liloz

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Everything posted by liloz

  1. I started an organization called Veterans Skydive For Life in May of 2018. There is an article from the start of the idea back in 2016. There is a link to that article at the bottom of this post. I am looking for the support of Skydivers and Drop Zones. The goal of the group is to prevent future Veteran Suicides. When I went on the ride in 2016 Veteran Suicide was at 22 per day currently it is at 20 per day. That is over 7000 men and women that chose to take their own life. One of the goals of the organization is to reach 20,000 people on Facebook asking them to like and follow the page. If you can check out the page and if you like what we are doing please like and follow the page. Share it with as many others as possible and ask them to do the same. We are currently at 1660 followers so we have a long way to go. We have shirts for sale and the money will be used to put on a skydive event at different drop zones where we take and introduce local Veterans to their local drop zone and hopefully take them skydiving. The goal is to give them something to think about other than suicide and the problems they are trying to deal with. I have no doubt this works as I have had two people reach out and tell me how they have not thought about suicide since I introduced them to their drop zone. I have visited 93 drop zones in only four years of skydiving. My plan is to put every drop zone I have visited and is interested in hosting an event into a hat and we will pick at least one DZ every year to have our event. If money is available we will do more than one. If you have any questions if you are interested in ordering one of our shirts please email me Jim Osterman at [email protected] I am happy to answer any questions you may have and sell you one of our amazing shirts hoodies. Hope to have other items in the near future. I know this forum is for people we have lost in the sport this group is to prevent losing as many as we can through the sport. I hope it is ok to be posted in here. Here is a link to our Facebook page. You can also google Jim Osterman Veteran Life and you can get a bunch of links to articles written about the group. Thank you for your support and hope to see you all following the page soon. https://www.facebook.com/One8884574838/
  2. I visited Midwest Freefall on a trip I was taking across the country in two months. My only disappointment was I only made one jump. I checked in they asked me to get on a load with some belly flyers got to do an amazing 4 way with 3 fantastic people. Heard some great stories and was treated like I had jumped there for years. Very willing to help the Veteran cause. Unknown to me called ahead to my next DZ to let them know I was on my way. Another MI drop zone I will visit every time i come to Michigan to visit.
  3. liloz

    Skydive Tecumseh

    My fourth stop on a long trip and after my last DZ experience I needed something like this. From the second I pulled up to the minute we pulled out the place was truly amazing. I brought a Veteran friend out for his first skydive and they did EVERYTHING to make sure that it happened and that he had a fantastic time. Very willing to hear what I had to say about my trip. Tecumseh is a long way from were I live, but I visit a friend in Michigan every few years. There is no doubt in my mind that I will be back here to jump. I had done something that a experienced local jumper did not care for. He very quietly took me to the side and explained what he had a problem with and provide me with a few tips for traveling to all of these drop zones. It was done in a very professional manner was greatly appreciated. If you are thinking about going to Tecumseh stop thinking about it and just go you won't be disappointed. Thank you all!
  4. I drove knowing this DZ would not open for another day after I got into town. I had talked with the DZO previously and was advised that I could jump at the DZ when I got into the area. Prior to leaving IL I sent the DZO a message advising I was coming to town and wanted to verify I could jump. When I arrived six hours later nothing from the DZO. No camping on site so I found a campground and pitched my tent for $40 a night (CRAZY) I waited all night and into the next morning still no word from the DZO. Does not open until noon but I decided I would drive over and just wait. 11:30 and the gates are open so I drive up. I am met by a young lady who was very nice and advised they are busy but should be able to get me in the air but it was up to the boss. I go into the trailer and I don't even think the BOSS ever looked at me let alone barely talked to me. He did mention that he was having a busy day and one of his TI's was stuck in traffic. So I asked well you have one TI can I get on a load with the one tandem to get the plane up. He tells me no because he is losing money by doing that. He goes further to tell me I might be able to get up by 6:00 PM but I would have to pay for all the slots so like $70 some dollars to ride a 182 to what probably would not be 10K. VERY disappointed in the way the DZO treated me. The young lady was very nice and apologized several times before I left. I am driving around the Country trying to bring awareness to the suicide rate in our Veterans. This guy had no time to talk to me about that. When I asked if I could send him something I was ignored. I understand being busy but at least look at a person give a person a minute of your time. Not any chance I would EVER go back here nor would I ever advise anyone to give this guy their money.
  5. liloz

