Screw it... I QUIT!

[jumpergirl 0]

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Trust me, you would have gotten more training if your old BF would have let you.

That's EXACTLY my point!

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[littlestranger 0]

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She has learned from it, too.

Ya think?

[Vallerina 2]

1.) You will most likely never be told everything you should know. Skydivers do their best in relaying information, but humans are flawed. This really is a "think for yourself" kind of sport. You may be in a sticky situation, even a unique situation, and have not heard how to handle it beforehand. If you can't handle something like that, well, I don't know what to tell you.

2.) The beautiful woman thing is bs. SDC has so many beautiful women at the dz. A few of them could probably make big money modelling. They still take responsibility for themselves. They take themselves seriously, so other people take them seriously.

There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

[justaflygirl 0]

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Your FJC was half-assed. How do you know? You don't unless some instructors tell you.

because there is alot of stuff I have learned on my own from reading the SIM that was never covered in my FJC

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Your AFF jumps were spot on. How do you know that? You don't unless your instructors tell you.

I was failed on several levels

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Your landing pattern via radio didn't make sense. Did you say, "Hey. This doesn't make sense" any time before jump 40?

It is the Instructors duty to do it right, thats why they are an instructor, if oyu dont know its wrong, what would prompt you to ask?

[Ron 10]

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I know of some that use their ratings to try to get laid.

You can do that??? SWEET!!!! What is it like a 20 spot in a bad mexican whorehouse?

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[Ron 10]

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That's EXACTLY my point!

Yes, but my point is that if he was not in the picture you would have gotten AT LEAST the standard instruction.

More likley you would have gotten *Better* instruction since you were better to look at than "Joe fat ass"

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[scaryshari 0]

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and mine was doubly bad b/c I am attractive and I b/c I was a jumpers wife....

Will someone please pass me the bucket..I'm not feeling so well anymore..

[gemini 0]

Hey my FJC didn't teach anything about landing patters or canopy control either. After a few near misses, I realized something had been left out or maybe I hadn't heard what I should have. So I started watching the other jumpers and listening to what they said...not just to me, but to anyone else as well.

Then I had to ask questions. I was lucky that I was able to jump with some great, long-time jumpers (25 years) who never hesitated to answer my questions. Sometimes they laughed at first and hurt my feelings, but when I heard the answer I usually understood why they laughed and laughed with them.

The difference between you and I is that I really love the sport and the people. I haven't found anyone who couldn't teach me something or make me laugh and have a better day if I was down.

Many, many jumpers do not post on dz.com and refuse to even log on to review the posts. That's their choice...just like it should be yours to continue to participate in the sport. Don't let someone you don't know make you quit something that you love to do.

I once got very discouraged because of the responses to a post in the incidents forum. Then I realized that maybe the posters were right and sometime near the end of the post Bill Booth clarified the issue so that I understood it.

I don't think I lost any friends over the issue. At least they have not said anything when I have met them at dz's around the country!

I guess what I am trying to say is we all make mistakes. Unfortunately sometimes those mistakes hurt and hurt badly...other times we get to walk away. As Eener said, we have to learn from the mistakes and move on. If you truly love jumping, don't let a few comments run you away.

Sometimes our posts can seem cold and indifferent. Rest assured that we have seen to many friends lying in the grass broken and bleeding and want to do everything we can to prevent another friend from suffering. It is horrible when someone is badly injured and it eats us up knowing the accident could have been prevented with a little more training and education.

Please learn what you did wrong and move on. If you continue to post in response to someone, they will continue to post rebuttals and other comments. Just walk away from the thread.

This doesn't mean quit the sport. As I've said several times before if you really love the sport and the people you jump with, do not let a stranger run you off.

Blues and whatever your decision, make it the right one for you,

Blue skies,

Jim

[JaapSuter 0]

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It is the Instructors duty to do it right, thats why they are an instructor, if you dont know its wrong, what would prompt you to ask?

NO! A very strong no. If you have to rely on your instructor to survive in this sport, you are in the wrong sport.

The instructor is there to help you should you choose to use his help. The instructor has no obligation to you to make sure you stay alive.

The instructor is like an altimeter or a helmet. Very useful when used properly, but they're just a tool. They carry valuable information that you can choose to leverage in order to increase your chances of not getting hurt.

[mailin 0]

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Just walk away from the thread.

I think this is a good idea. Don't keep digging a deeper and deeper hole for you to have to climb out of.

No one can make the deicion for you, but you need time to reflect... away from here.


Jen

Arianna Frances

[Ashtanga 0]

Heal well, blow off some steam, wear some of these (or similiar) shoes, go through the first jump course again, and start talking to instructors about your canopy progression (I know MOST DZ's would let experienced jumpers sit in anytime they felt they needed it), build your confidence and jump again. Don't sell your stuff, you will regret it later.

Shoes...all the cool skydivers wear them!
http://www.vans.com/girls/product/

[livendive 8]

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maybe had I not fallen into the same thing that so many other attractive girls do in this sport ( I dont think I have to explain this) things would be different...

I'm kinda slow sometimes, please explain this to me. What "thing" did you fall into?

Being an attractive girl , our instruction is often times half-assed. A guy is gonna get better more thorough intruction b/c he is a guy, an attractive girl, maybe not always the case, but flirting often takes the place of a thorough education. I know of SEVERAL girls who have expierenced this, and mine was doubly bad b/c I am attractive and I b/c I was a jumpers wife....

I've been around enough to know what trap some attractive young female jumpers fall into. That's not it. The trap is getting invited on skydives that are over their head, by guys hoping to play the "I'll take care of you and you'll have a blast and maybe give up a piece" card. I know that sounds close, but it's not the same. When applied to the learning environment, it works in the opposite direction...you express an interest in learning about something and the guys will beat a path to you hoping to play the "I'll share my knowledge with you in hopes that you'll be grateful and maybe give up a piece" card.

