How far have you come since your 1st post?

[AggieDave 6]

In conversation with a fellow DZ.commer today, she said this would be a neat thread to start...especially since a lot of posters have been posting for a while and started posting while they were students. I know that this would have motivated me as a skydiving student, maybe everyone posting will help motivate someone else as well.

So, how far have you come as a skydiver since your 1st post on DZ.com? What are your skydiving goals for the next year/season? How about your skydiving goals for 5 years from now?



I guess I'll kick it off and get the ball rolling.

My 1st post was the sometime in the end of May in 2000. I'm thinking it was something like May 25, 2000. My 1st jump was May 21, 2000. It was a static line jump. It took me quite a while (till December) to actually get my A license, partially due to the fact that it took me that long to get around to taking the written test (it was a written test then). All in all, during that first year (may to may) I did maybe 50 jumps. The second year was about as exciting, except I had started freeflying on jump 36 and never looked back. The DZ I was at had exactly zero freefliers so it was an excersize of watching a video then trying to do what they did. Needless to say it took a long time to get any good at even sit-flying. March of 2002 I did my 100th jump. That was a big deal to me, since I never thought I would actually get there. So basically it took me nearly 2 years to get 100 jumps. Between that March and December 31, 2002, I put on 200 more jumps. During that time (March) Skydive Aggieland opened, shortly there after I started packing for money and jumping a lot. I was extremely frustrated that I couldn't jump with low time jumpers (sub-20 jumpers) anymore due to the new BSRs and the Coaches rating, so I set out to get my Coaches rating in March of 2003. That went sort of well. The classroom and teaching portions weren't hard, but my RW skills were horrible due to me being basically only a FFer. Thus, a local jumper (who happens to be a SDU coach) took me under his wing for a few jumps to straighten me out and get me so I could pass the simple jumps for the Coaches Course. Finally got that done, and decided that I wanted to become a Tandem Instructor. I had to have 3 years in the sport and 500 jumps to qualify for the course. That's when the hard core jumping really started. May 21st was 3 years in the sport, Todd (my DZO and a RWS TM Course Director) set the course date for June 1. The catch is, at that point I had about 375 jumps. So I had two months to put on 125 jumps minimum. That was my goal, that's what I did. I started the course on June 1st with 501 jumps.

Now as of today (Oct 28 2003) I have 820-ish jumps, I'm starting to get decent at swooping, I have a Coaches Rating and a Tandem Rating (RWS). So far I have nearly 200 tandem jumps and have found my calling in skydiving: Instructing.

My goals for this next year:
1. Get my AFF rating
2. Get my SL/IAD rating
3. Compete in a regional swoop meet (not expecting to place, just wanting to learn from it).

My goals for 5 years from now:
1. Become a competitive swooper
2. Have a former student be a good instructor (although I really have no control over that, it would absolutely make my day to see it happen).




Ok, I got sort of long-winded. Don't feel like you have to post something that long, if you want, just give us the outline, but please feel free to post a lengthy story as well. I'm sure that it could make a difference for someone!

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Amazon 7]

I signed on... on 23 Feb 2003
I started jumping again after 22 years of not jumping.. on 16 March 2003
I have about 150 jumps.. this year... started freeflying.. something that did not even exist when I started jumping in 1975... at least headdown was more of a NO LIFT Dive out of a DC-3 to GET to the star....

Jumped a 3 ring rig for the first time...All of my 5 cutaways were on rigs that had J-1 Capewells.. No cutaways this time so far.

Made one jump on a T-10 modified sport rig.. for nostalgia... Friggin landing SUCKED.

Went to 2 boogies.. which ROCK.. between the two... that accounts for 45 jumps

Goals for the coming months..

Spend lots more money for... New Samurai canopy.. learn to swoop on it. My current canopy I can get a pretty good surf.. but man I have to work at it with a 1.2 to 1 loading.

Spend MORE money on a Birdman suit.. AFTER I finally get to fly one... Eloy will be a pre-second for that... Hopefully Katie will loan out Chuck for a couple jumps...

Get my coach rating... so I can share some experience with some of the new jumpers... which I already do when I can. We have a small DZ and lots of new students coming off solo status.. and needing to learn basic body flight skills

Travel as much as I can and meet more good people from DZ. Com... so far I have been pleasently surprised by how great most of the people are.

[indyz 1]

Quote

So, how far have you come as a skydiver since your 1st post on DZ.com? What are your skydiving goals for the next year/season? How about your skydiving goals for 5 years from now?

