sarahh

family, home, country, sanity... yup

Two of the the best swoopers I know do not use fronts at all. I learned from them how to swoop using harness only, mainly because I lack the upper body strength the hold the fronts down on a high degree turn without the risers being snatched from my hands. It all depends on what you learn and who from. David Ludvik - great swooper, no front riser input.

Several pieces that I received. 1) get your turn right high, than bring it down. You learn more from being 50 feet too high than 50 feet too low - Jimmy T 2) no, you can't downsize, dumbass! And the next time you think you're ready, wait 200 jumps! - V

Around three months. Getting back into it was an issue, especially when the only canopies available were almost double the size of mine.

I've jumped into my fifth month for my oldest daughter and my third month for my youngest. For my oldest, I started to lose my depth perception, which is obviously and issue, and for my second I started to get leery of full time skydiving after a terminal reserve ride right

I came to WV about a year ago, and found this place about 15 minutes away from my house. I am an experienced jumper, used to work in Georgia, used to a fast paced work environment. Initially it's frustrating to come to a smaller DZ and adjust to the differing environments and the more family feel, but I am glad that I found WV Skydivers as they have really opened my eyes to a slow paced but wonderful skydiving experience. I have found that the staff are helpful and informative, really eager to make sure everyone has a great time. All of the staff are invested in the success of the place, no bickering or squabbling that I have seen in some of the bigger places. Overall it's a great place to jump, great visuals over the Ohio river ( can be unnerving at first, but gorgeous under canopy) the facilities are great, the packing area is great and the people are top notch :)

if you are earning money for the jump, yes. i pay $5 per pack and $20 at the end of the day. i rarely get more than 10 jumps. If (having been there) you are part of a 4 way team and vid, and one of you doesn't stow brakes slider pc... you are asking for a malfunction. if you do a training camp somewhere with a windtunnel and you have a day off in the middle pay and tip for the first half. before your day off. Pay and tip your packers. Most of the time they only wanna jump.

i am an Australian of british heritage, married to a russian american and man the tension between americans and british can be embarrassing! At a bar in rural Surrey, i had a crowd of people telling me how awful America was nad American were twats and all sorts. When i asked which parts they had visited... NONE of them had been. WHen my husband and i travelled to london, then porlock, he was treate awfully as soon as people heard him speak. I ended up doing most of the talking to stop the inevitable attitude towards him. As far as the Americans towards the British, it's mostly bemused, where oh, that one guy... Andy.. or Shaun... frigging crazy bastards is just the anomoly

yep, there really are.. think about it.. you work at a small local DZ.. you have no delusions of granduer, no intention of going anywhere or being noticed. So that guy who will buy your equipment.. who gives a crap about him, the effect of cheating him or your social "status" within the sport. a fella sold a friend a camera, on a payment plan. Weeks later, another friend asked where the fella was because he still had to pay him for a camera... guess where the camera was? on my friends helmet.. people will do it without blinking an eye. I have had mostly good stuff happen on here, and used a rigger as an escrow service. EFF NO, you can't trust anyone.. EVER

to Mr Mike G at Chuting Star getting ready to take home my new rig ( in 2 weeks, but it's a great countdown to have) and i am super excited about it! the rig exactly what i wanted and then some, and i appreciate it more than you know :D so, there's my shout out to a top bloke, a wonderful company and great friends :)

and thanks to all for the kind words. just would be nice if we could look at someone and judge based on their merit and personality rather than the rumor mill, KWIM? LOVE that people in the sport are mostly good people who want to see it go forward with integrity

it's the pissy nonsensical rants that i have no time for. And not caring for an idiot's POV doesn't meant i can't have an opinion. i never said people weren't allowed to have an opinion, just that i could care less for them. :)

my point was exactly that they do a great job. no need to get your knickers in a twist lol.

hey, i would also keep in mind that all you need is an "overall" improvement from jump one. i am by no means "experienced" but i find there are weeks that i just can't get my shit together and everything i do sucks. I try to remember that each thing that goes "wrong" teaches me something, and that the wheel will turn eventually. it's really easy to get discouraged when you see such incidents, but if you look closely, there is something to be learned from each one. EVERYONE makes mistakes. When i had 25 jumps, i was nearly wiped out by a D-Licence holder who had target fixation and didn't see me.. There is ALWAYS something to learn, and ALWAYS someone who knows something you don't . be proud that you are intact... every jump you do which allows you to jump again is a good one :) Good luck, and keep following the path you are on. And don't be afraid to track down a pilot to help you out with spotting and aircraft balance and safety. THey are a largely untapped resource that are more than willing to help in most cases

lol.. you guys.. so nit picky :)

