Pooface

I don't think "knowing you want to skydive" has much to do with it. After my FJC I was the first to raise my hand to jump a s/l i was so excited and when i let go i tried swimming back up to the plane i was so freaked out. The next 5 weren't much better. I have since done 2 "working" tandams and am on to AFF3. I wish i would of just done the tandams first even tho "I knew i wanted to skydive." But the experience of landing the canopy myself 5 times is priceless. Ive noticed about a 50-50 success rate on aff1's with no tandams but thats based on very limited observation. >-/o

I had been sick and didn't goto work all week hoping I'd be well enough to jump today but I'm just not quite 100% to go. And the last thing I want to do is puke all over my instructor in freefall. At least I get to goto my local Hempfest. Who wants a brownie? Stop reading this and go jump for me. Blue skies. >-/o

There was a 15 y/o girl in my FJC. And I think we have a coach rated 16 y/o too. True. >-/o

Another number I always wanted was how many total skydives were made within a given year in th U.S. I don't know if that's kept track of, if DZ's report total jumps monthly, yearly, etc. If you had that you could make a number of, Total U.S. Skydiving fatalities/Total U.S. Skydives. I heard a 1/100,000 number once and wondered if that's how they got it. >-/o

I took my second jump yesterday and it went incredibly. Much more relaxed, held my arch and finally felt like i got it. I had been practicing it in my head alot and it was just so much easier. I also got to use a 230 skymaster instead of the 248 and I dropped like a fly which was much better. Practice pulls next time! >-/o

Well first off thanks for all the input. I felt like the only person who could screw up letting go and falling from a plane. I've pretty much thought non-stop about it and I think my brain isn't reassured enough that I'm not going to fall out the harness. I like things being fairly tight and responsive and the whole leave the chest and leg straps alittle loose seems weird. I'm pretty scrony and bendable and I just see my chin sliding right under that strap and away I'll go. I'm hoping to go out next saturday and take a couple more jumps as I have a Spanish Quiz on monday and an impressionist piece due in painting so this weekend is taken. (school seems way less cool now) >-/o

I just took my first jump this weekend out at http://www.dropzone.com/dropzone/Detailed/156.shtml Toledo. It was pretty much what I expected except for the jump. My instructor kept jokingly saying that he hadn't taught the course in awhile and would keep referring to the book. (I had complete confidence that he knew what he was talking about) The people were very laid back and it was fun to just sit and watch people people come land. The jump was nothing like I expected. They just got a new grand caravan out there and I couldn't do a S/L out of it unfortunatly. I eneded up getting a special trip up in the Cessna because I was the only person doing the S/L course. I climbed out there and let go and it was nothing like I thot it would be. I have been wanting to do this for 8 months or so but you just can't imagine it. I started to swim but was able to land it ok. It was really eerie to just all of a sudden to be sitting there, 3500' or so up, completely alone, completely quite. I know a lot of dropzones make everyone to a tandam first and I think that might be a better idea for first timers. But overall it was great and I want to go back for sure! [url] >-/o