When I made my first post a little over two years ago I had 8 jumps and was considering quitting because I kept almost killing myself on 5 second delays.

Now I'm one weekend away from 200 jumps. I competed in 4-way. I've been on a couple of successful 2 plane formation loads. I'm getting into CRW.

Next year/season: Coach rating. 4-stack award and downplane (still have time for the downplane this year, I guess). C License. Wingsuit flight. Freefly dock. Hybrid. I have lots of room to improve in every aspect of my skydiving and so much new stuff to do, so it's hard to pick just a few things to concentrate on.

5 years: Still be around, still be having fun, still be learning.

[Peej 0]

Nice idea for a post Dave!

As someone recently off student status the forums serve as a valuable source of information (after talking to my CI of course ) and being exposed to them keeps me motivated to keep learning on every jump.

As far as my progression goes: signed on in May 2003, since then i've finished AFF, got my A, started freeflying, had my first cutaway and bought my first rig
I'm hitting my first boogie in December and am planning a six month mission to the USA next year to jump jump jump.

Man I love this sport.

Safe skies

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

[gus 1]

It's funny that you've brought this up, I was thinking the same thing yesterday.

The oldest post of mine that I can find is from March 5th 2001. I had 110 jumps and must have beeen jumping for just under a year. I'm embarressed to read it now because it's one of those "I want to downsize" posts that come up so often from newbies who really don't need to downsize. Needless to say Skybytch chimed in and talked some sense.
Since then I've done another 550 jumps, become a proficient freeflyer and birdman and I've signed up for a BASE fjc. And I've downsized twice .

Gus

OutpatientsOnline.com

[jtval 0]

I logged in sometime before 12 june 1999. not sure exactly when though
here's the story

I now have 300+ jumps in two countries 18 dz's and probly about 8 states. did my first HELMET video a few weeks ago (borrowed one for a tandem)
I will eventually get to video, coach and AFF inst(or equivalent)

but Im still having Way too much fun to worry abou tmake a living at skydiving.


loving it all the way! see you at eloy

My photos

My Videos

[Nick 0]

My first post was just prior to starting AFF after having done about 14 S/L jumps. Since then I've done about 240 jumps, the biggest of which was a 25 way. Have been to Spain and Eloy. Have bought my own rig and have been signed off as a local FS coach (can't be given a full coach rating until I've done 300 jumps, but have been told I'm good enough).

Goal for the future are to either join or start a junior 4-way team and be in the top at next years nationals.

Nick
Gravity- It's not just a good idea, it's the LAW!

[Tonto 1]

I registered 11 May 2001, but my 1st Post was only in November. I had 3300 dives then, and I have 3975 now. I've downsized from a 120 to a 107, and have changed from toggle spanks to riser carves.

I'm learning to freefly and have started Birdman.

No new ratings. I'm A SL I, AFF I and RWS TI. There is no IAD in SA.

Goals for the next year - work harder at my swoops, do more fun dives.

Goals for the next 5 years - Stay alive - and downsize to a 90 XBraced canopy.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[slotperfect 7]

Since my first post on March 26th, 2001 I have:

-started working on staff at Raeford Parachute Center (May of 2002)

-shared the wonderful world of skydiving with a whole bunch Tandem and AFF students. From those have come some incredible experiences for me, and some close friendships.

-bought a personal skydiving rig for the first time since 1992. (In the middle there I had been using only my work rig).

-jumped tandem with a 61 year old retired fighter pilot, a 6'6" 230 lb Air Force LoadMaster, and a 4'8" Air Force Lieutenant.

-jumped AFF with D-26, who was getting back in the air after 25+ years of inactivity. He is 80 years old.

-made some terrific new friends as a result of falling deeper in love with skydiving . . . here on my virtual DZ home, my home DZ, and my home away from home (SDAZ).
-got appointed as an S&TA

In the next year my goals are:

-to bust 3000 jumps (February or so) hopefully taking my 74 year old Mom up on a tandem jump. That would be a very special way to celelbrate that milestone for me. My 1000th was a busted 18-way, and my 2000th was a work jump filming a tandem pair.

-to get appointed as a USPA Coach Course Director to be able to serve the local military community and my home DZ in that capacity (April or so).

-to break my personal record for oldest tandem student by taking up an 82 year old friend of the family.

-to teach my 12 year old son how to pack parachutes and edit videos for the school.

My goals for the next 5 years are:

-earn my Relative Workshop Tandem Examiner rating

-be appointed as a USPA Tandem Course Director

-compete in 4-way (I got a taste of the real deal this year and I have the bug)

-put together a demo rig and start doing demos again. I miss them.

