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benny

Call me Ashman...

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So, my JM thinks he's found a nickname for me. I'm not sure if it will stick, but the story goes...

After hanging around the DZ all day yesterday hoping for the winds to calm down... 10-15, gusts to 25 mph, I headed back down this morning after a call to the FPO. Fortunately the extra days wait meant and extra $200 for me so that meant I'd get to do two jumps today! Mike said some guy from Michigan was coming in too so we'd probably start jumping about 12:00. I got there at 12:30 thinking I had missed the first load but I was wrong.

After some debate and flip flops back and forth it was settled, this would be my first jump out of the Cessna, and my first no contact exit to boot. I assume from what I was told, that the ride to altitude took awhile, but it seemed to go by fairly fast to me until right before jump run someone farts. Gee thanks, fart in confined space... Finally, door's open and everyone else is out, Stewart signals and I begin to climb out. This was much more difficult than I initially thought it would be (Stewart informs me later that the pilot didn't let off the throttle a bit since we were in stiff uppers).

OK, prop, up, down, arch. "Oh shit I'm falling!", I think to myself as I flail my legs as if to try and touch the bottom of a swimming pool. ARCH, ahhh... stable... the rest of freefall was fairly uneventful with three 360 deg turns and altitude checks to 5000. wave, reach, pull. Nothing happens, PULL, again nothing, pull, holy shit this isn't going well... PULL!!! Woohoo!

I downsized this time, flying a 1:1 wingload now, everything's going fine but I don't have much time in my playground thanks to the hard pull so I spend most of that time getting back and ready for my left hand pattern. Downwind... Stewart comes on the radio but I have no clue what he's saying, I mean it's Charlie Brown teacher time for real. Something about a turn (which way??) was that stop turning, no? flare? no? Oh shit, here come the weeds and a 12 foot dropoff! PLF! "Wave your hand if you're ok!"

"What?? you mean you can't here me laughing??!?"

I wave. I'm covered in ash. They had burned the field the week before I think. "Hey Ashman."

Level 6 was so much less eventful although loads of fun. No problems on the backflip, tracking kicks ass. Turns out I fall pretty damn slow, the pro-track averaged 106. No problems at pull time and a stand up landing. My fourth :)

Never go to a DZ strip show.

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Way to go, dude!! :)
"Ashman?"

With 106 fall rate, you definitely were not going to get the name "comet" :)
Good going, and congrats!!

TOM

"The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment
of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

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Way to go, dude!! :)
"Ashman?"

With 106 fall rate, you definitely were not going to get the name "comet" :)
Good going, and congrats!!

TOM



Ashman... because the field had been burned... I was covered in ashes :D:S

Yeah, according to my JM, when I master the control of it, I should have excellent range... I have a fairly low loading of my human wing so to speak. I kind of like the sound of it, like, "Ashman?"

"Yeah, don't get burned." B|

Never go to a DZ strip show.

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Oh please say someone caught that landing on video!!!;):)



Fortunately no one was videoing that one. My JM for L-6 told me on the ride up that he thought the laughing was a girl on the observation deck and that he thought "well now, that's cruel for her to laugh after he fell like that":$

Never go to a DZ strip show.

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I downsized this time, flying a 1:1 wingload now, everything's going fine but I don't have much time in my playground thanks to the hard pull so I spend most of that time getting back and ready for my left hand pattern.



When is it normal for peeps to go to a 1:1 wingloading?

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I downsized this time, flying a 1:1 wingload now, everything's going fine but I don't have much time in my playground thanks to the hard pull so I spend most of that time getting back and ready for my left hand pattern.



When is it normal for peeps to go to a 1:1 wingloading?



never, lol!:P You're at a 1:1 w/l, ... why do you ask? Some dzs have faster progressions than others. You'll get a bazillion answers on this, some will say 1 jump, others will say 100 jumps. Let the instructors do their job, if they feel he should be 1:1, then he will probably be fine. They do this every day.

These are the kind of questions that turn a good thread bad. If you're really curious, you should start a new thread.
jmo.
angela.



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You're at a 1:1 w/l, ... why do you ask?



Just cuz I own it, don't mean I'm allowed to fly it yet ;)

I asked because the student rig is uncomfortable as hell and I'm dying to be able to use my own stuff. I was just sort of suprised to see a wing load transition so fast and was curious what was considered normal.

