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Aw, lighten it up on me will ya? This is new to me yet. Alot of it is getting accustomed to the variety of sensations and getting competent in my skills and abilities and building up my confidence a long the way. There is after all a fear factor- as likely there should be. People who have no healthy APPRECATION for the inherent dangers involved in this sport are scary in and of themselves. I do love the thrill and rush don't get me wrong. I'm just getting more expereinced as I'm working thru those "mile-stone" jumps along the way. This kind of fun is VERY INTENSE for me...but remember I am a newbie, & at this point in time can afford only about 4-8 jumps a months at this point due to renting gear and paying for packing. But I DO LOVE THIS SPORT! Blues- Lila. ps: Edited due to spelling

Well... Got my kid all next weekend so... IT'LL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL OCTOBER 9TH! Maybe I'll have my "A" then and REALLY have somethin' to celebrate! Do you go out to the Green Spot after jumping on Saturdays??? Very cool being on the same flight...you all are some really crazy guys...&Really put me at ease!

Hi "Ry", It's "Li". "Ky" is ok. He's always talking and learning from the experienced jumpers and has an afinity for this sport. I've asked the instructors about some of his manuevers, and have been told, that he is doing ok. Believe me, if he WAS doing something "scary" they'd be right on top of it. Our DZ does an admirable job of keeping an eye on the low#jumpers, and newbies, and what we're up to and how we're doing it. Ky comes off like quite the risk taker...And although maybe just a bit overconfident, he IS a safe jumper. I'll be out this coming Saturday afternoon...why don't you come on out and jump?!? I think we should all shorten our nickname to our first initial and the "i" sound...there's already: Guy, Sy, Ky, Ry, and I'm Li. It'd make for really funny conversations! We were joking about it yesterday at the dz. Blues! LiLa.

Low pressure jumping is SO MUCH MORE FUN then feeling the pressure to NEED TO accomplish something, or to HAVE TO do something new. It's stressful, for me anyways, when I do my "firsts". My fun jump this weekend DID NOT get anything in particular signed off my card, but I had THREE FIRSTS in that one jump, so I was nervous about them: 1. Downsized to 220 sq.ft. chute 2. Throw out pilot chute 3. & 1st X being last to exit plane on a solo. I talked it all thru with my instructor and another coach, so I knew it was all okay and what to do, but I am still at the point in my jumping where new stuff, the unknown, can rattle me. But everybody's really good to me and encouraging, and my jumping is really coming a long real nicely. It was very exciting & intense for a 6500 hop-n-pop! But it was so cool being on the flight with other low#jumpers who went out doing a 3-way, and to talk it up went I got down. VERY COOL! IT'S ALL GOOD! Blues- LiLa.

I used to train at a different dz a few years ago...and would go, wait for my jump, get and leave right after my briefing. I'd have that awesome buzz from my jump hang on for hours, then I'd crash, too. Part of what is different NOW is that I am at a different dz, and it's actually really fun hanging out with others there after I'm done jumping. I am not crashing from the buzz anymore. Maybe I'm not crashing anymore BECAUSE we're talking about it (and other things)too...I'm not home alone, just thinking about it. So I think, that if you make friends, talk about it, and maybe even going out with a bunch later, you'll find it a more fulfilling expereince all around. Check it out. Hope this helps ya out. -LiLa.

Front loops must be more challenging for some? reason...! My coach says "I'm really coming along now." Next thing to get down is DIVING EXITS! I'm a little stuck in a rut with getting REALLY comfortable with a hanging exit. Peiece of cake with that... But DIVING-out...?! I'm gonna need to get the exit 100yards+ after somebody and dock signed off my card, too, So may need to make fun jumps with other more experienced jumpers- (Please?

KY, YOU'RE ALWAYS SUCH A HELPFUL FELLOW... BUT HAVEN'T YOU FIGURED IT OUT YET THAT I DON'T MIND DRAWNG ATTENTION? HA![;) - LuLu PS be sure that YOU'RE being careful TOO!

Thanx Ky! Having it on video is a real bonus. Maybe I'll be able to get and stay stable more easily and keep a heading better NOW that I know what & where the issue is that needs correction. That physiological observation was pretty profound! Must be that some of your university classes are making an impact on ya huh? Practical Application in Skydiving 101?! Cool! See Ya! Blues - LiLa.

HA! NO KIDDING... TWISTED ANKLES, FRACTURED FINGER, AND FREQUENTLY I'VE GOT A CHANGING DISPLAY OF BRUISES AFTER MY JUMPS... PEOPLE WANNA KNOW- "WHADJA DO THIS TIME? HOW'D YOU GET THAT?!" I AM USUALLY SURE TO ADD, "OH, I BRUISE EASILY..." IT IS EASY TO GET HURT SKYDIVING!!! I AM ALWAYS SURE TO STRETCH OUT REALLY WELL BEFORE I JUMP. IT'S KEPT MY NEWBIE SELF OUT OF SOME POTENTIALLY REALLY SERIOUS HURTS THAT ONLY ENDED UP BEING MINOR OWIES. (COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING!) BE CAREFUL & STAY SAFE! BLUES - LiLa.

The jumps went GREAT! My coach is such a great teacher! I did in fact take lots of calming deep breaths before exiting... HONESTLY, that's really effective at relaxing you! Very successive jumps, too: 1st jump worked on tracking/docking & it went great without a hitch. 2nd jump worked on Backloop- SO COOL! & SO EASY! Front flip, a little trickier, but still cool, kinda barrel-rolled out of it... But the thing is, I understand so much better now-after doing it. Having it all on VIDEO IS PRICELESS in helping to work on techniques and necessary corrections. Now I don't know what I was so scared of- other than just the known. Ya know? THIS IS SUCH AN AWESOME SPORT! Blues! -LiLa.

