The Start to a beautiful friendship with the sky

[Austintxflight 0]

So after years of thinking about it, and years of putting it out of my memory I finally got off my balls to jump. Part of the impetus is I moved across country for grad school, didn't really have any new friends, and no old ones telling me not to do it.

August 2011 I finally set up for my AFF 1 Class. Finished the class August 9th but weather prevented me from jumping. After a couple days of not jumping I was getting somewhat anxious and annoyed that I couldn't get up and do it. They offered for me to do a working tandem which i refused, because I wanted my first jump to be AFF level 1. The benefit of sitting at the dropzone for 3 days after waiting for the weather to turn was I learned alot of extra things, worked on my exit positions, canopy work and just gear basics.

August 12th it was finally clear for my level one, on the plane I made some silly quote to my instructors to try and pass off the nervousness, something like "After ecstasy, the laundry" We get to the door , I really have no idea what the count was but in no time we were in freefall. The first 10 second all I could think about is how load freefall was and how much quieter it was in the plane and why no one had prepared me for this. I got some practice pulls, and my instructor had to manually put my hand on the PC handle which deployed with no problem, Canopy ride had no issue, followed directions on radio and landed safely.

I'm now at 23 jumps, cleared for solos and a hop n pop and check dive away from my A license. I am loving SkyDive New England, such a friendly staff, safety first and good sense of humor. They keep me coming back for more. I plan on getting my license the next clear day they have out there.I also have about an hour in the local tunnel working on my tunnel progression.

I've jumped from a Supper Otter, a Cessna and my favorite a Skyvan. (Love hanging from the bar on the skyvan, and running full speed out)

I'm planning on going to Eloy for XMAS to jump for a week during the part of the boogie I will be there, hope to clear 50 total jumps and get my B license by then. Also signing up for some canopy courses and tunnel time while there.

I can see that the meth level addiction to the sport has taken a hold of me. Last night I combined skydiving and football in my dreams where kick returns were done in freefall, weird dream and Calvin Johnson beat the hell out of me.

If anyone is in eloy during dec 20-27 you should hit me up and we can do some jumps.

Anyways this is my biggest obsession and I need to infect others on the internet with it, or find others from real life to participate, which is not likely.

Anyways, cheers, I'm at SNE until the end of the month.

[Divinfool 0]

Sounds like you are near the "crap...what do I have to do or sell to buy myself a rig" point..... not ALL addictions are bad!
I'm right where you are...just finishing my "A" requirements and loving every jump. I have been in the process of looking at used rigs, new rigs, combinations of new and used, buy on time, canopy sizing, canopy choice etc etc etc.... I'm more confused now than I was before.

Fear is the thief of dreams.....

[Austintxflight 0]

Quote

Sounds like you are near the "crap...what do I have to do or sell to buy myself a rig" point..... not ALL addictions are bad!

I already know what I have to sell, should I send you the link to my "personal ad" on craigslist.

[skymama 35]

Welcome to the forums!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[buckywaldorf 0]

Damn man, that's great, you're ahead of me!

[Austintxflight 0]

I made a cheesy video montage of some of the clips I have of my first month jumping. Its not highlights or lowlights, just stuff I have on camera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AWsAjkESkRA