BethUK 0
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Ron 10
QuoteI have to disagree with you here Ron. While I do agree visiting jumpers need to make an effort, I think jumpers at their home DZ should try to make visiting jumpers feel welcome. I have been to over 15 DZ's in the last few years and have encountered everything from jumpers coming up to me immediately upon my arrival and inviting me on a jump, all the way to me making an effort and saying hello and being ignored by a few different people.
Well, OK.
All I'm saying is at a Big DZ..If you don't take advantage of some of the LO's and such...I would not expect people to notice you.
On a big DZ we might have 50 new people on a weekend.
Its not hard to walk up to manifest and ask for a group to play with..Or do it while getting a gear check.
But don't sit around quietly and expect people to come up and say hi....On a mid to small size DZ its easy to notice the new guy...Not so easy at a big DZ...
A friend of mine told me once...The best way to make friends at a new DZ...Show up the night before with a case of cold beer.
You want to have fun...You need to be proactive...Not just sit and wait for people to ask you what you want to do...
Nothing good in life comes from just sitting around and waiting for it...Make it happen.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334
QuoteIts not hard to walk up to manifest and ask for a group to play with..Or do it while getting a gear check.
I agree with napaguy and Ron.
Here's why.
I am generally pretty outgoing as long as I have one person with me I know. That gets me opened enough to talk and start conversation with other people. If I go to a new place without knowing anybody prio, I tend to be very shy. Then I just sit around and watch everything going on. It is intimidating to walk up to people you do not know. You feel intrusive. So it is nice when someone who is a local comes up and says "Hi, I've never seen you before." It helps break the ice and can only benefit the DZ by making sure a visitor enjoys their time there.
ON THE OTHER HAND, you already have to go to maifest anyway, so why not say to manifest, "Look, I am new here and do not know anybody. Can you introduce me to someone who would like to jump with a stranger?"
I did this at Deland and the dude in manifest used the PA system to help me hook up with people to jump with. I had a great time and enjoyed the day with three people I would not have had the opportunity to know otherwise.
My point? I have none. I never do
.
No, I am kidding. My point is that if as locals we take the time to see everyone rather than be self-centered, we could make someone's visit to our DZ a great experiance and have a great time ourselves with someone new. AND as visitors, if we break out of our shell even just enough to talk to manifest, who we already have to talk to, we may find our visit to even the busiest DZ's, that much more friendly.
If we all remember both sides and try to follow this simple advice, there would never be a problem.
On any given weekend at SDC we can have just as many new people show up - from fun jumpers to tandems. I know the first time I showed up there, Roger ran into me in the parking lot and walked me to manifest. Others now do that - Rook, Missy, Donovan, and anyone else that is a staff member there. This attitude has spilled over to everyone else and if we see anyone lurking about and they are not a familiar face, they will get an introduction and an offer of help or directions.
It is a bit easier at times - the building is large enough that most of the tandem students are never near the freefly or belly area, the spectators are out at the tables watching landings, and that leaves plenty of space for fun jumpers to gather without interuption - and it makes it easy to see a new face.
You will often find jumpers walking new faces directly to a LO that will be in the same skill area as the guest.
The same thing happened to me the first time I went to Hinkley - the DZO nearly greeted me at my car, and showed me where everything was - and pointed me towards the LO. When it looked like there wasn't enough people to put the plane up, he sent it up with just two jumpers since he heard I had never jumped a Porter before! Needless to say that impressed the hell out of me.
I can always find a DZ that has a nice plane, good LOs, etc....but if the people are not as nice, it just isn't as much fun going there....and usually will not get repeat business from me.
It is a bit easier at times - the building is large enough that most of the tandem students are never near the freefly or belly area, the spectators are out at the tables watching landings, and that leaves plenty of space for fun jumpers to gather without interuption - and it makes it easy to see a new face.
You will often find jumpers walking new faces directly to a LO that will be in the same skill area as the guest.
The same thing happened to me the first time I went to Hinkley - the DZO nearly greeted me at my car, and showed me where everything was - and pointed me towards the LO. When it looked like there wasn't enough people to put the plane up, he sent it up with just two jumpers since he heard I had never jumped a Porter before! Needless to say that impressed the hell out of me.
I can always find a DZ that has a nice plane, good LOs, etc....but if the people are not as nice, it just isn't as much fun going there....and usually will not get repeat business from me.
_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....
TheBile 0
The first DZ I ever went to was a small one, I arrived first thing in the morning, second only to the DZO. The first thing he said to me was "Don't park on the grass mate, just park off to the side of the road there." That's an original greeting.
After that the only people I talked to for the whole weekend was the two JM's for my AFF and a fellow student. This was before I discovered DZ.COM and I figured that the sport was one where Cliques and exclusive groups were the norm.
Out of all the other weekends I spent there, only one other person took the time to introduce themselves to me. I'm not an outgoing kind of person so wasn't able to take it upon myself to break into the obvious groups that had been formed long before my arrival.
The Second DZ I went to was arguably one of the largest in the country. Initially no-one was there to greet me or show me around, but I managed to find my own way to the lounge and saw what seemed to be a family there, sitting nervously and quietly. I said hi and asked them what they were there for. The guy said he brought his son and daughter there to do a Tandem and were waiting for the first load of the day. We got to chatting for a bit about skydiving and other bits, and then he asked if I was an instructor there. I thought that was really funny not having passed AFF student status yet.
