SkyPainter

Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Thanks all! Getting into this sport has added to, and enriched my life already! Skydiving removes all focus other than the dive, and for a few moments relieves you of all the burdens of life temporarily, replacing them with incredible experiences and new joys. Live deliberately, dare greatly, land gently. Blue Skys, and safe landings always - Chaaaz, AKA SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Weather FINALLY lifted here for a day, and I was finally able to get the required tandem in, at Pepperell! A HUGE thank you to Stacy for squeaking me on the first load of the day, so I could get back to work that afternoon! There are no words, in any known language, in any sort of sentence structure that can describe that first jump. None. But you folx all already know that! I have watched the video a zillion times already, critiquing the jump from the little I know. I bought the SIM, and have not stopped reading it. Bought my own goggles, too, as they fit better. Bought a logbook, and logged the first jump, Instructor signed off on it. Need to get AFF-1 scheduled now! They have the wingsuit camp going, and some coaching training, and it is a busy place, so may have to wait a week or two. In the meantime, more tunnel work, so the first AFF jump will be just as stable as the tandem was (I did okay!) :) My biggest impression? The nearly instant explosion of the earth in your vision, going from the small, dark, cramped plane, and having the entire planet just explode before you from that height! Refocusing on the dive takes a few seconds after that overwhelming instant! But whoa! Was it ever beautiful!! The whole process, the whole community of jumpers I met - the whole experience - was a very, very, positive one! It felt waaaaay comfortable. Kinda reminded me of the surfer community in the 60s in some ways. I felt proud typing the "1" in the "Number of jumps" field in the profile. This is the coolest thing, ever. Blue Skies, Safe Landings always - SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Well....no longer earthbound! Made the Tandem first thing in the morning, first load. There are no adequate words or sentence structures .... but you all already know that! Mama ....looked for a guy with a black ponytail, and, oddly enough, there were too many of them there yesterday! LOL! I love this, I love this, I love this ......my first brushstroke in the sky was yesterday ...... Chaaaz, AKA SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Hi Steve .... I will be jumping from Pepperell as my home DZ ....and I am fascinated by Wingsuits and Formation Dives! Making my first Jump - Tandem - first thing tomorrow AM (Sat), and then hoping to book the FJC and AFF while there. SKyVenture will be a good resource for me during the AFF course, methinks! Best - Blue Skys and Safe Landings always ... Chaaaz Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Hi, Angela! Congratulations!!!! I will be going through AFF at Pepperell ( gas is a bitch!), but will also be jumping out at Jumptown in Orange! ope to meet you, and maybe we can share some sky together sometime! Blue Skys, and Stand-up Landings .... SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Just a quick question ...... Dude ...who gave you an "A" license with only twelve jumps??? Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Thanks for the reply! I agree - the tunnel will be an excellent resource during training, and afterwards, as well! I am SO glad I got in it before the first jumps (which will hopefully come this weekend!) Now, I feel comfortable in the windstream, and pretty sure I won't screw-up the tandem instructor by flailing away in the sky :) I can't wait to go up! I will continue to practice positions, tracking, and 360s for now, with an eye towards the AFF jumps. Front and back flips will come when I get more stability in space, and can maintain altitude in the tunnel chamber. The instructors I have met so far are all incredibly talented, with thousands of jumps with and without students. I get VERY big ears when they start talking! I feel very, very, very lucky to have this increduble place near me, and only about 15 minutes from the DZ I will be jumping at! Was gonna go tonight, but they were booked totally until 9:00 EST, and that is when the Celtics/Lakers game is on - Go Celts! Plan to jump if the cloud cover breaks Sunday. Will do a Tandem - cause I think that is the right way to start for me, and maybe do the AFF ground school, then Jump AFF 1 and 2 on Monday, if the slots are there. Dying? We all die. Not everyone truly lives. The trick is never knock on Death's door ...just ring the bell and run. He HATES that! :) Thanks again - Safe, smooth landings - SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Decided I will wear the Martial Arts shoes/sneaks for the jump(s). They have high, flexible tops (can point the feet (whether placing a high snap head kick or fly in the iar!) with ribbed - not lugged - soles that I can slide, and then run-out a landing if necessary in! No hooks, nothing to snag ( MA refs hate equipment cuts!) and they are familiar to me. Plus, they look kewl as hell! Black and gold with gold laces - colors of the Army's Golden Knights Team! Hoo-Ahh! (Made by Addidas). Thanks for all the idea, folx. This community ROCKS! Safe Landings always - SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

