sparrella

I'M GONNA JUMP OUT OF A PLANE TODAY Words by Steven Parrella Thanks to William Lovelace Melody by henry Tolman (When Johnny Comes Marching Home) I’m gonna jump out of a plane today, Hurrah--Hurrah I checked my gear and it’s OK, Hurrah--Hurrah The pins are set and my straps are tight I touched all my handles and they feel all right So we’ll all be safe while sky-di-ving today I practice emergencies in my head, Hurrah--Hurrah Cause if you don’t you could get dead, Hurrah--Hurrah I’ll pop my reserve while I’m nice and high If you hesitate, you could run out of sky So we’ll all be safe while sky-di-ving today My canopy opens straight and true, Hurrah--Hurrah You look for me and I’ll look for you, Hurrah--Hurrah Parachutes flying around everywhere I think I’ll do the Linda Blair So we’ll all be safe while sky-di-ving today A few more things that you should know, Hurrah--Hurrah Chicks are hot and beer is cold, Hurrah--Hurrah And the ground is hard, so I’ve been told Don’t start your turn late if you want to grow old So we’ll all be safe while sky-di-ving today (slowly) The last jumper’s down and he’s packed his gear, Hurrah--Hurrah He jumped from the plain with out doubt or fear, Hurrah--Hurrah And his family’s at home wishing that he was near But he’ll probably go out and start drinking beer So we’ll all be safe while sky-di-ving today The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

I don't get to sing these anymore (long story,) so I hope somebody likes them. TAKE ME OUT TO THE DROPZONE Words by Steven Parrella Melody by Albert Von Tilzer (Take Me Out To The Ball Game) Verse 1- The experienced jumper Take me out to the drop zone Take me up in the plane If I did everything right when I packed My parachute opens and I can fly back I should see my main by two thousand Or cutaway and pop my reserve For it’s pull, pull, pull or you’ll Die At the old drop zone Verse 2 The firsttimer Take me out to the drop zone Push me out of the plane I’m only here because I lost a bet It’s OK so far, but its not over yet Well I hope the parachute opens, I hope that I land OK They told me that I should arch, But I think I’ll pray Verse 3 Mr. Bigway Take me out to the drop zone I want to jump a big way I studied my grips and I’m ready to go I’m praying to God, Please don’t let me go low Well it’s climb up the hill if you floated Get down to the base if you dive And it’s turn--track-- waveoff and pull Reaching four point five The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

Hey everybody: I want to thank you for all the kind messages you have sent my way. It has been a tough several weeks and your good wishes have meant a-lot. I share with you the sentiments you expressed about the victims and their families. I lost five friends on that load. They were all good people and I will miss them forever. Today is the first day I could sit up long enough to use my computer. The Docs tell me that I won't recover the use of my legs due to a burst fracture in the T 4 area. I also had some problems with my lungs that hsve recently healed, so I should be able to start physical therepy this week. I don't remember anything about the crash. All I can say is that I was going to video a tandem and probably strapped in by the aft bulkhead. The Feds have my tape. I have no idea what's on it. The other survivor is currently getting PT on an out patient basis and is expected to make a full recovery. She broke her pelvis and had some spinal injuries. I spoke to her a few days ago and she has a remarkable spirit. I would give aynthing to be there when she finally makes her first jump. I wish I could add more information about the accident. I've been an airline pilot for 22 years and have been trained as an accident investigator. I have no explanation for my lack of memory. It could have been head trauma, or that I was heavily sedated for a week after the crash. In any case, I share your frustration that the exact cause may never be known. I wish all of you blue skies and hope your jumps are safe, fun, and rewarding. Steve Parrella The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

I took the course from Bram last year. I thought the training was thorough, professional, courteous and safe. Beyond that, I had a hell of a good time even though I worked my butt off. Additionally, it was straight forward--there were no games. Finally, the other guy going through the course had different abilities then I did. Without putting too fine a point on it, the training we received was tailored to fit our particular circumstances and we both passed the course. I can't comment on any of the other courses or directors, but I'd recommend Bram to anyone. sjp The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

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I'm trying to replace my logbook but I'm having trouble finding the same kind. It has 5 entries per page and is about 8 * 5 inches. I've seen some on the web that have 5 entries per page, but are the small size. Anyone buy a logbook lately? Thanks The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

Anybody have a contact number for EG? His Web Site is down and I have to contact him. Thanks sjp The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

Anybody have a phone number for EG? His web site is down and I have to contact him. Thanks The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

A few friends of mine asked me if they could see my course notes so I decided to type them up. I know there are a-lot of courses out there and I've seen hand-outs from different courses that offer different methods of doing things. This is what worked for me. I'd be happy to entertain changes and additions. Thanks Steve The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

