jlbodin

My daughter and I rode it down on our first (and second) student fun jump... We had been waiting all day for the clouds to clear and as they started to, we were all told to get on the plane - the clouds had just uncovered the LZ but were still over the runway a little bit. As several up-jumpers left and it was my turn, I looked out and couldn't see the LZ?!?!? I looked again and just clouds... So I scratched it (my daughter got mad at me cause she was to follow right after me by 5-7 secs). Best call I made - The DZ was covered by the time the up-jumpers were open and every one of them had to do canopy through a layer of clouds. The DZO was at first freaked when he saw the up-jumpers coming through the clouds thinking my daughter and I were in the mess, then relieved when he found out we didn't go. So instead of jumping we had to go to a nearby airport to get gas and got a "funride" from the pilot (nap of the clouds). After that it started to clear again and we were all on the plane to 18K for someone's 100th jump and a couple of tandems... the 100x up-jumper went with a buddy followed by the camera man as soon as the light went green, then one of the tandem masters looked out and scrubbed it for every one else. As the TM turned around, he hit is reserve pin and knocked it out and the next thing you know the pilot to his reserve is blowing around in the cabin (the door was still open). One of the other TMs immediately grabbed it. Freaky.

Man - I can totally relate. Hours on DZ.com, waiting for new gear to arrive. Work? I'm only at Jump#15 and feel like I'm gonna puke if I don't get a fix soon. I was convinced that if I could get 5-6 jumps in this weekend that I would be able to temporarily "get it out of my system". Righhhhhtttttt.... I was hoping to get my "A" this weekend and we were fogged out all day saturday (Clouds come in almost to the end of the DZ, and then receded - phreakin tease...) - and because I blew my family "day-pass" on Saturday, I couldn't go on Labor day when the weather was awesome ($16 to 16K all weekend). The first part of curing any addiction is admitting that you've got a problem - Well, I'm sure I've got a problem... not sure if I want to cure it. - Jeff

I've given up trying to figure out what a whuffo is or how the term is derived. We relly do need a glossary here for newbies.... - Jeff

Because I was a lot further away from the LZ than I had ever been at a much lower altitude... most of my pulls at that distance had been at 5.5-5K... I had thought about that afterwards and was not sure about that providing the effect you stated... I'v got a list of questions to talk to the instructor about and that was going to be one of them... Well, the indecision was land on the racetrack or, go right and land in the scrub/high-brush, or trend left and head for the LZ (which from above the raceway was about as far away as the scrub). Agree - but I was expecting the canopy to stall in both horz and vertical directions - obvioulsy was wrong about that one as I would have rather had the stickers in my ass than in my hands and arms. Another learning by experience opportunity... Agreed - I did 5 dives over the weekend and we sat down at the end of the day and went through each one of them. And I've had some time to think about last weekend (frankly, diving is ALL i think about now). I'm writing down a list of things I want to ask him while I wait for the first load Saterday morning. You answered one of them... Thanks $Ms - I'm also learning a lot here.... - Jeff

Two parts of the "A" license is docking, and organizing a group skydive. My DZO stressed that he would not allow it unless the other jumper was 100+.

Had two "Firsts" this weekend... On jump #13, was with the first group out of the plane, furthest from the LZ. A couple of 100+'ers wanted to do some docking with me so I could work on my "A". It went OK, but as the flysuit I was wearing was tight, I fell faster than them and we were not able to dock. At 6K we all broke away, tracked away from each other and then I pulled at ~4K. Not sure how I did it, or how it happened, but when I looked up after the cute started to deploy- "Wow! So that's what a line-twist looks like???". The lines going from my risers were twisted around each other from the top of my risers almost half-way to the chute - At least 4-5 times. Cutaway? What's my altitude - 3.5K...Not yet, let's see if this is fixable... kick and separate. I did, and it started to come out. By about 3K the twists were gone (I was a little dizzy) and I had full canopy control. Next problem I identified at about 1K on the way back to the DZ - "Hey, I've never been this far from the LZ at this low of an altitude, and I'm directly over the race tracks (pavement). Can I make it to the LZ from here? I sure as heck don't want to land on the speedway...(a place near the LZ where people get training on how to drive aggressively - and it was in use that day)" Realizing at about .5K that I was barely going to make it to the DZ and away from the race-track - the problem I now had was that I was with the wind and tracking pretty fast with it (Wind was at/about 14mph). Choice 1, turn into the wind and land (I'm really low now, 50-100', and over the DZ) or choice 2 - ride it outwith the wind. I chose choice 2 - The flare slowed the vertical movement but did little for the horizontal, and I had a great belly flop when my feet hit the ground as I was going forward a lot faster than I could run... So - 1) The guys I jumped with were scared shitless that, being a newbie I was going to try to turn low into the wind to land and were literrally thrilled that I didn't do the turn, and 2) My instructor congratulated me for not turning and choosing to eating a little dirt instead (as opposed to a lot of it), and he told me that he has never seen someone taken away in an ambulance on a downwind landing - but many for making the last second turn. So, the AFF training I got worked me out of the line-twists, and a high percentage of the accidents I've read about from DZ.com were because of low turning into the wind (someone was killed at Hollister not too long ago because of this). Education pays. And special thanks to my instructors and DZ.Com. - Jeff

