jdkalou

My wife and I both did a tandem on a Sunday. The following Friday evening I was setting in the FJC at our local DZ. Saturday morning I was hanging off the strutt of a 182 with my instructor giving me the "go" signal (IAD). The tandem just opened the door to the opportunity to make a dream happen. I knew when my wife and I put our feet (butt for me) back on the ground that I was going to learn how to do this!!!!!!!!!!! My wife is a different story. She wants to do one tandem a year and thats it. I'm good with that. She incourages my pursuit of the sport (I think she likes me crawling out of bed every Saturday morning at 6:00 and leaving the house. The DZ is over 2 hours away). Without the Tandem I probably wouldn't be jumping today.

Don't use poison. They eat it, then crawl back under the house, or into their little holes/homes and die. Then you have a smell of rotting mice that you can't get to and clean up. Old time trap and peanut butter.

And the wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round.....................

While approaching your vehicle to give you your ticket he/she was not holding the ticket pad with one hand and the pen in the other..............................he/she had the ticket pad in one hand and his/her hand close to their weapon with the other.....................all the while focusing on your rearview mirror to try to observe what you were doing inside the vehicle. Not until he/she surveyed the inside of your vehicle, deemed your actions appropriate, did he/she reach for the pen with the free hand to begin to write with one hand while holding the ticket pad with the other. Sounds to me like he/she was a little paranoid?? Prepared/paranoid...............this could go on for ever and ever.

Don't take me wrong, I don't think the "Cookie Guys" would give me bad advice, companies don't stay in business very long giving "bad advice." I just don't want to be sending helmets back and forth this winter trying to get the right sized one. I have never ordered head gear without trying one on first so this is a first for me. I live in an area that is not very close to others that I know who have the G3, let alone know anyone that has a Cookie helmet. So I just wanted to know anyone else's experience with the sizing charts. Thank you for your input. Information is power:)

Quick question: For all of those that have ordered the G3. I am a bit leary of ordering the XXLarge. I used their "Headgear Sizing Chart" and yes my melon is just a hair under 24", which calls for the XXLarge, but I am affraid that if I go with the XXLarge it will be to big. Has anyone ordered the G3, used the "Headgear Sizing Chart" and found upon arrival that the helmet was infact to big?

Please, all of you experts reply here!!! I am ordering my first suit in about 2 weeks (it also will be a Bev Suit) and I would like the to see your responses also.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse.

John, I'm a bit embarassed to even comment here but I am not commenting as an instructor (I have about 65 jumps now). I was taught the "shoulder turn/dip" method and it works just great. Then this past winter I went over to IFLY Seattle for 10 minutes of tunnel time before this years season began, and Will (I'm sure you know him if you do tunnel in Seattle) signalled me to turn. Well, I turned/dipped my shoulder and straight into the net I went. He adamantly signeled "hands only" and then it was a breaze. This makes me think that Shoulder turns don't work so well in the tunnel, thus hands only? Pure coincidence this past weekend I had an opportunity to do a Solo, just by myself, smile and relax jump, so I tried the hands only turn..............it worked just fine, slower albiet, but just fine. Maybe the environment is the most important part of what is taught. I won't be able to fly the tunnel much as it is 3 1/2 hours from where I live and jump (Ritzville) and my shoulder turns are ingrained in my tiny brain. Maybe when I get better the "hand" turns will become more important to me, but for now I still concentrate on getting back to mother earth without killing myself OR anyone else. PS- we met at the WestPlains Memorial Day Boogie (could have been Labor Day Boogie) about a year and half ago. I know you won't remember me, I had about 3 jumps then and still a student.

Finally someone got it right!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Lawrocket!!!! America needs to step up to the plate, it wasn't just one that caused the mess, it was ALL OF US!!!!!!!!!!!!

You will now find yourself looking at the sky more and more often. I'll give you an example, I was mowing the lawn this past Saturday morning and when I shut off the mower to empty the catcher, a small plane passed overhead (I live in a very small town in Eastern Washington that has a small small small airport), I realized I had stopped in my tracks, looking to the sky and wondering for a second if anyone was going to come flying out the door. Just for a second my heartbeat rose. I laughed to myself. As for the period of time you take to get your license...........do it at your own speed. I just got my license last August. I have only 49 jumps as of now. I got my own gear 3 jumps ago. The most jumps I have ever done in a day is 3 (I'm 55 and not quite as in as good of shape as most of the young bucks at the DZ). BUT, I enjoy each and every one of those jumps. I actually like to jump by myself more than with 2 or 3 other people. It's just me, I reflect a lot in freefall. I'm still trying to figure out why birds sing!!!!!!!!!!!! Do what you are comfortable with and do it at a speed you are comfortable with. Don't let anyone push you at "their" rate, you will lose the real reason "you" want to jump. It is the most wonderful experiance in a lifetime................sometimes 3 times in a day

Hate to say it, but if the wings are .999 pure gold, and gold is currently $1,328/ounce, that would put the market price of the wings (the gold) at any coin shop in the market place at $505. Looks like the seller might have done a little home work but could of saved himself some time and trouble and just have taken them to a coin, or metals store. You can sell them right there with no paper trail, taxes, etc. etc. Now if the wings are "plated with gold," different story.

