betzilla

I think the other fatality you're thinking of was at SDC the summer BEFORE last.

I'm just guessing, but if he was singling out any particular DZ (which I doubt he was), he probably would've meant Morris. There were rumors (NOT confirmed) that people had been seen indulging in the praking lot there. It kind of gave people around here the willies. Roger likes Hinkley, from what I've heard. And so do I. The people are nice, and I like the feel of the place (it reminds me of where I learned to jump, but with bigger planes). I hope I can find time to use the money I've got on an account there this season. What business owners sometimes frail to realize is that healthy competition is good for all businesses involved. Anyway, I'm all for drug testing whatever we can do here to stop the press thinking that this is a place where people just run wild, we should do. Not the the press notices a thing about DZ's when all is well....

Our DZ just inplemented random drug testing of staff (not fun jumpers) too, along with the rigging loft/packing concession. I think it's a great idea, but I don't smoke weed or do any illegals, so it's easy for me to feel that way. But last year we had 2 fatalities here, and in both cases, we worried about what would be found in the drug tests. Both jumpers were on staff here. I know that one of the coroners reports was clean (the other may have been too, but I can't recall). We got lots (LOTS) of bad press last year, and definitely drug testing the staff is a really good way to try to keep that from happening. So in my DZ's case, it's not about "putting the other DZs in a bad light," as much as trying to put ours in a good light. Call me naive, but it seems like it would be pretty tough to pay careful attention to procedure if you're buzzed, or to have a safe attitude. I wouldn't want an instructor taking my mom on a jump who i knew routinely used drugs, and the same goes for a rigger or packer working on my rig. It's not clear to me whether you're saying your DZ is also going to test fun jumpers. That seems a little heavy-handed to me, but if they are, and you don't like it, go someplace else. I have absolutely NO problem with drug testing instructors, riggers and on-staff packers.

That was great. Thanks.

SOunds like a great reason to go south for xmas.

I'm sure this is a stupid question, but which DZ?

I just might have to come to that boogie. I'd hate to miss a jump like that.

first let me say that I have no idea what RAPS or a cat.8 license are. As far as the PRCPs into freefall go, we have the same requirements here in the states for static line progression (3 consecutive good PRCPs, and 1st freefall the same day as the last PRCP), and that was not a sticker for me or any of my friends (except my fiance *snicker*). it seems like, if you have the itme and the money, and the weather cooperates, anything is possible in this sport. Good luck!

Groundzero, that was a GREAT story. Thanks for telling it.

Ya gotta love DZ management with a sense of humor!

it's great therapy -- every time you make a successfual skydive (one where you live ), you literally say, "my life is worth saving," and then you save it.

I wore a real purty yellow number during my student jumps. Good thing I didn't buy my own, because on jump 20 the runway came up and bit me . The asphalt burned a huge hole in the knee of the jumpsuit. Better theirs than mine, I say...

Remember that Saturday morning cartoon with the shark who wore a hat? I loved that one. I had plenty of time to watch the cartoon network over the summer (damn broken leg!), and caught up on my Bugs Bunny. now I understand why my dad wasalways laughing harder than us kids when we watched it back in the day...

Typical. IN my short time of experience working with students, I have learned that generally the girls can keep their cool better than the guys (especially the really big guys who feel they can handle any situation). I have a saying: "the bigger they are, the harder they cry on the ride to altitude." Once you've been around the sport for a while, you'll see that everybody's freaked out when they start jumping. And that's normal. it's scary shit, jumping out of planes, especially when you don't know a thing about it. But ain't it fun....

I had one. I didn't change my emergency procedures, but it did change my packing procedures: I had jammed my toggle so far into the retaining loop on the steering line (past the stiff part, so the soft part was through the loop) that, when the line was under pressure, I couldn't release the brake. Of course, the other side released just fine. It was a borrowed canopy 2 sizes smaller than what I was used to, and I didn't want to risk landing it that way, so CHOP. I'm much more careful when I set my brakes now. Lucky for me, we found all the stuff that flew away in the chop.

Right? I feel like I almost know the guy, even though I only read the couple of his dumb-ass posts that he forgot to delete. Hey I'm kinda new here. What's a troll?

I think Skydive the Ozarks really exists. I'm pretty sure I've seen that name somewhere.

because what Chicago need most is more luxury lakefront condos.

One of the very first things I loved about skydiving was the way it caused me to live completely in the moment, and to focus only on what I was doing.That was what kept me coming back. I also learned a lot about the way i handle fear. That new knowlege has helped me get over stupid irrational fears (for instance, calling a creditor to request a lower rate) and anxieties. it's that last one that non-jumpers seem to understand best. But mostly people can see that when I talk about skydiving, I talk about it with great passion. They may not understand why I love skydiving, but they can see that I DO love it, and that keeps them from pooh-poohing it too much.

Tandems get full altitude at my DZ, and they exit last, since they pull at 5500. Exit order here is generally: belly jumps, largest to smallest, FF jumps, largest to smallest, AFP students, then tandems. I'm sure there have been exceptions, but I can't think of any off hand.

I used to be from a place like that....I miss spotting Onwe of the mistakes people at my old DZ often made was not climbing out early enough on low-wind days. So if there's little or no wind, you'll want to start climbing out BEFORE you pass over the target so you can jump straight over head.

Munchausen can be exibted by the actual patient too, in an attempt to get attention (but they really make themselves sick). Munchausen by Proxy is when the Parent makes their kid sick so they (the parent) can get attention. Poor people, it's so sad.

I don't know what your pull altitude is, but I can say this: I was trained at a DZ with lots of "old-timers" who learned to jump back in they day of big docile canopies and low openings. I now jump at a lrage DZ where most people are jumping modern, "high-performance" canopies. People here tend to open higher, since their malfunctions are more likely to be fast and difficult. so it is not at all unusual for people to open at 4000' here. There is no shame in opening "high." I used to get grief from other jumpers about pulling as "high" as 3000 ft regularly, because it wasn't "cool." Now I open about 4000, because it's lonely still being in freefall when all my freinds are flying their mains! And that extra 100 feet will just give me a bigger margin for error. I have quick reflexes, but why risk it, right?

Amen sister! On my first (and only so far, knock wood) cutaway, I was greeted at the hanger by people telling me that they'd had similar malfunctions and been able to land just fine. I was like, "whatever. You're not me, I'd rather spend an hour hunting for a lost canopy than days in the hospital with broken bones." Good job Tasadin. You made a good decision. And don't you just feel like a million bucks after you survive a malfunction!?

this sounds like a classic case of glass half empty/ glass half full. If I had to pick though, I say it has good juju. Yeah, definitely good juju. If were the guy that survived the plane crash, I would have had what was left of that rig bronzed. And if it DID have good juju. at least it took itself out of the rotation by being snipped off the accident victim that last time.