Jasmin 0 #1 September 28, 2003 Did my first birdmans this w/e, not just content with that I went up and did a rodeo/surf on a birdman too!! Awesome fun, thanks to Fergie for the fun and putting up with my fat arse and feet on his back! xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #2 September 28, 2003 NOICE! Welcome to the flock"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ManBird 0 #3 September 29, 2003 Nice! Lots of first flights this last weekend all over the world. Took a friend of up for his first two flights, and am letting him borrow my GTi this week (he works at the DZ). Another addict. He was so enamoured with the flight that he forgot to do... well... anything. He did his practice pulls and had good on-heading deployments for both jumps (the most important part of first jumps), but on the first one, he just kept flying in a straigt line, the opposite direction of the DZ. I'd fly over to him, point to the right, and turn right, but he kept going straight. I did this three times. I popped up to keep an eye on him while giving me enough altitude to make it back after he deployed. He dumped and I hauled ass back to the DZ. Good thing we had a Sabre 170 on him. He dumped almost two miles away from the DZ (upwind), but made it back no problem. He did much better on the second flight (in terms of both blight and navigation). And the flock continues to grow."¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VectorBoy 0 #4 September 29, 2003 Thats funny Kimme also forgot the second 90 degree turn even though I motioned for her to follow me back upwind to the DZ. 5k pull on spectre 170, she makes it back with no problems and a great big smile . First flights pull high. Some people focus too much on "how" they are and how much fun they are having and forget "where" they are on those first few flights. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ManBird 0 #5 September 29, 2003 The only person I've ever seen nail the navigation on the first flight was Randy (Zenister on dz.com). He set his first alarm to go off at 10K to remind him to go back to the drop zone. I should have all future new birds do that if they have a ProTrack. Hell, they can borrow mine."¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VectorBoy 0 #6 September 29, 2003 I've had several first timers nail navigation on the first flight. Our very own wingnut ,or wingi as he likes to be called, did a fantastic job of it at Rantoul and that place was tuff enough for even the veteran WS jumpers to navigate. Of coarse some DZs are better than other for this and it also depends on time of day. For example at San Diego you just follow the lake back. Maybe we should take a cue from those that jumpmaster night jumps and ask the first time bird man to "spot " the DZ before exit and remind them we need to fly back there. Even though by the time someone is able to fly wingsuits they have several hundred if not thousands of jumps and have been spotting for themselves at least a portion of those jumps. Experience in tracking and navigation are valuable skills not just for wingsuit jumps but just in case you experience an in flight situation and have to egress and you are not directly above the DZ. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #7 September 29, 2003 Worst one I've seen is SkyBytch... She decided that she wanted to fly right across WFFC after VectorBoy and I made swoops at her to steer her away. I took a girl out last weekend with about 300 jumps that nailed the turns, just lost DZ awareness and tracked kinda at an angle to it and we were way long anyways so we landed off.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VectorBoy 0 #8 September 29, 2003 Ah yes but her smile was priceless. If we had funneled her to get her attention there would not have been any shareing of the jello shots... you know with her delicate back and all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #9 September 30, 2003 QuoteThe only person I've ever seen nail the navigation on the first flight was I think this is due in part to the issue being addressed on the ground. If you cover it with the student and reitterate it to them before you leave the A/C you usually don't have a problem. Of all the people I took on first time flights at WFFC, and there was over 50 of them. I only had one person not fly the planned flight plan and that was due to a manky exit. He flew the correct flight plan just with a wrong initial direction. He went left off the direction of flight instead of right once he got stable. I have seen new birds with a handful of jumps seem to forget that they needed to fly back to the DZ on a few occassions. I won't name names so as to protect the guilty"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blair700 0 #10 September 30, 2003 QuoteI have seen new birds with a handful of jumps seem to forget that they needed to fly back to the DZ on a few occassions. I won't name names so as to protect the guilty Dude, it was dark, and the fireworks, and Kevin's glowsticks, and , and , and D'oh!! Guilty as charged, thanks to Mono Uno for the radio, so sorry we wasted y'alls time setting out landing lights.C-ya Blair Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ManBird 0 #11 September 30, 2003 I think what I'm lacking is the explanation of "why" we fly that pattern. I usually don't tell people "why" about anything, in skydiving or otherwise, unless they ask. Getting off of the line of flight makes sense to everybody, but people don't really expect to travel that far, and are used to magically ending up over the drop zone as long as the green light was on when they get out. The other part of it is how enamoured people get with the flight (especially when they get a good fall rate on their first flight). I work like crazy to get their attention, on up to grab their hand and pulling them along with my turn, but when they're really stunned by the flight, it doesn help much."¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jari 0 #12 September 30, 2003 Congrats sweety Jari "Hey, don't be afraid, ever. Because, it's just a ride." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jasmin 0 #13 October 1, 2003 Thanks matey, I'm still saving up to come play... You reachable on your Euro mobile? I now have a flock in the making at my dz: currently have 4 birds (and 1 soon-to-be birdbabe!), 4 suits on order and another 8 are interested!!!Fly and be free!!!xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fergs 0 #14 October 1, 2003 QuoteCongrats sweety Jari, did you see Jasbird's pic in the Still More Ozflok thread? She was a natural - all teeth and grins - you'd have been proud of her!! Blue skies, fergs Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 3 #15 October 2, 2003 Is that the same Jasmin that won the wet t-shirt contest at Rantoul? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jasmin 0 #16 October 3, 2003 Nope, but I did my "angel" jump today in clear flowy white shirt and complete with halo. My boobs made an appearance....xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