Hmmm.... Good to know - when I did my aff a few weeks ago I had said bruise on my R-bicep near the arm-pit. Didn't think much of it. Didn't remember getting it and thought I hurt myself sparring/TaeKwonDo... (Bruises are a given there... my wife refers to it as "Fight club"). I just did jumps 10-15 last saturday and then sunday, there were those bruises again (this time on R & L, but R was more pronounced). Going to talk to the DZO/Rigger about the gear I'm renting. They don't hurt but they sure do look nasty (and I get some sympathy from the wife, too!). - Jeff

Just for clarification purposes one more time - MY RIGGER, not his... Yes?

Thanks for the answers... But wrt#1 - if my rigger is offering to be the middle man, should my expectations be set that the seller should agree to send it there for inspection first - and that the rigger act not so much as a middle man as someone I trust to check out the rig before I send of boocoo bucks? IOW, should I give a rigger who I don't know (the seller's rigger) at another far-away DZ the same respect I give the one I know? Is there some sort of "I've checked out the gear and it's in 'xxxx' shape" certification a rigger will provide? Or do I rely on human nature, faith in humanity and mutual trust... Thanks again...

I am looking for my first set of gear and have some questions: 1) When buying from the classifieds (or anywhere else) what is the appropriate expectation for money transfer and inspection - Sending it to my rigger? Having me contact the Seller's rigger? My rigger said to have it sent to him before I pay to have it checked out - is this normal? Should I accept the seller's rigger? I'm about to drop a load of money but want to be fair to myself and the seller. 2) I weigh 190 lbs and am 5'11" - I started my training on a PD260 and finished it on a PD230 (Eclipse Container). As I liked flying the PD230 much more than the 260, I am afraid that if I went with a 230 I would want to downsize much sooner than if I went with a 210 or a 190 - Any thoughts here? 3) Most of the ads talk about what container brand they are - and to me a brand is just a name right now - but none of the ads really talk about container size. If I do get a 230 or a 210 (or a 190) and later (after 100-200 jumps) want to move to a 175/150, will the container I buy today work for a smaller main tomorrow? 4) Type of jumping - Heck right now I'm just having fun (screw that, I'm addicted). Relative work doesn't seem like It would be all-fufilling to me and right now I just like to fly. Most of it is currently belly - but I will try to advance to sit-fly and other fun stuff (Flips - flying - head up/down). That being said I see a lot on the forums about different containers being designed for different things. Can I buy a container that allows me to go a little nuts during the fall on some jumps - but maybe do some RW if the mood strikes me? Right now I am looking at an Infinity (w/230PD), a Talon (w/210PD), or Talon2 (w Sabre 190). 5) AADs - my understanding is they have a 12 year life-span requiring 2 checks between mfg and throw-away, four years apart. Yes? I know this is a lot of questions - and some may say enjoy the sport for a while before buying but: a) I'm hooked already so it's too late, and b) rental $$$ is too expensive as my DZ charges $35/Jump for gear - add a $20 JT and that makes the day real short. TIA, - Jeff

I am completing my AFF L7 this coming Saturday and wanted to share my L1 and L2 experience.... On my L1 I felt really good after the training getting onto the plane with measured confidence and had no problems preparing for the jump as I approached the Super Otter’s door. Even rolling out of the plane on my first jump was not a problem. But less than one second of being outside and watching the plane fly away ... realizing that I had just done an incredibly stupid thing by jumping out of an perfectly good airplane - my body immediately got that "it's just WRONG to be HERE and FEEL like THIS" feeling. Total sensory rejection overcame me. I fought the terror the best I could and managed to keep a fair arch, but I knew the hand signals cold as I was drilled in the plane during the ascent, now they meant little to me as I tried to process them as the jump masters placed them in my field of view. Three fingers - what does that mean - Oh, uhhhhhhhhhhhh..... "Cirlce of awareness" ... Hang Ten? What does that mean? Two Fingers straight? Oh, Legs, I know that one... Check altimeter - I did this several times and looked at it - but could not read/process what the hell it said. By the end of the freefall I had too much sensory overload and when given the "pull" signal I took too long to react to it - the JM beat me to the hackey as I finally reached for it. The rest of the ride down under canopy was awesome though - landing on my feet and impressing the hell out of my waiting wife. Then we practiced for Jump L2 - and nothing I heard made sense. Sure, I practiced the turns on the floor with the dolly - so? Words weren’t processing – I kept asking my wife to repeat herself when she would ask me a question... Inside me, terror had taken hold and was growing. I must have done 10 dirt-dives to help in the visualization of what would be coming. By the time I was ready to board the plane I was turning into a spastic - and the JM didn't make it better by yelling at me because I was doing a dirt-dive and looking in the opposite direction of my turn. Look, I was scared shitless enough by that time - the last thing I needed was someone with over 8000 dives tearing out of me what little confidence I had left. My wife later told me that she had never seen me so visibly shaken and terrified in our 14 years of marriage (she was at the DZ for moral support). As we boarded the plane and started to ascend, I broke into a sweat - nothing on the plane was registering and the Jump Master was just telling me to relax. I could hardly breath. Big inhale, big exhale... big inhale, big exhale... Remember - this is jump 2 When the question came "are you ready to skydive" my body and every fiber of my being said no... But out my mouth came a "yes". The amazing thing is - this jump was exactly opposite the first. I had terror for less than a second once I was out the door... then I figured "what the hell, I'm here - relax and do the dive" - The second was the most amazing dive I think I will ever have. No fear or terror. It was awesome. Like losing ones virginity – sure we all still love sex but there will always be that “first” (in my sd case, first and second) time that will be etched forever in our life experiences. Now I'm ready to do my 8th jump to finish L7 of AFF. I had to repeat my L4 as I could go belly down well relaxed but could not maintain directional control. Then on my second L4 it all clicked... my "epiphany" dive. Nice and almost perfect turns and tracking - the JM didn't recognize me from the prior dives. Movement now felt like I had known how to do this all my life... L6 back flip? Piece of cake... I even gave the JM a front flip, completing with instant re-stability. As freaked as I was on L2 - I am glad I went out the door on that second dive. I am now on my 8th this coming Saturday and Skydiving is all I can think about. What does having a job and working mean to me now? "It is simply a thing to pass the time until the next time I can jump". This shit is addictive. I will never be the same. Man am I glad I took that second jump... - Jeff

