dove

Just curious - how much do you tip your rigger for a repack? Thanks! dove

Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamt of flying. I would just take a running start and I'd be off! But since I started skydiving, they are all skydiving dreams and I have them ALL the time! I love it! Even when I'm grounded, I'm getting airtime!!! dove

Thanks so much everyone! And I definitely plan on doing this up high SEVERAL times before attempting it on landing. I really appreciate everyone being so helpful and all of the safety suggestions as well. You all rock! happy dove

So they get a good deal of business on a Friday? If so - I am THERE!!!! I'd love to meet you (the mountainman himself) and Laura! So I will plan on being there around noon - my plane gets into Indy at 9:39 am. I can't wait!!!! Now, time to pray to the weather gods for good weather! dove (grinning HUGE grin!!!)

How far is Richmond from Indianapolis? I am working the Broncos/Colts game on Sunday (which also means all day Saturday) but I am flying in early Friday morn so I can jump. I will have a rental car, but don't want to go too far away from my work site. Could you all come out and play on a Friday afternoon? Hope so!!! dove

If you can get ahold of the the "Jumping the Ram Air" series that was in Parachutist a while back (they advertise the series in almost every current issue), there is one entire article detailing all the parts of your canopy with pictures! Very useful. In fact, there is SO much you can learn from that entire series. I have read each article AT LEAST 3 times and each time I get more out of it. I highly suggest it. The USPA store sells the whole series for $9.95 here . Other than that, just do what I do - pester all of the other jumpers at the dz with questions. Especially during a weather hold - great time to learn lots of cool stuff! Be safe! dove

Anyone here jump at Skydive Greensburg in Indiana? I will be there on Friday, Sept. 14 and would love to meet some dz.comers!!! dove

Ramon, Thank you SO much! You are awesome! I am on my way to those sites now. And your good/bad habit tips were really helpful too. THANK YOU!!!! dove

I am hesitant to ask this for fear of being screamed at... but here goes anyhow: How do you swoop a landing? I have always had great landings and I am certainly not looking for instruction on doing a low/hook turn. But I'd like to get a little surf every now and then. I have done it a few times, but never intentionally and it was quite enjoyable!!!!! So any safe suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! If you'd like to bite my head off, feel free to do so! It's happened before and it grows back! dove

David, When are you coming to our wonderful nation's capital? There are 2 AWESOME dzs each within 2 hours driving distance. Skydive Delmarva is in Laurel Delaware on the eastern shore and Skydive Orange is in Virginia. Both are terrific dzs - awesome, fun people all around. But very different. Let me know when you will be here and where you decide to go... maybe we can make some jumps together! Cheers! dove

I love NFL, NHL, MLB, & NCAA Basketball... in that order. Although most local sports suck here (Baltimore/DC area)... WE GOT JAROMIR JAGR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nanny-Nanny-Boo-Boo! In general I don't have many local allegiances, just love to watch a good game. dove

Try spreading your legs some. This will make it so you can't arch so dramatically (you look like I did before I started wearing weights and floated on everyone. I had to do the upside-down taco to keep up!) It will also give you a wider surface area to slow you down and keep you stable. (think - BOX) Hope this helps. Dove

I remember reading about that girl last year that fell out of her harness cause of a misrouted chest strap. Scared the crap out of my cause it would be so easy to do. So I find myself checking my own and others incessantly. I'd rather have them be irritated by me ("Yeah, I know. I don't fasten until jump run.") than to have them die and wish I had said something. I hate to lose another fellow jumper to sloppiness - even if that jumper thinks I am a pest. As I am getting ready (couple minutes out) I also just look around at others gear automatically. If I notice anyhing "off" I mention it. I have received nothing but gratitude for noticing a flopping pc or loose main flap. Almost scarier than that jumper leaving without a rig is everyone else on the plane also let him do it! All for one, and one for all. Dove

What are you worried about?!?!?!? Laura jumps too! That ugly graph is for those of us married to whuffos. Boo-hoo.

I usually get the same blank stare or they just ignore me alltogether. Worse is when they ask stupid questions (like the boat question!) that aren't even related! But get this... last week my 67 year old mom came over when I was watching my Olav video and she was ignoring me and watching the tape!!! At one point she said, "Hey, rewind it. Did you see what he just did? That was cool! " Then, as we were talking about how he pulled that maneuver off she was like "I'll bet if you put your arms out and your feet down..." And she doesn't even have any interest in skydiving herself! Pretty cool. Gotta love Mom. I think it just takes a while for them (family/friends) to get over the shock and maybe also some jealousy. Even if they don't want to do it, they probably wish they had the balls. So keep at em. And if they never get it, who gives a rats ass as long as you can keep skydiving! Cheers! Dove

Like hottamaly I too get my jollies in the air. I am a freeflyin/fallin chick and I love to be airborne. I don't dislike the canopy ride, but it just gets me down intime to pack and go back up again. And because I've heard that swooping is addictive, I'll just stay away from it alltogether. Currently I get my kicks out of jumping with as much skin exposed as possible. That cool crisp air just feels so good on my... well, you know!!! dove

Wow - so "CHEAP"!!!!! What a bargain!!!! So unfortunate I won't be able to jump for a year after buying it! Oh, nevermind - that huge glob of color over there is my main. See ya.

