FlyLikeARaven

Happy holidays from me and my friends! We had a lot of fun filming this little skydive with Santa, Mrs. Claus, reindeer and elves at Skydive California in Tracy, CA. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_NY0GIlXWQ I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

Maybe...but no one ever blames the girl, so.... ;-) I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

Happened to me for the first time right around 300, and in tunnel I had just over 5 hours! Pretty cool to be a "real" skydiver now! ;-) I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

I was really nervous during AFF and really really didn't want to gross anyone out on the way to altitude. I clenched my cheeks for dear life and called it arch practice. It doesn't really go away in my experience, but usually once you get out the door you forget you have to fart. I still rip out a good burp on most landings, though. Anyone else have that issue? I'd say problem but they're pretty good ones, and I'm kinda proud of them. I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

I watched those videos before my first jump course and they were really reassuring--I don't know if it was the accent (ha) or just the fact that malfunctions happen and you have options. One thing I would like to add is ignore the peanut gallery. There are two types of skydivers--those who have had a mal, and those who will. So anytime something happens, you'll hear a half dozen opinions on what you should have done. I've had two mals that I considered chopping, and didn't, so no cutaways for me yet, but I know a lot of young jumpers who have, including on AFF and on the 8th jump after AFF. There's always someone who said "you had plenty of time, why not try to fix it?" DO NOT LISTEN. Those people were not in the sky with you and have no idea what your mal was. You're up there alone and it's on you to handle what you've got over your head. If something happens and you cutaway or fix it, and you're not sure about your decision, ask someone you trust--your instructor, a rigger, or someone whose opinion you can rely on. Ignore the static, because if they're not under canopy with you, they don't get to make the decisions that will get you to the ground safely. Blue skies! I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

I have about 3 1/2 belly hours in the tunnel, and go to four-way competitions a couple times a month. I'm okay--still a beginner. But when a team of instructors from my DZ, guys who I've flown with for almost a year and absolutely insane on their bellies in the air, got in the tunnel for the first time, it was a comedy show. Wind tunnel and sky are very different animals, although one can definitely help train for the other. After 15 minutes or so, they were all markedly improved and flying almost as well as they do in the sky. Next time I see them they'll probably be shredding. They just needed to get used to the cleaner tunnel air and other subtle unexpected differences. Practice is all it takes, really. I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

My bad, I just threw a low dollar amount out there. Maybe I was thinking of the license fee I just paid. You're right though, still a screaming good deal. The USPA keeps us in the air and on the FAA's good side, and for my money it's well worth it. I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

It seems my role on this board is to follow you around and agree with you. Sure, we have a few muscly tanks in our sport, but if you notice, most of us are pretty lean. Part of it because being lean makes the sport easier and opens up a lot of possibilities to us...but part of it is because the sport makes it easier to lose weight. How many times have you been at a DZ in the middle of nowhere, with no junk food within easy reach, and not wanting to break up your jumping day by going to get food? I'm not saying skipping meals is a good idea, but it keeps the junky convenience foods out of our hands. It means if you want a meal and want to jump all day, you're going to have to pack, might as well pack something healthy. Plus, as much as it seems like it's just falling out of the sky, it is a very active sport, from packing to dirt diving to the jump itself. I'm with John--lose a little extra weight and you'll find everything in the sport easier. I'm also with him on the second point. I see so many people rush to freefly because all the cool kids are doing it, and can't fly in deployment position or track worth a damn. I got talked into buying a custom $600 freefly suit that I never use because it turns out I love RW. Wait 100 jumps and then see what kind of discipline you're interested in, because it may be something you didn't expect. I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

I have to agree with you. $30 a year for the kind of liaising they do is a damn bargain. I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

This poster and I started at the same DZ around the same time, and we both moved to other DZs around the same time. At the time, we had some complaints about our former home DZ (my complaints have largely since been addressed and corrected), but since then, I personally moved to a DZ where I click better with the fun jumpers. I went back to my old DZ for a visit last weekend and the manager asked me what it would take to get me back there jumping full-time again. He asked about ticket prices, boogies, free jumps, etc. Truthfully the price is the same and my new DZ is even smaller and newer with fewer resources, but at the end of the day if you enjoy (versus feeling like you have to compete with) the people you're having a beer with, it's worth it. There's nothing WRONG with my former DZ. It's very safe, clean, and has a lot of resources and a lot of talent. But there's a camaraderie at my new home DZ that fits me better, and when my wuffo friends ask me where to go, I send them to my new home--not because it's objectively better for tandems, but because I have a vested interest in its success. If anything, I welcome tandems because their energy and enthusiasm is infectious on the plane. There's very little risk of a small DZ in the middle of nowhere, CA becoming a tandem factory when they're competing with Tahoe and Monterey, and tandems keep DZs afloat, so I happily welcome them. Edit: also sorry I hijacked a FF thread (wasn't paying attention) but I think this can be universal. I don't FF that much and it's very lonely being at a DZ where you can't find many people doing your discipline. There's a fairly high barrier of entry (reasonably so) to FF, so when I found a bunch of RWers at my new home DZ, it was like that Blind Melon video where the little bumblebee finds the field of other bumblebees. I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

