rogerpidactor

I agree, you gotta give credit to trying to go outside the box, only thing is I can't get The Green Goblin in Spider-Man out my head after seeing the vid!

Got the first update on the suit already and production estimate is to begin early November so that's only like 6-7 weeks till they start on it, I'm impressed considering I thought it was looking like March before it would be here.

I just placed my order for mine, rockskymarket site says 25 weeks for production, although I ordered directly from LS. Is that accurate for the rw suit or is that for the more popular ff suits? Either way I have a while to wait but was curious what others have experienced.

I have just finished aff and have 2 self supervised jumps. The first 4 jumps I thought in the plane what the hell am I doing this for, I CAN ride this plane down. But the split second after I forced my self out and exited all that went away, much like you describe. On jump five I broke my arm on landing (super high flare and non plf). So that made the nerves and over analysis even worse. Then I had to sit and dwell on my mistake for 13 weeks healing up. First jump back was the pinnacle of self questioning and nerves, and to be honest I just can't figure out what about being in free fall would make me want to go through all that, but there is a bit of peace and a large dose of accomplishment that I feel and whatever IT is I love it. Now having soloed twice, I am SOOOO glad I overcame what was is inside. In short, from my perspective, your both having very normal thoughts, and just hang in there and the pride you feel will make you feel so good. It's not that there isn't going to be hiccups, hopefully not as painful as mine, but I can tell you first hand that I love this sport...and glad I didn't give up on ME.

I got some video last week of an army medic Blackhawk doing touch an goes at Addington field in elizabethtown ky at the skydive ky Dropzone. Two tandems were on jump run on the first touch, came in on approach right over the spot that day before the jumpers were out. Then did another touch opposite approach and this time the jumpers were under canopy. The chopper (and I was thinking "blender") lifted off and tracked west DIRECTLY OVER the dz landing area at about 500 feet, right underneath 2 tandems under canopy. When they landed I said to the TI, wow that didn't look very comfortable. He said, yeah, they were probably 1000 feet below me. I wondered if the chopper crew had any idea there were jumpers directly above them. Personally was a bit unsettling.

Studying on a similar problem for myself, albeit trying to decide pulse 230 or sabre2 230. I'm 240 out the door. Everyone has an opinion. Although I am too new to understand I guess, my DZO says no to the sabre2 and a big giant yes to the pulse. I may not understand fully but the guy has 7000 jumps...I'm going with the DZO's advice. I willing to be the has forgot more than I know about canopy selection.. Edited for pulse 230 not storm 230.

Made my come back jump. Had to do a retrain as I was off 13 weeks with a broken distal radius and dislocated ulna. Jumped with a little extra hard wear, three plates and 13 screws. Was shaking all over until I boarded the 182. Had a great jump, re-did d1 threw in a barrel roll and had the sweetest flare and standup landing. I wanted to thank those here for the words of encouragement and advice about positive visualization about the jump. This forum, albeit sometimes harsh on the noob, has been a great resource. Damn I have missed this sport while recovering. Headed back Friday for e1/e2 and first post aff self supervised. Glad to be back folks!!

Broken distal radius and dislocated ulna after a (now that I have had three months to dwell) totally bone head high flare and stall on landing aff d1. Finally got cleared Monday to return and schedule a retrain and jump for today. Nerves where on a different level of jittery. Mild diarrhea kind of nerves. Finally made a decision to do it. Manifested, got the rig on, went over the flow for a modified lesser d1 my guy called aff x, just to get back on the horse. Winds 12 and gusting a little. Uppers kicking it. Boarded while shaking in my boots. Hop and pop guy on load says check out the wind sock and it was moving back and forth probably 70 degrees and inflated straight out. Taxied the Cessna to the runway and pilot hits the gas for about 5 seconds and AFFI says shut it down. Aborted take off right then and there. Says to the pilot I'm not putting a student out in this take us back. Now my mind is just overloaded thinking about it. Anyone else experience serious ass nerves returning from an injury? Any advice?

I learned in the military. PLF every time. Your probably not gonna stand up a round, if you did you'de probably be on the cover of Stars and Stripes, or given an article 15 for being stupid. I PLF'd every single landing at jump school, and the 82nd, without exception. All but 4 at night. Couldnt see sh@t. Good PLF's too, rolling over the side of my body, legs flopping over me together. Got in PLF position when I descended below the tree line, aprox. 100 ft. Never....NOT ONCE, did I get hurt. Not a sprain, bruise, break, contusion....NOTHING. In nearly 4 years, nothing. Fast forward 17 yrs. decide to finally do the free falling. Read, studied, researched, and signed up for AFF. I was excited about the prospect of actually not smearing my ass across North Carolina sand on a landing, and actually standing one up. Did the pratice PLF's in FJC like I was at Ft. Benning yesterday...best in the class. So 1st jump, on radio, flare flare flare, I managed half of one, and crappy approach had me crosswind. I PLF'd like a champ!! My 34 yr old bones felt it the next morning but I was none the worse for wear. 2,3,4 I landed giving honest attempts (and better attempts I'll add) at standing it up. PLF be damned! 3rd one flared layed try to stand it, nearly broke my leg, hurt tendons in my foot, limped a few days. Slid the 4th one in HOTTT on a late flare, in the peas thank god. No PLF SINCE JUMP 1 mind you; 5th...determined not to flare late and to stand up, flared WAYYY to early, luckily knew I did, held the flare as trained, came down backwards and straight down. Of course I can stand it up... Fell flat on my ass going backwards caught myself NON PLF style with my left wrist. Dislocated both bones at the wrist shattered the end of my radius. 3 plates 13 screws and 13,000$ in medical bills..... You can bet your aunt Sally's ash can PLF IS MY FIRST OPTION ALWAYS. I'll STAND IT UP IF, as the sim states, WHEN ALL VARIABLES ARE UNDER MY CONTROL. Dude, I'm no pro, but I learned a hard taught lesson. Don't risk your body to avoid getting your jumpsuit dirty, or to risk being heckled, and especially for you own pride, "because everyone can already do it." Risks to PLF. Yes. Risks to butt sliding. Yes. Spine or legs. You answered your own question.

