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peacefuljeffrey

Intro: Newish skydiver in FL, USA says hello!

By peacefuljeffrey, in Introductions and Greets

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peacefuljeffrey    0

peacefuljeffrey
Hello everyone! Since this is the place for introductions, I'm here to introduce myself. My name is Jeffrey. I live in West Palm Beach, Florida, and was born and raised in Smithtown (Long Island), New York. I've been in WPB for 7 years.

Back in 1991 I was in college, and did a static-line jump from 3,000 at Skydive Long Island. Then I did another one at Duanesburg, NY later that year, and then another jump, this time AFF I. (I had not known of the existence of AFF-type jumps!) Alas, it was too expensive for me at the time, so I didn't do another jump until '96, back on L.I. I did two that summer.

Fast forward to the recent past. In 2001, I found myself financially able to finish working on my private pilot's license (which I had begun in my teens, ca. 1989!). I got my license on September 21, 2002. While I was training, I used to fly out to Pahokee a lot, so one day I rode the Skydive America bus back to the hangar and asked questions and got a ride in the red, white and blue Otter. (That was a blast! I had jumped only from 182s!)

I didn't begin training, though, until summer 2003, and I did AFP jumps in a sort of informal program with Dave Cole, formerly of Skydive America (now defunct). He and some others were keeping things alive at Pahokee, doing occasional tandems to keep a plane in the air. They hung on just long enough for Ron and his crew from Tecumseh, MI to make it down here with their Super Otter, and now things are hustlin' and flyin'!

WE HAD THE FIRST SKYDIVE SOUTH BEACH BOOGIE THIS WEEKEND!!! It sure was a lot of fun. Lots of people were there to jump and spectate, and Mirage and Birdman and some others were there, plus Brian Germain of Big Air Sportz (he is one great guy. Brian held a canopy flight seminar and Q/A in the FBO after Saturday's skydiving. He's super-approachable and super-knowledgeable. He's also the designer of my new used Lotus 170 (airlock). That's right, after renting renting renting, I finally have my own rig, a Javelin and a Lotus. Yes, don't worry, I did buy beer. ;)

I have nothing but intensely happy and positive things to say about Skydive South Beach. The staff have expanded into the hangar that I'm told used to be used for skydiving some years ago. People were saying it was like old times. There are even still black diamonds on the door from when Olav had his office there! If you find yourself able to, make sure to get to SoBe (not to be confused with the South Beach by Miami -- this one is out at the SE corner of the big lake in the map of Florida) and jump there. If you could only have seen the sunset we had last night, on the second and last day of the boogie... you would have made arrangements to move here.

I look forward to good learning and good times as a skydiver, and as a friend of other skydivers. Peace.

---Jeffrey
-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

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SkydiveNFlorida    0

SkydiveNFlorida
Hi, Jeffrey! I am glad you made it to the boogie, it was rockin'! The place is really friendly... the staff... the jumpers... it's got an awesome vibe!

Hope you'll come out often. I am usually there every weekend, but won't be this weekend... i'm sure i'll see you around, tho! Congrads on the new canopy, too!

Angela.



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peacefuljeffrey    0

peacefuljeffrey
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Hey man welcome to the sport sorry I did not get to know you at the boogie. But I,m sure we will meet at SOBE some time perhaps this week end

Carlos



Oh there were a LOT of people I would love to have gotten to meet and hang with at the Boogie. Not to worry, as you said, I'm sure I'll see a bunch of you all again. SoBe is shaping up to be a real fun DZ.

Thanks, everyone, for the welcome-to-the-sport.

Hey, does anyone know the name of the red-headed girl who was working as a packer during the boogie? I had a passing hello or two with her but never got a full introduction. Dunno where she was in from, either.

Hey, if you want to find me at SoBe, I'm usually there on Sundays and sometimes Saturdays, and you'll know it's me because I never have shoes on, and I have a long ponytail. Usually I'm messing with paracord to make necklaces, or I'm frustrating myself trying to pack my main into my d-bag. (Still having trouble there, but getting lots of good help and advice.)

---Jeffrey
-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

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MarkM    0

MarkM
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Hey, does anyone know the name of the red-headed girl who was working as a packer during the boogie? I had a passing hello or two with her but never got a full introduction. Dunno where she was in from, either.

Hey, if you want to find me at SoBe, I'm usually there on Sundays and sometimes Saturdays, and you'll know it's me because I never have shoes on, and I have a long ponytail. Usually I'm messing with paracord to make necklaces, or I'm frustrating myself trying to pack my main into my d-bag. (Still having trouble there, but getting lots of good help and advice.)



No idea who the red head was, but she was cute B|

Were you up at SOBE today? I met a Jeffrey, barefoot, not too sure if it was you though. He had a small mini compass on the band of his wristwatch.

I remember thinking on the ride up, "If you need that to find your way back to DZ, you're probably waaaay out."

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peacefuljeffrey    0

peacefuljeffrey
Yeeeeah. That was me. You like-a my compass? Not just a mini compass, but a "small mini compass," huh? :P I hadn't realized it was so puny! :o

You were doing the AFF grad jump, right? You're that Mark? Congratulations, it was good to see someone with less experience than I have! LOL! I'm so used to be "the" newbie. I walk around there feeling awful humble sometimes. Did you ever see Roberta's jump videos? I saw a couple during the boogie: her skills are awesome, all those freestyle moves, it's beatiful.

Too bad they nailed ya on that double beer thing, but hey, tarmac's tarmac. :P If it means anything to ya, I was watching your flare and landing and they were both very good. You stood it up, after all, and in my book that counts for a lot (and think how you'd feel if you stumbled your grad jump!). Keep learnin' and havin' fun.

Peace,
---Jeffrey
-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

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MarkM    0

MarkM
Yep that was me. Looks like I'll be buying all the beer for that place until the next newbie comes along. :D

Funny thing is I HAD to nail that landing, because I really didn't want to PLF on asphalt. Guess all I really lacked was the proper motivation. Though you should've seen JC as I was flying over him in the student area. He was like pointing wildly to good landing spots and saying "WTF you doing, there's acres to land on out here?!"

Missed Roberta's video, but I saw Roberta. I don't doubt she's awesome, there's a lot of really skilled people out there. It's a great dropzone to learn things at.

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