mww115

I need some help folks. About a year ago I made a few coaching jumps at Emporabrava. When I left to go back to Germany, I bought a (slightly) used access. What a great suit to learn on. Easy for deployment, small leg wing, etc. I put 10 or so jumps on it. Well I got to the US and the coaches looked at my exit and the way I flew it from the video and said, "Why are you still on that?" No one at the other DZ in Germany flocked, so I was on my own. I made two Protege demos solo and flew with one of the instructors and then they gave me an Acro. With the Acro I was on my back (stable enough for the instructor who said thats one of the hardest things to do) and barrel rolling for the first tim by jump 3. By jump 5 I was doing front flips, but more importantly, on heading. The whole time I have seen my fall rate steadily decrease to high 70s low 80s. The next step is there is a Phantom demo around somewhere for me to try. I hear a lot of talk that maybe this suit is the one for me. So here are the questions: #1 I'm looking for something that will allow me to flock with others (so a good glide ratio) as well as roll and flip like the Acro. The instructors think that I should jump the Phantom demo before I purchase/ move up and I've trusted the whole time as they know my skills. Other opinions from the limited knowledge I've given here? #2 At what point do I buy MY suit? ---I currently have about 2-3 dozen wingsuit jumps. Thanks all, Mike Until you've stepped out at 800' in the dead of night with 100 lbs of chute and equipment.. you haven't jumped. AIRBORNE !

Andy and the team have really made this DZ's appearance come a long way; a vast improvement over last year. Larger indoor area for packing, big sofa, and being American, someone's always there that speaks English. Then again, it seems "READY, SET, GO!" is the same in German. This is also the home of Performance Variable. A few gripes to the previously posted review. The aircraft has gone from a 206 to a 182 in the past year. Jump altitude is 10,000 if lucky, while tickets have now soared to 30 Euro/ $40. Load organizing is really not existant, they don't start until noon and I can get in 2-3 jumps a day if lucky. Mike

I came back to The States this April for a wedding and met my friend down here to make a few jumps after. What a treat, first time there. Weather was great and the staff was the friendliest I've seen since leaving The Ranch. Huge indoor area for packing and dirt-diving, and my bud had evidently taken evryone's money in poker the night before. Really friendly, even after they realized I was from Germany and couldn't be a regular. The wife relaxed in the sun as I jumped; if she's happy, I'm happy (and jumping). I'd go back in a second. Thanks guys, Mike

So I'm on leave from Germany and a buddy of mine, we'll call Billy, says meet me at this DZ. I wind up here. I ask if this is The Farm. I must have looked like a tandem student or out of towner cause I got, "Yeah". So I tell her I'm an up jumper and show my card and reserve repack and ask if anyone has seen Billy (last name). "I'm sure he's around". Problem was I hadn't seen him and no one was up yet, so I figured I'd call. "Can I borrow the phone," I ask. "Sure, it's over there." Courtesy phone's broke. She tried to fix it but seemed inept. I went back to the main road/ Cowboys, and asked for directions to the OTHER skydiving place off Grady Rd. They hooked me up. I made two jumps with Billy at the Farm before leaving for Hartsfield (where security was convince my pin-cutter was a blasting cap; different story) and flying back to Germany. Worst staff I've seen at a DZ. Aircraft looked good (from afar)

As an EMT and a ER Nurse (10 years between the two) recently returned from Iraq (plenty of limb injuries there) , my $0.02... Someone had it right before. First, cause no further injuries. If they hit hard enough to fx a femur, they laded hard enough to fx their spine. That said, if your ABCs (airway, breathing, or circulation) can not be maintained, sometimes it's necessary to move their melon, esp to get a helmet off. Some great techniques were described earlier, but it's not something you can READ. It's something that takes practice to get right, esp if you're talking cervical injury. DZ's and medical personnel carrying traction splints open themselves wide up for litigation (preceived impropper use, NOT using it, etc). When applied it will cause pain as the two separate parts of the femur scrape against each other. With enough traction, they separate, relieving the majority of the pain. But it is the bleeding that is a concern. Bone marrow produces RBCs, and the bone marrow of the longest and thickest bone in the body (most peoples) has been busted like R Kelly. There is excessive bleeding. If there is heavy bleeding at the site of an open fx, consider a dressing and pressure. IF THERE IS EXCESSIVE BLEEDING where you think they will die. When I respond to these things, it's imperative to note that this is no substitute for BECOMING a EMT or RN. This isn't a block of instruction, just my two cents. The EMT course is 110- 120 hours; take one and run with the local rescue squad. It opened my eyes enough that I changed my major to Nursing (enough with the Gaylord Fauker jokes already). And remember to always wear gloves... Mike Until you've stepped out at 800' in the dead of night with 100 lbs of chute and equipment.. you haven't jumped. AIRBORNE !

GOOD FOR YOU. I'm glad you decided to continue to do tandems. Best luck bro, Mike Until you've stepped out at 800' in the dead of night with 100 lbs of chute and equipment.. you haven't jumped. AIRBORNE !