For me, the most important thing is that the student is not freaking out in the door. I spend quite a bit of time having the student practice walking to the back of the airplane and planting his right foot about a 18 inches from the door frame opposite the middle of the door. The student then pivots in several steps around his right foot until he is facing forward. All the while, the main-side instructor is shadowing him and holding on to his legstrap. I emphasize that since all the weight is on the right leg, which is always well inside the plane, the can't fall out of the plane, a major concern for the student. Once the student is facing fwd, I have them crouch to a position similar to a 2nd baseman with his forearms resting on his legs, just north of his knee, and his back as vertical as possible. I point out that this position is just about as de-arched as a human being can be. I'm not really concerned about the right foot being forward of the left because I think the reserve-side instructor's timing is going to control how much the piece turns, but I think it is very important that the student pushes off with his RIGHT leg in order to keep his hips square to the relative wind. I know this is rather lengthy, but I am only hitting on 4 points: Pivot on the right leg to get facing forward Second baseman-forearms on legs and back straight Push off on the right leg Arch is a verb, not a noun "Back's good, Front's good, Radio's on and tested, Main-side has the exit, Reserve side has the ride-out, have a nice day." The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

I'm a relatively new skydiver and instructor, but I have thousands of hours as a flight instructor and have noticed some similaraties between landing a parachute and a Boeing 767. Two things happen during the flare. First, as the steering lines are pulled, the canopy changes shape and slows down, reducing its forward velocity. Second, as the canopy slows, the skydiver continues moving forward, causing the canopy to pitch up slighly, increase its angle of attack and lift, reducing its vertical velocity. Get a copy of Brian Germain's book if you want a better explanation. When, how fast, and how far you pull down on the steering lines, as well as the design of the canopy and density altitude will determine how the energy is transferred. But as a canopy pilot, you can only control when you flare, and how fast you move your arms. So now we have to answer those questions, when and how fast. The answer, as I indicated, is based on a very complex equation, which you can't possibly do in your head. Pilots rely on their eyes (and radio altimeter in large A/C) to determine their altitude (flare height) and rate of descent. My experience tells me that most students are not looking at the right place to determine their altitude and descdent rate. Your brain has an amazing ability to determine altitude and velocity (vertical and horizontal). It does this essentially be noting the relative size of the objects as well as the rate at which the size of those objects change. Pick up a cognitive psychology text book for a better explanation. All you have to do is give your brain lots of things to look at. The more objects it has, the more information it gets. The bottom line is that you have to look out at the horizon, not the grass under your feet. I take my students (canopy and airplane) into the field and do deep knee bends looking straight out and straignt dowo to prove the point. The technique that works best for me is to scan the landing area while I am on final, looking out at the horizon and at my intended landing spot, and to force myself to begin looking straight out at the horizon as I begin my flare. Your brain will learn fast. Fall in peace The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

I have a Bonehead Optik Illusion (which I love). There is an HC42 in a Cookie Composite Box (which I love) side mounted at a pretty good up angle and a Canon Rebel mounted on top. I've adjusted the angle of the video camera several times now so the video and still camera are not shooting at the same thing. I need to shim up the still camera, which is mounted on a stroboframe. I've seen someone use washers and I've even seen a guy use a piece of wood. Someone was telling me to use a hockey puck and sand it down into a wedge. Any ideas? Thanks The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

Guess what arrived in the mail today? The suit is exactly what I wanted. Perfect fit, good quality and the price is right. I called Jennifer to thank her and she apologized for the snafu with the e-mail and told me she is back on track. The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

Anybody know of a good source of info for budding AFF instructors? I've been to Rick Horn's Web Site (thanks Rick!). My new SIM and IRM are in the mail. Any other info would be appreciated. Thanks sjp The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

Anyone know when Rantoul will be this year. I have to put in for vacation and the web site is down. thanks The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

Hey everybody: Thanks for all the replies to the original post. I'm glad some of you liked the prayer. I had a-lot of fun writing it. I wasn't surprised at the different exit counts out there. John Hoover referenced a quote in a recent article. He said, "Four-way is about problem solving." That makes a-lot of sense to me. It would seem proper that the specifics of the count are designed to address specific shortcomings the team (or the weakest link) has had with leaving the aircraft on time and in place. Perhaps it isn't a matter of which count is best. Perhaps it's a matter of which count is best for you, and is your team using that count. Thanks sjp The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

