Sonny_Boy

Yah right. The next time your at the DZ give someone over 21 the money to buy the beer! You dont get off that easy..... This James? I can't tell, but rest assured that I would be illegal . Can't say what I'll do with the $25 I found in the wash the other day. I assume it'll have something to do with that though... I can't hold my liquor but/I keep a good attitude - Elliott Smith

Well, it wasn't any thing about the way the chute was packed, it was an error on my part. I opened with my head down and without my left arm extended. My lines twisted and, try as I might to kick out of the twists, the wind was pushing me in the opposite direction making the twists even tighter. So, I did what Bill and the rest of the crew told me: bail. If you can't land it, chuck it. I'm paraphrasing of course, but the message was the same. Though it was my fault, I was reassured that I made the right decision and that my quick thinking saved me from some real heartache. I'm still here, right? Only bad thing that came out of that cutaway was, when I turn 21, I have to buy James and Louise a beer and a case for the rest of the hangar. I can't hold my liquor but/I keep a good attitude - Elliott Smith

It's been a wild ride through AFF at The Parachute Center - Lodi. Perhaps that sounded a bit too much like an ad, but I have nothing but the best to say about this DZ. I had a lot of trouble with my first two jumps and Bill told me that it might not be in my best interest to continue. I took his advice to heart, but I was determined to finish. Came back the next day with a new mindset and jumped three. On the third (and final jump) of the day, I had to pull a cutaway. Thank God for the emergency procedure training they beat into me! But on Wednesday, I had to finish. Just had to get back on the horse and boy did I stick it! Beautiful finish and I couldn't have asked for more. The last jump wasn't even an actual AFF jump. My instructor, Will, just wanted to have fun doing some random relative work. Finished my AFF in three days with a lot of assistance from the whole crew from Boss Bill and Will to James, Steve, Louise, Lee, and Rick. Bill is a tough guy, but I thank him for his criticism. Otherwise, I may have not taken this sport, and myself, so seriously... My name is Sonny. I'm a newbie skydiver, I'm 18, and I'm ready to fly! I can't hold my liquor but/I keep a good attitude - Elliott Smith