billvon 2,466 #1 January 6, 2015 Every weekend I get up, grab my rig and gun, and head to the drop zone. It's party of my daily routine, no different than some skydiver's gear checks or AAD rituals. I'm not so different from other skydivers. Still, there's a lot of misinformation about there about me. I'm a "gun nut." I'm "paranoid." Some people think I am actually dangerous. Funny how that works. They don't even know me but they believe I am some kind of a threat to them. I jump with them and many of them don't even know it. I'm the freeflyer with the tribal-design jumpsuit. I'm the bigway guy in the floppy suit and the old Protec. I'm the load organizer helping newbies. But most of all I am the guy they will never see. Oh, they acknowledge me sometimes. When I help out a young female student who is packing for the first time, because that's how I was raised. When I donate $10 to someone's "hook turn gone bad" fund. When I pick up trash at the DZ. But most of all I'm the guy they never see. Why? Because I'm "that guy." I know how bad things can go sometimes. Every day. Everywhere. No one is safe, even in the sky. The Reaper is waiting for us all, for a momentary lapse in attention. And that Reaper will come for me one of these days, and I will be ready for him. Unlike all those other people in the plane that are doing gear checks, or spotting, or doing a count, or doing any of the dozens of things that distract us from vigilance. I get it. Really, I do. You're too busy. I also get that there are wolves. Evil. Smart. They like you. They don't like me. I see them hanging out by the mockup. I see them around the bonfire. I see them in the airplane. They know I am aware of them; there's no kidding each other. It's strange in a way. The four-way near the back of the plane, who I have never seen before and who are wearing all black - I know they can see me. Do they know I am armed? Maybe, maybe not. And they urge me to get out first, because freeflyers are "supposed" to exit first. "Oh, no, you go first, please. I am in no hurry." I am polite and deferential - and I do not want them behind me in the door where I can't see them. Simple as that. That young female student? She doesn't notice me but I am there. I have a gun. I have two knives. And I have a plan. If the 4-way tries something I have a plan. I know where the fuel cutoffs for the engines are, I know where the wing exits are, and I know where their weight vests protect their abdomens. And I know where they don't. Chances are nothing is going to happen. I'd prefer that me and that female skydiver just have a good jump. The cameraman of the 4-way looks at me like I am crazy and curses. I am OK with that. I know what he is. Finally they push past me and exit. Sometimes they ask me to spot, claiming I am closer to the door. That's fine; I am happy to oblige, since I was raised to be obliging and polite. But if they want me to stick my head out the door? No thank you. I know that the door can be slammed with hundreds of pounds of force on my neck. Will they try that? Probably not. But I am glad I am aware of those wolves and their door. Because I prefer to live life aware, not complacently checking my gear or the spot. On the ground I don't talk to anyone about the wolves. Sometimes there are harsh words and comments about exit order, clearing airspace or checking the spot. I always politely agree with whatever they say, because I know their real intent. It's a game but it's a game we both know how to play - and they know I won't back down. Just another uneventful jump. The best kind ever. It's funny how I saw that 4-way but the rest of the plane didn't pay much attention. Why? Maybe too busy poking at their gear or saying exit counts. Maybe they were distracted. Maybe because they didn't worry for one second about that 4-way. Most people don't even know me. But man, they sure do judge me. If I use a gun to defend myself they will read about it. If they land out because I was vigilant to their threats I will hear about it. They always have a comment, about how I am a danger to them. But I have seen people do bad things. I have seen one person kill another by turning into them on final. I have seen people killed by freefall collisions. It's not fun to think about, so most people don't. They don't train with a gun. They don't read self-defense articles. They don't practice drawing a weapon in freefall. They don't seek out videos of innocent people being killed. I don't train for the warm fuzzy days when the worst thing that can happen is that you have to get out before a freeflyer, or that the spot is a little bad, or that you come just a little close to air traffic below. I train for the day when something bad happens. When a wingsuiter comes at you at 80mph in freefall. Can you survive that collision? Can you draw a weapon and stop him before he hits you? Or would you just rather not think about it and not prepare? That's OK, because I am preparing for that day. And other skydivers I know are, too. Some are men and some are women. They train. They are aware. Aware of their surroundings. Aware of that 4-way in the plane. Because they know what can happen. They are also aware of all the grief that people like us get for being careful. So why do it anyway? Because they value their life and the lives of others. Simple. My so-called “gun nut” skydiving friends are some of the most congenial, trustworthy people I know. I only wish everyone had such friends. I wish everyone understood like I do. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
