LuvToFly

This is such a heart-wrenching tragedy. Making it to the ground but not making it out alive because no one came looking for you is a terrible thing. But all I've seen on video is a lawyer from the facility speaking about it. Unless that lawyer was on the jump, what he has to say is completely irrelevant. That failure has to be shared by everyone that was there. But I think all of us have been guilty of not looking for each person after a jump - thinking that folks better acquainted with the person knew their whereabouts. Each life is infinitely precious, and in such a terribly small community compared to the rest of the world, it's imperative that we look out for one another - A lesson to all - "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

Tears to eyes... "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

Aerobics and stretching are great ideas - but if you are healthy enough, don't forget to work in some weight training. In particular, for women, integrating weight training for upper body can be a valuable tool in your endeavor. In an emergency situation such as a tight unintentional spin before cut-away, you will thank your lucky stars that you have spent some time increasing your upper body strength. "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

One option is to put another hard drive in it and install windows. Then you can put your old drive in as a secondary drive and hopefully access the data on it if it isn't completely fried. Or if you have access to another computer, just pull the drive and drop it into an outboard box that you can pick up pretty cheap these days - maybe a lot cheaper than trying to piece together the data - depending on how important it is to you - "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

Welcome to the crazy world of skydiving! PLUS - It will likely save you a TON of money if you just take a trip to another DZ keep it moving. Once you bring retraining into the picture you will have to pay for what you forgot, for that which has become rusty, and buying other people's slots. This is all besides the fact that it can rob you of the joy of feeling like you are progressing now, and then feel like you are starting at ground zero again. If you can swing it, it's best to keep it going from a financial and productivity standpoint - I made two trips outta "coldville" to Eloy a few years back to earn both my A and my B respectively. Definitely worth it - and a great way to beat the Winter blues as well! "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

Quick Take... To get your donkey going again, you pray to corresponding Hindu God. To get a multi-million dollar, man-made, horrifically complex contraption going again, you better be praying to the Hindu equivalent of Mr. Goodwrench - "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

I don't believe that to be the case at all - but neither would I consider it a "treatment." I have had the opportunity to interview many people that have suffered from depression and it's clear that there is merit on many fronts to an activity such as skydiving. The fact is that many people who are depressed live in a world constricted by fear. Afraid of losing control; afraid of what others think of them; afraid of death; afraid they are inadequate; afraid of embarassment; afraid of not being able to pull it together when they need to in life - all while still on the ground in their everyday lives. The list is endless. But to many, skydiving - which combines both conquering fears and mastering your emotions - if even for a short time - comes as a breath of fresh air. In a mental environment where negative thoughts are constantly racing, each one jockeying for position to be the next troubling one in focus, the at-hand requirement to bring all that under control so that you don't die on a skydive is actually relief to many sufferers of depression. It is the "quietest" their minds get. This could never be compared to someone replacing one addiction for another, or simply a "rush." It is in fact a self-demonstration that a person can successfully care for themselves because of the skill involved. To compare that to some mindless addiction (not implying that you did) which requires no such constructive elements is to overlook the rather courageous attitude of those who cross their perceived barriers to get there. And while no one would suggest that such an experience could address what would be a clinical depression (for which there are proper treatment avenues), the trick for depressed skydivers is to see what they are doing for what it really is: A huge victory over the mind, over the self. They have chosen, on their own, to take control of their body and mind, if just for a few short moments, And the realization that they can do such a thing can and should have very positive implications. It means that they can pull their minds and emotions to serve them when needed, providing hope for the same while on the ground. The very definition of a constant has implications of something that is unchangable. When someone finds that they can conquer all of this, it can serve to dispell the self-taught myth of their own thought-born limitations. The take-away from this challenge can be rightly applied to other situations. And therein lies the power of such a revelation - which can go a long way towards empowerment of a life which to many has in fact felt powerless. But this involves perspective. Depressed persons often don't see the value in the things that they do. They often don't recognize their own achievements, discounting them to dumb-luck or a chance break in an otherwise perceived string of bad-fortune. And so it would be if the focus is on the "need" to jump rather than the truth that comes out of the experience. And that is, those who have suffered with depression and chosen to face the challenges inherent to skydiving have fought and conquered many issues of self-doubt or feelings of being ineffective to get there. And that is to be commended. "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

Same here... VERY good advice to wait until you are healed up. Had 2-3 days with no pain, was EXTREMELY cautious, did everything by the book, still got two dry sockets. Very painful - that sort of pain where it's all you can think of. Not worth it. Be prudent, stay home. "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

Congrats! Looking for a job is usually considered to be the hardest job of all - Good luck on your new job! "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

