Michele

Thanks, Sky! Much appreciated. I guess printing these out and taking them with me wouldn't be recommended, right? ciel bleu Michele

Thanks, you guys! I guess I'll be buying quite a few videos in the near future, and will practice all that has been posted here (with my JM's permission). And I'll read the thread which SkymoneyOne so kindly resurrected. You guys are so great - thanks! ciel bleu- Michele

Hi, Chuck Short answer: NO. I was in France/Paris twice, in '80 (family vacation) and in '82 (exchange student to Belgium). Both times, I felt as if I was being "barely tolerated", and only because I was a tourist and had cash to spend. Oh well, not a vacation destination for me!

I am a really timid canopy flyer - only 4 jumps and the third doesn't count (lol). I have flown straight out, and then turned when I needed to to get into the pattern for landing, but I don't know what to do, or what to expect, when I am in the air under a huge canopy. I was wondering if anyone out there had some good confidence building exercises that I could do while under the canopy? I have always made it to the target area (big circle for us at Perris), and even stood up the last landing. I am still in the gigantic student rig stuff. Thanks in advance - ciel bleu (thanks, RemiandKaren) Michele

I sent an e-mail to the General Manager - it went through w/no problems. Of course, there has been no reply (not like I am expecting one), but I know it got there. best - Michele

Big Balls Trophy - roflmao!!!!! The only balls I want are......well, not attached to my body!!!!!!!! bleau cieux - Michele

My condolences to the family, friends and other people involved. And to all of us, as well. Perhaps why diving continued may have been as a way to demonstrate respect, and to affirm our commitment to ourselves, safety, and indescribable joy that we all have in this sport. Another note: Here's an interesting thing which they post on their "contact us" page: "Home Page/Feedback You've probably gathered by now that we're really into feedback. There is a "Contact KCRA" link on the top of virtually every page of this site. Let us know what you think! You can contact the station by phone at (916) 446-3333. To reach the news department, call (916) 444-7316. Web Staff: [email protected] Anchors & Reporters: [email protected] News Comments: [email protected] News Tips: [email protected] Call3: [email protected] KCRA Programming: [email protected] Promotions: [email protected] Engineering: [email protected] Sales: [email protected] Advertising: [email protected] Public Affairs: [email protected] General Manager: [email protected] " +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Shall we? I will. bleau cieux - Michele

Well Done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bleau cieux Michele

WHAT?????????????????????????????????????????? I have to do what? Do you know what they say on the handout about level 6? "AFF LEVEL VI HALF SERIES AND TRACKING One jumpmaster...More spotting...Delta Tracking...Turns and center pointing. ...Freefall procedures...and more." Where does it say they're gonna toss you outta the plane????????? Generic "freefall procedures"? There's NOTHING about ass over teakettle exits, not a word....ahgeez. BTW, I'll be there later in the afternoon on Friday, doing level 4. I'd love to meet up with you! bleux cieux, Michele

You guys are sooooo amazing and incredible and supportive. I just wanted to tell you, you were all with me when I got suited up, and in the plane, and out the door, and in the sky and landed (who says top heavy's can't land and stand...lol) and walked it out. You were all there, and so Thank you, again and for always, thank you. If I had been alone, without all the support from you guys, I may not have gotten up into the air again. Thank you (Sangiro, thank you again.....three cheers, and four beers for you!) And just for the record, my school hasn't and won't tell me who the rigger was who packed my reserve (because it's a team, and they did their job), and they won't let me buy the chute (because I might fixate on it). They said that the only thank you they needed was to see my face again. (As if that were enough of a Thank you!!!!!!) And I still have that "I DID IT" feeling. Friday won't come fast enough.......level 4, here I come! bleau cieux - Michele

I asked the same question yesterday of my jm. His advice? Loosely strap the alti onto your wrist, get into an arch, and adjust it so that all you have to do is turn your head to look at it, and not move anything else. Then tighten it right there, and just get it as tight as you can stand it. This meant for me that the face of the alti is literally on the inside (but not underneath, more like on the side) of my wrist, and terribly uncomfortable. In freefall and under a canopy, tho, it was just perfect. I didn't have to move or "roll" my arm or hand around to see the face, and it was a real quick glance and I knew what the alti was. I had no extraneous movement to counter, and was able to see it throughout with just a slight turn of my head and a quick flick of my eyes. bleau cieux- Michele

Hi, Rhonda66 There was a guy I talked to yesterday who said he'd had a line over on AFF level 5, and had to cut-away. He'd just come back for his AFF 6th - it took him quite a while to come back out. I don't have any idea what I would have done if I saw my jm's in trouble. Is there a hand signal to let someone know that they have a problem if they don't know about it? bleau cieux- Michele

Don't take up golf - why should that little tiny golfball have all the fun of flying? That fly time is your fly time (lol). The only helpful hint I can give (and I am right there with you in student status) is, don't look down right away. It is really unnerving to see the ground when you are up there. Look to a stable point on the horizon, and then smile (why smiling works I haven't got a clue, but it does). Looking at a stable point on the horizon will work for a little while in the chute, but don't forget to watch the ground as you get set up to land. I have had extreme vertigo in the plane, but once I got out the door, I had so much to do that I didn't have time to feel ill. And I have had that nausea, too, but it went away for me on the second jump. Of course, please listen to everyone else who has more jumps than me - #4 yesterday - because I am so new I still get lost getting from the school to the loading area (lol)! Michele

