from my first 7 jumps, so clearly I'm no pro-- just sharing what I thought. If anyone has anything to add, contradict, whatever, go for it! __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  4. Hey all-- Excel camp is on for tomorrow. I'm out at 8am-- see you when you get there-- I say come early so we can try to beat the heat! WORD, Mel PS. For those of you who have never come out for it-- check out the link for more info--- http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  5. Hey Lew-- thanks for the tips and offer to help-- don't be suprised if I call you in on that when I start getting more camera jumps under my belt actually shooting stuff. As for the camera steps at Perris, well, since this past weekend was the first time I'd EVER been out on any camera step, well, there's your answer. It was weird, 8 years and never once out on the camera step-- it was very fun to try, and always cool to be hanging off the outside of a moving airplane at 13,000 feet. Anyway, I would love to fly without wings if I still could have the range I needed to get the shot I wanted. I never like the idea of restricting my limbs in any way (even though it was fine pulling and getting to my risers). Given 4-way is one of my goals, and it seems that to shoot 4-way with the varying formation speeds, that eventually I would need to learn how to fly wings-- so I guess that's the goal at the moment-- to learn to fly the suit some, then apply some of the basics that I pick up to actually flying with a formation. Since I have the luxury of slowly getting into it, I'm taking the time to be anal and cautious instead of doing the sink-or-swim approach. I guess I want to do everything I can to NOT fall through anyone's burble, but as every camera flyer has told me, it WILL happen, which is why, the next time I get the chance, I'm just going to jump on the load, and give it a real go. Sweet! Yes, I'm psyched-- this is cool-- I LOVE learning new things! I'm a geek, and all about it. Ok, that was a major tangent-- just rambling here a bit peeps! __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  6. Love it. As for the blue otter-- thanks for the tips, trying it on the ground is definitely something I'm going to try make happen. I hate being short! __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  7. Yeah, I'm with you and Quade on the reasons for wings at all-- I just wanted to jump the thing and feel what the wings actually felt like before trying to actually use them to NOT fall on top of a group-- I did practice inflating them (dramatically slower of course), just had to work getting back down to the person after that. They were good ZERO pressure jumps for me to get a feel for the suit and wings and give a couple of new jumpers a chance to see what they look like in freefall. Like I said, I think to really get started, I'm just going to have to start jumping on whatever formation skydive is available when I have time-- then after Nationals, I'll really get to work. __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  8. Hey all-- so I jumped the wing suit and actually just did it filming a couple of solo flyers-- on both jumps, I found that I was falling so slowly that not only was I arching like crazy, but I had my wings tucked in pretty much all the way-- or so it felt. I'm assuming that they were still catching air somehow because I wasn't jumping with radically fast fallers by any stretch, so it makes sense that they were still slowing me down somehow. The suit itself doesn't have booties, and is tight on me too. Hmm. What I found most challenging of the jumps was getting out on the stinkin' camera step!! The first one was easy because I was on the Otter with two handles-- the other one, there was no way in hell I was getting out there-- my reach was like a foot too short, no kidding. My plan now is to chat up the other short videographers out there to see how they swing it. Otherwise, I didn't get much airtime on the suit because of other commitments (typical!), so I think that going forward I'm just going to jump on anything I have time for at the end of days-- then after Nationals I'm just going to organize some 4-way with me shooting free video-- of course apologizing in advance for sucking. __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  9. Either way you go, you should be fine. The fact that you've had wind tunnel time and that you're instructors are calling you a natural, make me think you should just go straight to AFF and start skydiving. Bring the confidence from your tunnel time into freefall and you should be good to go! Oh, and one more thing-- PULL! __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  10. Oh, and yes, I have read all your "crap" __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  11. I couldn't agree more-- I've been picking Jonathan's brain a lot, and will Pat's more this weekend. Then I'm just going to get up there and go for it-- typically, the less I think, the better I do, but then again, with something like this I feel like I need at least some instruction to start off on the right foot, instead of flailing for 50+ jumps, then asking questions! I will let you know how it goes! __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  12. 8 was Szky's least favorite exit-- note: round ONE at Nationals last year and he nailed it, totally awesome-- I would guess that a bundy or 16 would be tough, catching all that air and coming straight at you.... hmmm, time, experience, and hopefully few collisions will tell! __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  13. Great, thanks! Gleening away.... __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  14. Haahahah-- thanks for the compliments, Quade! Don't worry, I'm not giving up 4-way, just wanting to add to my skill base. I've been wanting to do video for a while now, and slowly but surely I've been putting together my gear, and airtime-- and now it's time to get jumping. I thought I could practice during the Excel skills camps I run, give the newbies that much more stuff to learn from, as well as learning a new skill myself. Win-win. Plus, starting with a 2-way might be easier than just trying to nail a Canadian Tee exit my first go! haahah Yeah, I'm excited--- if I get no response to my thread, I'll post how I did and what I thought next week. Thanks! Mel __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  15. Hey all-- Excel camp this Saturday! 8am start as always, or see you when you get there. All you have to do is show up-- see the link below. Word up, see you there! Mel __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  16. Hey all-- Excel camp this Saturday! 8am start as always, or see you when you get there. All you have to do is show up-- see the link below. Word up, see you there! Mel __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  17. Hi all-- I am looking for some tips on flying wings-- meaning the basic physical techniques that you use to fly them. If it's too difficult to explain, does anyone have any good pictures out there that show camera flyers in action shooting formation skydivers from above? That's where I'm going to start, and eventually aspire to shoot 4-way (only when I'm not IN the 4-way of course!), and everything else as I learn and get better. Basically, I've been thinking about it, wanting to visualize exits, riding the burble, etc. but I don't really know what to do with my arms, upper body, legs-- whatever. Likely it's something I need to get out there and just DO, but thought I'd ask anyway. If there are already threads on this subject, please point me to them-- I did a search, with little success. Anyway, thanks in advance! Blues, Mel PS. I have a wing suit with medium/small wings, with thumb loops-- the wings are fully attached to the suit, no clips or anything like that. __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  18. Rosa you're so funny! I was just kidding-- of course you just get better and we'll do Poker Run together next year-- it's all good! Definitely let me know how you fare at the doctor-- hopefully it's not as bad as you think! (fingers crossed for you!! xxo) __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  19. Rosa-- we'll miss you!!! Get better QUICK!!! You suuure you can't jump on June 26th..... __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  20. Yo-- Elsinore Excel Basic Camp this Saturday-- be there or be square. Word, Mel http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  21. Merely statement of fact from one of many monetarily blind 4-way addicts... Sometimes I think my credit card really does have a mind of its own.... Not that I care though! __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  22. I am Visa's best customer. __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  23. Two! Who's in the tunnel Friday night? I'm stoked.......... __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  24. the cans are chilling in my team room fridge right now...... __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html
  25. Do I see whipped cream in someone's fututre???........ __________________________________________________________ http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/teams/EXCEL/basic_camp.html