somethinelse

Very happy introduction for me at this new to me DZ! Central Michigan Skydivers...They're located in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. The people are really a fun and easy going bunch...the owners are friendly, the Safety guy took time to talk to me about future training options for me, and the place just had a really good vibe for all the age groups that came there today to jump...ranging from a first time 60+ tandem to college kids going thourgh progression. Hurray! I think that I may HAVE found myself a HOME DZ!

I'm not sure about all the tasks and their timing of freefall in the static program....? But I HAVE decided to take refresher ground course THIS monday, and jump NEXT SATURDAY. Gotta wait til after pay day to have the cash! I visited the DZ today- hung around for several hours- all good there- watching jumpers, talking to people and staff... and I feel confidence in the staff.... had opportunities to talkwith them, the owners and the Safety dude (don't remember the initials that position is usally called by - opps). My gut instinct tells me to do a some static jumps to get me comfortable with getting myself out of the plane, initial freefalling, even though it IS short, and hone up some on my canopy skills.

Yeah! Gonna get back to jumping starting with a refresher ground school THIS MONDAY! I am so releived and psyched up about jumping again. Plan to do my my jump NEXT Saturday(after PAY DAY- dontcha know)!!!

Thanks sunshine! That helpful tidbit was...well, it was simply- a little ray of - SUNSHINE! Well, Anyways, that does help with the perspective of comparing the two and what to expect.

I made it thru level 4, tried to get in 5, but ran into late summer-fall cloudy Michigan weather, and out of cash. That was 2003...So will need to retrain or something like that , right?

Hey! It really is different to know both perspectives of training and to get your input...very helpful. Thanks! Wendy, too...You've really put my mind at ease. I think static is gonna be the only way for me to get trained. I DO tend to "over-load"when there are multiple tasks to accomplish during the freefall in AFF. Having only one (or two?) tasks to do on static will give me much more peace of mind and I'll be able to free up and relax more- I worry! Will be checking out a static program at a DZ about 45 minutes away. Thanx...and Blue skies to you!

Fill me in won'tcha? What brought it all around to happenin' anyways? Just kinda had a shake down- or was it getting too wild & outta control? Feels kinda like I've been away from home too long and time have changed the "TOWN" to a place I just don't know anymore! Ya know what I mean?

Well excuuuuUuuse ME! But brilliant minds do think alike,don't they? Besides, IT's OK to be a little freaky, anyways! - Lila

WOW! Been quite a while since I've logged on...when did DZ.com get all reoganized and "PRETTIED UP"???!

Thanx for your quick reply Wendy! Do you think it an easier way to get each skill down training on static than on AFF? Since you only have the time to focus on individual tasks/skills?

Can not afford AFF, any more...and haven't been able to pursue AFF anyways since summer of 2003! Want to go Static to get my A license. Only way that I see it happening for me any time soon. Any advice about what to expect when I jump from such a low altitude compared to AFF,? Also, what should I do to prepare myself? Are the approaches to teaching jumping REALLY different? Any words or tips that can help me would be great help. I really don't know what to expect. Thanx -

I've always been some what niave about people and their attitudes and conclusions that they come to...! Frankly, I've always found challenging, adventures that have the element of risk to them really attractive. BUT the fact that so many people react as if these things are just plain stupidity or worse, the proof, for them, that those who do them are insane or unstable people...Has really made me rethink about too quickly confinding about my attraction to these kind of adventures. Well....At least until I find that the person has similar kind of interests too. *SIGH* I wish I knew of a way to find out who those kindred spirits where around here that I could have such kinds of adventures with.

Thanx guy...Good to know that not all big time big number jumpers look down on us low timers..and got good advice... And pointing us in the right direction- sky-wards! Blue skies to ya - LILA.

Very cool! Hope to see ya around too....May take a trip done this spring to check it out. THink Spring!

Hey, I'm logged on at a coffee house...and now I've GOTTA GO! See Ya! - LILA.

The #'s got nothing to do with the"glow". I have not been able to jump since 2002! THAT'S WHY...I haven't got any air time in over 18 months.

HA! As graceful as I may be... Like an albatross... I think I'm (probably?) more graceful IN THE AIR. I consider working in an "outdoor kind of capacity".... and although there are sites where the Bureau of Land Management may allow some BASE jumping-(so I've been told?)- I think that "Some" may think "unfavorably" towards hiring/employing someone who lists 'jumping' as a hobbie.... Ya know what I mean!?

Thanx, BRO

Thanx Chrissy- I've heard positive things A LOT about both places, too... UMMM... only jumped outa 182s so far...Is it less nerve wracking getting to altitude faster and jumping out faster (fun??) and with more people outa those bigger planes??? That would be a new experience as well! Please, DO tell...

Hey Thanx for the "welcome back" BUT I don't really feel that I am 'there'... YET... I AM starting to feel the urge to wanna jump & FLY ME again!

Yeah... I've learned the hard way about using discretion about my hobbies...AND got some good advice from AFter all info on hobbies could be used against me to "circular file" my job app! Ha! My hobbies are my personal bizness as long as it doesn't concern them with hiring me!

New experience for me... FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER... I've met somebody else at my new job who loves to skydive...! It's SO funny...When I first had gotten into training I WAS OBSESSED! You know. In hind-sight and to the detrement of my job security, I wanted to talk (too much?) about my skydiving experiences...But never found anybody who really "got it" or wanted to go jump with me. ...So after the GLOW of being new to skydiving wore off, I stopped talking about it (well, at least not to everybody)- I kinda felt like some sort of oddity or something- And only talked about it to those who have been there and done that. JUST WANTED TO SAY- it is SUCH A WELCOME RELIEF TO TALK TO A KINDRED SPIRIT OF SORTS... and I'm again feeling excitment about when and where i will jump again.

Hi, TINK- I only got half way thru AFF.

Hi! IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME!... Couldn't pick up with my training last year dues to not enough money... AND-...I am now feeling reluctant due to bad experience with my first DZ that was training me... They'd dissed me later when I tried to get more info. & mentioned that DZ here... ANYWAYS! ...I'm anxious to get back to where I want to be and what I want to be doing AGAIN. But I am really worried about finding a good place where I will feel that they are being really thorough with me, not short=cutting to move me a long too fast to get to get to their next jump...where I know that I matter not only as a paying student but also as a person. P.S. As a MOM at times I'll need/want to bring my family/friends & want them to be WELCOME too! ANYBODY GOT ENCOURAGEMENT & INPUT FOR ME????

WHAT "all" are considered hard/bad landings? I'm not thru AFF yet and HAVEN'T STOOD UP A LANDING yet! I haven't really gotten thorough feed back about canopy control OR my landings... Thinking back about it, I can tell that there was a lot that WASN'T SAID to me that should have been explained and not just lectured to me that I could've gotten hurt... When I really didn't understand what I did that was "wrong" before the fact - that COULD HAVE been better explained SO that Ican possibly have better canopy control and safer/better landings. SO what do you think? Can you help me out here?