D22369 0 #2 January 6, 2015 Thanks Bill I love it this cracked me up! how long did it take to write? Roy They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boomerdog 0 #3 January 6, 2015 So you decided to come on over to the dark side eh? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,466 #4 January 6, 2015 >how long did it take to write? About ten minutes. I can type quickly nowadays. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #5 January 7, 2015 D22369 Thanks Bill I love it this cracked me up! how long did it take to write? Roy He copied the text from the Cedar Rapids CCW thread and modified it. "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
D22369 0 #6 January 7, 2015 heh, yeah I got that but at the speed I proofread... would have taken me a lot more than 10 min! They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldwomanc6 38 #7 January 7, 2015 BillyVance ***Thanks Bill I love it this cracked me up! how long did it take to write? Roy He copied the text from the Cedar Rapids CCW thread and modified it. "wing exits"? As opposed the other ones? I haven't seen the original, but certainly appreciated this take!lisa WSCR 594 FB 1023 CBDB 9 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RMK 3 #8 January 7, 2015 Good post. The other Cedar Rapids thread is really too ridiculous to even bother posting on. I think the writer of the Cedar Rapids Op Ed article read too many superhero comics as a child. He should relax; maybe move out of his Mum's basement and adjust to the real world."Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,672 #9 January 7, 2015 RMKGood post. The other Cedar Rapids thread is really too ridiculous to even bother posting on. I think the writer of the Cedar Rapids Op Ed article read too many superhero comics as a child. He should relax; maybe move out of his Mum's basement and adjust to the real world. Cedar Rapids is in Iowa. You have to make allowances.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rushmc 18 #10 January 7, 2015 kallend ***Good post. The other Cedar Rapids thread is really too ridiculous to even bother posting on. I think the writer of the Cedar Rapids Op Ed article read too many superhero comics as a child. He should relax; maybe move out of his Mum's basement and adjust to the real world. Cedar Rapids is in Iowa. You have to make allowances. You go so beneath yourself sometimes"America will never be destroyed from the outside, if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GD64 1 #11 January 7, 2015 "I'd prefer that me and that female skydiver just have a good jump." Whoa, I thought for a moment we were headed towards a X-rated thread drift? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimjumper 25 #12 January 7, 2015 He could move to Paris. Might protect some of the sheeple from the Islamic extremists. But the French have never been real big on self-preservation in the real world. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #13 January 7, 2015 BillyVance ***Thanks Bill I love it this cracked me up! how long did it take to write? Roy He copied the text from the Cedar Rapids CCW thread and modified it. Ohhh, now I understand. I knew it didn't seem like Bill's writing style. It's just that some, uh, authors' threads I don't even bother to open. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JerryBaumchen 1,076 #14 January 7, 2015 Hi Andy, Quote It's just that some, uh, authors' threads I don't even bother to open. Yup. Jerry Baumchen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #15 January 7, 2015 kallend***Good post. The other Cedar Rapids thread is really too ridiculous to even bother posting on. I think the writer of the Cedar Rapids Op Ed article read too many superhero comics as a child. He should relax; maybe move out of his Mum's basement and adjust to the real world. Cedar Rapids is in Iowa. You have to make allowances. Why do we have to make allowances because someone is from Iowa? Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #16 January 7, 2015 masterrig******Good post. The other Cedar Rapids thread is really too ridiculous to even bother posting on. I think the writer of the Cedar Rapids Op Ed article read too many superhero comics as a child. He should relax; maybe move out of his Mum's basement and adjust to the real world. Cedar Rapids is in Iowa. You have to make allowances. Why do we have to make allowances because someone is from Iowa? Chuck It's because of the corn. Iowa has lots of corn. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #17 January 7, 2015 Andy9o8*********Good post. The other Cedar Rapids thread is really too ridiculous to even bother posting on. I think the writer of the Cedar Rapids Op Ed article read too many superhero comics as a child. He should relax; maybe move out of his Mum's basement and adjust to the real world. Cedar Rapids is in Iowa. You have to make allowances. Why do we have to make allowances because someone is from Iowa? Chuck It's because of the corn. Iowa has lots of corn. There you have it! As they say south of the border... "No tome' la agua... tome' cervesa!" Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stumpy 256 #18 January 8, 2015 JerryBaumchenHi Andy, Quote It's just that some, uh, authors' threads I don't even bother to open. Yup. Jerry Baumchen Agreed.Never try to eat more than you can lift Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
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