Cameras

[billvon 2,990]

>before EVERY single skydive, i close my eyes, visualize, focus and breathe and go
>over the exit in my head.

Whatever you're into before the skydive, that's cool, but please keep your eyes open long enough - and your attention focused enough - to notice things like problems in the door, the spot, instructions from the pilot, other people giving you warnings etc.

[Pulse 0]

200 jumps is faaaarrrr from a lot. But leave it to USPA to use a random number that isn't hard to reach.

"Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

[DSE 5]

Pulse

200 jumps is faaaarrrr from a lot. But leave it to USPA to use a random number that isn't hard to reach.

How do you figure 200 jumps is "random?" 200 jumps once defined "expert" skydivers, and until just a few years ago, was the benchmark for D license holders.

[Pulse 0]

I'd consider any number itself to be 'random' since I'm not sure how they arrived at that number.

When the first D-licenses were issued 200 jumps was might have been much more of an 'expert' level than 500 jumps is today. Of course, 'expert' is impossible to define. Even so, I don't throw the term around lightly. We all know numbers don't tell the whole story. But 200 jumps to fly camera and at 500 we're considered experts? Yeah...pretty random.

"Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

[DSE 5]

Pulse

I'd consider any number itself to be 'random' since I'm not sure how they arrived at that number.

When the first D-licenses were issued 200 jumps was might have been much more of an 'expert' level than 500 jumps is today. Of course, 'expert' is impossible to define. Even so, I don't throw the term around lightly. We all know numbers don't tell the whole story. But 200 jumps to fly camera and at 500 we're considered experts? Yeah...pretty random.

Fair point. 500 jumps in this sport is still tourist status anyway, but it sure didn't look that way 3500 jumps ago.

[popsjumper 2]

billvon

>before EVERY single skydive, i close my eyes, visualize, focus and breathe and go
>over the exit in my head.

Whatever you're into before the skydive, that's cool, but please keep your eyes open long enough - and your attention focused enough - to notice things like problems in the door, the spot, instructions from the pilot, other people giving you warnings etc.

To be fair, I'm sure he did not mean keeping his eyes closed the entire ride to altitude.

Looking out for other jumper's safety would be a nice gesture, too.

"Hey, man! You forgot to buckle your chest strap!"

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[popsjumper 2]

True story about jump numbers....

Guy accumulated ~1000 jumps in his first year.

On my 500th, he crashed the formation and took out 3 jumpers. All not hurt too badly. Meh, it could happen to anyone, yes.

Same day...intentional cutaway rig...managed to cutaway both the tertiary AND the main at the same time.

Same guy told me he would land a downplane.

Yes, you are correct in saying it depends on the jumper. IMO, few, very few at 200 jumps, are ready for much more that vanilla skydiving at that point and most of the others are not giving themselves an honest evaluation of their skill and knowledge.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[davelepka 4]

Quote

if theres one thing that bugs the shit out of me, its when people start barking at me. before EVERY single skydive, i close my eyes, visualize, focus and breathe and go over the exit in my head. when i have someone tap my shoulder during my zen time, it pisses me off and i just ignore them.

I get the idea of 'zen time', but I would suggest that you might doing it at the wrong time.

Take care of your zen business earlier in the ride up, and come back to the word of the 'here and now' for the last few minutes of the ride up. This is where you need to really be 'turned on' (no pun intended), but this where people will be moving around and prepping for exit, and where you need your eyes and ears open.

I'm not suggesting that people expecting you to 'gear check' their cameras is any less annoying, you are correct that they should be able to handle their own business, just that there are better times to be off in your own world.

[-Joey- 0]

Pulse

I'd consider any number itself to be 'random' since I'm not sure how they arrived at that number.

I think the word you're looking for is arbitrary, not random...

Skydiving is serious business

[Pulse 0]

Maybe. Maybe not. It doesn't change the point of the post.

"Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."