I agree. There is a good book called, "The Gift of Fear". Basically, it is what keeps us from walking off cliffs as kids, or after burning a finger once on the stove, remembering to be more careful next time. It is a red flag inside that screams,"Hey! This is dangerous!" But you already KNEW that, now didn't ya? It will always happen to some degree - you will learn to recognize, and then utilize it to mobilize all your senses, sharpening the experience. "Nerves" are the flight or fight response simmering, as you know what you are about to do. A cleansing breath, then reminding yourself you are trained and ready for the event will help to calm you down. The adrenalin produced by the nervousness is just the base of the great rush you are about to experience - which is sorta why yer doin' it in the first place, no??? It is a gift, and spurs you to focus narrowly on the task at hand. And skydiving, it seems, is the perfect place to make friends with it! Safe landings - SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Thanks! I think I will get some high-top B-Ball sneaks with some good ankle support to begin with. Makes sense to me. It the DZ wants something else, then I will go out and get those. I have martial arts sneaks that are high-tops, but too flexible, and not a wide sole. Hmmm...Nike, or Addidas......dunno Thanks! Chaaaz, AKA SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Here's a real clueless newb question - what kind of sneakers/shoes are recommended for jumping? I have seen vids of people jumping in all sorts of footwear, but I would think that a good pair of hightop sneaks with decent ankle support might be better than low-cut Chucks. Is it just whatever you feel comfortable jumping in? Thanks! Safe Landings - SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Hope this is the right forum ..... We have been rained-out here :( for a while now, delaying my first jumps. However, I am lucky enough to live close enough the the tunnel at SkyVenture, NH, and have had several sessions in the tunnel already in anticipation of the jumps. I think this is an IMMENSE help! Last night I went up and worked closely with Noah (Thanks, dude!) on stability and body flight control - both on a creeper pad, and in the wind stream. I can get fairly stable, and was working on tracking forward and backwards, and did a coupla decent 360s. Noah was an awesonme instructor (as was Shawn a few days ago) and the entire staff there is exceptionally helpful to new flyers. Learning to fly my body in three dimensions in the tunnel has to be helpful when I do my Tandem and first AFF jumps this weekend, hopefully. I am getting really comfortable in the airstream already, without the added dimension of time being an issue. I LOVE this so far!!! I will continue to use this amazing resource during my AFF training, and afterwards, to fine-tune my basic skills, and learn new ones (sit-flying, RW, etc.) Now, to get the weather to break, and do it in the SKY!!! Safe Landings, SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

THANK YOU, all for your responses! Maybe you can tell I am petty geeked to go get this started! I just booked another few minutes in the wind tunnel for tonight ..... will try to improve on stable flight, and maintaining a heading in the tunnel. Where there is a will, there is a way! I feel pretty lucky now to be able to have this facility relatively nearby, and am sure I will visit it a lot to augment my jump training! Thanks again - this is gonna ROCK! Safe Landings SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

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So, the weather here is still raining. Blew the Tandem jump Sunday . Thought I would already be on to the AFF series today - have about a week's delay. Will spend the week flying in the Wind Tunnel until next Sunday, which is SUPPOSED to be nice! Should have about 15 mins of indoor "freefall" time by next weekend. Here're a few Q's : I have the opportunity to do the tandem jump(s) and the AFF series at one DZ over a period of time, or at a second DZ in a compressed 4-day school, where I would have dedicated instructors and priority slots. Would jump 8 times in the four days, and get to solo status quickly. The 4-day gig is an additional hour away, tho. Q - Is this safe to do? Should the time be stretched-out, or should one just blast through the training in a few days if possible? (discounting new jumper enthusiasm, of course!) Q - I see some posts where they include a million acronyms in the signature ... do these represent various ratings, or skills, or jumps, or events (4-way, etc.) that people have made? Q - A REAL newb question - once I start to jump solo - what size main canopy is considered right for a new jumper? I know it should be a tame sheet, basically, but have a bit of response. Don't know enough yet about the choices, or the right path. Thanks for any opinions/info on this stuff .... it is getting VERY frustrating waiting for the weather to break! Thank the powers that be for the nice wind tunnel, at least! I will try to upload a few pics of my daughter and I flying basic RW with the instructor indoors! She can't wait to 'fly' again, either! Safe landings - SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