-make the Angel Falls (Venezuela) BASE jump trip with Tom Sanders and crew

-after retiring from active military service (dunno when???) I would like to spend at least the first year doing nothing but working on staff at Raeford and volunteering as a staffer for The Legacy Center , a local organization that conducts life-leadership training.

Thanks for the thread, Dave . . . it was fun to share all this. Thanks also to the fellow dotcommer who came up with the idea.

Arrive Safely

John

[skybytch 259]

I don't remember the exact date of my first post, but I do know I was flat on my back at the time. It was late in 2000 - November or December. January 4th 2001 I had L4/L5/S1 vertebrae fused because I'd destroyed the two discs between them. At that point I'd been in moderate to extreme sciatica (sp?) pain for 9 months, and off my job selling gear for Square One for 6 out of those 9 months.

Went back to work part time in March. Did my first skydive since surgery in early June. That wasn't a smart thing to do so I stayed on the ground for the rest of 2001. I was an average recreational jumper when the pain had forced me to stop jumping in 2000. Late in '01, while still not back to jumping, I decided I was going to be on the womens world record attempts that were coming up in the fall of 2002.

I'd sold my old rig and planned to upsize both my main and reserve. I'd managed to acquire a new custom Infinity and an used PD reserve by the time I got back in the air again on January 5th, 2002. Picked up a (well) used Spectre shortly thereafter.

Forced my son to do his first skydive on January 15th - that was my present to him for his 18th birthday. He did a level 1, and I did my 800th jump on the same load.

Over the next eight months I jumped as much as I could afford to, ignoring the lingering pain in my back. I earned a slot on JFTC (women's world record attempts) at a bigway camp in Eloy in May (also my first time jumping outside the state of California), and had to retire my main after a nasty hard opening that broke lines and tore fabric (wasn't real good for my back either).

Got promoted at work and as a bonus my bosses bought me a new main. It showed up in time for my first trip to WFFC in my twelve years of jumping. rhino named me "The Rack" and I collected what took me over $1500 in donations to JFTC so when I got home from WFFC I posted my tits on the forum as promised in a drunken post. Never make drunken promises.... but if you do, keep them so you'll remember not to make them next time!

With the help of dz.commers I raised more than the minimum required for JFTC. Me and my pink suit joined 135 other women at Perris in October for what was the highpoint of my skydiving career so far. That week was incredible. I made a bunch of new friends, did some very challenging big way skydives.... and became a world record holder.

The weekend after JFTC myself and three friends put on a small boogie/reunion in the town we used to jump at. It went off great, and I got to see some people I hadn't seen in 10 years. I took a few months off jumping after that. Saved some money and in May of 2003 decided to take the summer off to play and travel.

I drove almost 10000 miles between June 1st and September 15th and saw at least a part of half of the continental US states. Came to Florida to visit in July and went back to California with a new job. Drove to WFFC from California. Partied harder than I jumped while I was there, met lots of new friends and got my first hit of nylon crack.

Just after Labor Day weekend I spent one "last" day jumping with my friends at Perris, then I loaded up a rental van and drove to Sebastian, Florida for my new job as manager of The Drop Shop.

I didn't a lot of jumps, but it has been an interesting few years. The biggest thing I've gained since I started posting here is the number of friends I have now - a direct result of spending too much time in front of a computer. I'm still an average recreational jumper, with occasional moments of greatness

I'm going to have 1000 jumps by the end of this year. I'm going to get good at flying the wingsuit over the next 12 months. I don't have any firm skydiving related goals for 5 years out... other than to still be jumping.

[sunshine 2]

When i first started posting under my original username, i had a bit over 100 jumps. Now i've got over 700, i've met over 100 dzcommers, been to lotsa DZ's, met HH and gave him a kisspass too!! One of my highlights was my 500th jump at the eloy holiday boogie last year. It was a 12way complete zoo dive, but it had all dzcommers on it. I now have a sense of family and friends that i've never had before. My biggest accomplishment is getting my riggers ticket. I worked hard for it.

My goals-
Continue having a ton of fun
Finally get to CA to go jumping
S/L rating
Be in the air with my sissy on her first jump

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[webracer 0]

1st post 3/5/2001.
Had 12 jumps at the time.
Now have 800 jumps.
Got AFFI 7/2002 on 400th jump
3.2 hours tunneltime (Airspeed camp x2 times)
Got Senior Rigger 2/2003
First BASE jump 5/2003
Now have 29 BASE jumps
Hope to have >100 by the end or 2004.
Probably get Tandem (Sigma) this year to help out.
Still funjumping, can't see ever working other than to help out when the DZ is swamped.
Goal for next year: 500 jump season
Building a house on the DZ.
Travel alot, so plan to BASE and Skydive in many countries/states.
Plan to live a long, long life!