It wasn't an attempt to start a flame.

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Oh, ok. :)
I'm with ya... personal gear is definitely a MAJOR plus. Discuss it with your instructors or s&ta.. have them come out and watch your landings on what you're currently jumping, and give their opinions. Maybe you are ready... There is really no set answer, there is no "normal" time because there are so many variables involved.

Take care:)
angela.



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I'm with ya... personal gear is definitely a MAJOR plus. Discuss it with your instructors or s&ta.. have them come out and watch your landings on what you're currently jumping, and give their opinions. Maybe you are ready...



JC at SOBE is watching me like a hawk, so he has my progression covered.

But if Benny is the Ashman, then I'm the Grassman. My jumpsuit has the stains to prove it.

Maybe him and I could find a Mudman, Cornkiller, Treethumper and Barbie(barb wire fence expert) and form some sort of extreme stunt crew dog team.

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I'm with ya... personal gear is definitely a MAJOR plus. Discuss it with your instructors or s&ta.. have them come out and watch your landings on what you're currently jumping, and give their opinions. Maybe you are ready...



JC at SOBE is watching me like a hawk, so he has my progression covered.



haha. I didn't even realize we're at the same dz, :P JC is awesome... You're in good hands! Better than allstate even:P


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But if Benny is the Ashman, then I'm the Grassman. My jumpsuit has the stains to prove it.


Damn i'm glad I waited to get a jumpsuit! lol!

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Maybe him and I could find a Mudman, Cornkiller, Treethumper and Barbie(barb wire fence expert) and form some sort of extreme stunt crew dog team



I bet if you inquire, you'll find them all... hopefully by the time you gather all these folks, you and ashman will have lost your nicknames, anyhow.

cya in a couple weeks.. off to zhills next weekend. :)
Angela.



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Yeah, I'm trying to avoid the situation that I got the nickname for from now on. However I was thinking about having my first suit done in black with maybe some "ash" design of some sort in silver. Maybe airbrushed on...

Never go to a DZ strip show.

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Yeah, I'm trying to avoid the situation that I got the nickname for from now on. However I was thinking about having my first suit done in black with maybe some "ash" design of some sort in silver. Maybe airbrushed on...



So, you don't think you might be taking this a bit too far, huh? haha. You must really like this name. It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where the Proctologist had a license plate that said "assman"... Kramer got it on accident. LOL!

Not to say your jumpsuit wouldn't look good, just make sure that's what you want:)
Angela.



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Yeah, I'm trying to avoid the situation that I got the nickname for from now on. However I was thinking about having my first suit done in black with maybe some "ash" design of some sort in silver. Maybe airbrushed on...



Assman be carfull for what you ask for.:)
We knew a guy who had the nickname "Butt Juice"
on the ride to altitude he tried to pass some gas oops The stuff changed from a gas to a liquid. "Butt juice" was born.

After a couple of years he shortened his nickname to BJ. ;)(Not to be confused with Mr. BJ Worth):(

Enjoy Ashman, assman

R.I.P.

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With all of these comments on the name (love it by the way) and the landing, why has no one said anything about his hard pull and FOUR attempts (is that right, did you really try 4 times on a level 5)?

Why not the 2 attempts and straight to emergency procedures? Did you really try that many times or was that there a dramatic license?

...just worried about starting bad habits. did you check your altitude between pull attempts?

-------------------------
"If you've never jumped out of a plane, the best way I can describe it is it feels as if you've just jumped out of a freakin' plane."
David Whitley (Orlando Sentinel)

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May have been a bit of dramatic license, I mean it's not like I was reaching back each time, hand never left the hackey, it was tug tug tug tug woohoo, my JM said he was about to yank for me, I was thinking one more tug and reserve. I was in the saddle by 3900 feet I believe, though I'm not positive.

Never go to a DZ strip show.

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hey benny, I just talked to someone about airbrushing on jump gear, I just wanted to say, you do know that ends up cracking and peeling. It may look nicer longer if you tie-dyed a white jumpsuit with a gray color.-just a thought-Caress
I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being
right.

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Yeah, I'm trying to avoid the situation that I got the nickname for from now on. However I was thinking about having my first suit done in black with maybe some "ash" design of some sort in silver. Maybe airbrushed on...



Tie dye black on grey....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

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