I made my 50th today, Or I cant wait to jump at Rantoul

[kai2k1 0]

I made my 50th skydive today.

Nothing too special, just a 2-way with a friend of mine with an intentional flipping exit.

Now that Ive hit 50 I can officially jump at WFFC!!! See you all next Thursday

There's no truer sense of flying than sky diving," Scott Cowan

[jumpinfarmer 0]

Lucky Bastard!!!

Have fun in Rantoul.

[kai2k1 0]

There's no truer sense of flying than sky diving," Scott Cowan

[sunshine 2]

Very cool. I can't wait to meet ya.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[flygirl03 0]

all those long hours driving that truck are paying off !!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
earthbound misfit

[Thanatos340 1]

Congratz!!
I did my 50th on Saturday too. Got My Official A License Number in the Mail today. I leave for Rantoul Thursday Night as well. Hope to meet you there.

[themitchyone 0]

Congratulations!
Have a blast in Rantoul. Wish I could be there.

-Michele

"If the Bible has taught us nothing else, and it hasn't, it's that girls should stick to girl's sports such as hot oil wrestling and foxy boxing." - Homer Simpson

[PhreeZone 20]

Just because you have the magic 50 does'nt mean that you are automatically safe for WFFC. MAke sure you watch the skies and landing patterns for a good hour or so before thinking about gearing up and heading to a plane.

WFFC is unlike anything you've experienced so far and its extremely easy to get in over your head there. I did my first year, most new jumpers do.

Read and memorize BillVon, Windsor, and Gary Peeks convention safety tips. The life they save may be your own.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[sunshine 2]

Good point Erk. WFFC is overwhelming to everyone, but especially newer jumpers. Hell, i still get scared by all the canopy traffic too.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[jazzjumper 0]

Alright guys, Phree knows what he is talking about. I hit Rantoul 2002 with 150+ jumps and as fun as it was, it took a lot of paying attention to keep safe. Come out, have fun, party, but PAY ATTENTION! Tale your time. Do a couple of solos or 2-ways, track, pull, and take your time to set up a relaxed landing pattern.

Oh yeah, smile and have fun. See you on Thrusday!!!! Hi Sunshine!

No matter how good she looks, someone, somewhere is
sick of her shit!

[WFFC 1]

Quote

Now that Ive hit 50 I can officially jump at WFFC!!!

pssst...make sure your logbook is signed...it's not official till then...

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~~~Michael

[WFFC 1]

On top of all of what Phree and the Sunnyone have said, if you don't feel comfortable going up due to winds, too many planes, clouds, etc. Sit...there's always plenty of jumping to do later...People will definately push you to your limits here. Staying within your comfort level is what you need to do. I also highly recommend hanging in Tent 3 for at least your first full day. From experience, started my first WFFC in Tent 3. Beginning of rhe day, the 3 of us plus the load org (Mark from Austrailia - Last I knew he was at West Tennessee) barely put two together. By the end of the day, we turned 9 or 10 points on a 4 way and my flying skills (and everyone else's in the group) improved drastically.

Let's all be careful out there..

-----
~~~Michael

[n2skdvn 0]

What everyone has said here and keep your head on a swivel. if you dont feel comfortable jumping dont. BUT do enjoy the partying!!!!!!!!

if my calculations are correct SLINKY + ESCULATOR = EVERLASTING FUN
my site

[flygirl03 0]

Quote

Just because you have the magic 50 does'nt mean that you are automatically safe for WFFC. MAke sure you watch the skies and landing patterns for a good hour or so before thinking about gearing up and heading to a plane.

WFFC is unlike anything you've experienced so far and its extremely easy to get in over your head there. I did my first year, most new jumpers do.

Read and memorize BillVon, Windsor, and Gary Peeks convention safety tips. The life they save may be your own.

good point phree... I already Told him that ;)!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
earthbound misfit

[PhreeZone 20]

Well said
There are so many new and different things to go and try out. Set limits and stick to them. It will be extremely easy to be pressured into a dive that is beyond your limits. Stick to your limits. Things like Whale dives are lots of fun, but they are also complete zoos with lots of different level issues as people get tossed off and the whale goes fast. You might not think of what to do if people are spread out over 1k vertical on the same dive. Make sure your load organizer or friends discuss fall back steps if dives funnel, got vertical, etc for every dive. Plan the dive, dive the plan.

Under canopy everyone in the air is trying to kill you, fly like that. Minimize radical low turns, the more predictible you are, the better everyone else can avoid you. There are demo canopies at WFFC, but sine there are no high openings you are going to have to learn the canopy from 3k to the ground. I don't recommend demoing gear if you have under 150 jumps or so. Finding yourself on a faster canopy that is unfimilar to you at 2200 feet on a long spot is not cool at all.

The specility things like the chopper and Biplane are wickedly cool, but plan ahead and think through the dive. Zero airspeed is probally going to be new to you. Don't plan on doing lots of things on the dive since you will be getting out lower then normal and its going to take about 10 seconds to get to the airspeed you are used to.

USE the LO's!!! They are FREE!!! USE THEM!!!
Bill, Winsor, Djan, Mary, Gary, the rest of Tent 3... use them if this is your first convention. Say hi to the Muff Brothers and go on a Muff dive, same with the Knights and Airspeed. But take things slowly, and stay with in your limits.

See you there!

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[freeasabird 0]

Quote

Now that Ive hit 50 I can officially jump at WFFC!!!

From the WFFC site:
"What are the requirements to be a registered skydiver at the convention?

To be registered as a "skydiver" with that wristband you need to have at least 50 freefall skydives. This does not require a "license" but to expect some additional scutiny at registration if you don't. These 50 freefalls must be properly logged!"


If you went through static line training, you may be short a few. That was the case with me up until this past weekend when I hit the 50 "freefalls" mark.

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[kai2k1 0]

To phree and the rest of you all that posted.

Thanks so much for the advice. I have read Billvon's and Gary Peek's articles almost every day since they were put up. I plan on getting there Thursday the 12th sometime in the afternoon so I can watch landing patterns and things such as those. I want my BEER convention to be a safe one so that I can go up there for years to come. I WILL NOT do anything in the sky that im not going to be comfortable with.


I plan on jumping with only one person the whole convention or someone that she tells me that it is cool and safe to jump with. Nothing big, nothing too overwhelming.

Yes I have 50 freefall skydives. I was brought up through the AFF program.
I started this journey almost a year ago and have been dreaming of partying and jumping in rantoul since I found out what the convention was all about.

Blues......

There's no truer sense of flying than sky diving," Scott Cowan

[WFFC 1]

Quote

If you went through static line training, you may be short a few. That was the case with me up until this past weekend when I hit the 50 "freefalls" mark.

This is correct. If you're close, remember, Paxton is just up the road and they have a king air right now.

-----
~~~Michael

[tandembrent 0]

congrats!!! you made it just in time, probably was meant to be.

my first season the convention was my goal too, with some luck with the weather and help from a bud i made 50 freefalls in 50 days in order to go.

~~~~Green grass and high clouds forever~~~~
no matter where you go, there you are!

[Kramer 0]

Thanks for scaring the shit out of me, Eric. Sometimes I need that...

The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!!

[SHOFF 0]

Congrats on your 50 jump.Be careful at WFFC.Do not be afraid to aviod the main landing areas.It is better to land away from the crowd.Walking is good for you.
SHOFF