Sep 11, 2011, 12:57 PM
Post #1 of 8
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New guy.
Can't Post
Howdy!
Just found this forum, and I thought I'd introduce myself.
My name is Doug, and I recently did my fifth IAD jump at a (fairly) local drop zone.
I'm 57, and I actually made my first jump way back in 1978 at a drop zone in South Dakota, using surplus military chutes. Didn't jump again until 1981, at a place in IL; again with military chutes. After several years of starting a family, nine static-line jumps in 1984, at yet another IL drop zone. Square canopies this time; what a difference!! (and forgive me if I don't use proper terminology; I'm pretty green)
Now it's 27 years later, and I was wondering whether I could still do it; I'm pleasantly surprised!
I'm thinking of switching to the AFF method, though. Just gotta work up a bit more "nerve" first.
Cheers,
Doug
skymama (D 26699)
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Sep 11, 2011, 6:13 PM
Post #2 of 8
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Welcome to the forums! I think it's funny that jumping a square parachute is strange for you because jumping a round would be really weird for most of us! Whatever training you decide to do, I hope you're able to continue for a long time this time.
Not really strange; just MUCH better! It's no fun landing under one of those round Army surplus things.
I was one of the fortunate ones; the day of my very first jump, there were students landing on the tarmac, between hangars, coming in directly over power lines, you name it. I was lucky to land in a rocky, scrubby field.
-Doug
Oh, by the way; thank you! (Didn't mean to be rude. )
(This post was edited by whamac on Sep 11, 2011, 7:37 PM)
FINALLY!! After all these years, I finally got a taste of freefall last week, when I did my very first tandem jump!
14,000 feet and 60 seconds of freefall. Did a few altitude checks, pulled the handle myself, and did some of the steering. WOO-HOO! What a feeling!
And I learned a valuable lesson. Old geezers should not enjoy a milkshake right before doing a bunch of corkscrew turns while under canopy. For a couple minutes there, I thought I was gonna lose my cookies.
I keep telling my FJC students that but few of them "get it".
Like you, my initial training was S/L. Class was 20 minutes skydiving, 2.5 hours PLF...forwards, backwards AND sideways...off an 8ft platform. I hated my jumpmaster who just happened to be my brother....all that sucker kept saying was 'do it again, do it again....and again."
But you know what? After that first landing I shook his hand and said, "Thanks, bro'. The PLF saved my butt."
I think it's funny that jumping a square parachute is strange for you because jumping a round would be really weird for most of us! Whatever training you decide to do, I hope you're able to continue for a long time this time. 
I'm sure you can handle AFF.
