tree_squirrel

Thank you for the discussion. I had just finished my freefall progression. I have got the point. If I do go back to jumping once my legs heal and after my wedding, then i will dump high, set up high, not ask for bats, learn more about canopy control, keep jumping a 230 for the rest of my life, and make sure that the hanger doesn't jump in front of me. Skydiving is a dangerous sport. Yes you can irradicate many of the problems by checking your equipment and keeping alti aware but sometimes these things happen. I had only just gone onto the 210, i had never flewn a hand deployed parachute ( yes i know it's similar) I tested my stall point high up in the air. I dont know too much about riser turns ect... I was in the process of learning. Most of you have been quite cruel about this whole thing. At least i didn't add to the statistics of fatalities. I realise that I have no place in the disabled forum but i felt disabled and yes it was my own mistake! I am all for people skydiving and I realise I am a bad advert for it at the moment. But it will not be forever. Please forgive me for being a bad advert for six weeks. I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

"Cross wind or not, the wind did not 'blow' you into the hangar, you failed to fly yourself to a safe landing. " Pope. Cross wind or not. I only said it was a factor. At the end the safest option was to fly into the hanger. If i had yanked my toggle and finished my turn i would have been hurt worse ( tar and other obstacles ). It was my decision after having made bad decisions to rather not finish my turn which would have made my body horizontal to the earth and then promptly fall. That would have resulted in worse injuries. Thanks for the advice and i am now feeling my mistakes. I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

I needed to convert to a hand deployed boc before i continued onto my ISP. It wasn't such a big jump since my previous parachute was a 230. I was just being extra careful (with a tiny tinee li'l bit of help i would flare at the right time) and if i hadn't been looking for the dude on the ground i most probably would have been fine. There were other factors involved like the wind (cross wind) which blew me into the hanger. None the less, I got off lightly, i only broke my leg and ankle on the one side and tore a ligament on the other, not a scratch. otherwise. I most probably will jump again, not too soon tho. I will walk again. So for all those out there who are doing the sport as a disabled person, i sincerely salute you. Happy Landings and Blue Skies! :) I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

I switched to a Code 210. Really guys! Its just less docile! I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

HI All I understand that there has been some confusion. Firstly about my licence. I was supposed to have just finished the requirements for an A licence and then PASA (parachute association of South Africa) decided to change the requirements after ISP. So i was downgrading before i started my ISP. We were pissed! In the sentence ( I was supposed to have been helped in) I meant that due to the change of canopy and the fact that it wasn't as docile i requested a batsman to help with gaging height and forward speed, to prevent broken body bits. Only he wasn't there and i had to set up and i had lost too much altitude. I have had many successful landing before. As for getting a new fiance, i think that was mean of you to say. He used to pay for me to jump, and he used to jump himself. He dooesn't feel like its fair for him to be jumping and me not. He is trying to be sweet and not make me jealous. Please if you are against the lack of licence after finishing a freefall progression, don't hesitate to tell PASA what you really think about them. We think they are just trying to make more money out of us. Anyways. Have a nice day. My legs are feeling better and i might do it again. I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

Dude, if you have a D licence and you are ok under canopy go ahead. Do it when you feel heeled. I don't know about you but i was just in hospital for a week and had my ankle pinned and that was excruciating. I have been forced to resign from be really cool, to really broken at my dz. I will only fly again at the windtunnels around the world.Less distance to fall. I was lucky, since only my legs are in plaster. I was hanging from my canopy that got hooked on the roof od the hanger, my fall could have been worse. All I can say is be a safe skydiver, minimise the risk by not doing low hooks and checking your equipment thouroughly. All for now An newly disabled tree_squirrel! I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

I recently flew into the hanger at our club. I switched over to an HP canopy (and was supposed to have been helped land) and now i have a fractured ankle, with pins, a broken leg and and torn ligament in the other foot. Now although i will be out of my wheelchair in 6 weeks and off crutches after 6 weeks, i still will not be allowed to skydive. I have been told to leave my skydiving days behind me. Now if that isn't disabling a person i have no idea what is, My fiance doesn't want me to do it again and i have given it up. He too has given it up.He refuses to even let me go to the dz. I have alot of friends there and I have no idea when i will see them besides at the dz. What do i do coz the dz is my home, my family... the pain from my ankle injury is enough to remind me not to fly into the hanger... I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

Hi all I recently discovered that 2 of the characters on a local South African Soap Opera are skydivers in joburg. How many famous skydivers are there out there who are not famous for skydiving related reasons? Just thought it was interesting[sly

i did taekwondo, I was fun and there is heaps of adrenaline. Not the fun type, but the type where they try to kick the shit out of you. It's a bunch of legs and a bit of arms and great fun if you like having the crap kicked out of you. I did it fr 7 years so it can't have been bad. K Be good and Keep flying high I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