Hey Scott! I'm feeling alot better today after I did some AMAZING jumps with my coach last night. Did my first Back&Front LOOPS! NOW I wanna do MORE of those! I feel much more confident and will make some fun jumps this weekend. And need to starting varying how I do my exits. HA! ...Is it always some new thing that needs to be conquered?! WOW. Blues! -LiLa.

TIPS, ADVICE, HELP...PLEASE? My instructor/coach is making special arrangement to meet me at the dz this afternoon to work on loops, rolls and tracking/docking. Were gonna do 2 jumps with video. Could you give me tips & things to think about, etc, that I can visualize to prepare myself with as I drive over to the dz? These jumps are gonna be wild Thanx - LiLa.

HEY I went and checked out your writing. You did a pretty admirable job of relating your experience...I think even a whufo could get an idea of what it is we love about the wild and wonderful freefall experience! Freefalling tandem w/o a drogue! THAT must've been intense! Any idea about HOW FAST YOU WERE GOING??? -LiLA.

DO YOU HAVE CALLER ID? IF YES- THEN JUST DON'T ANSWERTHE PHONE WHEN HE CALLS. DOES HE COME OVER TO YOUR HOME? IF YES, DON'T ANSWER THE DOOR, OR BE UNAVAILABLE & DON'T DEAL WITH HIM. BY THE WAY, DON'T CODDLE HIM. STICK TO IT, AND HE'LL BE FORCED TO MOVE ON AND GET OVER YOU BECAUSE, YOU WILL LEAVE HIM NO CHOICE. BY REFUSING TO LEAVE YOU ALONE, AS YOU'VE TOLD HIM TO DO, HE DISRESPECTS YOU AND CONTINUES TO TRY TO CONTROL YOU. TAKE CHARGE CHICKIE.

HAHA "I never noticed the ground before, just the instructor..." YES! My low solo was SO FAST, that the rapid loss of altitude in freefall wasn't SO scary an issue... But during my high solo, I just tried to be stable, and start and stop turns...this is NOT easy for me YET... I was SO surprised at HOW QUICK PULL TIME CAME! Felt like sensory over-load& feeling ground-rush! I love seeing canopy over my head!

that's good Reg! Yeah, canopy reaction with varying brakes is a very good idea...Haven't done that yet. Checked out reaction of pullin down on front risers, tho...now THAT is very hard to do on the big 280 student canopies, but still saw some change from it. Thanx. I will do those things too!

Yeah- Gotta do it to learn it... and get comfortable inthe sky...it's just so much more INTENSE than I thought it would be alone. Ya know? But I see that I DO need to JUST TRY STUFF, and SEE what can be done... I've just had somebody "holding my hand". Trying to LEARN BY DOING ALONE is a little unnerving... But I know it'll be all OK, but NEW to me, ya know???

I like tose ideas. tracking would be easy to pracitce by myself...With good tips forom the more ex-perienced jumpers first. Back flying- did that briefly once by accident til I got flipped over, & sit flying...THOSE WILL BE FUN TOO! Hmmm....

Thanx Wendy! That's a very good idea to plan out my jump and have a instructor go over it with me. Good alternative.

HELP...ADVICE PLEASE???? Aweek from this past Saturday I finished my DZ's student training program... But I still need to get some freefall skills down and signed off my proficiency card in addition to 6 more jumps to get my "A". I was at the DZ yesterday scheduled for a coach jump, but ended up bumped (more or less) due to instructor shortage (injury) and my coach was booked solid with tandems. My DZO said I could do a solo "fun-jump", but I really feel I need coaching to get down the back/front loops, rolls & tracking down. that is what I was scheduled to be doing yesterday. I want every jump to be helping to move me closer to get my "A". I don't want to learn wrong techniques now, on my own, alone, and later have difficulty getting it "right". But if getting coaching is gonna be difficult to schedule, SHOULD I just wing it, and try to teach myself? This is scary, b/c I've only made 2 solos, and am really lacking conifidence, since I KNOW that I DO have a lot to learn! PLEASE CAN YOU GIVE ME GOOD TIPS? THANX!

I dunno about that. I grew up in a big family & we doctored ourselves up A LOT! Give me a MAMA or PAPA with lots of kids, and I can bet they know their share of doctoring! Medics, ex-military...we all got tips to dish out. I've done some doctoring on others MYSELF, and I'm by no means a nurse NOR doctor... ...But in the course of a life of OW-ies you DO learn a thing or two! ...Especially if you have lived any sort of adventurous life. PS My finger is healing up ok- but stiff middle joint!

I saw that! He was coming in fast under his "little" chute but couldn't flare and hit hard on his left side. Our vid guy was taping the landing and got it on tape. Rick said he felt a line snap, and checking the video in slo-mo he was able to determine just when and where that happened. Thank God he's in great shape to be able to handle hitting hard like that! But He was stiff, sore and bruised for quite a while after that.

Richy- Honestly, are you EXAGGERATING for drama? Did you actually SEE this guy screw up? Whether if was intentionally or out of ignorance, When you see a jumper in danger himself or others, You need to take to the S&TA - Rick- ASAP! Unbelievable. Get with it.

Wish I coulda seen THAT! Ya gotta bring extra clothes...JUST IN CASE! Heaven knows I'VE learned that with that bunch earlier on this summer! If ya dish it out, ya gotta be ready to take it!

I'm so psyched! Our DZ S&TA dude, Rick, approved a lower pull altitude for me at 4500 & is giving me more leeway with fine tuning my approach pattern, too! No "Back-40" landing for me this past jump! Finally, I'm getting within spitting range of those illusive peas! YEAH! PROGRESS AT LAST! LiLa. P.S. Thanx for the go ahead Rick! "YOU "DA MAN!"