Well, almost welcome to the sport! Would just like chime in on a couple of things that have been said - - First off, it's absolutely great in my view that you are even asking these questions - because it shows that you are chiefly concerned about safety, and want to know how to avoid getting into situations that will hurt or kill you. The sport is no fun unless you can live long enough to enjoy it - - If you search the detailed incident reports, especially around fatalities, you'll see that a lot of people that go in are not newbies, but some are in fact quite experienced. This should tell you that over-confidence, or being insistent on pushing the safety envelope is a bad thing. It's all about controlled risk - how much you are willing to take on. It's the difference between a daredevil and a stuntman for a movie. The stuntman does something extremely dangerous, after he (or she) checks the weather, the wind, the humidity, the cloud coverage, the density altitude, the welds in the take-off ramp, the motorcycle engine; The daredevil says, "I don't need to check no stinkin stuff... I think I can make it." Which one of these things will you be? This is an important question that perhaps not enough people ask themselves. "Do I really give a crap that the rest of the people who started with me have downsized two times, and I'm still flying the 220" is a question that might come up for you. Will you give in to the peer pressure out a desire to impress? Many have, and some have paid for that dearly. In truth, the safety of the entire experience is up to you. No one - not even your AFF instructor can regulate this. It's all up to you to avoid those things and situations that will lead up to a disaster of some kind, and if you feel like pulling at 1,700' when you know you're not supposed to, then no one can stop you. Great instruction from a fantastic instructor will only go as far as you are consistent about implementing those safety strategies as you go forward - and not just at 20 jumps, but at 200 and 2000 as well. Lastly, be aware that some folks that should know better - including instructors and very seasoned D licensees, do things that they should not be doing; take chances that should never be taken, and disregard safety protocols that should never be broken. Don't be enamored with these folks either. They're not cool, they're stupid. Gravity could give a crap about how many jumps you have. It would seem, that some folks digress to impress... Don't be one of them. "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

There is 3x the time to pack because you are just going very slow, and then there is 3x the time because you are not 100% sure of what you are doing. I am not a rigger, so get the advice of a qualified rigger to make sure you know which of these you are - But whatever you do, jump a rig when you are satisfied it is right, regardless if that takes you 5x as long as everyone else. You do yourself and the sport a service by being highly educated and subsequently competent in this area of safety. Lastly, as a non-professional and just a simple observer, I'd recommend that the first order of business would be to reject anything having to do with vanity. Vanity, or something very much like it, has killed a lot of people in this sport. "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

Had two wisdom teeth out last year, and both of them went to dry-sockets despite meticulous care and feeding - One note of caution however on the rinsing. When you rinse with the salt water you need to keep the suction you create to a minimum. People have pulled the normal clot-healing right out of the sockets from overdoing. Gently swish the salt water throughout your mouth - "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

I remember being a bit paranoid the first few times of packing my own as well. I think it's normal. You've just come off of training that highlights all the things that can go wrong; many of which could be directly attributed to a bad pack job. Rather than trying to get "unafraid," listen to what the fear is telling you. Know what lines go where, and why it's important they are folded where they are. For me, once I could visualize what the darned thing looked like when properly folded, it was a lot easier to verify that I could depend on my own pack jobs. As someone wiser than me in this arena has said, the parachute wants to open. You have to do something to prevent it from doing so. Understand what those things are and learn how to avoid them. Also, learn to double-check yourself with some initial guidance from a rigger. Pay them for their time to show you. It's a great convenience to have a packer as they tend to be very fast - but I have no higher confidence in my pack jobs as when I do it. Most of all, do NOT fall into the time-trap. Many newer people do not pack their own rigs because they are either embarassed about how long it takes them, or they are very hung up about missing loads. It's not a speed contest. Take as long as you need to feel comfortable with your pack job. Many a seasoned jumper would be well to remember this as numerous near or full-blown accidents that have occurred can be traced back to an avoidable packing error that prevented normal deployment of the main. There is never any justification to rush past a safe pack job. Miss a load if you have to. I've done it many times and take my good ole' time packing. "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

Warnings aside, the story is about the fact that even though she was in a vulnerable position, someone stopped to help her, and that someone was a man, and was a very decent person. So heed warnings, but let's not forget that not all men are rapists, murderers or n'er do wells. I know I've helped out many women in my own lifetime, and know many, many decent men that have done the same - "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

Just the mere mention of that makes me say, "ouch!" "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

Like most have said, there are a few factors to consider. But among them: Your age, your health, your level of physical fitness and your jump numbers Don't know the first three, but with such low jump numbers, do not give in to the concern about losing currency or having to take a refresher course when the risk of reinjuring yourself is at stake. Have a worse incident and you can be out of the sport for good. The other thing is, feeling strong, uninjured and physically agile is a great asset when taking on something that for most is a bit frightening and new. And for many people - that "edge" helps them to perform better when it counts most. There is nothing worse than feeling helpless or less than 100% when you really need to open a can of save-my-butt. "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

That's a good point (no pun intended) A lot of folks that have never been to AZ before don't know what this is referring to. There are some smaller - but also some larger - desert thorny trees and bushes scattered throughout the "outs." Easy enough to avoid, but not the type of thing you want to land on or too near - The point here is that it is not really a barren sand landscape like some beach. You still have to steer it in and judge your spot to land clear depending on where you are - "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

