Melt16 0 #1 April 4, 2010 Got 4 jumps in on Saturday and reached my first milestone, 50 jumps! I must say since I bought my own rig I've found I've enjoyed each jump more and more. Back when I was using a variety of club rigs I didn't feel like I was progressing at all, and you always had that additional stress of the rig not fitting right or you not being able to have consistent canopy control. Can't wait to get back into the sky again. Blue Skies Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Southern_Man 0 #2 April 4, 2010 Beer!"What if there were no hypothetical questions?" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
emmiwy 0 #3 April 4, 2010 Quote Got 4 jumps in on Saturday and reached my first milestone, 50 jumps! I must say since I bought my own rig I've found I've enjoyed each jump more and more. Back when I was using a variety of club rigs I didn't feel like I was progressing at all, and you always had that additional stress of the rig not fitting right or you not being able to have consistent canopy control. Can't wait to get back into the sky again. Blue Skies Congratulations! I'm one jump away and feeling the same rush you are. The new challenges and things we learn make it more and more fun, but also make me realize how much I don't know when it comes to flying. Do anything special on your 50th jump? :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jim_32766 0 #4 April 5, 2010 Congrats on the 50 mark! As you say, that is really a good first milestone. I look forward to the day (later this year I hope) when I can make a similar post. I like the comment on owning the gear and hope to follow in your footsteps soon. Blue skies.The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Melt16 0 #5 April 5, 2010 Quote Do anything special on your 50th jump? :) Well we were missing our main plane for the last few weeks as it was away for a service and some paperwork. I did jumps 48 and 49 on that day in the little replacement plane that takes ages and only gets to 8000ft. So i was pretty stoked when we were about to board the little plane for my 50th jump when suddenly our big plane came into view over the runway and landed. So got to jump in that back at 13000 ft Didn't do anything special, just some Atmo but it was fun and I had a wonderful skydive and hit my landing right on the spot! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ufk22 32 #6 April 5, 2010 Congrats... Based on common wisdom of today, time to buy a very small, highly loaded elipticle canopy and get into swooping. Seriously, a milestone achieved.This is the paradox of skydiving. We do something very dangerous, expose ourselves to a totally unnecesary risk, and then spend our time trying to make it safer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
emmiwy 0 #7 April 5, 2010 Quote Quote Do anything special on your 50th jump? :) Well we were missing our main plane for the last few weeks as it was away for a service and some paperwork. I did jumps 48 and 49 on that day in the little replacement plane that takes ages and only gets to 8000ft. So i was pretty stoked when we were about to board the little plane for my 50th jump when suddenly our big plane came into view over the runway and landed. So got to jump in that back at 13000 ft Didn't do anything special, just some Atmo but it was fun and I had a wonderful skydive and hit my landing right on the spot! Atmo? That's awesome! There are so many different things I need to work on, landing being one of them, so glad to hear you hit your target. :) I'm not sure why my brain just freezes in terms of picking a target to land on--I think I'm so preoccupied with not colliding with other canopies, taking into account winds and flying a sport canopy [which reacts much differently than the student canopies I was used to] during the landing pattern that I don't think about when/where to start my pattern. That's the next thing I have to worry about. :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Melt16 0 #8 April 5, 2010 Atmo is short for atmonauti, a sort of track where you shape yourself like the wing of the plane and get good lateral movement instead of going down. Check out www.atmonauti.com for more info. I find its easier to hit your spot if you use the same landing pattern each time. I make my final approach turn at roughly the same spot every time and at the same altitude. Obviously if the wind is strong I adjust how far away the final approach begins from the target. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airdvr 197 #9 April 5, 2010 And here I was reading the thread title thinking "this person has an excellent mindset about turning 50". Hell, Twardo's done it 2 times already.Congrats on 50 BTW. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ridestrong 1 #11 April 6, 2010 Quote I find its easier to hit your spot if you use the same landing pattern each time. I make my final approach turn at roughly the same spot every time and at the same altitude. No offense but you will miss your 'spot' more often than not with that basic approach. Anyway, congrats on 50... time to schedule some night jumps.*I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.---- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
emmiwy 0 #12 April 6, 2010 Quote Quote I find its easier to hit your spot if you use the same landing pattern each time. I make my final approach turn at roughly the same spot every time and at the same altitude. No offense but you will miss your 'spot' more often than not with that basic approach. Anyway, congrats on 50... time to schedule some night jumps. This is what canopy piloting courses are for! I have to wait two weeks for mine :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Melt16 0 #13 April 6, 2010 It seems to be working for me though. Fortunately at our DZ the wind usually blows in the same direction all the time. So its easy to setup the final approach. What would you do differently? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heatmiser 0 #14 April 6, 2010 QuoteIt seems to be working for me though. Fortunately at our DZ the wind usually blows in the same direction all the time. So its easy to setup the final approach. What would you do differently? adjust the length of your base leg, and crosswind leg to compensate for different winds. The stronger the wind the further you will travel on your base leg, And the more you will be crabbed on your crosswind leg. This changes your initiation points for these legs over the ground, as well as the lengthWhat you say is reflective of your knowledge...HOW ya say it is reflective of your experience. Airtwardo Someone's going to be spanked! Hopefully, it will be me. Skymama Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
