SkydiveNFlorida 0 #51 February 11, 2004 What goes through my mind? Stay stable:) Angela. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peacefuljeffrey 0 #52 February 11, 2004 The more I skydive, the more about the skydive I become aware of. I remember that after my two tandems and then the first few solos, I was noticing a dramatic widening of the tunnel-vision that I'd had on the prior jumps. At 60 jumps, I have much greater awareness than I used to -- and a realization that there will be a greater-still awareness in the future as I progress and learn. During my last ten jumps or so, with a new-used rig of my own, I'd been sufferering occasional sorta-hard openings. I was opening on my belly (no high-speed deployments or anything) and stable, but I guess my packing skills are still developing because I had some neck-shockers. As a result of a few hardish openings, I had begun to feel some conditioning... Like Pavlov's dog, I had begun to get apprehensive about opening shock and spent the skydives (and time on the ground) kinda dreading it. But since my last few openings were not as bad (and I had prepared by putting both palms on the brow of my helmet to keep my head from snapping down), some of that dread has abated. So lately when I reach pull-time, I'm back to concentrating on keeping my heading steady, making a deliberate and focused reach, grabbing my Monkey's Fist and holding just a moment (keep that heading despite the arm movement), and pulling. I'm also thinking about wind direction, who's around me (usually no one, since I'm solo most of the time and often last-out), distance and direction to the LZ, and handling spin or twist or malfunction if they should occur. Fortunately, I have a pretty docile Lotus 170 loaded 1.18:1, because I've been experiencing some off-heading openings, often with a good bit of turn to them. Still not sure if it's the packing (mine) or the body position. I love flying and landing the canopy, so I don't hold with those "aww, the skydive's over" people: the skydive's only HALF-over at pull time. There's more fun to be had just cruising that canopy. --Jeffrey "With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BoostedXT 0 #53 February 11, 2004 MMMM....BEEEEEER.....*homer voice* JoeFor long as you live and high you fly and smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry and all that you touch and all that you see is all your life will ever be. Pedro Offers you his Protection. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JeffD 0 #54 February 11, 2004 4000' Wave off. Pull. (I was watching the packer shove canopy into one of the cells before I grabbed the rig and was wondering if that was right?) So I questioned "I hope it opens" Wham! "yup it opend" Put hands up and grab risers. So far my favorite opening was on jump 13, a solo. alti check at 6k look down and see an open canopy at like a 45deg angle from me. somewhere between 5k and 4k I was still higher than the canopy and just pitched and watched the other canopy as mine opened. It was awesome just watching the other canopy flying UP relative to me then just slowing down and we were open at around the same altitude. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dropoutdave 0 #55 February 11, 2004 Pwarrr who farted? ------------------------------------------------------ May Contain Nut traces...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gmanpilot 0 #56 February 12, 2004 QuoteWhat goes through your mind at Pull Time ? "Damn, those trees look a little tall."_________________________________________ -There's always free cheese in a mouse trap. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #57 February 12, 2004 Quote"Damn, those trees look a little tall." No....they just haven't cut the grass recently. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaGimp 0 #58 February 12, 2004 QuoteWhat goes through your mind at Pull Time ? look at the ground getting bigger.......cool"Professor of Pimpology"~~~Bolas Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
benny 0 #59 February 12, 2004 Please open, please open, please, oh, that's nice. Never go to a DZ strip show. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
payback462 0 #60 February 12, 2004 "fuck, OW fuck fuck fuck....dont drop my handles, dont drop my handles" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chute 0 #61 February 12, 2004 Hope this work or hope I do not get a spare tire out of this thing like on loony toonsBottomless Beers and Blue Skies! * Brother_Brian * D.S.W.F.S.B. #2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sdgregory 0 #62 February 12, 2004 Actually I have a ritual I go through. First as I pull I say "Please don't miss the hackey." Then I pull and throw thinking "Away! Away!" then I say aloud "Opeeeen. Opeeeen. Opeeeen." As I am looking at it deploy. Then when it opens and the end cells fill I say "Thank God!" (Or on hard openings "Damn that really hurt!" or "Son of a . . ." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bobsled92 0 #63 February 12, 2004 I think: eliptic=stable don't twist it up Comp Cobalt=a little track is good speed jump=....how fast AM I tracking? domestic OCD=did I leave the stove on?