Anyway, the point is that sitting there, chatting to those people seemed to relax them until the Tandem Masters came in to brief the newbies.
Having someone to start a genuine conversation with me at a new DZ, rather than getting a passing "Looking forward to your first jump?" question, walking off not waiting for a response of more than one word is all I would ask.
The third DZ I went to, forget about it. After introducing myself and why I was there, I sat outside in the packing area for just over 2 hours before somebody said a word to me. Talk about making someone feel like they didn't belong there.
After that the only people I talked to for the whole weekend was the two JM's for my AFF and a fellow student. This was before I discovered DZ.COM and I figured that the sport was one where Cliques and exclusive groups were the norm.
Out of all the other weekends I spent there, only one other person took the time to introduce themselves to me. I'm not an outgoing kind of person so wasn't able to take it upon myself to break into the obvious groups that had been formed long before my arrival.
The Second DZ I went to was arguably one of the largest in the country. Initially no-one was there to greet me or show me around, but I managed to find my own way to the lounge and saw what seemed to be a family there, sitting nervously and quietly. I said hi and asked them what they were there for. The guy said he brought his son and daughter there to do a Tandem and were waiting for the first load of the day. We got to chatting for a bit about skydiving and other bits, and then he asked if I was an instructor there. I thought that was really funny not having passed AFF student status yet.
Anyway, the point is that sitting there, chatting to those people seemed to relax them until the Tandem Masters came in to brief the newbies.
Having someone to start a genuine conversation with me at a new DZ, rather than getting a passing "Looking forward to your first jump?" question, walking off not waiting for a response of more than one word is all I would ask.
The third DZ I went to, forget about it. After introducing myself and why I was there, I sat outside in the packing area for just over 2 hours before somebody said a word to me. Talk about making someone feel like they didn't belong there.
Gerb
I stir feelings in others they themselves don't understand. KA'CHOW !
I stir feelings in others they themselves don't understand. KA'CHOW !
QuoteQuoteWhile I think its great to introduce yourself to the new people...The new people have to take some of the responsibility.
I see where NapaGuy is coming from.... PLUS think of it like this.... you being the "new guy" (or girl) and you walk around introducing yourself & ask to get on a 4-way. I could picture the group being a bit hesitant to accept because WHO KNOWS THIS PERSON'S EXPERIENCE LEVEL?! (and rightfully so). However, the group *might* accept the newbie because they want to welcome him/her to the DZ
I think it would seem less on-the-spot for the 4-way to approach the newbie, strike up a conversation, and invite him/her for a jump after making a conscious effort to know the person's skill level. I would think it would be more safety-conscious for the home team to approach the newbie as opposed to the other way around....
...but that's just a blind assumption on my part
see the world! http://gorocketdog.blogspot.com
QuotePLUS think of it like this.... you being the "new guy" (or girl) and you walk around introducing yourself & ask to get on a 4-way.
What you say makes sense from the perspective of "the" new guy. You are saying it as if there is only one new guy.
Here is my perspective. At my dz, there was over 65,000 jumps made last year. During the season, there is over 200 people camping in the parking lot from who-knows-where. Another 100 in town or trailers. During Christmas, we fly 3 Otters back-to-back.
Are you going to personally greet 300 people? (Also, 300 is a hugely conservative number.)
We generally have 30 tandems on a Sunday. These come with an SO and another friend. There is also another 100 locals from town who come out to watch. I can hardly keep track of the regular jumpers.
Here is the solution. The new guy walks up to manifest and asks for a load organizer. We generally have 3 organizers for flatflyers. Varying degrees of skill level and challenge. The load organizers also make announcements. "
The guy needs to take some initiative, we are adults.
I also organize for the Muff Brothers at the convention. We do whatever the group wants. Rafts, inflatables, small-ways. Easy, tough, weird. We make announcements over the loudspeakers all day long.
If the new person is an attractive woman, they should come find me personally. I'm just here to help.
suz 0
I can relate to this too.
I have only 20 something jumps myself. Although a few of you will laugh when reading the next line, I have to say that I am painfully shy when I first meet people. I very rarely go up to people first, and I can be blamed for being one of the ignorant people at the DZ. But honest to GOD, I am not being ignorant, my belly is doing flip flops because I am scared to talk to you. So I am sorry for not saying hello, and yet, at the same time...Please say hello to me
Don't bother me, I'm living happily ever after
I have only 20 something jumps myself. Although a few of you will laugh when reading the next line, I have to say that I am painfully shy when I first meet people. I very rarely go up to people first, and I can be blamed for being one of the ignorant people at the DZ. But honest to GOD, I am not being ignorant, my belly is doing flip flops because I am scared to talk to you. So I am sorry for not saying hello, and yet, at the same time...Please say hello to me
Don't bother me, I'm living happily ever after
The first dz I ever went to over here after I graduated were probably the reason I still jump now, they were so friendly and helpful and put me at ease. Just last week I went to a big DZ for the first time and within 5 minutes of me arriving the DZO had come and said hello, and offered me a slot on the next load...it makes all the different and I am going back 2moro!
I run my uni skydive club and I know nothing is more helpful for students just starting than having a friendly face to chat to, or being approached by others...
So...I will try even, even harder to make people feel welcome, becuse if people hadn;t done it for me, I would have given up!
Beth x
"This isn't flying...it's falling with style!" Buzz Lightyear - Toystory 1
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