FallingMarc

Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn! Now I'm not gonna have ANY money left over when the school year starts back up. Thanks. M

I'll be there by the 6th at the latest... see y'all in the sky! M

Hey, Cape Town is a beautiful city... I still plan on visiting SA again once I'm out of college. Have fun on your travels HH! M

Great, now I have to avoid Marc for fear that he might try to tear my clothes off. If only I had that problem with women. M

Someone mentioned something about cutting up my shirt. Nobody did that, though. It's a nice shirt, too; the one I was wearing. So that could be a good thing.

Ok, I don't post whore around here much anymore, but it's late, I'm stuck at home again, and I'm bored, so I'm gonna tell everyone about my awesome day yesterday. Original plan: get up early, drive up to Hinckley, and jump my ass off. Well, that didn't work out, I ended up taking the opportunity to fly instead. I'm getting my license this summer, and since my dad, who is no longer a full time instructor(but keeps his ratings current), is teaching me, scheduling is kind of haphazard. Anyway, we get the chance to drive down to Litchfield airport, and hop in the now-familiar Cessna 150 in the sweltering heat of central Illinois this week. We're staying in the pattern, shooting touch-and-goes this time. The whole time. Time after time after time. For 2+ hours straight. Part of the way through, he starts refreshing my memory on emergency procedures, engine failures, pointing out where he'd land and why. I'm thinking "wow, maybe he's getting ready to solo me in the next week or so!" It's *hot*, the 150 is small and cramped, and I'm getting tired. Power off, flare out, eyes down the runway... let her glide... ahh, comfortable landing. About to power up again(power heat flaps!), he stops me and taxis over to the taxiway just off the side of the runway. I assume he's as tired as I am and he's ready for a break. "Ok, I'm gonna get out here. You do that again while I watch." "........" Well, yeah, Dad, so you haven't touched any controls in an hour and barely said a word in the past few landings. But it's still different. OK then, whatever, I can handle this. 3 times through the pattern, full stop between each one. Adrenaline pumping like my first jump. Taxi back to the end of the runway and call out to UNICOM... and away we, I mean, I go... Freaky sensation, leaving the ground for the first time totally alone. Realizing that there's no way back except to do it myself. Finding out that a 150 can actually climb when you drop half of the cargo. Flying a nervous pattern and fixing everything halfway down final for a perfect landing, seeing my dad give me a thumbs-up as I turn around to taxi back and do it again. I guess I really can do this. Cool... Oh yeah, then I drove the short hop over to Vandalia and did my first CRW, hop & popped out of a 182 at 7500 with Tina(Canopycuddler) and Gary Peek--they docked in a biplane, and I came in and docked on Tina. We had the whole thing built by 5000'... that was cool too, first attempt at CRW, first 3-stack... Blue skies, good times... M

Jess muses tonight "I'm in a bad mood," says she Methinks she needs beer M P.S. Feliz Cinco de Julio! P.P.S. Could be worse... could have worked all night, then get ditched by the people you were planning to hang out with and therefore have nothing to do to celebrate the 4th but sit at your parents' house and dick around online... P.P.P.S. I dunno what that smiley is supposed to be, I just used it because I think it looks funny. P.P.P.P.S.

Sorry to hear that, Andy--hope ya heal all quick-like! Is this gonna be in the incident reports in the next Parachutist? "Skydiver at Chicagoland on final approach to jump plane attempts a fast turn to retrieve sunglasses, apparently contacting the ground at the same time as his ankle..."

I don't know that I had much of a "sensory overload" after my first jump or two, but I definitely had tunnel vision for a while... actually, it wasn't until I did my first linked exit that I even saw someone else in freefall, even though I had done several before that with an instructor in the air with me (static line progression... I was told to do turns using the ground to judge heading, so that's all I was aware of until I had someone actively holding on to me, grinning at me). M

Yeah, I know crops can suck for landing too, but nothing's really sprouted much yet here, so it's basically an open field for the moment. My biggest problem with what I did, after thinking about it for a while, is the actual decision I made at 1000'... I didn't think "I can make it there" and turn out to be wrong, that would be a simple misjudgement. I thought "I might not make it there... but I can handle landing downwind in this." I really, really try not to be cocky, or to overestimate my abilities... guess it jumped out and bit me anyway. M

This Saturday at Archway was beautiful--sunny, hot, humid, almost no wind. The Golden Knights were there for the Lew Sanborn accuracy meet. I was in the mood to freefly, but it had been a few weeks since I had done anything but RW, so I decided to do a solo or two to find my sit before I got back with anybody-I'm still pretty inexperienced. Manifest, throw on a sweatshirt and shorts, gear up, get on the plane. I'm one of the last people out, doing a solo freefly, and jumprun is FAST with zero wind up high and a negligible cut. I get to the door and look down-we're a good distance out, but I decide to go anyway since I don't know these pilots (not our regular King Air) and I am kind of a weenie about asking for a go around. Mistake #1. I exit into a sit; it goes great, I play with cartwheels, flips, and standing up. I slow down and pull at my usual 3000, even though I know I'm already far downwind. Mistake #2. I turn towards the airport and determine that I might be able to make it, maybe, I hope. Under me, and spanning the entire way to the airport, is nothing but open fields. I get small, pull out on my rear risers, trying to improve my glide as much as I can. At 1000' I'm close, and I judge once again that I can maybe get around into the pattern, but I'm not sure. What follows is the Stupid Decision Du Jour: I decide to go for it on the theory that there was almost no wind when we took off, so if I have to land downwind, it won't be a big deal. I know. That was wrong in any case. Incidentally, the wind had picked up a little, and I landed a bit outside of the main area (at least I had considered the traffic implications of landing downwind in the middle of the main area) at a rediculous forward speed. I'm not injured, but I tumbled a lot and tore a bit of skin off my left knee due to my not being used to coming in that hot (I fly a Triathlon, dammit) and therefore flaring early and stalling a couple of feet up, while still traveling way faster forward than I can run. What I did wrong: at exit and pull time, I could have improved my position greatly, but I didn't. At 1000', I should have turned around and landed safely in the great big friendly bean field, but I tried for the airport, even though I was very unsure of my ability to get there. What I did right: When I realized I was going to land on the airport, but the wrong way, I didn't turn low, I rode it out, and I kept out of the way of the normal pattern. Did I embarrass myself in front of my friends and the GK? Yes. Did I learn? Yes. Did I know better to begin with? Yes. Why did I make a bad decision, knowing better? Who knows. In any case, this is directed at anyone who finds themselves on a long spot like that--It's ok. Just land off. Don't hurt yourself trying to get back! Blue skies, Marc