Troy

I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

[bergh 0]

I joined DZ.com in January this year. Started jumping
5th of October 2002.

Joined for one reason initially information. But found
that is was good way to spend a day at work. Reading through all of the funny and interesting post(never thought reading those post would take up so much of my time).

I had about 20 jumps when I joined. I now have just under 100 jump. I also got my B-license the past weekend.

Targets for the future master head down, get my ass into one of those birdman suit and start doing camera work.

But my main target for next year is to get my self all the way to OZ for equinox 2004. Hopefully I meet some DZ.commers there.

In 5 years time --- hmm bit long to plan for but hope to plan a trip across the US to meet some of the people on dz.com and if money is willing do some coaching jump with Flyboyz(one can always dream).

Cheers
Newbie

_______________________________________
You are unique, just like everybody else ...

[johnny1488 1]

My first post was in may of 2001, 3 months before I had my first rig. I probably had 40 jumps.

I now have just under 700 (gotta compare my protrack with my manifest sheets!) I am all about swooping and canopy flight, just finished the coaches course, and plan on moving to the dz next year to try to "make it happen".

I have spent waaaaaaaaay too much time here, but consider it an invaluabe resource, and If I can ever drag my self to a boogie or happening, would like to meet the people I have "met" here.

Johnny
--"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!"
Mike Rome

[SkydiveNFlorida 0]

AFF 1st jump in July, first post just before then. I have since up'd my #s to over (yay) 50+ skydives! I am currently working on freeflying,

in the NEXT YEAR i'd like to accomplish:

Front riser dives to start learning swoop techniques. At least 1 or 2 more canopy classes.

Maneuverability in a sit fly, I jumped with someone recently in z-hills that just blew my mind. All I can do is sit, this guy was awesome!

I'd like to get head down, but do not intend to work too hard on this until I feel really maneuverable in a sit fly. Until then, i'll just flail now and then trying for head down, just to switch it up a bit.

I'd like to attend at least one out of state boogie, maybe WFFC.


In the next 5 YEARS i'd like to:

Be swopping the ponds with the guys.

Be able to get on a big way freefly dive.

Possibly start BASE jumping if I feel ready.

Visit several DZs out of the country.


Angela.

[Squeak 17]

well i 1st posted here Sept 29 2002, I did my 1st jump on August 10th 2002,
Since starting here I have 180 jumps, have started to learn freefly, but LOVE Rel Work.
I sold a MotoGuzzi California to fund a rig purchase (luckily I had 2 bikes), I traveled to Queensland to a REAL Dz and jumped with 2 of Australias best Relworkers (Cookie & Jeramy). I have had an absolute blast and spent over $16000.00 in the process (my wife pointed that out)

In the next 12 months I would like to have become a competant Relworker and Ok freeflier. I'd like to get my Packers rating and learn to fly camera.

5 years golas are to become a GOOD relworker andc Freeflier, get my Instrucxtor rating with AFF endorsement and Get to one of the BIG boogies, like The Hurc boogie & WFFC
I's also very much like to meet some Dotcommers.

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?

[nicrussell 0]

Since I started posting a month ago, I still have 700ish jumps. Not too exciting.

Next 12 months-- make 100-150 skydives. Make 100-150 BASE jumps (incl Bridge Day). Stay Alive. Get hired by an Airline.

Next 5-- Get my tandem rating, reach 2000 skydives and 500 to 600 BASE jumps. Stay alive. Get hired and Keep my job as a pilot for a Major. Travel to Europe and Asia on some phenominal BASE trips. airfare free, why not?


nic

[Taz 0]

I first posted on July 19, 2001 about what to wear freeflying. It was right before my first boogie at Lost Prairie and I didn't have a jumpsuit. At the time I was just maybe sort of starting to think about the way skydiving had changed my perspective on what I was doing with my life: living in California, hated my corporate job, other than a few really special people jumping was the only thing that made me feel alive then.

By November 2001 I had decided I couldn't do it anymore: I couldn't keep with the jobs I hated and work to skydive indefinitely. So I packed up everything I owned, sold most of it, put the rest of it in my car, and drove east until I hit the Atlantic. Then I got on a plane to South Africa, where I had no "real" job lined up, no friends, just a plan to volunteer and see if I could translate my desire for an ethical career into making a difference for a few people who needed it. I had studied African history and had been to the continent enough to know I already loved it.