I too was/am having trouble flaring. I was glaring late and not hard or all the way, tumbling rolling landings. On my aff 5, end of April, practiced flared above decision altitude. Thought I had a feel for it and on approach I flared WAYYY to early held the flare, came straight down and backwards. Dislocated wrist at both bones and crushed the end of my radius. 3 plates 13 screws. Totally know NOW what I did wrong. Hard lesson. I had all the wrong picture in my head coming in. I was looking at the ground rushing by, not using visual cues like the windsock or a light pole or when you can kick someone in the head. Not to scare you but don't do like I did. Get an instructor to video you. Personally when I get back, in 7 more weeks, I am going back on radio. No shame in doing that. Better get it right now before you end up like me....watching landings instead of performing them.

August 1997, 17 yrs old. Day one airborne school Ft. Benning, Ga, 34 ft mockup tower is what I count as my first. Had to get in a "rig" pass off the static cord and exit out. Done incorrectly your still gonna fall and probably going to die. But officially 3 1/2 weeks later... still 17 "Hollywood" jump from C-141. 1000ft altitude, round canopy. 4 seconds of jerking my body into a cinched up knot- nice big green round. Prepared for plf....THUD....oh my god that f'ing hurt. Ironically, was jumping at 82nd at Ft. Bragg before I could buy cigarettes for myself. First skydive April 19th 2014, aff. Despite the DZO trying to persuade me to do the static line, I CHOSE aff. Good choice for me. I had static lined to death in the 82nd, wanted to experience free fall. Costs more but it is exactly what I wanted.

Good call actually. Post op was this afternoon. Internal fixation is holding up well and everything was aligned well on X-ray. Doc says back to work in 2 weeks. He recommended 8 weeks from now before resuming jump activities with the warning that another blow like this in the same spot would be very bad given there are screws in just about every viable splinter of bone I had in there and another injury wouldn't leave much to work with in there. Cautioned me to proactively protect that wrist from injury going forward but expected me to return to 100% rom and strength. The Rest is on me as they say, properly rehabbing and doing the work. Furthermore preparing mentally to know what I did, be fully prepared to perform correctly when the time comes and not let fear and apprehension get to a point as to hinder clear thinking and judgement. However that first jump back plays out below 30 feet, and believe me I will and DO have better knowledge of proper flare technique, I'm sure a PLF will occur and my arms will be in close to my body, unless it is CERTAIN all the conditions are exactly under my control to have that nice standup walk out I am visualizing I can have.

Distal radius with me too except it was crushed into like 15 little pieces, with one long fracture running length wise up my ulna toward my elbow. Very similar to you. I don't want to push it by any means and risk poor healing and not have confidence in it on the ride to altitude first jump back. Can't imagine having gear fear about your body!! Just bummed this has stalled me out getting to my immediate goal of getting on self supervised status but the greater goal of getting my "A" stamp this summer. Thanks for the replies, post operation appt is this afternoon, we'll see what the orthopedic surgeon estimates. ...Ps there is a YouTube video of the jump but I'm a little reluctant to post it here. Not afraid of getting shredded on here- it was so stupid I can barely watch it myself but more so-I don't want to shed any negativity on my dz or the instructor who made the video because both are top notch class acts.

Well, it was pretty ideal conditions, and I can say absolutely nothing bad about my instruction thus far. They are quite knowledgable and have felt nothing but safe and prepared heading into any jump. I don't blame either conditions or instruction, but rather my inexperience. It was a raven IV 288 7 cell f-111 in a student rig. Loaded at .81. I jumped that rig on the previous aff jump and had a harder than i liked landing because it seemed like it just flat out didn't flare. I had a great jump tossed at planned 4500. Did riser turns to satisfy my category requirements and a controllability check. I did 3 practice flares before decision alt. and saw for my self it had a pretty sluggish flare. Flew the approach pretty much dead on and had decided already to flare earlier than I had the previous jump. As I came in on final I realize now, after some reading and further instruction, that I had the wrong site picture. I was looking down at the ground rushing by, had bad perception of my alt. and flared hard in one motion, and probably twice as high as I should have. The reason I landed backwards was from the pendulum effect of me dangling under a nearly stalled canopy. I fully understand my mistake, why it happened, why I perceived the wrong alt. to flare, why that canopy didn't flare well to begin with and what not to do to try to get it to flare. Also learned that keeping your arms close to your body while plf keeps arms and wrists from being smashed. That being said... I have no intention of giving up my dream and goal to become a licensed skydiver. That is the first reaction my whuffo friends have had," guess that's IT for the skydiving?" Answer is NO. This is a sport where injury is a likely even for experienced people from what I have read on here. I am trying to learn, made a mistake... Hard taught albeit, but I think I'll pass on the golf and bowling for now. Hope to be back soon, thanks for the people with the legitimate replies to my post.

Made a rookie mistake on my aff jump #5 and flared early. Like after the fact and all the reading/learning I have done in the last week I could just kick myself... That early. Impacted going backwards dislocated ulna and radius and crushed the end of the radius. Had surgery on the 22nd put in internal fixator (metal plate/s) and screws. Got a good 6-7 inch incision, fiberglass single sided splint and wrapped and sling. Question is, anyone else with similar injury? How long till you where jumping again? What was your mental state getting back into it ie were you scared? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.