From that day forward- participles dangled not, run-ons were no more! Yeah, right! On the 'net? Our duties may never end but I, "Two," stand tall. I feel like a member of an elitist cult... cool....

I disagree here; your mastery of grammar- it shouts, "Number One!" If I am worthy I would love to be known as "El Numero Dos" M

Don't worry, they're just feeling a little 'testy' today. M

Hey! Hey! How about the one where you climb out to the end of the strut, then swing your feet up and hang! Has anyone mentioned that yet?

Bill, that's a brilliant explanation... I had no concept of a flat turn until I read that. When I asked as a student, I was just told that you could flatten out a turn by pulling both toggles down and pulling one more than the other. I knew one was supposed to practice this, so I tried a couple, but failed to really see the purpose in practicing it--well yeah, you just flare, and turn, but at the same time. Big deal, right? But now, I'm going to go practice holding a constant airspeed in a toggle turn. Awesome... Marc

I'll be at Rantoul by then, I'll jump with ya, I'll party with ya, yeeha! M

approximate # of miles driven 750: 4 : 1 Showed up at Hinckley on friday in the rain, and damn was I pissed about that. Luckily we heard that the clouds had broken over SDC around 4, so Andy, Medic, John, and I headed over there in time to get a couple in. Beer for my first time at SDC. It's very big and very pretty. Then, two today at Archway after I got off work, including Tina's... fun jump. Hee hee hee... I'll let her tell that story. M

You think YOU'RE a little miffed I had to work a 12 hour shift It is my first week on the job I had to wait a 14-top at least of cash I shant be bereft a hefty tip, that table left So I can see your plight, but hey at least you got to jump today.

Attention former Falling Illini people who may lurk here but for whom I do not have contact information: As the WFFC this year is but a high pull and a strong breeze away from the U of I campus, most if not all of the current members will be there. The idea has been brought up to try for a FI big way, which I think would be totally groovy. If you were a member at any point, and will be at the WFFC, let me know if you're interested--my email address is mallette@uiuc.edu. We could even go to Murphy's or the White Horse afterwards, or something. Wait, what am I saying, spend money on beer at a bar during the convention? Nevermind. But let me know if you want in on the jump, and what days you will be there, so I can work out what day would be the best to make the attempt(s). Ooh! Ooh! We could try to get the whole plane doing an I-L-L... I-N-I... chant on the way up! Ay, I think I've been awake too long. Ok, that is all. Marc Mallette Falling Illini Dictator-For-Life

Friday Friday Friiiidaaaaaaayyyy! I'll be there, like the Jackson 5 song... M

Yeah, I like Derek's idea. Can I also apply for a grant from the "Poor College Skydiving Bum Fund"? I need a sign... "Will perform sexual favors for attractive skydiving women for jump tickets" Sheeit, I wish I hadn't missed this weekend... glad you all had such a good time though! M

No amount of profanity can express my extreme frustration with not being able to make it to the boogie at Archway this weekend. zero(duh) : zero() : zero At least I made some money. Stupid managers not letting us go until it was too late to go skydiving... At any rate, come to Hinckley this wednesday, everyone! I need to jump my ass off, and you are all invited. M

I 2nd what Michele said. No money = no jumpy. I'll be going straight from work on Monday though; hopefully I'll have made some cash by then, otherwise I'll have to rob a bank on the way... because I have a serious desire to be borne upon a mechanical vehicle to transport passengers above ground level and depart from said vehicle at an exceptionally prominent altitude, accoutering a collapsible lift-producing nylon lifesaving device to be deployed in a state of freefall. Marcisbored

Did anybody else tense up and stifle a scream reading this? Nothing at all against you, Sinkster, but what kind of instructor would not answer a question like that? Learning to skydive and fly powered planes at the same time, I am very disturbed at the lack of canopy training in general. How can we send people off to solo a glider, fly a pattern in traffic, and land unassisted, without teaching them much more than "pull one down to turn, both down to land."? Sure, most people come away intact, but there's no reason to leave out basic knowledge of principles of flight and canopy flight in student training. Sorry, this has just become one of my very few hot buttons. Marc P.S. ...and don't even bring up the letter in the May(I think) Parachutist that said "Bernoulli's Law doesn't actually happen, wings are curved to look pretty, and we just fly like paper airplanes...." We are all forced by the nature of our sport to be glider pilots; can't we train appropriately?