Returning To The Fold

[fliegerman 0]

Hi All;

Just getting back into the sport after a 27 year layoff. It will be nice to get back under a canopy again after so long.
Right now I am checking out the DZ's in my area. A couple have impressed me and a couple haven't; such is life.

I haven't decided whether to go AFF this time or back to S/L for my retraining. Everything has changed so much! I had 2 jumps on a Strato-Star way back when and aside from my first 7, the rest were on PC's.

Anyway, its good to get back around the DZ again and talk jumping. I'll look forward to hanging out here; lurking, posting, getting flamed, whatever.

[skymama 37]

Welcome to the forums!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[fliegerman 0]

Thanks for the welcome Skymama.

I checked out Kapowsin when I flew over to drop off an emergency rig for a repack. They seemed like a friendly group with a well run operation and knowledgable people. I got the feeling that I could fit in there with little trouble.

There is a less populated DZ along the highway south of Mt. Vernon but it didn;t feel good for my level of experience after a long layoff. 100 yards in 1 direction is an 8 lane highway and less than 100 feet in another direction is a railroad track. The people there were friendly though, and willing to talk to an old jumper like myself.

I have been flying into Snohomish for years and the airport overall is a great place but I didn't get a friendly feeling from the parachute center. No one seems willing to talk to me so I have been pretty much ignored the times that I have been there.

I will be checking out Bremerton in the near future. Right now it will be between Bremerton and Kapowsin; maybe both.

Thanks again for the welcome.

[fliegerman 0]

I will be checking out Bremerton in the near future.


Well, I went and checked out Blue Sky Adventures in Bremerton. The weather was awful so no jumps but I have to say that I think I've found a home.

The operation was, to me, a nicely run, safety minded family operation with some really friendly people willing to sit and talk jumping with an oldster returning to the sport.

The equipment looked good and was all up to date. I was very favourably impressed and am looking forward to jumping there.

[graydick 0]

Welcome fliegerman,
We are in the same area. I learned at the old Kapowsin and now jump at Blue Skies, I too took a long vacation from jumping (age 50 to 65) but decided to start again. See you out there.
Blue Skies,
graydick@dropzone.com

[377 22]

You will find that the cobwebs come off pretty fast and that the new gear is soooooo much better than the stuff we jumped back in the day. I restarted seven years ago after a long absence. I just could not believe how great the new canopies fly. I thought there would never be a better canopy than the ParaCommander. I really miss the old planes (DC 3, Twin Beech, Lodestars, etc) but not the old gear.

Mark

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[Amazon 7]

Quote

There is a less populated DZ along the highway south of Mt. Vernon but it didn;t feel good for my level of experience after a long layoff. 100 yards in 1 direction is an 8 lane highway and less than 100 feet in another direction is a railroad track. The people there were friendly though, and willing to talk to an old jumper like myself.

We are trying to come up with a LARGE field on the other side of the tracks so we have a student field for next year... but you are right.. the main landing area is a tad tight...but there is ALWAYS the 2000' long by 250' wide grass strip runway that runs N-S along the railroad tracks

We are closed for the winter but should be back out there next summer when it starts to dry out.

OH by the way I have 3 ParaCommanders in rigs.. and a Papillion in an old Stylemaster.. as well as a Stratostar in a Wonderhog... if you want to do a "nostalgia" jump