elightle
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Everything posted by elightle
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Hi, Allison. Glad you had a great time at the big-way camp. BC is the best, isn't he! I hear ya about the steeper track. I faced the same issue on my first big-ways. It's okay to go a little steeper as long as you can see what's ahead of you and those in your group. I found that bending my head down a little caused me to get steeper because it forced me to bend at the waist--the same thing I do when steepening my dive to my quadrant. And the steepness helped me build up speed so I could keep up with my tracking leader. We covered a lot of horizontal distance too. (A track is just a dive in the horizontal dimension.) Blue Skies! Ed
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Excellent information! Thanks for sharing. Ed
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Kevin, Great tips and well stated!
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Guess I was a little too critical of jumpers offering pointers. Billy Vance had some good ones. Remember to have a "dive plan" for each skydive. Get to your radial as directly and smoothly as possible so you're not interfering with the approaches of other jumpers. In most cases, the organizer has minimized traffic problems. At big-way camps, you should get to practice sheepdogging and following a tracking leader. At home, you can do tracking dives, and on a fun load once in a while ask if you can go last and exit a couple seconds late. It'll be similar to diving late on a bigger way. Pay attention to how you change direction in your dive. Never dive "at" the formation or the person you're following! That way, if they pull up before you do, you have your own clean air for stopping and making adjustments. That's my two-cents worth. Blue Skies and Big Blots!
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If you are qualified to attend a big-way camp, you should already know how to exit without going rear end over tea kettle; and you should definitely know how to be safe. You can get a lot of advice in these forums but please don't take it as the gospel unless it comes from experienced big-way jumpers/organizers like Kate Cooper, Tony Domenico, Dan BC, etc. My suggestion is to perfect flying on small formations and do some 4-way. Practice tracking on each and every skydive. Learn how to stay with a tracking leader. The fastest (or steepest) track isn't always best. I wrote an article on tracking titled "Get Away From Me!" for Parachutist a couple years ago. Have fun at the camps!
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ShyHigh04, Thanks for sharing this personal stuff with your fellow skydivers. I lost my 13 year-old daughter 4 years ago when she was hit by a car. I was numb for a month then my old teammates asked me to fill in at a 4-way meet. It brought me back to life and I will always be grateful to the guys (Shane, Anders, and Kim) for doing that for me. It might sound corny, but I feel closer to my daughter when I'm in the sky. One time after I opened, the wind brushed my face as I looked up at my canopy and it reminded me that that was as alive as I was ever going to get. It was like a gentle kiss from my daughter and it gave me peace. I just hung there for a moment and let it all sink in. I have found no better therapy. Blue Skies Forever!
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It sounds like your booties might be too tight. However, you want them tight enough to be of use. As you learn to turn with your knees and thighs, you will find booties a big help. Flying with booties makes everything you do in belly flying so much easier. If your're arched to "an insane degree" you can't do much flying. You want to be able to fly in a comfortable position with your head up, elbows a little forward, and hips down. Hopefully, you're learning all that in your tunnel training. Blues, Ed
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Congrats on the A license and for asking questions early on (and for strapping on some lead). You'll do well. The other responders have provided excellent advice. Mine would be pretty much the same, especially the part about working with a coach. I have attached an article I wrote for Parachutist about three years ago on 2-way drills for new jumpers. You'll do great and I'm sure you'll get plenty of help at Cross Keys. Blue Skies! Ed Lightle
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Hi, Jen. I think I met you last year at Start Skydiving in Lebanon, Ohio. You wrote the article about the fuzzy helmets, right? Anyway, I have been nearsighted for years and my vision is still decent in my 50's. In fact, a couple years ago, I forgot my glasses and did 4-way and landed okay. I don't think I'll ever do the LASIK thing. I work all day without my glasses and read at night without them. Your thoughts?? Blue Skies! Ed Lightle
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There's no argument in my mind. You match the fall rate. If I'm jumping with 235 pounders, I wear lead. If I'm doing the first jump on a 100-way and I'm on the outside, I don't wear any until I see what the fall rate is. Kate Cooper said something to this effect: If you float up when you stick out your booties to move forward, you need lead. It doesn't matter if it's a 4-way or a 400-way. Let's talk about something else now...