Whenever I hear a story of fear coming and going like that (in other disciplines as I am not a skydiving instructor). it is almost always a case where someone had simply pushed the reality of what they were doing out of their mind, but never really reconciled themselves as to the danger. Instead, the mind creates a pocket of risk detachment which does not see or acknowledge the risks. Then, when reports of mishaps come in, they are jarred back into reality about what they are doing, and swing the other way to almost panic level. If someone has no fear as you stated at AFF jumps 4 and 5, I am not sure that they are being realistic about the risk assessment. I know people with over a thousand jumps that still will tell you they get butterflies when they head for the door. It sounds like what happened for you is that reports of injuries jarred you back into the reality of the situation, which you had managed to push out of your mind. Fear can be a teacher. It can help you remember that in order to have a great time, you have to survive the experience, and in order to survive, you must do what you need to do, when you need to do it. The real difference is whether it is a crippling fear, or what you might call a "respectful" fear. If you respect the danger of what you are doing, and then counter that with diligent training, practice and visualization, a little fear can be that nudge that drives you back on the path of safety. On the other hand, panic-fear paralyzes and clouds the mind. Having said that, you have to ask yourself the important question however if this is a sport that you can or want to mentally/emotionally navigate. It's important that you have a good handle on yourself or your resultant panic might cause someone else to become injured - Skydiving is dangerous, but I think for most the knowledge of the danger and the challenge of making it back to the ground safely is part of the appeal. Not everyone finds that satisfying. It requires that one be very much "in the moment" and in control of your faculties, and ironically, that takes a certain kind of relaxation. Someone said to me once that if it's not fun, don't do it. That might be good advice- not just from a practical standpoint, but also from the fact that when things like this are no longer fun, it may mean we are no longer fully committed to what we are doing. And while training and education can increase our comfort level and competencies, I think it's important to do a "pin" check on ourselves to make sure that we are not pushing aside reality to force a jump. It is, after all, that reality that will cause us to train harder, ask more questions, and learn more than the required minimums - all of which can work together to help mitigate those risks. "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

Sounds like a classic pre-cursor to employee downsizing. It would be good to have a pretty full plate to report. "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

I stayed at the Holiday Inn there last year - it was not the best holiday inn I've stayed at, but was close by and was a decent place to stay when you are going to be spending most of your time at the DZ. "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

Sorry to hear that. "PM'd" God on her behalf - "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

More than the Google angle, isn't it really pathetic that after all that has happened in the world, including the sweeping changes in what used to be a quite repressed USSR, that there are still idiots out there trying to maintain control of the populace by attempting to screen democratic messages that might give them some wild notions about a free society? Guess it's just me, but what a bunch of a**holes to think that you are going to keep people back with that old stick and stone way of supression in a digital age. Just shows how out of touch with reality they are - They are already losing the battle - Divorce, which used to be relatively unheard of in China, is now dozens of times easier and cheaper than the US. If a couple both decides they no longer want to be married in China today, you go down to the community center, pay the equivalent of one american dollar, and in about 10 minutes the marriage is dissolved. Traditional Chinese values in this area have gone down the tubes without additional outside help. Their plan is not working. These people have forgotten the lesson from Rome and the rest of the would-be world powers. The culture disintegrates from the inside-out, not from the outside-in. "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

Years ago, Dell was one of the first big players in consumer to outsource tech support/customer service. They had such a bad experience with it, that they did away with the practice for a time. You'd think, now that they have it back, it was because they learned how to get it right. I mean, why bring back outsourced support if you canned it once because it was not conducted well. But recent experiences with barely-english speaking indians proved that to be a false assumption. This actually happened to a friend of mine in the last month regarding a problem with their under-warranty, Dell computer: - 40 minutes on hold to get through to someone - Finally get connected, then put on hold for 20 minutes - Disconnected by the offshore folks - Had to call back, waited another 20 minutes to get connected - Gave ref number to the next person, they said the other person didn't enter the comments, and made them tell the story all over again - Made them go through diagnostics all over again - Put them on hold for 15 minutes while they typed up the comments (they always do this there - rather than just typing it up while you are talking like any american would) - Gave them a dispatch number and told them someone would be out within 3 days to fix - 1 week later, had to call back, no sign of any repair person or calls - Had to wait 20 minutes on hold to finally get to someone to ask them what the hell was going on with their repair. - Said they would take care of, and they would be hearing from someone very soon - Computer was finally fixed - in another 10 days from that point - What a horrible disgrace. Dell should be ashamed. This is just one of the many incidences either I, or people I have known have had with Dell support, and that's perhaps one of the better companies. It's not just about people who are hard to understand, it's about the ridiculous amounts of time that you have to wait to have a company make good on their warranty that you actually paid extra for- they couldn't make it any harder to collect on that if they tried - "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

It seems that a tendency on the part of a lot of folks in the early stages is to hang very forward in the harness - almost as if they are thinking they'll be a bit safer if they can keep their eyes looking downward even at altitude under canopy. This puts all the pressure on the front of the legstraps. Even though getting gear made for your body is the best answer (known from experience), one of the better tips that I heard was to consciously make sure you are sitting/leaning back in the harness. That way, your butt is taking the weight, rather than the inner thigh. It seems subtle, but the difference in lack-o'pain is immense. "The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky