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FlyingRhenquest

200 Jumps Later

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AFAIK, I'm the only one in my AFF class that ever got a license.

I guess I was *that guy*.

Some highlights:

* They clocked me at 170 mph in AFF. I weighed in on my first jump at 245, just barely under the limit. I've lost 30 pounds since then.

* One of my instructors called me "The fastest falling, most altitude-aware students I've ever had."

* Although there was never a moment where I considered not continuing, I did talk myself out of going to the DZ a few times when I was a student.

* I didn't have a stand-up landing until my mid-50s. Right after a downsize, I started standing them up regularly.

* My first really stable exit was shortly after I got my A license. Prior to that no one would leave me alone long enough for me to figure it out.

* I didn't get my own rig or start packing my own chute until mid-150s. I paid enough in rental fees to buy a new rig. I can pack my own chute now put still prefer to let the DZ packers do it when I can -- they're a lot more reliable for turning me around on loads than I am (I can do it in about 25-30 minutes, I've seen them do it in under 5.)

* I did my first wingsuit jump at *mumble* jumps. Approximately 200-ish. For low values of 200-ish.

* I seem to have lost several pages in the cheap wal-mart AFF logbook the DZ gave me. I'm actually kind of bummed out about that. My log entries have become increasingly verbose as time goes on. The first one in my new logbook (Jump 24) says "Lost helmet, pulled at 8000." Now my log entries take up half a page in a notebook and try to note everyone who was on the jump and everything that happened on it. I might still be fairly terse on a hop and pop ("Gainer exit, pulled at 3500, flew a nice pattern and landed 10 feet from the X, midfield.") But often my log entries will take up half a page or more.

I'm interested to see what the next year brings!
I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

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I just hit 200 hundred recently, so I'll bite...

Out of the 12 of us who got free tandem skydives, I was the only one who pursued AFF.

Highlights:

-Received my "A" license at 28 jumps.
-I've only had someone pack my rig when i was a student and during my canopy course so i could go to debrief.
-Reserve ride with total malfunction at jump 47.
-Never had a home DZ.
-Took me 4 years.
-Fuck tunnels, fuck wingsuits, and fuck freeflyers.

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Just coming up to 200 jumps since I got back into the sport after a huge (15 year break).

Loving it and looking to take our 4 way team to Nationals next year after winning 2 state medals (bronze last year, silver this year).

Favourite part is being an RW coach.

Booked in for some freefly coaching weekend after next (will be the first time I have tried)
Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

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nigel99

.

Booked in for some freefly coaching weekend after next (will be the first time I have tried)

Get video:D
You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

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DSE

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* I did my first wingsuit jump at *mumble* jumps. Approximately 200-ish. For low values of 200-ish.



How many jumps did you actually have?


195 :P I didn't even get that much blood on my wingsuit! And most of it wasn't mine... :P

I was on track for 200 before the jump but I had a head cold/sinus infection for a couple weeks before the jump. Didn't even want to do a hop and pop with my ears clogged up like that. I figured with 3 hours of tunnel time now, 5 more jumps this way or that wouldn't make a difference, and I was right. The other FJC student was pretty nervous that day, but I was calm beforehand, on the ride up and at exit. I didn't panic when my fingers slipped off my hackey the first time at deploy, just spread my wings to get stable again and tried again. Didn't panic as I was spinning under my canopy watching the lines twist up, just waited 'til I stopped, checked my altitude, saw I was plenty high (3500 feet) and kicked 'em out, knew I wasn't going to make it back to the DZ and set up my pattern in the field south of there.

My second jump on it went a lot better -- nailed the spot, no line twists on opening and landed dead-center of the landing area. Only problem with that one is my fingers froze. It's awfully hard to unzip a wingsuit when you can't feel your fingers! I didn't even notice this until I was under canopy. It was cold as hell at altitude that day -- I was wearing gloves too!

It looks like it's going to be reasonably warm on Friday again, which is the next time the DZ is open on winter hours. I might have to take the day off and try to get a couple more in!
I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

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FlyingRhenquest


* I didn't have a stand-up landing until my mid-50s. Right after a downsize, I started standing them up regularly.

* My first really stable exit was shortly after I got my A license. Prior to that no one would leave me alone long enough for me to figure it out.



Thanks for posting that. Instructors, please take note! In a way, this information is contrary to some of the common beliefs about instruction and how student/novice skydivers learn.

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I had a friend who was told that she couldn't get off student status until she stood up a landing.

I think that's stupid. She should be able to land reasonably softly (enough to walk away from smiling), but controlling where she lands is more important than the amount of dirt on her jumpsuit.

I don't remember if she got her standup in time or they just waived the "requirement" (not a DZ one AFAIK, just that instructor), but she did get off student status.

Wendy P.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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FlyingRhenquest

***

Quote

* I did my first wingsuit jump at *mumble* jumps. Approximately 200-ish. For low values of 200-ish.



How many jumps did you actually have?


195 :P I didn't even get that much blood on my wingsuit! And most of it wasn't mine... :P

I was on track for 200 before the jump but I had a head cold/sinus infection for a couple weeks before the jump. Didn't even want to do a hop and pop with my ears clogged up like that. I figured with 3 hours of tunnel time now, 5 more jumps this way or that wouldn't make a difference, and I was right.

You weren't "right."
This is a BSR (Basic Safety Requirement). Your "instructor" violated the BSR, you had linetwists, and landed off the DZ. This also puts your instructor's standing with USPA at risk.
All three are indicators of the typical terrible instruction that are causing problems for wingsuiters around the globe.>:(

200 jumps is a threshold indicator for being able to put on a wingsuit. Just because you have reached 200 jumps doesn't mean you're ready for a wingsuit (or any other advanced discipline).

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I think the second line explains the first. That attitude wouldn't be welcome anywhere.

Being 100% bird I don't really know the freefly community but "fuck wingsuits" casually rejects the most awesome, inclusive, warmhearted and fun extended family I have ever encountered.

Gonna be lonely up there that way, man. Good luck with that.
-B
Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

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lurch

I think the second line explains the first. That attitude wouldn't be welcome anywhere.

Being 100% bird I don't really know the freefly community but "fuck wingsuits" casually rejects the most awesome, inclusive, warmhearted and fun extended family I have ever encountered.

Gonna be lonely up there that way, man. Good luck with that.
-B



In all seriousness though...fuck wingsuits.

:P

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wmw999

I had a friend who was told that she couldn't get off student status until she stood up a landing.

I think that's stupid. She should be able to land reasonably softly (enough to walk away from smiling), but controlling where she lands is more important than the amount of dirt on her jumpsuit.

I don't remember if she got her standup in time or they just waived the "requirement" (not a DZ one AFAIK, just that instructor), but she did get off student status.

Wendy P.



One stand-up landing is, however, a requirement on the USPA A proficiency card, as far as I remember.


lurch

I think the second line explains the first. That attitude wouldn't be welcome anywhere.



Or maybe the fact of not having a home DZ never allowed him to build personal relationships with other jumpers, enough to realize that there isn't the "cool kids group" in this playground, because we are all "Cool Kids". :)
I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

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wmw999

I had a friend who was told that she couldn't get off student status until she stood up a landing.

I think that's stupid. She should be able to land reasonably softly (enough to walk away from smiling), but controlling where she lands is more important than the amount of dirt on her jumpsuit.

I don't remember if she got her standup in time or they just waived the "requirement" (not a DZ one AFAIK, just that instructor), but she did get off student status.

Wendy P.



I took a canopy course before I got my A license, and was encouraged by the canopy instructor to slide them in until I felt comfortable standing them up. My first stand up landing was actually a bit of a surprise to me. I feel like this was good advice.

I kind of felt the same way about packing -- I didn't have my own gear yet and had to pack a damn rental rig several times before I managed to get a jump on it. Something about me packing always seemed to make the wind pick up to over what they'd let someone on student status jump at. So I'd start packing and an hour and change later when I was done, it'd be too windy to jump. Then I'd wait around several hours, finally give up and hand the rig back to a packer to repack.

If I were providing input to licensing requirements, I'd push the canopy course down to the A license, "suggest" a basic course on the rig and how it fits together (Which actually WAS quite useful to know at the time,) and push the requirement to jump your own pack job to the B license. If people are comfortable doing it sooner, fine, if they're not, also fine.

Still, the one-size-fits-all system we've got going on right now seems to work reasonably well, so maybe we shouldn't go messing with it. Heh heh heh.
I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

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wildcard451

***
-Never had a home DZ.
-Fuck tunnels, fuck wingsuits, and fuck freeflyers.




You must be such a wonderful person to be around.

I'm just jealous of all the badasses out there. I was stuck overseas for 3 years and could only jump while on leave.

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FlyingRhenquest


I took a canopy course before I got my A license, and was encouraged by the canopy instructor to slide them in until I felt comfortable standing them up. My first stand up landing was actually a bit of a surprise to me. I feel like this was good advice.

I kind of felt the same way about packing -- I didn't have my own gear yet and had to pack a damn rental rig several times before I managed to get a jump on it. Something about me packing always seemed to make the wind pick up to over what they'd let someone on student status jump at. So I'd start packing and an hour and change later when I was done, it'd be too windy to jump. Then I'd wait around several hours, finally give up and hand the rig back to a packer to repack.

If I were providing input to licensing requirements, I'd push the canopy course down to the A license, "suggest" a basic course on the rig and how it fits together (Which actually WAS quite useful to know at the time,) and push the requirement to jump your own pack job to the B license. If people are comfortable doing it sooner, fine, if they're not, also fine.

Still, the one-size-fits-all system we've got going on right now seems to work reasonably well, so maybe we shouldn't go messing with it. Heh heh heh.



My personal opinion is that if you cant pack your own gear and havent jumped it, then you're not ready for license... But then again, i'm just a ignorant student...

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My personal opinion is that if you cant pack your own gear and havent jumped it, then you're not ready for license...



Actually, being able to "Pack a main parachute without assistance" is item #5 in the Equipment Knowledge section on the A License Proficiency Card. It doesn't say anything about jumping your own packjob, but the rigger who gave me a packing class wouldn't sign off until I jumped it.

Jumping my own packjob for the first time was really exciting and I felt like a boss once in the saddle. I mean, everything worked...B|

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FlyingRhenquest



and push the requirement to jump your own pack job to the B license. If people are comfortable doing it sooner, fine, if they're not, also fine.



As a packer this would mean a lot more income for me but it is just silly. Packing is fine as an A license requirement and helps people learn about their gear.
"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

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Jumping my own packjob for the first time was really exciting and I felt like a boss once in the saddle.

same

Jump #22, Navigator 220, Eloy, Skyvan, 21 Aug 2004, Will Pesek signed the jump! :D

I don't even remember the jump anymore, but at least I logged it...
NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

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DSE, you are a relative noob to the sport. You should stop padding your log book and stop acting like a skygod. You don't know what you don't know. Maybe stop talking and start listening for a change. It might keep you from getting yourself all busted up again. Your self righteous bullshit is intolerable. Having line twists on his first wingsuit jump doesn't mean a goddamn thing about his instructors or anything else. Lighten up! My God. You are a snake oil salesman and people are catching on to your narcissistic crap. Give it a rest. Please.



PA removed. One warning.

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Blis


My personal opinion is that if you cant pack your own gear and havent jumped it, then you're not ready for license... But then again, i'm just a ignorant student...



And that's a valid opinion, but at 25 jumps not many people actually have their own gear anyway, and they're discouraged from even looking for some until they get their license and downsize a bit. While you're renting, you do start looking at your rig and parachute and picking up some stuff by osmosis. Somewhere between 25 and 50 jumps really seems like a good place to really start thinking about that stuff, not so much between 1 and 25 where everything is still so new to you.

I didn't really "Get it" with packing until I took my rig home unpacked and spent 10 tries trying to get a brand new ZP canopy into the !@#%! bag! She put up quite the fight! The rental rigs with thousands of jumps on them, they just meekly go in the bag. Not this one, no sirree!
I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

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ShotterMG

DSE, you are a relative noob to the sport. You should stop padding your log book and stop acting like a skygod. You don't know what you don't know. Maybe stop talking and start listening for a change. It might keep you from getting yourself all busted up again. Your self righteous bullshit is intolerable. Having line twists on his first wingsuit jump doesn't mean a goddamn thing about his instructors or anything else. Lighten up! My God. You are a snake oil salesman and people are catching on to your narcissistic crap. Give it a rest. Please.



PA removed. One warning.



My bad. That damn "chain of three" thing just doesn't apply to some people. Some even push it to a chain of four, get away with it, and think they're super skilled when they're done.

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wildcard451

***
-Never had a home DZ.
-Fuck tunnels, fuck wingsuits, and fuck freeflyers.




You must be such a wonderful person to be around.

He is! Plus he's funny as hell. Well, I'm not sure if hell is funny but bealio's humor is good.

I'm all of the things he despises, tunnel flyer, freeflyer, I've flown plenty of wingsuits though no one actually instructed me so I'm probably a statistic wearing one.
My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

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