Kalrigan

you also have to pay for coach jumps till you get your A license yes? Isn't that the case at 90% of DZs? Or am I just set in our Canadian ways?

Bye.

I find myself screaming "Fuck Yeahhh!!!" At the break off track from angle jumps. I don't do that to much on belly jumps. My fuck yeah usually happens when people get in their slots and fly them, as I look around and see that I usually either start smiling like a maniac or yell fuck yeah. :D

So I just got back from Summerfest, it was absolutely incredible. Took multiple angle flying camps, with different organizers, and learned a lot. I'm happy to say I can angle fly now, and those jumps were some of my favorites ever. It's definitely my new thing now.

Seems like your personality is the issue, and not us freeflyers.

Don't fuck up.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat? Really? That's awesome.

Me too. We were drinking the night before and that's when we realized I can't wait to angle fly and he angle flies. So he took me up next day. Still a lot of work to be done, but really happy to start. It's really exciting. He said I need to go a bit steeper, so I need to find that right spot. Thanks for your suggestions.

I have already gone angle flying this past weekend, with a coach though. I found a new TI at my DZ who just got here a month ago, and apparently he angle flies so he took me up. I will still read that article, but I got awesome feedback and I wasn't too far off from nailing it. Gotta work more on my angle control. It was incredibly fun though, can't wait to do more.

If you're not happy with your instructor, and the DZ can't find you anyone else, get out and go somewhere else. A longer drive is totally worth being more comfortable and happier for jumping, especially when it's driving to Z-hills or Sebastian, I hear nothing but great things about those 2 dropzones. Your instructor sounds like an ass. There is no such thing as a stupid question, especially in skydiving. You're literally jumping out of a plane at 13000 feet, great instructors are those who hear the same question a 1000 times a week and reply to it the same positive way every single time because they know how important they are to this new student and anything they will do or say will stick with that student for possibly a long time. I had amazing instructors and coaches during my progression, and it made my entry into the sport A LOT more fun, A LOT more exciting, and A LOT less stressful. It boosted my performance significantly jumping with coaches/instructors like that. I could totally see myself leaving the sport early if I had terrible instructors and I didn't know any better. Trust me, get out and find a place where you are happier, even if it means driving for extra few hours.

I'll wait for Summerfest, and try and get into beginner Angle flying camps before they start going for their head down camps. I'll wait for Summerfest and speak to load organizers, and I'll get some more tunnel time. Thanks for the advice guys.

PC masterrace, yeah baby. The only FPS MP games that are worth a damn nowadays are CS:GO and TF 2. I also used to play a lot of Starcraft II, not sure why I stopped. Should get back into it considering expansion is coming out soon.

Not yet, can only head up right now. So I take it not too steep huh?

Please. No. You have no frame of reference and odds are good you will be tracking all over the place. I recently was on a team training belly jump and we had a solo free flyer who didn't know what he was doing end up opening below us and ridiculously close because he ended up traveling down jump run doing exactly what you're describing. Find someone who knows what they're doing and work with them. That's a good point, didn't realize it could disorient you so much, figured it would be like tracking which I don't think is hard to keep track of. Alright, travelling it is then.

So I've been fascinated with Angle flying recently and I've been really interested in learning. My problem is that no one at my local DZ does angle, so I have no one directly to coach me or answer questions. So for those who have attempted angle flying before, where did you begin? What do you work on first? I want to go solo first and take it from there once I'm solid, but I don't really know where to start. Go solo track jump and learn then? Any help whatsoever on how to approach this?

What kind of potato was used to film that video?

You did not fail, there is no failing in AFF. AFF is practice, nothing but practice. What do basketball athletes do when they have bad shooting? They practice, this is the same thing. When was the last time you did something new and as intimidating as skydiving and were great at it the first 15,30, 50 times? Stop looking at it as failing, and you will be way less stressed throughout your jumps. That will also lead you to enjoying the jumps a lot more which is key in skydiving. You repeated a jump, that's an acceptable term to use. And hun, a lot of people repeated jumps. Some of the best flyers I know have repeated a tons of jumps, and there is no shame in that. We all learn differently, we all progress differently, we all react to new environments differently, so you can't really judge yourself as a person based on having to repeat a jump. Many people make the sport seem easy when they do it, but it's far from it. It's a very humbling sport, and when you start jumping you will realize how much hard work and determination all of those amazing flyers have put into the sport. It's also a very male dominated sport, so you will have to accept that there will always be more guys than girls in this sport but that shouldn't change anything. They should respect you, accept you, and treat you the same way they treat anyone else, if not feel free to leave and go to another DZ. The girls on our DZ are just like us, we treat them just like we treat each other as guys, it's fun, it's friendly, and it is what it is. Back to the jumps, just remember that as long as you had fun, you learned something from the jump, and you landed safely (on or off the DZ), that's all that matters. Everything else will come in due time. Stop stressing yourself over meaningless crap and just enjoy the journey. The number one priority in skydiving is fun, and in order to do that properly you will need to let go of the mistakes, learn from them, and simply learn to enjoy every jump for what it is, a beautiful skydive.