seriously, all the debating and ragging on individuals and companiesis just getting WAY beyond reason. I understand that no one is going to have a perfect reputation in this sport, but when it comes to people bad mouthing someone they have never met and have no experience with, what gives? In a rather scandalous move, i got my AFF rating through Bram Clement, in my opinion one of the best in the country. I was ridiculed by a lot of the staff at my home DZ, many of whom have never met Bram or Elly. But that didn't stop people rubbishing me or him or skydive ratings. No one is perfect!!! maybe you don't agree with other people's business practise, but what gives you the right to be vicious and spiteful and hateful? Yes, i have made mistakes as an instructor. Hasn't everyone? Well... YES! i have been on the planes when people with THOUSANDS of jumps have made mistakes.. .that's why we have each other for support and friendship and help. The purpose of experienced instructors and S&TA's is to provide support to new instructors and staff members to make this sport SAFER... what happens when it breaks down? people get hurt and killed. Maybe you don't agree with me... maybe you do... personally, i could care less about your opinion... i am doing my best and will continue to do so. I LOVE the sport, i want everyone to love the sport. But when you get past the big eye veneer you realise most of the DZ's out there are a high school. And no one is willing to take the higher ground..

hi there. i am a coach, and i have been so for almost a year. I have almost 500 jumps,and 11 years in the sport and i am dismayed at the amount of crud i see sometimes. Older jumpers who are genuinely trying to help the JUMPER by teaching the stuff they know, but rubbishing the new school of skydiving, and therefore coaches like myself. Younger coaches with less than a year in the sport telling "horror stories" of some guy they read about once in parachutist. And teaching skills they have barely mastered themselves. I think that there should be a time limit on the coach, as well as an increase in the minimum jump numbers. I also think that there should be a minimum amount of time in the sport for AFF instructors, but thats a whole other thread. One thing that REALLY bothers me is the older instructors giving coach rating so that the candidate can "practise" the jumps with the student. If you fail to "get there" with your instructor, then you have no business skydiving with a novice.

i had the exact same emai as that one twice..only he changed his name in the second one to DM Douglas. the "item" this time was a spectre 120

hmm.. i am going to go with it's ok if you're a guy and the chicks don't know but all your buddies do, and never ok if you are a girl and wish to have som respect on a DZ. but that's in the guys head.. in the girls head. no. no. * smack upside the head* seriously? are you for real? NO lol

strangely, you haven't put in physically small and puny thereby putting all energy into growing large penis... i married THAT one...lol but he is a few of the above... and does "good fatherhood potential" mean "going to be my papi" ?

i'm stunned.. Eli, i don'teven know what to say you and your family will be in my thoughts.. wow..

I visited Perris for two weeks, and had an absolutely awesome time. I was packing for an Aussie team, so i couldn't jump heaps, but the jumps i got in were awesome. The most important part of my stay was the people. All of the manifest people (especially Dan.. killer BBQ mate) were so friendly and helpful, and didn't mind me trying to jump on all the loads i could around a busy team. Special mentions go to John Chisholm, who went above and beyond with the freefly coaching (am now virtually no danger to myself and/or others) and Travis, who coached me in the tunnel and really maximised my learning curve. and for too many reasons, the following folks are just awesome.. Bundy, Lauren, Adrian, Gonzalo, Julia, Eli, Kyle, Josh, Clint, Ronaldo, Dave, Rob + Annie, Terry, Pat, Blue and Rose. I stayed at a house recommended by the DZ, and the place was just great. The place is a home, and certainly feels like it. TV, video, internet, what more could you want? Thanks to everyone involved with that. The Bomb Shelter and pool area were fantastic, although i would have preffered to not share facilities with whuffos. (Although they are running a business, so it's completely understandable)And the other facilities provided are well sufficient. All in all i would say a great place to jump and meet some amazing people. Get out there and see for yourself.

I heard about this DZ from a friend who totally reccomended ASC, and i called and asked about staying on for an extended jumping holiday from Australia. I found Tyler, the DZ manager, and BJ, manifest lady, to be friendly and helpful and they gave me all the information i asked for. When I arrived at Hartsfield, i called the DZ to let them know i was here, and the best way to get to the DZ. They sent someone out immediately to pick me up (which was AWESOME, because after about 20 hours on a plane i was ready to cry or scream at someone) i have been here for 2 weeks so far, and despite the standard weather holds for most dropzones, have done a few jumps, been to some GREAT places around cedartown, hiram and Atlanta, and have been engulfed by a brand new family. the Staff have been looking after me, picking me up after a very bad decision i made with my landing pattern, laughing at my accent (which i heartily return, y'all) and giving me great advice with regard to my skydiving skills. I have 3 months in the states, and i'll be visiting other places while i'm here. The staff and fun jumpers have already organised lifts to and from the airport, and great weekday activities in between. I've been to 3 DZ's in the states, but i think that ASC will always be my "home" DZ, whenever i'm in America thanks guys, you rock.