sonicfreak

Question about the Star Crest soloist. A few years ago I got my Star Crest but not my Star Crest Solo. We did a 10 way Star. I was 3rd or 4th to leave the plane and 8th to dock. The person organizing the dive said that the people who were 8th, 9th and 10th out of the plane got the soloist award. I never argued the point as I can see that if you leave the plane later and dock earlier it takes more skill than I who left the plane earlier and docked later! However the wording simply says that to earn the soloist award you free fly the exit, dock 8th or later and hold for 5 seconds. I've always kind of wondered about it... what do you think?

Here is my Neptune 2 story: I was on a 4 way jump last Summer. We were doing pretty well, scoring a lot of points. I looked at my wrist to check altitude and my altimeter was gone! Popped right out of the plastic case. Grrrr... Back on the ground one of the guys on the dive said he went for a grip on that arm and saw it pop right out. Other guy on dive said it popped out at about 9 or 10,000 feet. They all are telling me there is NO WAY I will ever find it. Who knows where it is, give it up, it is gone... Much larger things have been dropped and never seen again. I borrowed another altimeter for the day, went home and just as I was about to go to sleep got a message that someone from a nearby town had brought it to the dropzone. They had found it on the edge of a park and knew it was skydiving related. Wow!! It has a big dent in it but besides that works just fine!! I now use the Neptune in my helmet as an audible and have a Viso on my wrist with a much sturdier case so that doesn't happen again!!

I live in Minneapolis and it is possible to skydive year round. There are two large drop zones in the area that usually operate April or May through October. One is Westside Skydivers in Winsted MN. I started and got my license there, great people! It is about an hour drive West from Uptown Minneapolis where I live. The other is Skydive Twin Cities in Baldwin Wisconsin. About a 45 minute drive to the East. Great load organizing and lots of belly flyers here. Lots of free flyers and wing suiting etc. etc. at both places as well. For year round skydiving we love Skydive Wissota in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Just did 5 jumps there this past Friday! They are open weekends year round, weather permitting. It is about an hour and 45 minute drive from my house. Skydive Superior in Superior Wisconsin is fun too. I made some jumps there this past Summer. That is perhaps a two and a half hour drive from Minneapolis. So yes! You can skydive year round here if you are OK with Winter cold jumping and a little farther drive. If not, there is a thriving scene during the warmer months.