Good for you, wishing you a speedy recovery and all the best in your life. All that matters is happiness, and feeling comfortable in your own body is one part of it.

I don't think it's chickenshit. It's a hard life when you're going through something like that, especially when the people around you simply don't understand. People always put a smile and pretend to be happy, but once they're alone that depression hits them hard and they feel like the best way out is ending it themselves. It's sad, but it's also true. I was there before, I almost did it one night. Nothing was going my way in my life, and no one understood or had any idea what I was suffering through. It's hard to talk about it, and I never did to anyone, nobody could tell what was going through my head. I was always the clown in our group, always the cheerful funny one but when I was alone I was a fucking mess. It's really hard to explain to people who haven't experienced it, I'm trying here but I don't think I'm doing a good job at it. You just feel hopeless, trapped in this hell of a situation and you feel like the only way out is to end your life. You hope that it would make you feel better, that it will give you the peace of mind you are seeking. At that point you don't really think of your friends or family, at that point you're simply trying to do what makes you feel better. Is that selfish? Possibly, but let's be honest here, at the end of the day we all like to make our lives better, no matter how selfish things may seem. Luckily for me that night I passed out and when I got up I grabbed my shit and went skydiving. Once I left that plane door I realized that anything can be fixed. Whatever is making me feel that way simply needs to be cut from my life, because nothing in this world is worth making yourself go through feelings and thoughts of suicide. Unfortunately most people don't realize that until it's too late. We all need a way out, skydiving was mine.

Thanks man. :D Yes that's what I'm hoping for. My first ever jump was at Burnaby, I promised I would come back ASAP once I get licensed and get my own gear. Unfortunately this is the first opportunity I've had to go back thanks to work and life in general. Really looking forward to the place, the boogie, the people, and everything else that comes with it. :D

Unless the boogies have some really big planes or you are doing formation load big-ways, you shouldn't be in the air with many more canopies than you are used to. Even at operations with multiple aircraft running, the sky should only have 1 load at a time under canopy. As for things to prepare for - everything! You will be at new DZ's jumping with people you don't know. At the home DZ, you typically know who the knuckleheads are and what the bad people combinations are. You won't have that benefit jumping with strangers. Tips - Show up prepared. Check and double check your gear and gear bag for everything you will need several days before the trip. Have all your documentation with you. Bring extras like pull up cords, rubber bands, closing loops, etc. Pack a DZ travel bag with stuff like tape, a knife, band-aids, over the counter meds, etc. Always better to have it and not need it. Plus, when someone else needs something you'll be the hero. If the DZ has procedural info on its website, study it before you go. Get a DZ and aircraft briefing before jumping! Know the DZ layout and procedures just as you should before jumping at any new DZ. Fully understand the dictated flight pattern and landing direction procedures. Plan your outs preliminarily on the ground in case you need them. Get on the first load already having a loose plan "B" that you can work from when everything goes to shit. Get ready early. Get a gear check. Get another gear check. Be conservative - keep yourself on small, simple skydives at first, preferably with folks you know if possible. You will have a lot of variables to deal with so don't add to it by making overly challenging jumps. Self-supervise - at boogies people often let their guard down because they want to get on certain jumps, group, or planes. They fail to check winds or adhere to common sense concerning them. The fail to check out proper procedures for aircraft they have never jumped. They sometimes throw out all logic on best practices, and on and on. Don't be that guy. Watch out constantly for "that guy". Head on a swivel at all times. Be ready to make evasive maneuvers at every turn. If you identify problem jumpers, stay clear of them. Know your limits and stay within them. There are often opportunities to get on loads at boogies that may be above your skill set. The people you are with may not know your abilities so you need to be honest about them and be willing to turn down offers you aren't ready for. Others will respect you for it and you won't get hurt or be "that guy". Land out if the traffic gets heavy or on every jump if it keeps you in a comfort zone. A long walk back to the hangar is always better than a ride to the emergency room. Know that there will likely be some real screwballs around. Some are dangerous in the air, some on the ground at beer-thirty, and some that are both. Keep yourself safe and go home with a great "first" under your belt. One more thing. Buy your beer. Everyone's 2 favorite brands are free and cold. Have fun! That was a very detailed and informative post, thanks so much Chuck. I'll be careful. :)

That's a good question actually. I was thinking maybe I'll leave all my shit in our car or something. I don't know. >_<

Driving with 2 of my friends to Chicago, my buddy's car. Staying up in tents at the DZ. It was done in June. :D Will have water guns, alcohol, 3DS, a couple of books, and condoms. I wish I had a laptop, but oh well.

Thanks for all the great advice, definitely a lot of things I would have otherwise overlooked. As for the pressure to doing jumps I'm not ready for, I think I'll be ok. I've had good judgement so far when it comes to things I'm not ready for and I'll keep it up for sure. Thanks again. I'm gonna print out all of these things and keep them on hand.

Condoms. Briefing and gear checks. Liver transplant through health insurance. Don't complain about wind holds, just enjoy watching the ones who think know best land. Head on a swivel. No jumping on last Sunday. Stay away from pot smoking freeflyers. =P Got it. Thanks guys, can't freaking wait to be honest.