dreamsville

I would second that, yes, Dr. Brown is very good and looks out for others. Also, Rob Silver, Cisco Neri, and Mike Swanson are good. Wait! I think I've named the folks at the FreeFly Training Center (depending upon who is still there). If you're in Georgia and he's still coaching, Steve Utter (Steve-O) may be at Cedartown. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Prayers for the blessing of as quick a recovery as possible.| I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Maybe the dream reflected a deep-seated desire to have a BASE rig on when crossing a bridge. If was high enough, then you could just jump when the bridge shook and get away! Try sleeping with your rig next to your bed for a while and see if that helps. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Chris, is there any evidence to suggest that some 182 dropzones have limited funds and so may not follow maintenance procedures as rigorously? I know a couple of 182 DZs I have been to where they seemed pretty serious about maintenance and the planes were clean, comfortable, and "appeared" to be well maintained. As far as I know, flying a healthy 182 in good weather with a good pilot makes that plane as safe as any other. Yes, I know of at least two Otter DZ that didn't maintain aircraft as they should. Those two DZs are not around now, but that was not the main reason they shut down. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Funny this should come up. Saw a video of friends doing this at the DZ just this weekend. It was very entertaining, both to see the dive and hearing from the vidiot about chasing it. At first it looked like a four way gone wrong. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Not if I can help it, although I have needed to once or twice, before I had bled off horizontal speed. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

"Thereabouts" could also be the "D&TA", Danger and Training Advisor. Sometimes it's about as appropriate. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

1) Riggerrob, you are a North "American". We are US citizens, and you are Canadian. 2) You have a valid point about US laws and morality on this issue. 3) We should avoid people or situations we deem unsafe, whether it is the intoxicated jumper or the sober one who appears to be unsafe anyhow. I say this because it's tough to police everyone, and you may ruin your day in doing so and ultimately still not fix "the problem". 4) This thread has demonstrated that when stones are hurled, others will get hurled back, and this may diminish the persuasive/educational value of what people are posting. 5) I don't know the subject DZ from which this thread originated, but another alternative is to PM each other at some point, if PM'ing is turned on for your account(s). Just my opinions. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

We have had our 7th or 8th sunny weekend in a row here (Chicago). 10 jumps, R/W and head-down. I cannot recall a better jumping season here, starting in August and going forward. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Bill, at 1500 feet i would guess you probably turned a bunch of points by then! More seriously, though. We had a load where the clouds were closing in when I had 70 jumps (about 1998). I finally had to pull in a cloud, doing a slow turn to try not to move into others' paths, not knowing where I was. When i emerged from the cloud at 1100 feet I saw I was being blown backwards from the only open field almost a mile from the DZ. There were no other outs. There was only a ravine with a creek dotted with small pine trees. As I descended the wind was dropping due to the shield of the trees at the crest of the ravine. I slid between 2 trees, harmlessly clipping a tree with my lines as I came to a stop. Fortunately, there was help to take us back to the DZ nearby. Years later, I now have 2 or 3 good friends whom I didn't know then whom I later found out (one only yesterday) were on that same load. One of them had his shoe laces knot together in a sit-fly and had to kick off his shoe before landing. Another person landed in a tree and had to have the canopy cut down later affter the property owner was contacted. Until it was cut down a few hours later, the pink canopy could be seen at a distance from the DZ, flapping in the breeze, a tell-tale sign of the load from hell. I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

There is an employee assistance and rebuilding fund for Lake Wales. I don't have the post off-hand, but it went up shortly afer the first hurricane went through. You can probably find out by calling them. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Yesterday was R/W day. Being the rear-most floater gives me extra time before the rest of the 6 or 8 way is set to go. That little extra period of time sometimes gives me a breather to relax and think about the jump and the approach to the rest of the formation after exit. It gives you time to feel aclimated to being outside the airplane before everyone leaves. It may sound strange but that's the way it appears to me sometimes, or even if it is a head-down video exit instead. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

The biggest thief of enjoyment in the sport is yourself, not others. If you know you can do what you need to do, then carry on and don't give up. You're learning even when you think you aren't. I've had challenges learning moves for RW, sit-fly, and head-down, and have though of quitting a couple of times. Allow yourself to feel positive. The worst of us can often get better and have good jumps, and it will feel so much more the better! Read this: " He failed in business in '31. He was defeated for state legislature in '32. He tried another business in '33. It failed. He had a nervous breakdown in '36. In '43 he ran for congress and was defeated. He tried again in '48 and was defeated again. He tried running for the senate in '55 and lost. The next year he ran for Vice President and lost. In '59 he ran for the senate again and was defeated. In 1860, this man, Abraham Lincoln, was elected the 16th President of the United States of America." Whether you jump with friends or alone, ultimately, you are the one who must allow himself to accept the challenges and the sweetness of the sky. Just about everyone's "been there". 'Nuff said. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Some friends of mine somewhere in the US landed on my buddy's quiet street late afternoon. They had the kids stop cars at each end and they made a gentle turn to avoid the street lights (small town). It may have been a bandit jump. They had a ball! | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

A buddy of mine, Luther, at Skydive San Diego said he was using a wrist-cam for a while, although I'm not sure how much body position you could successfully capture with that, given that it is attached to one of your own control surfaces. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

They should toss away the "XTREME" bowling ball and the magazine and get to jumping. Screw the lousy ball! | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Yes. The main landing area is east-to-west or west-to-east by edict, according to my experience. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Maybe soon your desire will overcome your fear and in doing so calm your nerves. Think about that and see if it applies. That's the way it happens with some people that causes them to gut it out in the face of tough obstacles. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

There are a number of DZs that still start students on large Mantas, such as a 288, so you could have been on something like a 290. Not knowing whether or not you were right to begin with, my point was that a student should get his/her learning entirely on a canopy that will be much larger than he will jump when off student status. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

The largest canopy I jumped as a student in AFP was a 210. Part-way through the program they put me on a 190, and then I finished on a 170. I bought my own 170 Saber and used it for the next 700 jumps. I think that it's good to learn on something that approaches the size canopy you'll be using when you are graduated from student status, personally. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

If it is still warm when you go to Eloy, watch for dust devils as the place heats up. Most times they aren't there, but you should check conditions and ask about them. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Find out if there are any air traffic considerations at your DZ and where they would want you in the exit order. Wear something warm. Most parts of the country have chilly air up there this time of year. Watch for traffic. Be sure you aren't too far away on the spot for the winds you have. Have fun. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

When you pull high (don't know how big your aircraft is/are), don't forget about the tandems and the tandem vidiots. They will normally be behind you in the exit order. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Is this the Selwyn who jumped at Sebastian? I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

It almost makes me superstitious to say "Hey watch this!". Such as the one skydive of the day with outside video which doesn't go nearly as well as the perfect skydive an hour ago where no one flew a camera. I suppose it's possible to think too much about doing something just because someone is watching. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143