mccullers 0 #1 February 12, 2015 Hello. I just made my first jump (tandem) last Friday and I am now hooked. I am 32 and pretty adventurous as most on this forum are. I am thinking about the next step with an AFF course. I have a DZ in my hometown, so I am pretty fortunate there. I've been trolling the forums looking for more info on all things skydiving. I know there is so much to learn and experience to gain in time. Any recommendations or advice as I set out in this new journey? Anything that would help during AFF? Anything you wished someone would have told you when you started out? Thanks in advance. Cheers! tRegret Nothing! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
megamalfunction 1 #2 February 12, 2015 Arch, pull, eat the carrot, flare. That's all ya gotta know! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GAjumper84 0 #3 February 12, 2015 My recommendation? Come back and enjoy the ride. You will love going through AFF and it only gets better from there. Just know that you are at a crossroads where most people don't start jumping solo and the others become addicts like the rest of us. If you need any help or advice I jump at Monroe and I would be willing to help you out or point you in the right direction for any questions I can't help you with. There is a great group of people at Monroe so I'm sure you will get what you need. Welcome to the first step of the sport and I look forward to meeting you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mccullers 0 #4 February 12, 2015 GAjumper84 - Thanks! I live in the Monroe area and I did my first tandem with Jason there. I am looking into the AFF class they have next Sunday, Feb 22nd. It is the ground school and FJC, so I will be there all day. I still have to convince my wife that I'm not going to go splat and that the money is well worth the reward. Hope to see you out there. -tomRegret Nothing! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpsalot-2 2 #5 February 13, 2015 Get your wife into the first jump course.Life is short ... jump often. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GAjumper84 0 #6 February 13, 2015 Hopefully I'll see you out there on the 22nd. But if you go through aff I'll see you eventually. As far as working on the wife the death stats worked well on my mother. You basically can honestly tell them the risk of death is somewhere around .005% (been a while since i did the math). Some on here will tell you it's a deceptive statistic and it is for people who jump more than once, but it is true at the same time. In truth risk of injury is much higher, but what your wife is worried about is your death. Most people won't ask about injury rate. My wife was on board day one. I asked why and she told me she knew she married someone crazy and so she was mentally prepared for situations like me skydiving, lol. Good luck getting your wife in your corner! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #7 February 13, 2015 Welcome to the forums! here. Hope to see you there! 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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mccullers 0 #8 February 13, 2015 I looked at the FB page for the St. Pat's Boogie. Tell me more about it. Is it just something a bunch of people show up to and party/jump? I saw some posts on there about balloons. I guess those will be flying as well. Do vendors come to things like this? Is it child friendly?Regret Nothing! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #9 February 14, 2015 Here is the background on the boogie. It is a laid back and fun event, but definitely organized as a working dropzone for the weekend. Yes, there is a hot air balloon scheduled to come and a few vendors usually show up. We get the whole campground for the weekend. Lots of people bring their kids and dogs. Keep them on leashes and make sure they are well behaved. I'm talking about the dogs, but some people should do that with their kids too. The loading area for the airplanes is a short walk up a hill, so you don't have to worry about a child running out in front of a plane. But, there are cars, golf carts, bikes and swooping skydivers to look out for, so just make sure your kid understands not to run out into the road. Daytime is really relaxed. If you're not jumping, it's fun to people watch. There's also a Wild Chicken Festival going on in town. The partying won't start until skydiving ends for the day. It's usually pretty tame until late, late into the night when random drunk people sometimes decide to get naked. As long as you put the kid to bed before 11 or so, the worst he or she would probably see or hear is people cussing. There's usually a bonfire to hang around at night and there will be a band on Saturday night. There will be a tandem concession and AFF instructors there too. If you're serious about getting into skydiving, it'd be a great way for you to meet more of the GA locals. It'd also be a fun weekend for your family. 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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stusmooth 0 #10 February 15, 2015 Will they have gear rental at that Fitzgerald boogie? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #11 February 15, 2015 I'm not sure, but the guy who knows for sure is Chris Spence. You can ask him in the thread here or send him a PM. 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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