Whatsup. Bring your girlfriends. Keep Skydiving Girl Numbers up. (i am a girl) its all got to do with girl power and finding girlfriends for all my male skydiving buddies! have a good one... i am craving the sky. I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

I hope that every one of my fello skydivers has a fabulous day. May it start with thought of skydiving, blue skies and coffee. Wishing you all a Blue Sky Kinda Day! especially All of my buddies at Skydive Xtreme South Africa - you know who you are! I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

1. Whats your name? Niki 2. How old are you? Xmas in September (25) 3. Why did you decide to start jumping out of airplanes? I just followed my buddies to the dz...it just happened...don't ask! 4. Are you single or taken? Married? about to be married in oct 5. Do you have kids? No 6. What do you drive? 1994 Toyota Conquest 7. Have you ever done a kisspass? Huh? 8. Where do you live? South Africa in the RS of A, Pretoria. 9. Do you have any pets? Didi, f*%king naughty cockerspanial, very cute! Does my fiance count? 10. How many jumps do you have? 22 i think 11. What color eyes do you have? Green whirlpoorls 12. What is your nationality? Souf African 13. Have you ever dated someone you met off the internet? Yes 14. Favorite Movie? Ice Age! 15. What do you do when you arent skydiving? Work , look at the sky and wonder why i am not up there? 16. Have you ever BASE jumped? No 17. If not... do you want to? Are you out of your tree? 18. Do you have siblings? 2 sisters 19. Where do you want to travel to the most? NZ 20. What's your favorite color? Orange 21. Where was the last place you flew to ( not skydiving )? South Africa from Sydney from Hamilton in NZ! New Zealand Rocks, Kiwi's rule and skydiving kiwi are super cool! I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

Boredom fuels thought like this! Mmmm cheese! I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

have you tried? I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

Ever looked out of your window, checked out the sky and wondered to yourself, what the f*$# am i doing inside? I work near an airport, there are alway planes, do you think during lunch hour... mmm.....wheeee......yahhooooo.........flare? why can't skydiving be allowed during work hours? I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

Dude, it's so hot in South Africa where i jump, that half the time i have my bikini on under my jumpsuit. When i am not in the sky, i make the guys sweat even more! It's not a bad idea, but the only problem is the definition of beauty. Most skydiving chicks are more sexy and appealling firstly because they skydive and there are less of us and secondly they share the passion for free fall, crazy adventure and beer. Get the idea? I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

Do you think if a bunch of skydivers flew to the moon there would be no moon, because skydivers love cheese, they would eat it all? Politely thank the man in the moon and then give him a parachute and fly back down to earth under canopy, everyone full of cheese? Is the air up there also little cheese particles? I need to know! I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

Now there's a song.! Cocheese, you are talented, we might use it at our wedding! We are both skydivers. Mmmm... now if all the potential chick skydivers could see that, we would have many more skybabes on the dz's and all my skydiving guys may have a chance at love (the kind with a girl related to the sport!). Enjoy! I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

I say find someone you have similar interest with. My fiance and I are going to be happily married in Oct, and we have plans (not planes) to remain that way. He skydives too. If you want my opinion, skydiving people work very well with more skydiving people. Skydiving chicks are way different in the way they see things compared to normal girls who are not crazy about jumping. Another aspect of it is that the skydiving community has so many more nice people, because you never know when it will be someone's last day. They also say you can't die a virgin :) Not married yet, but will be in oct 2005, so far, i dig having someone around who really cares about what you are doing, offers conversations and can cuddle up with you at night ( especially at the drop zone in a tent :)! ) I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

if i could have a super power, i would like to be good a everything. And maybe be able to teleport. I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

Today i missed an exciting real life episode of a highway western on the way to work. There was a cash-in-transit heist on the highway and gun shooting and the police when bolistic with bullets, i saw a car with a cracked windsheild, like a rock had been thrown at it. What interesting stuff happens in your home town? Please note that this is South Africa, Johannesburg, we are talking about, however skydiving weather is great, so don't stay away! I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

The moment when you realise that you have screwed up arrives, what will your last thought be? I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

I would do skyjumping, a sport i would invent to jump out of airplanes... need i say more. We wonder what normal people do on the weekends? If you weren't skydiving what would your weekends look like? would you watch tv? I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

I got curtains for walking around naked in my flat. We have a security company who is on the property and they watch the TV from there if you don't close the curtains. I recommend curtains! I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!

Hey people, i know most skydivers sit in front of a pc all day, i was wondering what percentage is creative industry related. If you are creative, come up with a solution for poor skydives, how is it that you can still afford to jump, WE NEED A PLAN!!! Any plan will do (besides a rich boyfriend, who pays for jumps) what other solutions are there, i am sure there are many? mmmm... maybe i should sell my body... Any bids...? do i hear 20 skydives? I didn't do it, i swear! Backloops @ sunset!