Which may explain their name! Seriously though, seconding this. It was frustrating flying that thing at 0.8 WL on a windy day. Glad I spent so much time on it but the way it flew me most of the time, I had to break some bad habits when I was ready to move on from it. Fantastic canopy if that's what you're looking for, though. I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

Relaxing was (and still is) a big barrier for me too. I struggled a bit with stability early in AFF, and my AFFI predicted an issue with Cat C (level 3) and asked me to go to the tunnel during the week. 10 minutes helped a lot, but what really helped was having an instructor who helped me relax. He was just very chill and he smiled a LOT. When you're having fun with someone who also seems to be having fun, when they smile at you, it's hard not to smile back. Smiling = relaxing for me. It's easy to get too intense out there, especially early on. I passed Cat C easily, and when I moved on to the next levels, I asked subsequent instructors to smile or make faces at me. One of them made such goofy faces it helped me laugh and relax a lot, and I passed the rest of AFF with no problems. (Of course, I had to try the last coach jump 3 times before getting a swoop and dock, but that was a different story altogether.) Long story short, maybe what you need is an instructor who makes you feel more comfortable? I always perform better when I'm relaxed and comfortable, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Keep trying, bud. You'll get there! I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

A friend of mine adores her Triathlon even though other people keep telling her it's obsolete. I jumped a lightly loaded Storm for 150 jumps and it was a great beginner canopy. Maybe because it was lightly loaded, it definitely didn't have "the forward speed of a NASCAR." In even the slightest hint of wind, I would sink like a tank. I quickly learned on windy days to turn onto final where I wanted to land, because once I faced into the wind, I was going down right there. Fortunately I'm on a SF2 that is more appropriately sized, and I love the forward speed! Anyway, even if you don't think you want a PD, if one comes up and you can demo it, I'd recommend it. Another friend of mine jumped the exact same canopy for 200ish jumps and he loved it too. I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

I had a red eared slider too! Super sweet little guy. Did he get really big? I knew they lived a long time, but 50 years, wow! I have a cat. She's 17 and in early-stage kidney failure. She's healthy and happy (although it kinda seems like her bones hurt her sometimes--she groans when she's getting settled). But she jumps on the bed and dresser with no problems, and eats like a pig. She's losing hair (but not so much that her hair is really thinning), and gets a little wobbly from time to time, but for now my old girl is doing great. I've had her for her whole life and I hope I get to keep her for several more good years. I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

We all were "that child" at some point in life. Hey, my canopy is soft and made of pretty bright colors. Less than five seconds of "no no, little buddy, not for climbing," and his mom was at his side apologizing. No harm, no foul--if he'd been doing something truly dangerous, like running out to the runway, I think all of us would have been a lot stronger in our reactions. At any rate, I think I am starting to see what you're expecting. In the three dropzones I've visited, I'd say one is what you'd consider "kid-friendly" in that, while we are all fairly vulgar and definitely enjoy a beer or two after sunset load, the place doesn't reek of weed and there aren't people running around naked. One family brings their toddler regularly and has a little collapsible play area for him to hang out in. Generally, as with dogs, as long as your kids are well-behaved and someone is watching them, they're welcome. On that note, if you're ever in Northern California, stop by Skydive California. Skydance, too, although if you stay after sunset there is more of a party atmosphere. I guess the concern, as with dogs, is that when you start to welcome more of them, things can get out of hand. Constant communication with the parents (or dog owners, depending on the situation) about what is and isn't allowed and warning that non-compliance will result in not being allowed back seems to do the trick. It seems a little odd to compare a kid to a dog, but in this context, the safety concerns are roughly equal. Thanks for clarifying--it sounds like what you're looking for is not "this is a perfectly appropriate playground for my kid" and more like "it's probably okay to bring the kid because even though she may get an earful of colorful language she probably won't get a contact high or an eyeful of dong," and I think that's perfectly reasonable. I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

Why is the "dad/husband" your customer and not the passenger herself? I find it interesting that you mention the guy's discomfort but don't mention the woman's discomfort. After all, she is the one doing the lap sitting in your scenario. I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