Chris can probably speak to this aspect better than myself. Can a turbine mechanic do the 100 hour checks or whatever on a DC-9? Maintenance just got alot more complicated and expensive. Mike Until you've stepped out at 800' in the dead of night with 100 lbs of chute and equipment.. you haven't jumped. AIRBORNE !

LOL. It says they still have an Otter. Not as of last weekend. And that T Bo is a little slow to altitude. I hope the Van gets up and running soon... Mike Until you've stepped out at 800' in the dead of night with 100 lbs of chute and equipment.. you haven't jumped. AIRBORNE !

Joe N is right on. I TOO work in a ER where I have the risk of getting any number of diseases. HIV exposure can be treated immediately after exposure with the appropriate meds, and given the choice between HIV or Hepatitis, Pamala Anderson can keep it. DB said it best; his coworker is going on 20+ years without any significant deterioration in his condition. That's alot more common these days than the 80's when we knew nothing about the disease and people died quickly. To be infected, you have to mix blood; in essence, the blood flowing from a students open wound has to allow back into the body someone else's blood. Difficult. The first responder without gloves has a better chance of getting it, and having spent 5 yeats in fire and EMS, I have touched bloody patients without gloves. My bad? ABSOLUTELY. DO I take responsibility for my actions, again, ABSOLUTELY. So don't let DZ 'I took a first aid course medics' dictate your future b/c they don't wear gloves. And DB, it is your personal decision to inform who you want. There's less of a stigma in the Medical setting (HIV positive staff in ERs) because we know more. And does the patient coming in need to know? No. Because the risk of me stabbing myself with a needle, triping, falling, injecting them with a viral load of infected blood is just so low. I'd jump with you as a Tandem master or a videographer. Best of luck in your decision, I'll say a prayer for you, but even if with just a buddy, GET OUT AND JUMP. Until you've stepped out at 800' in the dead of night with 100 lbs of chute and equipment.. you haven't jumped. AIRBORNE !

Went out there as a B license holder on Jan 28th from snowy TN. I bought a tent and sleeping bag ($35) at Walmart in town. Made my FIRST (yeah I said it, and bought the case of Yingling) jump New Years ever at 9pm and another a few minutes before midnight. It was AWESOME to see fireworks exploding all over the Florida... below you at 3,000'. The rest of the time was great. I took my first freefly lesson with Pip and got the sit first time. Awsome instructor. Great snack stand, and the rigger hooked me up by replacing my worn-out BOC in about 30 min so I could go freefly. Weather cooperated, mostly. Tony from Tony suits stopped by. Having just shy of 100 jumps, the other fun jumpers with 800 or so would jump with/ gie me pointers (and I'm not even a chick). Nailed my first 8 pointer with Mike, jumped with Hans alot, and even Ben and Chris from Canada. Everyones great... Thanks Z-hills, Mike Oh, and the Sunshine factory has everything you could want.

I'm moving to Europe so I did some research. Fuel prices are much higher there. In Germany and Switzerland it will cost about $30 USD to altitude, depending on DZ. And the trains are the cheapest way to get around. Just don't play THE UGLY AMERICAN saying how much better things are in the US. Until you've stepped out at 800' in the dead of night with 100 lbs of chute and equipment.. you haven't jumped. AIRBORNE !

When was that if you don't mind me asking? Was it December in '89 in the tropics or was it in '83 on a small island? Mike Until you've stepped out at 800' in the dead of night with 100 lbs of chute and equipment.. you haven't jumped. AIRBORNE !

Thanks Kristi. That would be a help. And Winsor, I'll follow up on Lapalilse. Knowing that fuel is about $8 a liter I can only imagine what it costs to get to 13.5. Mike Until you've stepped out at 800' in the dead of night with 100 lbs of chute and equipment.. you haven't jumped. AIRBORNE !

SO the Army has seen fit to ship me to the otherside of the pond this spring. I'll be stationed in Germany (Kaiserslautern) between Stuttgart and Frankfurt. It's by the French and Luxenburg border. I know USPA has a sister organization I can contact to find places to jump, but my questions are more of: What kind of customs/ curtosies are common over there? Do most DZ's speak English? Is there a particular DZ (yes I've heard of Gap) I should pay attention to? I'm hoping a skydiver is a skydiver anywhere in the world. Does anyone who's jumped there have a story or two to share? Thanks, Bronc Until you've stepped out at 800' in the dead of night with 100 lbs of chute and equipment.. you haven't jumped. AIRBORNE !

Got a question. If someone last month did 500 jumps in 24 hours... 500/24 =20 jumps an hour roughly. That equates to one every 3 min. I'm sure that rigs were prepacked, but he must have jumped from, what, a grand. Anyone have intel or info on this... Until you've stepped out at 800' in the dead of night with 100 lbs of chute and equipment.. you haven't jumped. AIRBORNE !