Speaking of frozen students and such, I am completing my AFF L7 this coming Saturday and wanted to share my L1 and L2 experience.... On my L1 I felt really good after the training getting onto the plane with measured confidence and had no problems preparing for the jump as I approached the Super Otter’s door. Even rolling out of the plane on my first jump was not a problem. But less than one second of being outside and watching the plane fly away ... realizing that I had just done an incredibly stupid thing by jumping out of an perfectly good airplane - my body immediately got that "it's just WRONG to be HERE and FEEL like this" feeling. Total sensory rejection overcame me. I fought the terror the best I could and managed to keep a fair arch, but I knew the hand signals cold as I was drilled in the plane during the ascent, now they meant little to me as I tried to process them as the jump masters placed them in my field of view. Three fingers - what does that mean - Oh, uhhhhhhhhhhhh..... "Cirlce of awareness" ... Hang Ten? What does that mean? Oh, Legs, I know that one... Check altimeter - did this several times and looked at it - but could not read/process what the hell it said. By the end of the freefall I had too much sensory overload and when given the "pull" signal I took too long to react to it - the JM beat me to the hackey as I finally reached for it. The rest of the ride down under canopy was awesome though - landing on my feet and impressing the hell out of my waiting wife. Then we practiced for Jump L2 - and nothing I heard made sense. Sure, I practiced the turns on the floor with the dolly - so? Words weren’t processing – I kept asking my wife to repeat herself when she would ask me a question... Inside me, terror had taken hold and was growing. I must have done 10 dirt-dives to help in the visualization of what would be coming. By the time I was ready to board the plane I was turning into a spastic - and the JM didn't make it better by yelling at me because I was doing a dirt-dive and looking in the opposite direction of my turn. Look, I was scared shitless enough by that time - the last thing I needed was someone with over 8000 dives tearing out of me what little confidence I had left. My wife later told me that she had never seen me so visibly shaken and terrified in our 14 years of marriage (she was at the DZ for moral support). As we boarded the plane and started to ascend, I broke into a sweat - nothing on the plane was registering and the Jump Master was just telling me to relax. I could hardly breath. Big inhale, big exhale... big inhale, big exhale... When the question came "are you ready to skydive" my body and every fiber of my being said no... But out my mouth came a "yes". The amazing thing is - this jump was exactly opposite the first. I had terrors for less than a second once I was out the door... then I figured "what the hell, I'm here - relax and do the dive" - The second was the most amazing dive I think I will ever have. No fear or terror. It was awesome. Like losing ones virginity – sure we all still love sex but there will always be that “first” (in my case, first and second) time that will be etched forever in our life experiences. Now I'm ready to do my 8th jump to finish L7 of AFF. I had to repeat my L4 as I could go belly down well relaxed but could not maintain directional control. Then on my second L4 it all clicked... my "epiphany" dive. Nice and almost perfect turns and tracking - the JM didn't recognize me from the prior dives. Movement now felt like I had known how to do this all my life L6 back flip? Piece of cake... I even gave the JM a front flip, completing with instant re-stability. As freaked as I was on L2 - I am glad I went out the door on that second dive. I am now on my 8th this coming Saturday and Skydiving is all I can think about. What does having a job and working mean to me now? "It is simply a thing to pass the time until the next time I can jump". This shit is addictive. I will never be the same. So, back to freaked students - this JM had to know what he was dealing with on the L2, he had to. Did he? I'm still not sure I would be comfortable asking him... if I was him and knew how freaked I was – I would have sent me home for the day. But man am I glad I took that second jump... - Jeff