_______________________________ If I could be a Super Hero, I chose to be: "GRANT-A-CLAUS". and work 365 days a Year. http://www.hangout.no/speednews/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #64 February 12, 2004 "I sure do hope these guys track better than they turn points." (Toss.)quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,381 #65 February 12, 2004 Did I remember to put the dog out before I left the house? Seriously, it's the things that go through my mind at pull time ON MY RESERVE that I've found most interesting. A couple examples: My first cutaway from a half-down slider with massive line tangles at about 1500 feet: "OH SHIT HOPE THIS ONE WORKS BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE!" Over TX at 2200 feet, and just realized my pud is shoved inside the pouch. I found myself reaching for the the silver handle thinking: "DAMMIT! I'm going to have to repack this reserve and I sure hope I don't lose the damn freebag this time!""There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FunBobby 0 #66 February 12, 2004 I check airspace - above, below, and around, and wave off. As I'm starting my pull motion, I say a quick prayer; I reach for the hacky with the right while simultaneously bringing my left arm up and checking my altimeter. After a good throw of the handle, I get a quick sec before the initial snatch - during that time, I concentrate on staying stable, symmetrical, and in a damn good body position (I jump a stiletto 135, ya' know). I think to myself "Please open..." and look down at the spot on the ground where I'd probably impact if everything failed. I fly through the opening, watching the canopy to make sure it inflates fully; I have my hands on the rear risers and rapidly scan the airspace around me for any canopies that have opened a little too close to me, ready to put in some rear riser input to steer clear. Oh, every once in a while, the canopy will do a turing dive after opening but a smooth but positive rear riser input will correct that nicely. Once I'm sure I'm clear of any other traffic, I recheck the canopy, say a quick prayer of thanks, and collapse the slider. If everything still looks good, I unstow the brakes and try to be ready for any surprises there, too; after a quick control check, it's time fly to intercept a good profile to set up for my approach. If there's lots of open air and I don't have far to go, it's play time!!!! That takes all of what, 10 seconds? FunBobby Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riddler 0 #67 February 12, 2004 Get that hacky! Get that hackey! Get it, get it, get itgetitgetitgetit. GOT IT! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GravityGirl 0 #68 February 12, 2004 Who packed for me? Gawd I hope it wasn't Tom. Hopefully Anita or my everloving husband. Did we fight last night? Did he pack for me while I was getting drunk and acting the fool? Where am I again? SLAM! Oh. I packed it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FIREFLYR 0 #69 February 12, 2004 Anyone opening under me?...Nope, Anyone over me?...nope, Pull!, It'll open or it won't we'll find out!"One flew East,and one flew West..............one flew over the cuckoo's nest" "There's absolutely no excuse for the way I'm about to act" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
heltzer 0 #70 February 12, 2004 I'm wondering if I'm going to have to cutaway just to catch up with my teammate who's deploying some where around 500 feet! Lawrence Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JVig 0 #71 February 12, 2004 time for phase two........hope this doesn't hurt! whewwww!!!! -------------------------------------------------- Just remember.....if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cuchulinn 0 #72 February 12, 2004 Horizon..... Arch..... grab..... throw..... Damn what a bunch of crap over my head.... but it's all good... I just saved a ton of money by switching to Geico... SMA#18 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ianmdrennan 2 #73 February 12, 2004 Every time I pitch I expect it to malfunction (and hence my thoughts are geared that way). That way I'm: 1) Normally pleasantly surprised. 2) Ready for my emergency procedures. Blue skies IanPerformance Designs Factory Team Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dustin19d 0 #74 February 12, 2004 "Wow, That was definately worth $16, lets do it again" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Falko 0 #75 February 12, 2004 Checking alti while tracking: 1300m... "Whow still high!" 1200m... "I could do this forever!" 1100m... "I want to keep oooooooooon" 1000m... [ * ] (That little feeling popping up inside that tells me that I should do something NOW) so I reach, grab, throw: 900m... "Ah there it is! Cool! Now opeeeeeeenaaAH--GOOD." open canopy, looking around: 800m... "IT'S ALL MINE! I AM KING! YEEEEHAAAAA!!!" edit: 100m ~ 330ft Ich betrachte die Religion als Krankheit, als Quelle unnennbaren Elends für die menschliche Rasse. (Bertrand Russell, engl. Philosoph, 1872-1970) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