What is your criteria for "kid-friendly"? Having a daycare available, or a playground, or toys, or just allowing kids? In the interest of inclusiveness, I'd obviously love to welcome parents to drop zones, but after having a toddler attempt to climb my canopy as I was packing it, I'm inclined to be less charitable. I've only visited a very limited number of drop zones, and I wouldn't describe any of them as "kid-friendly." People do bring their kids and they are welcome to do so, presuming they keep their kid under their control, and generally they do (the small climber's parent intervened within a few seconds). But if you're wanting a list of dropzones that specifically cater to kids and parents? Like, a place where you can dump your 2 year old to its own devices while you go play? I think that's going to be a pretty short list, to be honest. I do support networking parents together, especially in this sport which is geared toward adults and has a high potential of exclusivity to parents. But in general I don't think DZs are set up to be kid-friendly, and I think it's going to take some work to get there. I could be wrong, though--there may be plenty of DZs out there with the resources and patience to make kids as welcome as adults, and I just don't know about them. At my home DZ dogs are welcome, and the dog owners rely on each other to watch their dogs while they're jumping. Perhaps a setup like that could work? Or people could switch off minding the little ones every weekend while everyone else jumps? I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

Thanks everyone for the info! Good point about not letting it touch my rig. Fortunately the smell is coming from the cordura booties, so it's unlikely that whatever is causing the smell has made contact with the back panel, which is entirely spandex. I had it in a bin with open boxes of baking soda all weekend, and it's airing out outside overnight. I'm going to take it with me tomorrow and see if it's still bad. It does seem to have improved, but it gets worse every time I wash it or whenever I leave it stored in my gear bag. I may just store it in this bin with baking soda until (if) the smell goes away. I'll try this for a few weeks, maybe take it to a dry cleaner, and then throw in the towel and buy a custom suit if it doesn't go away. Now that you all have mentioned it, vinegar probably isn't the best idea since I don't know what is actually causing the smell. On the other hand, my FF suit is getting a little love now, which is nice considering I ordered it, decided to concentrate on belly, and shoved the FF suit in the closet for awhile. It's definitely weird wearing weights and a FF suit. I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

Wasted an entire bottle of it. Suit smells temporarily like Linen Breeze Marlboros and then goes back to stankin'. I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

Maybe I'm hopelessly optimistic, but the baking soda seems to have made a dent in the odor. It doesn't pervade the entire house when I open the bin the way it used to. Maybe I'll just refresh the soda a few times over the next week and jump my FF suit this weekend. We can just work on gripless RW, or I can use it as an excuse to work on my abysmal excuse for a sit fly. Still, any advice is definitely welcomed. Ultimately I want this thing smelling of nothing but sweat or jet fuel. I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

Hi all, *Mods feel free to move this to the General thread if you think it belongs there* So, over the past year I've decided that RW and big-ways are my preferred discipline. I bought a bootie suit from a mentor that fit perfectly, and when she offered me her old comp suit from Paraclete, I jumped on it and sold the previous suit to a newer jumper. I love the suit. It's heavy-duty and strong, and fits pretty well for something not-custom. It adds a few pounds and is tough to maneuver when I have to sit in the aisle, but it flies well and adds a lot of power. I was hoping to keep it for a long time until I ultimately join a comp team of my own. But it stinks! At first I thought it was cigarette smoke, even though its previous owner and her husband don't smoke. But I've washed it at least a dozen times and the smell is only getting worse. When I mentioned it to her she said it's a chemical odor and her husband's suit is languishing in the garage because of the smell. I took a big whiff and she's right, it's not cigarettes but some other strong, harsh chemical odor. She contacted Paraclete and they said there shouldn't be anything out of the ordinary because they only use cotton in the grippers, and no one else seems to have a problem with these suits.* *She also told me Paraclete doesn't make civilian suits anymore, but I have no reason to believe it's because of this odor issue. So now that I know it's not cigarette smoke, that compounds the problem because I don't know what it is, so I have no way to know how to neutralize it. It's in baking soda right now, which is doing nothing, and it's getting a vinegar bath tonight, which could either help or make the problem worse. I'll take it to a dry cleaner next week if it doesn't get better, but I'm hesitant since I don't know what chemical is causing the odor. Ozone has also been suggested to me, and I figure it's worth a shot. Worst-case scenario I have to toss a beloved suit and buy a custom one (and wait weeks for it to be made, and hear my RW friends complain about my lack of grippers, etc. etc.) Any ideas? I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

I asked the same thing on my first repack, and got the same answers you're getting. I made myself be satisfied with chopping on the ground while being spun by an instructor. Basically, listen to your instructors and S&TA. They should know what they're doing. I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

Sorry, reading comprehension fail. In my experience, this is common (and strictly enforced) at both DZs as well. I would probably side-eye a DZ that lets HP and normal landings happen in the same space. I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.