My advice is to take responsibility for your own education. If you realize there's something you don't know, hound people until you do know it.

Also, when you screw yourself up skydiving, take responsibility for it yourself. It was your ass hanging in that harness, not your instructor's, and not your ex-husband's. You made the decision to jump without shoes, you made the decisions that left you landing on the tarmac, you didn't flare. All I've heard you do is blame everyone else, none of whom were making those decisions for you. A lack of knowledge may have been a contributing factor, but you need to accept that you had the major role in this chain of events.

Learn from your mistakes, be grateful they weren't more costly, do better next time.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[jumpergirl 0]

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That's EXACTLY my point!

Yes, but my point is that if he was not in the picture you would have gotten AT LEAST the standard instruction.

More likley you would have gotten *Better* instruction since you were better to look at than "Joe fat ass"

Agreed... somewhat. He wasn't in the room during my AFF training. That was one-on-one with my instructor. He was basically professional, but looking back now, I don't think he was 100%. I'm sure he didn't train me the way he would have trained "Joe fat ass." I didn't get more or better training. I got what I needed to know to not die. Luckily, I got out of there early enough in my "career" and hooked up with decent people who took the time to answer my questions and train me as a skydiver, not a chic with tits.

And teaching your old gf's to pack... those were just examples. You know I don't pack anymore. I can't tell you now what I didn't know then but I have asked so many questions in the last 10 years. Simple things that I should have known before I started jumping, or at the very least, shortly thereafter.

[tigra 0]

Come on Skymama, you know! The jumpmasters don't bother teaching the pretty girls anything! They just give them gear and let them go! Didn't that happen to you?

Me- I must not be pretty enough because my AFP training was pretty thorough! Didn't stop me from doing stupid stuff, but again (I guess 'cuz I'm not pretty enough) people let me know what I did wrong and offered to help. But the really cute girls? Nope, they're on their own!

[gemini 0]

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My experience in this sport is unless you are a paycheck people wont offer you assistance in learning.

I'm sorry, but I diagree with this statement. Most of what I have leaned in skydiving has come from other jumpers with more experience than me and I never had to pay them a dime.

I have learned something from every jump and usually the info comes without me asking or paying for it.

There are great people in the sport and not all of them are well known nor do they work in the sport. At our dz the LO's are not paid staff and they are some of the most knowledgable people at the dz.

They freely give, you just have to listen.

Blue skies,

Jim

[chaoskitty 0]

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Your landing pattern via radio didn't make sense. Did you say, "Hey. This doesn't make sense" any time before jump 40?

It is the Instructors duty to do it right, thats why they are an instructor, if oyu dont know its wrong, what would prompt you to ask?

[lawrocket 3]

You've got some good points. It is an instructor's job to do it right. But instructors do not give you learning. You do that on your own.

The landing pattern is covered in the SIM. Diagrams and everything. Did you read that part?

I'm not trying to be hard on you. But, you'll find numerous posts from people who fucked up big, and let everyone know. And most of these people knew better.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=425676#425676 - What not to do (how the Aggie Almost Died).

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1545862#1545862 - check out this guy. No excuses, and took the heat. He took less heat than you and almost killed two people.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1656576#1656576 - here's a guy describing how he fucked up.

Each of these people put the blame squarely on themselves.

Each question you have answered should lead to more questions. Bill Booth probably has more questions to answer than you or I could ever think to ask because his knowledge is so broad.

All of these issues you've brought up are things that, apparently, you knew were an issue BEFORE you took the leap. The slabs of meat that are your feet did not cause these questions. They were in you before you exited the craft.

I think that's what most people are concerned with. Don't fix blame afterwards on your instruction. If you knew your instruction sucked, if you knew that there were basic questions that were unanswered, and if you knew you were confused about a lot of thing and you still jumped, that's a crater looking for grid coordinates. In which case, you fucked up.

If, on the other hand, you knew what you were doing and took the risks, then you fucked up, and your instructors share no blame.

So, what did you learn? When I get back into this sport, I want to live, and you can probably tell me plenty.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Ron 10]

Hell, I started a thread on the stupid shit I have done.
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1130378#1130378

..And since then I have updated it with more stupid shit.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1365579#1365579

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[rhino 0]

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Arguing with nameless, faceless people on the internet is like competing in the special Olympics..

But it's soo fun!!!!

[rhino 0]

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As an instructor I find your theory offensive.

come on man.. You know chicks you instruct are only paying attention to your belt buckle.. You know that.. They don't pay attention to the PLF instructions..

[rhino 0]

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You need to take responsibility for yourself in this sport, you can't blame your lack of knowledge all on other people.

BINGO.. And the thread could and should rightfully end right here with that statement..

Rhino

[rhino 0]

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Dave, I totally respect you and am anxious to meet you at SkyFest.

How can you do this if you quit?!?!? Gotcha!!

[jsaxton 0]

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OK. Lesson learned...Don't forget to flare..EVER. It is ALWAYS bad. (OK two out its not, but thats another story)

OK Ron, I want to hear the story

[kelel01 1]

A). You've got the wrong person.

B). Didn't you say the thread should end after Karenmeal's comment? So let it end . . . or learn to reply to more than one person in the same post.

[jlmiracle 7]

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Dave, I totally respect you and am anxious to meet you at SkyFest.

How can you do this if you quit?!?!? Gotcha!!

Jumpergirl isn't quiting. The barefoot girl is.

and what about Female Instructors? I'm offended by all the accusations thrown out about instructors being biased. I only teach guys with 10 inches or more.

j

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.