Your right about "just because we're all dumbasses at some point, doesn't make him not a dumbass for something he did," but I was just thinking Leon Lett of the Dallas Cowboys should be more on that radar screen. He pulled a couple of blunders which are always showing up on the "Can you believe that" type of programs. I still wouldn't want to run into either one of them after making less than admirable comments about them.

Jim Marshall is an NFL legend. I would think you guys taking "pot shots" at his intelligence better be hoping that he is not still actively skydiving and you don't run into him at your local dropzone.

Peanut Butter is the answer...........................pass it on.

Neither Rep. or Dem. President should do anything about it. It's not our problem, issue, or business. Stay the hell out of everyone else's business for once.

Don't let these guys pull your chain!!!!!!!!! We "pull the chute" when the pilot flies back past us with a "Two Thumbs UP" signal.

For the love of Mary, how many times are different people going to be in a position to take note of "if your trendy or not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Now, I know that statement should set off a volley of comments. Let the humor begin..................

Defenitly Airtwardo. The picture he posted a few months back flying next to his son (doing his first Tandem) was absolutely great. I just got my license this summer and was able to be on the plane load that my son was doing his first tandem on also. I obviously did not get to fly next to them (I only have 46 jumps) but I got to set next to him and I jumped right before them. I know what Airtwardo was feeling when that picture was taken of him and his son. Also that story he just posted in "getting my shit together" about selling the oldtimer the "goose gun" for a six pack. I've said it before and I'll say it again, no matter what they say about you Airtwardo, your a class act!!

I shouldn't have used the term "tracking." My bad. I want to work more on being positive of my body position (arch/de-arch) for better up/down control. And leg/arm position for better movement forward/backwards. All in all, just to be more aware of where my body is going in relationship to my body position.

pchapman, I just became licensed this past summer, using the IAD system. I would be worried that the added cost might scare potential new divers away from the sport. Even if it is considered "optional" how many students would tell their instructors "no" when posed with the "option" of "you should do some tunnel time." One thing that you said in your last paragraph of the original post was "ones where students are normally left on their own to figure out stability." Maybe I was blessed with the greatest instructors on earth, but I was never left to figure anything out on my own. I can't tell you how many times I had to "flop" out on one of those "outlines with wheels" and spun around on the floor of the hanger practicing the proper positions and movements to achieve the desired goal that the dive intended to achieve. Always at the direction of an instructor, never to "figure out for myself." My most chilling jump of the entire progression was the "go unstable" jump. They had pounded into my brain so many times the importance of a really good arch, that I really was having a hard time trying to figure out WHY DO YOU WANT MY TO GIVE UP MY ARCH and do flips, rolls, etc etc

Can't put it in words. As I was setting (at my desk at work) here thinking about how I would answer your question, I found myself looking out the window, looking into the sky, and smiling. Just a big old shit eatin grin. So, I guess the closest I'll ever be able to come to explaining it is..................."just a big old shit eatin grin!"

I saw this and my search was over for "What was the hardest for me to learn...." Not talking to people who don't jump is by far the hardest thing I am STILL working on.

It really isn't what the GOP achieved. Both parties showed the rest of the world that Washington DC is full of idiots. Some food for thought, China downgraded the US credit rating this morning. All of Europe is "concerned" about the US' ability to service its debt, yet we continue to play russian roulettte with the economy. By not actually addressing the issue of the DEBT that the US is encouring (without the economic activity/policy in place to service it) the rest of the world is preparing for a global meltdown again, which will take place when the US collapses under its own stupidity. DC shouldn't be debating the Debt Ceiling at all, it should be addressing servicing abilities of our current debt. By DC doing just the opposite they are showing the rest of the world that we can't make our interest payments without printing more dollars. We should all, no matter what party, be very concerned with the condition of the economy and the direction that DC is taking us...............the rest of the world is.

Karen, your post made me smile. Why? Because I'm NOT ALONE!!!!!!!!! Our experiences are not that different. Don't quit unless your heart is not in it. I also have a lot more jumps than where I should be at in my progression. I started an IAD course late last year and had a total of 7 jumps and still hadn't pulled my own. Winter set me back with a layoff of almost 6 months. When the DZ opened back up this spring I started from ground zero again. I am currently on E13 (Go unstable??????????? Really??????????). I have been blessed with a great group of instructors, coaches, and just all around great people to spend a day with every weekend. I am not going to quit. I have never quit anything in my life and I am not going to start now. I don't care if it takes 100 jumps to get the "A." I'm going to get there. I hope you stay with it. It's nice to know your not alone