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wildblue

Happy sky birthday to me!

By wildblue, in The Bonfire

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wildblue    7

wildblue
3 years ago I started skydiving. Well, close to 3 years ago. It was Mother's Day '99 - close enough, right?
Here's my recollection a few months after the fact:
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I’m really not sure what got me wanting to jump out of an airplane. It’s one of those things that I had always wanted to do, I just never had the money, or didn’t know where to go to do it. In April of ’99, it came up again, and I finally decided I would do it, just to say I had done it, and see what it was like. After a short amount of research, I came across Skydive Greene County in Xenia, Ohio. I told my roommate (Jon) and my friend Balki what I was planning. They didn’t need much convincing. Balki said he had thought about doing it many times before, and Jon thought it sounded like fun. Finally the date was set for May 9th (yes, mother’s day…. Hi mom!!)
We showed up mid-afternoon on a beautiful, clear Sunday. Even though I’m writing this a few months after the fact, I still remember clearly, almost as soon as I got out of the car, I heard this strange noise, almost like a jet in the distance, followed by the sound a towel makes when someone snaps it at you. I looked up, and saw what must have been 40 canopies popping up all over the sky like popcorn! What a sight! I was thrilled and ready to go!
We were led back to a room with a TV and VCR, a bunch of forms placed in front of us, and a video was played for us to watch. Many people reading this may even know the video of which I speak: old guy with long gray hair and long gray beard telling you skydiving is dangerous (duh) and you could get hurt, killed, or even worse! Then we signed all these forms that said if we got hurt, killed, or even worse, we wouldn’t sue, our family couldn’t sue, and if we did, we’d have to pay for any damages awarded to ourselves (figure that one out!)
After all the legalities were out of the way, we met our tandem masters and got suited up. My TM didn’t seem all that thrilled to be there, Jon jumped with ‘The Boss’ (Jim West, DZO), and Balki was paired up with Randy who had hair as long as Balki’s!
So we all get into these really uncomfortable tandem harnesses, and after a short briefing, head for the plane. We would be jumping from the Beech: A nice twin-engine craft that can carry 12 jumpers to altitude in about 20 mins. I wasn’t really all that nervous. I didn’t have much to do on this jump, just enjoy the ride. I had plenty of time to think about everything on the ride up. I remember looking at my TM, and he looked like he was taking a nap! I didn’t whether to be upset by this, or take as a good sign, that he is so relaxed he can catch some shut-eye on the way up!
We got to 13,000 feet, and a few jumpers exited, I could feel the plane lurch as it lost the weight. I don’t remember what order the 3 of us exited, I just remember shuffling up to the door, and… "You ready to skydive?" I think all I did was nod my head "In the door!" The thought flashed through my mind "I am no kidding gonna do this" (Ok, so maybe ‘kidding’ was replaced with another word) then it was "Prop! Up! Down! ARCH!" and we were out!! It was the most awesome sight and feeling all at the same time! You can’t describe the feeling to someone who hasn’t done it, the closest you can get is that it just feels like you’re floating, not falling, from that altitude, you wouldn’t know you were moving at all it if wasn’t for the 120 MPH wind in your face and roaring in your ears! After a fast minute of freefall, my TM tapped me on the shoulders, telling me he was getting ready to pull. My freefall was over too quick, and I was abruptly (and I mean abruptly!) slowed to a nice 10-15 MPH. I looked around and could see for miles! We were at about 5,000 feet, my TM turned us toward the DZ, and I just enjoyed the view. We did a few hard turns (man those leg straps dig in!) and we flared a few times so I knew what we would do to land. I saw Jon and Balki floating around not too far from us. The landing was pretty good, not too rough. I got disconnected from the harness finally, and all I could say was "That was awesome!" I had a huge smile on my face for the next couple hours. Jon, Balki, and I talked about our experience, even when we stopped for dinner, Balki had to tell the waiter what we had just got done doing. All three of us were hooked, and had to do it again!
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Reading it now, it almost seems kinda silly, but god I remember that step into the door, and the whole feeling I got cruising through the sky.
So how did I celebrate today? I jumped. Hell yeah. After 10 weeks and 6 days with no air time, I made 2 jumps today.
Jump #1 - hop n pop from 5k. Phreezone had some relative work to do, so he figured he'd keep me company in the plane. I'm nervous as hell. The winds were nasty most of the morning - gusty, bumpy, stong. Fuck it... I'm going.
I decide Phree can go first, I'll watch his landing and see how bad it is. 5k rolls around, he does a beautiful triple backflip off the back of the Casa. Showoff. I salute the plane (read: give them all the bird) and follow him out. A weird feeling, not being in the air for so long. Out of habit, started moving headdown. Pulled out of it, checked the alti, had think "relax dammit! arch a little!" Niiiiiice snivelly opening (thanks sunshine) and point myself at the dz. Well, that was the easy part... let's see how this landing goes. Goodness, the windsock is almost bending in the breeze... follow Phree around... he's landing... not bad.. this should be ok... remember to lead with the left, slide if you have to, pivot on the left fott and reel in that toggle when you land... ok.. here we go... fl.. wait, too soon, high wind, ok finsish it! Nice soft landing, one little baby step.. sweet! I actually had to sit there for a second - I felt like I had just made my level 1 AFF with no jumpmasters. As Robin said, I had permagrin back on my face. My hands were even shaking a little. Nerves or adrenalin, not sure which.
So I decided to do another jump. I promised dove I'd make one for her, and I knew she wouldn't be happy with a hop n pop. Manifest with Cajun.
Last out.. belly exit, plan to pull it into a sit. Get to the gate: "where's the dz?!" (I really don't want to land off - landing is challenging enough right now) pilot yells "go! go!" oh well, we're pulling way high anyway. Out.. ahhh.. yeah.. I remember how to do this. It's funny, the things you stop feeling when you're jumping every weekend - that bit of a gut move out the door, the way the wind feels, the site of the ground 2.5 miles below you, the way someone looks with a cloud as a backdrop, the way the wind sounds in your ears, that tug of a parachute arresting your decent, even the smell becomes apparent again. So I get in front of Cajun, we appraoch some puffy haze, pull into a sit.. damn.. I remember how to do this too... I spin around without thinking about it, looking for the dz, make a 360, he's pointing back behind me, I look back.. damn we're out here... look back at him, he kinda nods, I give a thumbs up, we belly out and track away. I dump about 6k (we were waaaaay out) I curse the first groupd for tacking too damn long in the door... pop the toggles, and start hanging on the rear risers. Yeah, ok, this might work. End up making it back to the dz with a little altitude to burn.. set up to land.. damn, what happened to the wind? Fast landing, ok, lead with left foot, slide on it, fall back on butt. Pull dove out of pocket, give it a smooch. Sweet.
The weather and the ankle both told me I was done for the day. That's ok, I'm happy. Feels good. Happy birthday to me. Doesn't everyone celebrate their birthday with tylenol, beer, and an ice pack? :D
3 years, 400 jumps, 2 broken bones (complete with 2 groovy scars), 5 states, countless new friends, and lots of bonfires and beers shared.. not a bad run so far.
You don't scare me! I got chunks of guys like you in my stool!!