I wear my Z1 while freeflying and I really like it. I had the same question when I started freeflying so I asked an experienced freeflyer why he didn't wear a full face. He said he just like to be able to see other peoples faces - smiling and geeking! But full face works great. It's up to you what you feel more comfortable with. Cheers! Elisa

160 - I'd like to reach 200 by the labor day weekend. Yippee-Kay-Yay!!!!

OHMIGOD!!!!!!!!!! Better start working on a form letter we can all sign and send to our local representatives. This oppression must be stopped! Until then, we can still do big ways and solos!!!

Something I learned in Skydive U and from Dr. John DeRosalia (he wrote "Mental Training for Skydiving and Life") is to practice, practice, practice on the ground. Lay on the floor and feel the position of your body - where each arm and leg is - the arch in your torso - everything. Mentally rehearse the moves in your mind and mentally rehearse the exhilaration you will feel after doing it RIGHT! Yes - feel the excitement and pride you will feel after doing those turns exactly as planned. Really see yourself, feel the air on your face, the crispness of it. See your JM giving you the thumbs up. Then - and this is key - stop thinking about it!!!! Sounds absurd, but trust that your body knows what to do now. So on the ride up, do your gear check, but take the time to look out the window and look at the scenery. Have fun with the other jumpers and your JM. But don't obsess about what you are about to do. When it is your turn to jump - go out and instead of reverting back to breaking each movement into steps - just think of where you want to go. If you are turning just think, OK, I need to turn to the right and trust your body to take you there instead of thinking right arm down. If you are doing a loop, just think here comes my cool back flip instead of legs up head back or whatever. It may sound a little corny, but I swear it works. Just like when you are driving you trust yourself to take you where you want to go. If you were gonna change lanes, you wouldn't think "right blinker on, check mirrors and over shoulder, turn steering wheel 45 degrees to the right, turn off blinker, etc." You just automatically do all those things by thinking I need to get in the right lane. So trust yourself! And have fun! If you feel tense, SMILE. EVen a phony smile will work cause it will turn into a real one. Sorry for the lengthy reply. But hope it helps! Elisa

MICHELE!!!!!!!! Fear?!?!?!?!?! What are you talking about?!?!?!?! Girl, you just jumped out of a plane from a few miles up with virtually no indicator of your altitude on your FIRST solo!!!!! I think you have the fear thing conquered! When do you start having fun? RIGHT NOW!!! Go jump - I absolutely guarantee you will have a blast! I am so excited for you! Have fun! Elisa

I have nowhere near 500 jumps (only 150), but I think I would choose option "c" - assuming, of course, that they were paying for my lift ticket! Cheers! Elisa

Pammi, I so agree with you. I'd have no problem with any of the physical stunts - they all look like fun and I sometimes even find myself being jealous!!! You could cover me with worms, bugs, rats or snakes - no problem. I could eat mountain oysters and perhaps some bugs (like the beetles they had - I would HATE it, but I could do it) but I'd have a hard time eating a bunch of worms or raw sheep's eyes! That must have smelled AWFUL!!! BTW, that "stunt" last night in segment 1 with the sky swing is really an amusement park ride!!! Funny! "oh, I'm so scared!!!" Elisa

What you are feeling is absolutely normal!! I LOVE skydiving and it has changed my life tremendously in wonderfully positive ways! It started with my very first tandem 1 year ago. I was passionate about skydiving from the very start. I would look so forward to the next time I could jump and ache to get back in the air. But when the day came I would secretly hope that there would be thunderstorms or something else to keep me from going. It made no sense!! And if I took a step back to look at it logically I knew I wanted to go - yet something inside of me still screamed "NO!" I still get a twinge of that if I haven't been in a while. But I immediately dismiss it with thoughts of how much fun I will have and how it sets my soul free. (sounds SOOOO corny - but dern if it ain't true) A lame comparison is how you put of going to the gym and wish you could just relax and not have to work out all the time - but once you get there and get through it your body feels great, your mind is clear and you are so glad you finally got off your duff and went! So keep at it. You will be so glad (to out it mildly) you did! Good luck at level 2. Just wait till they let you go in a few jumps - you are a flying machine!!!! Have a blast! Elisa