    I drove knowing this DZ would not open for another day after I got into town. I had talked with the DZO previously and was advised that I could jump at the DZ when I got into the area. Prior to leaving IL I sent the DZO a message advising I was coming to town and wanted to verify I could jump. When I arrived six hours later nothing from the DZO. No camping on site so I found a campground and pitched my tent for $40 a night (CRAZY) I waited all night and into the next morning still no word from the DZO. Does not open until noon but I decided I would drive over and just wait. 11:30 and the gates are open so I drive up. I am met by a young lady who was very nice and advised they are busy but should be able to get me in the air but it was up to the boss. I go into the trailer and I don't even think the BOSS ever looked at me let alone barely talked to me. He did mention that he was having a busy day and one of his TI's was stuck in traffic. So I asked well you have one TI can I get on a load with the one tandem to get the plane up. He tells me no because he is losing money by doing that. He goes further to tell me I might be able to get up by 6:00 PM but I would have to pay for all the slots so like $70 some dollars to ride a 182 to what probably would not be 10K. VERY disappointed in the way the DZO treated me. The young lady was very nice and apologized several times before I left. I am driving around the Country trying to bring awareness to the suicide rate in our Veterans. This guy had no time to talk to me about that. When I asked if I could send him something I was ignored. I understand being busy but at least look at a person give a person a minute of your time. Not any chance I would EVER go back here nor would I ever advise anyone to give this guy their money.
  6. liloz

    Skydive Chicago

    This was stop #2. I left CSC thinking I could make a sunset load but was shut down well before sunset. It happens. I was met by a fella that showed me were I could camp. Same gentleman found me in the morning to let me know the hanger was open. I was a little disappointed to not find any belly flyers and I had to do a solo jump if I wanted to go. Doing a solo is just a little boring, but the view made up for it. I left after one jump with no one to jump with, but the same young man that had already found me a place to camp brought me into the open hanger worked his tail off to find someone to jump with. As I was packing up he did but I had already made my decision to take off. Only had three people in the place come over and talk to me which was a little disappointing after my last experience. But overall very nice place I would go back but with a friend.
  7. I am on a now 7000 plus mile trip on a motorcycle and CSC was my first stop. From start to finish my experience could not have been better. Even with the clouds setting in we had a good time. My plan was to make one jump at each DZ and move on. This place was so amazing I ended up making 3 jumps and really thought I could end my trip right were it started. Amazing staff from manifest to experienced jumpers. Thank you all so much for making the start of my trip so amazing. I will be back no doubt!
  8. So just over a year ago I started this thread. I am leaving on a 2 month trip across the country to visit some military friends meet some new Veterans and to of course skydive at as many DZ's as possible. I have been skydiving my ass off and I have learned so much. I just read all of the comments posted on this issue again today. I worked with two different S&TA's at my DZ as well as every camera flyer that came through the drop zone to get their opinion. I knew I wanted to fly a camera on my trip as I will probably never get a chance to jump these places again. I jumped my camera last week at the DZ I have been calling home for almost 200 jumps. I wanted to make sure I had as many local jumps as possible before getting on the road. I went with a side mount on my right side. I modified a countour cookie mount. I purchased a helmet that has a cutaway system. I did as much research as possible to make me flying a camera as safe as I possibly can. I full understand that NO mount/camera is snag free. I feel I have made this set up as snag free as possible. I do not like the top mounts at all and the side mount just works really well with my camera. I have made only six jumps with the camera (weather sucks) with the camera. What I really like is I honestly forget that I have the camera on. I know most people turn camera off after opening. I have been walking back to the hanger and remember that I have it. I hope that I can maintain that. I don't ever (at this time) want to fly the camera. My #1 goal has been and always will be being able to jump tomorrow. I had a lot of help not only from everyone is this thread but everyone at my drop zone Skydive Wissota. I showed my mount to people for the past few months. I have taken their suggestions and changed the mount several times based on their thoughts and ideas. I really appreciate all the thoughts from them as well as everyone that responded in the thread. Just wanted to post an update. THANKS
  9. liloz

    Camera Mount

  10. liloz

    Woo Hoo

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    13510

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    8300

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