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sunshine    2

sunshine
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Niiiiiice snivelly opening (thanks sunshine)

So do i get a reward for giving you a good opening?;) Seriously, i'm so happy for you. I know the road to recovery was long and hard, but you made it through without too much crabbiness (yeah right). I'll see you in 2 weeks so we can jump together and you can see my beautiful new canopy. :)"Haven't you always wanted a monkey?"

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wildblue    7

wildblue
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Did you jump today, you pansy?

Did you read the whole thing, skank?
edit:
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Oh, I just read your long boring post. Welcome back.

Some people just shouldn't breed....
You don't scare me! I got chunks of guys like you in my stool!!

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sunshine    2

sunshine
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Happy Skybirthday, Blurry! Just two more weeks and we can all really celebrate your return to the sky (meaning, lotsa beer, lotsa jumps and tons more trouble.)

Should i give him one of my special pies too?
"Haven't you always wanted a monkey?"

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PLFKING    4

PLFKING
Glad to hear you're back in the air, Seth !
And NO first-jump story is boring. They always remind me of my first time.
Don
"Women......can't live with 'em.......can't kill them without having to endure horribly expensive and messy legal proceedings." :)

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PhreeZone    20

PhreeZone
>I decide Phree can go first, I'll watch his landing and see how bad it is. 5k rolls around, he does a beautiful triple backflip off the back of the Casa. Showoff.
Um clearly you were'nt counting. That was clearly a quad gainer with a full twist. :D And when ever I get a camera charger back I'll let everyone on here see that it was a stand up landing on your return to the sky....
Welcome back Blue... no quit being so damn bitchy and keep giving Jess a supply of GHB.....
If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will....

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