JohnMitchell

I haven't had too many problems with that. The goggles I use have an upper and lower bungee strap, one going above the ears, the other going below, which makes them super secure. The bungee cording is extra long, with sliding adjusters in the back that I adjust the fit with. Also, that way, there is plenty of slack to put them around their neck when suiting up, or for pulling the goggles back down to around their neck under canopy. Like I say, I've enjoyed using them, and my passengers, esp. the ones with contacts, seem happy with them. I would attach a picture, but I can't find that function any more. Have they changed DZ.com?

Part time, 400 jumps a year, lol. I get what you are saying its just funny perspective. Yes, it does sound funny. For decades, I had a full time J-O-B, 5 days a week, kids, western Washington weather, etc. to contend with. And every year I made a steady 200 jumps, year after year. Now I'm retired and the kids are moved out, and we downsized to a smaller home closer to the DZ. Plus we find ourselves taking month long trips in the winter to do tandems in Hawaii. So now it's around 400 jumps a year, and loving it. When I started jumping all those years ago, I never thought skydiving would ever be a career path for so many people. But, of course, tandem jumping changed everything. Used to be 1000 jumps was really something. Now there are so many people making 1000+ jumps each year. I can't imagine having 44,000 jumps by now.

61 and still active TI. I work part time though, making about 400 jumps a year, so burnout is quite unlikely. I also like to mix it up with AFF and fun jumping. Not a bad life.

When I'm doing tandems, I'll clean the goggles and them put them over the student's head and around their neck. I've seen the look of pride and satisfaction on their faces as they show their friends "Hey look, I have my own goggles already." Then the other students start searching and find their goggles on the main attachment hook and strain to put them on while the goggles are still hooked to the harness. Ain't hard to just give 'em the goggles right up front, I've found.

I've had the same situation more than once. You can flare on your rear risers, but I found a better solution (actually my wife Vskydiver told me this one). Reach above the keeper ring and grab the steering line itself. Pull on that to steer and flare. Practice up high. I've had normal stand up landings doing this.

Check the incidents forum. I'm a little surprised Bill Dause would say it like that but maybe he was being sarcastic. Skydivers don't do sarcasm. Yeah, right. [/laugh]

Good to have you back. So sorry about the loss of your son. I can think of nothing more crushing, more tragic. I'm so glad you've found some kind of peace now.

I know that a good track will reduce your rate of descent. Has anyone tried that for slowing down their vertical rate after a speed run?

Wow, I would have said impossible, that earplugs couldn't seal hermetically enough to cause pressure problems. Do the plugs jam inwards as you freefall back into higher pressures? Perhaps some vented plugs would be the ticket for you. I think most of us have been foolish enough to jump too soon after a headcold. 2 years ago, after another bout of sinus troubles, I had my ENT surgeon perform the rotorooter job in my cranium. Hardly a stuffy sinus since.

Hopefully they're committed to recycling, not just warehousing.

It's classic Approach-Avoidance Conflict. I've even seen psychology textbooks that use skydiving as an example.

IDK of any off-the-shelf earplugs that would achieve an airtight seal, enough to cause a pressure differential problem. It's a miniscule amount of air that has to leak past them to maintain a pressure equilibrium. I've worn them for thousands of jumps and have never noticed a problem, or even a sensation of pressure difference.

That's pretty funny. More like an extremely basic, loose understanding of how things theoretically work in a vacuum. But yes, I get what you're saying. How about "You'll know how to use the parachute equipment safely"?

Well, I was scared on my first jump too. No big deal, pretty normal. Most fear comes from not knowing what's going to happen and how to deal with it. You haven't had the ground school for AFF yet. Once you've completed the class you'll have a thorough understanding of how everything works and what's expected of you. Knowledge is comfort. It's very commonn to get nervous on the ride to altitude for your jump. I'd like to suggest that during your spare moments, you should visualize the skydive in your mind, over and over, mentally rehearsing all the tasks you have planned. Visualize yourself doing everything perfectly, smoothly, and easily, with a smile on your face. Don't 2nd guess yourself and have a bunch of "what if" negative thoughts. Those are counter productive at that point. When you do exit the plane on that first jump, remember that you have PLENTY of time to accomplish your tasks. Don't rush. I like to tell my students "I know you have a lot on your mind, but when we exit, just make sure to arch, breathe, smile, and relax for a few seconds. Then go into the skydive. If you arch and smile, everything else will fall into place."

This quote from the Wikipedia page for Dr. Renee Richards, the transgender tennis champion, who took her fight to the supreme court to be allowed to compete as a woman in the US Open. "Richards has since expressed ambivalence about her legacy, and came to believe her past as a man provided her with advantages over her competitors, saying “Having lived for the past 30 years, I know if I’d had surgery at the age of 22, and then at 24 went on the tour, no genetic woman in the world would have been able to come close to me. And so I’ve reconsidered my opinion.”

If they've had the surgery, it's hard to deny them a spot in the women's lineup. Are you worried their size or possible strength advantage will give them an unfair edge?

Nope. That was at Space Oddity at Chicks Rock at "Snore a few years back. She had so-o-o many Trekkie guys that wanted a pic with her. There's plenty of these out there.

I'm not a rigger or a psycho packer, but a few of my friends pack that way. I've never seen them use an S-fold. They just flip the cocooned canopy over, top skin down, fold the upper corners inward, and then roll it up, from the bridle attachment down to the stabilizers, like rolling up a rug. Any comments, anyone?

I went from jump #93 to about #1800 with no cutaways. That was jumping 7-cell F-111 canopies, including about 1500 on Units. Wasn't doing tandems yet. Not amazing, but that's my experience.

Makes sense to me, Bob. H8RS gonna H8 on ya. F-em. One thing that helps me? S-fold the top 2/3rds of the canopy, put it in the bag, then S-fold the last 1/3rd of the canopy, the bottom part, into the bag, just like we used to do when we packed round canopies into bags. To the OP, there a dozens of little technique things that make packing much easier. Watch, ask for help, copy, imitate, learn. You'll get it, brah.

It's a common problem. You jump out and you're so AMPPED that those legs just fly apart. I like to put the student on a creeper, put their feet at the right spacing, then have them push the tops of their feet downwards against my supporting hands (I become the "wind beneath their wings"). I do this mostly for correcting the "lazy legs syndrome" so common, but I think it also reinforces correct spacing. With that said, I often fly too wide myself. If you can hover and get forward motion, you're doing alright.

Only 77? He looked higher mileage than that. Yeah, I dug the guy. He seemed like he liked to roll 'em and party. RIP well, buddy

Best you hand in your man card.... Some things are worth it.

Do you have a nice snaggy gopro on the top of your helmet? If so, I'd keep my head down and the gopro out of the way of the deploying reserve.

Great looking bike, Andreya. I'm a little jelly since Vskydiver says "no" to motorcycles. Dress for the crash, and have a great time.