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It's everybody's job to maintain the fall rate. Little skydivers should wear some weight but shouldn't have to strap on more than they feel good about. I wore 26 on a few 4-way dives and I'll never do it again. Larger skydivers should get looser suits with no nylon and swoop cords for those bigger formations. Everybody should be able to maintain fall rates anywhere from 115 to 120 or so. If not, they should get some coaching/tunnel time and buy the appropriate gear. "Dress for success" as Dan B.C. says. Blue Skies! Ed
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How far do you drive to the DZ each weekend??
elightle replied to partyboy's topic in General Skydiving Discussions
I drive 1 hour and 20 minutes but it's freeway most of the way. Frankly, I'm glad it's not closer because I can't afford to jump every weekend anyway; nor would I want to. I remember the days when I would drive 3 hours to the DZ and never missed a weekend. Luckily, as I got older I started to appreciate real life too. It was always a balancing act but I never missed one of my daughter's birthday parties (she's in Heaven now so I have no regrets). I'm still jumping and will be until I can't walk to the plane. Sorry to go off on a tangent -
This May 25th, it will be four years since my 13 year-old daughter was hit and killed by an uninsured driver. This driver was not even cited after hitting my daughter who had just put letters in her grandpa's mailbox. The sheriff's report said my daughter stepped out into the road. But it was inside a school zone although the speed limit was still 35 mph. In the sheriff's report, the driver admitted she didn't see my daughter. It's obvious because she didn't try to swerve to miss her. This lady got off scott free while I had to petition the Ohio BMV to get her license revoked. I've heard other people say that if this had happened in their state that the driver would have been charged with negligent homicide. Well, that's about all I have to say. Words will not bring back my daughter or punish the negligent driver.
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What made you decide to quit the sport?
elightle replied to MichaelMoore's topic in General Skydiving Discussions
I don't mean to preach, but a dozen jumps a year is not enough to stay current. You'll be doing solo's, I assume? -
What made you decide to quit the sport?
elightle replied to MichaelMoore's topic in General Skydiving Discussions
I quit for 15 years, mostly because of finances. I had a chance to jump with Dan BC on his first 4-way team (Stupid! Stupid!). I don't plan to quit again even if I only make 40 jumps a year. -
_________ Well said!
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Ah, yes... jumpsuits. There are as many variations as there are opinions. Kate Cooper, multiple big-way world record holder and organizer, carries 3 jumpsuits with her. I hear that she's made lighter jumpers in her big-way camps tuck their booties inside so they fall faster. If you're a perennial fast faller, then I'd say ask the jumpsuit manufacturer to cut your suit a little looser. Like you said, yours was tight around the knees, etc. My suits are like that but I'm only 132 lbs soaking wet. Bottom line: Learn to fly your body. For a bigger guy, that might mean always wearing a looser suit. Or, it might mean getting to the tunnel and discovering what your range really is. Blue Skies! Ed
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Jason, Congratulations on doing big-ways with 42 jumps! Evidently you proved you had sufficient skills to have been invited. If you jump at Perris, you'll have no trouble learning big-way flying. Even then you should attend one of their big-way camps to learn things like dive floating, approach angles, and all kinds of things to keep you and your big-way friends safe. Even if you never do anything but fly in the base (a very important position, by the way), you will need to step outside your comfort zone and a Kate Cooper big-way camp will let you do just that, but in a no-fault environment. Blue Skies! Ed Lightle
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Hi, Tracie. I don't check the Forums very much and was shocked when I saw that Beezy had passed. I didn't know him very well but I bought a canopy once and he let me return it, no questions asked. I also met him once at Skydive Greene County in Xenia, Ohio, and he was everything that people have described in these forums. He told it like it was and had a lot of energy, maybe passion is a better descriptor. He was just about my age. Anyway, please accept my late condolences. I lost my 13 year-old daughter in 2004 and it's still rough. She looked like the Stepanie Tanner character in the "Full House" sitcom a few years ago. You would probably know how much daddies love their little girls. So, for what it's worth, tell good old Beezy he can keep an eye on my little Shaina til I get there. When I do, I'll buy him whatever kind of beer or hard stuff they drink in Heaven. Happy Holidays to You and Your Family, Ed Lightle D-5966
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San Diego evacuation center shortages (Qualcomm stadium)
elightle replied to billvon's topic in The Bonfire
Bill, How far from all the fires is Perris? Don't laugh 'cause I'm not that familiar with SoCal. My heart goes out to all those evacuated. --Ed -
Thanks for the congrats, Bill. This was the greatest thing I have been a part of for a long time. I feel like I've made friends for life. Blue Skies to All My POPS Friends! Ed Lightle POPS# 8308 D-5966 And the only POPS participant from Ohio (I believe)
