Back in the Air

[Gato 0]

I'm finally current again after my winter layoff - and I "aced" jump number 13!!

I hadn't jumped since November, and at that time, I'd completed two 5-second delays. Winter can be a very strange and very non-lucrative time for a working musician. Thank God for generous wives!

Two weeks ago, I had refresher training, but the winds came up (as per usual) and I didn't get to jump.

This past sunday, though, I showed up early and got on the second load after the first round of tandems. A damn-near perfect PRCP, and a good stand-up landing. Winds come up, so I practiced packing for a while. Six hours later, the winds are down enough to do a H&P, so up I go. I had a very satisfying pull (Nothing in the world like a satisfying pull.) and a baby-soft deployment, followed by a stand-up/run-it-out landing. Yeah, baby!

Cool stuff on these jumps:

PRCP: My instructor/JM, Mark went up with me on both jumps, but after my deployment on this one, I saw the plane out ahead of me, and then I saw him jump out and deploy his canopy only a few seconds later. What a cool sight - I'd never seen another deployment so close-up before!

Mark is a great instructor, and he helped me get over the return-to-jumping jitters. It was cool that he did my retraining class and was JM on both of my jumps over the weekend. He showed a lot of trust in me, allowing me to adapt to the exit and pull sequence in my own way (what I call "the rhythm method"). I must say that I'm feeling a lot more relaxed in the plane, and my exits have improved substantially. Apparently, I don't try to swim back to the plane anymore. Who knew?

Clear & Pull: Had a certain DZO tell me after my landing, "You're gonna make me proud if you don't fuck up." Nothing else that happened on that jump could be as cool as hearing that.

Thanks for reading my chronicle - 10, 20, & 30 second delays coming soon!!!!!

Later,

Gato


Visit the new Missouri River Valley Skydivers' website:

http://www.skydivemrvs.com/homepage/default.asp

T.I.N.S.

[mamajumps 0]

Way to go on the good jumps and congrats on being back in the air. I just got current after nearly a year lay off this past Feb. I know how good it feels!!!

[plummeteer 0]

Gato, thanks for the kind words. Your "Rhythm Method" works because you (unlike me) have rhythm, and you seemed more relaxed using it, I did a standard count when we were practicing and you were getting everything done at the right time, so why not use it? You did well staying relaxed through the "don't fuck up" comment someone made prior to your C&P too.
Plus, it may keep you from getting pregnant someday

Edo
Concumbui
Aethrae Cernuare

[peanutgallery 0]

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Thank God for generous wives!

Yours or other peoples??

I used to have a handle on life, but it broke

[d123 3]

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Visit the new Missouri River Valley Skydivers' website:

http://www.skydivemrvs.com/where/facilities.shtml
Yet another gender biased DZ! The ladies bathroom is bigger and the yellow stains on the floor are missing ...

Congrats Gato! Seems that you have found a nice home!

P.S. How come there's no reading material in the bathroom? (canpara, parachutist, etc )

Edit to add: Use the left arrow to find the bathrooms panorama!

Lock, Dock and Two Smoking Barrelrolls!

[Gato 0]

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You did well staying relaxed through the "don't fuck up" comment someone made prior to your C&P too.

Yes....a certain photographer expressed his "confidence" in me.

"Don't fuck up," is as good advice as any, I suppose - and I'm way too much of a noob to expect a "legit" vote of confidence from the likes of our cameramen. If I'm not give at least a little bit of shit, I'll start to think something's wrong. Besides, I dig that lanky, switch bitin', drywall hangin' bastard!

Thanks again, Plummeteer - U Da Man.

Gato the Noob

T.I.N.S.

[Gato 0]

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I just got current after nearly a year lay off this past Feb. I know how good it feels!!!

Then you should have congratulations, yourself, Mamajumps!
Thanks for the encouragement.

Gato

T.I.N.S.