That is just AWESOME!! Congrats on the A!! I am soooo jealous right now! I was supposed to get the tandem and ground school for the AFF course this weekend, but the @##&!!%^# weatherman is delaying that! Next Sunday is supposed to be perfect here, and I have cancelled everything but jumping for the day. I can't wait! I will get maybe two more wind tunnel sessions in before I do the tandem (even THAT is fun!) to keep me sane before next weekend. I understand the addiction, trust me, I have a few others (sports) as well! But I think they will pale in comparison, and am saving as much money as I can right now in anticipation. Already out looking at how much personal gear is gonna cost! hehehehe..... Congrats again on the A license!!! Jump to live. Blue Skys, Safe Landings - SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Thanks, Granny!!! Age is just a matter of relative experience, I think! Yep, the Tunnel is a big benefit for me here, being so close. It is only about 15 minutes away from the DZ I will jump from, too! I may be sending my daughter to "Sky Diving Camp" this summer at the tunnel. She is too young to jump, but LOVED it last night! They even have little flying competitions with the kids there! I hope to be licensed, and when she turns 18, jump together with her! This is gonna absofreakinlutely ROCK!! "....and break the surly bonds of Earth ..." Best - Safe Landings SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Okay, so, the plan is in motion! Had 5 full minutes of indoor "freefall" last night with my daughter, at a vertical wind tunnel (SkyVenture) in NH, and it ROCKED! 1st Tunnel Dive! BEERS all around! (_)D (_)D (_)D (_)D (_)D (_)D (_)D and a coupla shots for the instructor, who probably thought I looked like Charles Barkley trying Ballet! \_/ \_/ \_/ Several things were immediately apparent; 1) This is FUN!!! 2) This is very technical - the lightest hand/leg position changes had me tracking all over the place - hard to stay in the center of the tunnel. 3) I will not be too bad at it! I did fairly well controlling my body in space. and it was FUN! 4) It's rather noisy - plugs helped 5) At one point, I stabilized real well, and for a second it felt like being held gently by the hand of God. I can see this will be a mystical experience for me over time. 6) It was FUN! 7) My kid (at 15) is better at it right now than I am (at 61) 8) I REALLY want to do this in the sky!!! (And get the canopy ride down to go along with the freefall!) Was like half a sandwich! 9) I will LISTEN to my instructors attentively at every turn in this process! Reading here, watching videos, talking to people - none of them prepare you for what it is really like. You need to do it to be able to understand. I will listen, and learn. 10) I am SO glad I did this in preparation for the Tandem this weekend! The sensory overload, the "what will this be like?", all of that is past. Having this Wind Tunnel here will be a great benefit as I go through AFF training .... I can see myself spending a lot of time on the tunnel as well! THANK YOU to Shawn, my instructor! I hope we jump at Pepperell together, or I get you for the AFF training! Baby steps ...baby steps ..... Blue Skys and Stand-up Landings - SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Congrats, Dude! Awesome! I will be doing my Tandem this Sunday, wind willing! (been odd weather here!) I am going to the wind tunnel in Nashua, NH tonight with my 15 y/o daughter. I have booked a full ten minutes in the tunnel, and we should have a ball! I hope to get a sense of the wind, and get a good arch and real stable before I do the tandem this weekend. Keeps us all safer, I think. It the tunnel is as much fun as it appears to be, I think I will be spending time both there and jumping towards the A license. This ROCKS!!! Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Hi - I am also new to the sport, and anxious to get going. Aside from studying everything I can read about it, I will be doing some wind tunnel work tomorrow night. I figure whatever I can do to help stay stable in the air, and get my tandem instructor, myself, and other jumpers near us down safely is plus! I had often thought of Hang Gliding, but it seems as if there is no recourse if the equipment has a primary failure, or control is suddenly lost. At least with skydiving, I will have TWO parachutes, and hopefully the training and composure to overcome a failure. Thanks for your post - it settles my mind about gliding versus jumping! SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Hi Skymama and Steve! Thanks for the responses! Mama, I would travel to get the appropriate coaching for the surfing .... I am not trying anything in this sport without being totally trained first! Gotta go gt the A license - first steps first! Steve - I know that Pepperell is a smaller DZ ...is it still a pretty active place? It would be closer for me to jump at. Winsuits sound like a blast! How may leaps would I need before I even considered wingsuiting, in your opinion? Thanks again to both of you - see you somewhere in the skys! Safe Landings, SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Thanks for all the good advice, folks! I will be heading to a wind tunnel this weekend just to try-out getting into a good neutral position, and seeing what minor hand/leg position changes do in flight. I think it might help with expectations when I do the first student jumps in the next coupla weeks. Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Hi, there, Granny! Thank you for the welcome! Yeah, after a point you do get some life experience! LOL! This will just add a lot to that for me - meet new interesting people, see the planet from a different perspective. Congrats on your Check Dive! You can do it!!! And at 57!!! AWESOME!! Age is only a relative measure of experiences ..... Safe Landings, SkyPainter Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118

Hi! Thanks!! Where do you jump in MA? A wingsuit jump would DEFINITELY interest me!!!! Just gotta go get the 200 + jumps in first - can't wait! This something I should have done a long time ago, but at least I am able to do it now. I know we have a few DZs in MA - Orange, Pepperell, someplace on the Cape, as well as Lebanon, ME, one in RI, and one near Hartford. Do folks generally jump at their "home" DX all the time, or after getting the "A" license do they jump in different places?? Live deliberately; Dare greatly; Land gently SkyPainter SOS 1304, POPS 10695, DS 118