And the inside center prayed: "Oh Lord, bless this exit piece with thy might that they mayest leave thy aircraft and enter thy airy meadow that surrounds your most perfect earthly creation on time and in place. Bless them, Oh Lord that they do not funneleth and plummet unto the earth in the nastiest of manners, incur the ill humor of their judges, or the harsh physical contact of their videographer. Because, as thou are well aware Lord, working time is most precious. I mean 35 seconds for intermediate, are you serious? Would 45 seconds have killed you?” And the Lord spake saying: "First, shalt thou check thy holiest of equipment (including but not limited to handles, legstraps, booties, and visors) so thou mayest focus thy energy on the climbout. I’m not even going to get into whether or not you have the dive-flow by now." "Second, thou shall taketh thy appointed position in the door without pause, except that thou will respect thy videographer and give him most just passage." "Third, thou shalt take grips with all due haste. In thy righteousness, so shalt ye seek the eye contact of thy teammates when thou art ready to depart." And the Lord spaketh again: "Thus have you prepareth to leapeth, so shall you leapeth well. The center (usually inside) shall shaketh the BeJesus out of his companions lest they have any doubt of their purpose or continue to fidget without discernable purport or end.” “Announce unto thy flock, READY and using all thy might and resolve, so shall the inside center indicateth the direction of intended travel with a pronounced downward motion of his head lest their still be any doubt." "Then, thy inside center shall sayeth SET, and the bodies of thy flock shall moveth DOWN (or IN, depending on what works for the teameth,) because if thy flock moveth on SET, they are more likely to moveth on GO (more about GO later.) And as thy flock’s intention shall be made knownst unto him, so shall thy videographer be grateful for such motion. "Using thy cadence, thou shalt shouteth GO and thy entire team shall leapeth unto the firmament without hesitation. They shall be conscious of their position, and firm in their grasp and resolve.” "Take also this heed,” sayeth the Lord: "Thou shalt leave on GO. Go is when thou shalt leave. Not Before, and not After. And the leaving shalt occur on GO. Period. Once the word GO has been spoketh, GO being the command of the leaving, then shalt thou GO. So it goes without saying that thou shalt leaveth on GO. Thou wilst not leave on SET, as thou would also not leave after GO. No way would thou leavest on READY. And thou shalt of course not falleth off thy chariot during the climbout. Thou mayest in thy wisdom anticipate GO, but only with the purpose of leaving on GO. Pretty much, GO on GO." "Excepting that if thou screwith up, and are late, so shalt thou leave as quickly as possible. Having sayeth that, it is still agreed it is best to leaveth on GO." "And as the devil shalt deceive you, thou wouldst leave early. And as the devil wouldst distract you, so shalt you leave late. Either way, in thy error and shame, thy holy exit piece will be rotated or stretched beyond recognition. Or worse, funnel. As ye funneleth, so shalt ye look dumbeth in thy video. Or thou might plummetteth toward the green meadow by thy own sweet self." "And lest ye forget, thy body is sacred and a vessel of the Lord. Thou shalt fly thy body with thy hips facing the relative wind and thy legs doing something--lest gravity's wrath be fully upon you and thou become as a fallen leaf in a tempest. And lest ye also forget, thou shalt endeavor with all thy might to start flying the piece with all due haste, as that is the purpose of leaving on go in the first place.” "Thus shalt thou be sustained in thy appointed place in thy exit piece, and thy first point may be turned upon the shining hill, and thy entire exit piece shalt be contained in the video screen." "Go In Piece. Due consideration should be given to launching specific exits that have proven successful and stable in the past.” Thus spoketh The Lord Amen. The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

I was wondering if anyone had thoughts about exit count. As I understand it, there are generally two versions out there 1. Ready-set--go 2. Shake--Ready-set-go The other variables I know of are: whether to have an inward movement on Set, whether to have a big head-nod on ready, and whether to use Hut instead of Ready. Personally, I like the shake version better because it places more emphasis on focusing the jumpers prior to the count. I saw a little bit of ererything at Nationals. It would be helpful to me to read what other teams do and why. Thanks

el chester I got two great tips recently, one from Craig Girard, and one from a teammate. 1. Make up a mantra with the names of the formations and block moves. Say that mantra over and over to yourself. it will give you confidence that you know the jump. If you add a cadence or substitute your own names, it may be more meaningful. For example, "Meeker--Open--Cat--Spin--Meeker... 2. Try incopporating anticipation into your brain dive. As you visualize the jump, where do you hesitate between points? That is a problem transition and you need to apply some extra braintrons to it. The last piece of advice I would give is to share your concerns with your teammates. If they aren't responsive, try again. After that, they aren't worth your time. Skydiving is about people. Good luck. The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

Brian: I am wondering if there are different types of fear and we adopt different behaviors (cognitive, emotive, physical,) for dealing with them. For example, is the fear of getting hurt different from the fear of failure? Are the psychodynamic foundations of rejection anxiety more complex than a primordial fear of falling? Also some fears seem to be more simply alleviated. Getting your pin checked and playing pass the rock are very different responses to fear. Do those very different strategies indicate different types of fear? I also find it interesting that playing pass the rock is so much harder than doing a pin check. Are our strategies for dealing with fear dictated by our abilities, our knowledge, and our personalities? Does that mean that fear reduction is much more specific to the individual than the situation? Finally, maybe we need you to provide a workable definition of fear. Are we ( am I) confusing fear with concern, anxiety, and neurosis. Great thread. Thanks for your participation. I saw you speak at Rantoul and think you are a tremendous asset to the sport. The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

Anybody know where you can buy aftermarket pads for leg straps? The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.

Would someone please discuss exits. I am particularly interested in the differences between the duties of the front and rear float. I am also a little confused about the leg positions suggested for divers vs. floaters. Some of our 4-ways have someone on his/her back and taking out the base as they go over. Occasionally, I wind up facing 180 degrees from where I should shortly after leaving the door. Thanks in advance The greatest enemy of the truth is not a lie, the greatest enemy of the truth is a myth.