Within three months I had been robbed blind, attacked on my way to my volunteer job, and lived the most fulfilling and exhilarating days of my life since I could remember. I ended up finding a new home DZ in Joburg, thanks to DZ.com and Tonto, who insisted he was not an axe murderer when he offered me a ride to the DZ via email
I've downsized from a 135 to a 109. I can pack for myself without worrying about getting it in the bag. I've done more naked jumps than 100th skydives and more night jumps than I ever thought I would. I'm coming to Arizona this year to skydive in the USA again!!

Next year, I will learn high performance landings. I will try a Birdsuit. I will get better at flying my camera. I will be able to take solid docks on my head.

In five years, I want be a more well-rounded skydiver. I want to have had enough experience flat flying to become an AFF instructor when I get the jump numbers (almost exclusively Freefly now).

Hopefully I will still be alive, both physically and mentally. Life is no fun if you're not living it.

-T

It's the Year of the Dragon.

[Kramer 0]

AggieDave-

Awesome post. Very encouraging.

I registered two weeks before my first SL jump this summer. I made the SL jump, and four more jumps before I came back to college. Right now, I'm saving up money, because I want to switch over to AFF and just dive-head first into the sport.

My goals for the next year are:
Get my A license
Own my own rig
Try to learn to sitfly
Make at least 50 jumps
and...find out what area of skydiving I really wanna get into. (Instruction, Freeflying, BASE Jumping even...who knows).

There ya are. I'm too new to think about five years from now.

-Kramer

The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!!

[Tonto 1]

Quote

Try to learn to sitfly

Here I am on 3975 dives, and there you are on 5.

And one of our goals are identical.

How cool is that?!

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[karma 3]

I registered in december of 2002. I had done 8 SL jumps that year and loved it. Since then I switched to AFF. I'm busy with my A-license (only need few coach jumps). I now have over 50 jumps.

My goals for next year are:
- buy a rig.
- get b-license
- do a lot of rw

As for the next 5 years. I think I would like to become an instructor of some sort, or a coach.

Grtz. karma

[ZoneRat 0]

Not exactly sure of the date of my first post, but I registered on Sept 6th, 2002, about a week after my A licence. I had about 25 jumps at the time. I do remember lurking for a couple months before I had the nerve to post.

Because I am a dork, I keep this running list of my skydiving accomplishments which I have attached.

My short term goals:
> Complete coach cert by middle of next month
> Not finish last place in an RW team event
> Learn Video/ Camera work in prep for next season
> Develop a safe, sub ten minute pack
> Participate in, or ground-crew for, the Texas State Record in Spaceland
> Find/ create a better DZ.com avatar

Medium term goals:
> AFF certification
> Learn more about CReW
> Big-Ways

Long Term Goals:
> Don't die
> Don't femur
> Don't forget what the sport is truly about

“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.”

[CanuckInUSA 0]

My first ever jump was a tandem jump made on July 14th, 2002 and my first post on DZ.COM was one week later on July 21st, 2002. In that time, I have made a total of 454 jumps which is a lot of jumps, but there are a handful of folks who have made even more than me. So I am by no means NOT the most addicted skydiver out there (though the bug has hit me hard).

My short term skydiving goals are:

1) Not to fuck up one of my landings.
2) Dial in my 270s.
3) At some point add rear riser input to my swoops.
4) Become an even better freeflier than what I am.
5) Possibly start flying tandem camera slots (I have been warned against working at a DZ).

Many of my long term skydiving goals are unknown, but here's a few:

1) Not to fuck up one of my landings.
2) Become pro rated.
3) Get my coach rating (not sure about AFF).
4) Be a bad ass freeflier and swooper.
5) Possibly become a rigger.
6) Possibly become a base jumper.

I have grown up quick in this sport (not that I don't still have plenty to learn) and have seen enough crap to know that jumping out of airplanes has it's dangers. But I can't for the life of me, see myself going back to my old whuffo life.

Finally, my hat goes off to Sangiro for making DZ.COM a reality.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[skydivejersey 0]

Registered 11 months ago. I had 33 jumps. Since then I had done another 90 jumps, jumped a helicopter, organised and run 4 skydiving boogies, achieved a coach rating, quit work and decided to run a DZ full time. Not bad!

[Jessica 0]

Let's see. I started posting about three years and a couple months ago. I had made one tandem.

I had two reserve rides in my first 20 jumps.

It took me more than a year to learn how to pack.

I now have my rigger's ticket.

Skydiving is for cool people only