I had to. If I wasn't going to jump again, I needed to know that. And the only way I was going to be able to make that decision was to get to Perris, and see if I could control myself enough to jump. Last night, I decided that I would take any of the onus off my instructors and keep myself at level 3. If I were going to jump, there were going to be certain things I wanted: Ed White as main side jumpmaster, I would jump at the time I wanted to, and to stay at level 3. I then raced around my house, cleaning and tidying, because if something is going to happen, I just won't have people seeing my house this messy. This morning, I am sitting on my sofa really tripping out. I am shaking, I did not sleep well last night (all of about 3 hours, and that was tossing and turning), and I am not going to eat anything, because I am so nervous I think it's all going to....well, I just didn't eat. "The hardest part is getting out the door", except this time is my back door that I am standing in front of. Oh for pete's sake, one foot in front of the other, just go, and out I am, and I am now in my car, and George Winston is playing on the CD and I get on the freeway and I am NOT going to think about this, and I am not going to stop this car. And I paste a silly grin onto my face, and accelerate down the highway, pretending that I want to do this. And then I turn onto Goetz Road, and George is still playing on the CD, and I see these great patches of color in the sky, and they are having fun, swirling and turning and dancing in the air, and this is what I have come to do. I pull into a spot, and just watch these guys flying, and then out I get, and down to the school, and I can't breathe and it's hot and I am truly frightened. I walk into the office, and say hi to everyone. I tell Jo I want to see if I can jump today, and she asks "Sure, you want Ed?". "Yes", I say, "and I am repeating level 3". I get out to the bleachers, and sit there, just listening to the family members of students and tandem people, and see them all not understanding what it is like up there, and how frightened they are (and they're on the ground), and how sorry I am that they will most likely not get in the air, and then I realize that I would feel sorry for myself if I didn't get back into the air, and so I decide again that I am jumping, and I will get back in the air. I see Ed land his chute, and watch him as he realizes I'm sitting there. He comes over and says "so you had a cut away. How are you?" and I walk away from the suddenly quiet family members so they won't hear me (they don't need to be any more frightened), and I tell him what happened. He pats my back, and I tell him I am jumping with him today, and ask if that's o.k., and he laughs and says of course and then he has to go and I am called into the school for the harness room stuff. Dennis meets me, and we go into the harness room, and I hop into a harness, and he's talking to me, and I'm getting really shaky and I wonder if this is really going to happen or will I panic and just not get in the plane. And I ask him if he's going up with me to determine if I am airworthy, and he gruffly explains that I am airworthy but it still feels like I am 16 again and in the principal's office. We go over and over and over the drills and then I go lay down on that piano mover thing, and I arch and I can't believe it but it feels good, and we rehearse the manuvers, and Dennis says let's suit up and my belly drops into my shoes and my eyes cross. We are manifested onto Shark Air 12 (I would not have gotten on #13); Ed comes over and we are talking there, and I ask him if he thinks I did anything wrong and he reassures me that I didn't and that I did everything right, and that sometimes things happen and you have to do what I did, and that it was bad luck that it happened so early but good that it happened so early, and this just makes me want to cry so I drink more water instead. I get into the smurff suit with handles, and someone gets the radio over my head and the helmet and goggles are handed to me and I sling the chute on my back and we start walking down and I had never realized how long that walk really is (about 47 miles), and we have a 10 mintue call and I close my eyes and struggle to keep breathing regularly, and not to burst into tears or pee in my pants. We walk over to the plane, and I have to hold onto the stair handle so I can pull myself up because my feet are not working anymore because I know that if I get in, and then ride the plane down it's over, I won't come back, and this is it for good and for always. One way or the other the decision will be made here and now. So I smile, and pretend I am a skydiver, and buckle the belt and we're right by the door, and I ask Ed are we going out first and he says no, these guys are, and then I have to ride the plane looking at the ground it is so far down there, and the door is open in front of me and I just close my eyes and try not to start shrieking and getting sick. Dennis is laying in the doorway, and reminds me to breathe and shut my eyes, to imagine the dive in my head so I obediently close my eyes but I can't imagine the dive and all I see is me spinning again and I open my eyes, and reach out and grab Ed's knee, and then hold his hand and ask Ed please don't let go of me and he laughs and says he won't. I look up and see the other instructors looking at me with sympathy and encouragement and some of the tandem students are thumbs-up to me, and now it's time and the green light turns on, and the two guys go out backwards, and now it's my turn. I turn off my mind; my body knows what to do to get me out the door. When I'm in the air I'll think again. I pretend that my feet are someone else's and watch them move to the door. I stare at Dennis' feet, and line mine up. Look into Ed's eyes, and ready set go and we are out and I have jumped and I am flying again and I am arching hard and levelling off and I touch the cord, and do the circle of awareness and get thumbs up from both guys and then Dennis is in front of me and now a left turn, shit, I can do this, and then a left turn, and then a right turn, and then a left turn and now it's 6k and no more, and I look up and Dennis is looking at me and smiling and I smile back and I feel the wind on my face and the speed of my descent and feel the pressure on my lower legs and I love this feeling and now it's 5k and I signal. I reach back and I grab the cord and I tug and gently toss it into the air and I am sitting up and I look up and there is line twists again. And my stomach flops. And my arms reach up, and press out, and hold them there, here comes the slider, then the toggles are in my hands, and I turn left then right then flare and I can see other people in the air and I look for Ed's chute and I see it and I turn around a little too hard scaring myself and look up and the canopy is still there and now I am dancing in the wind, and flying with the birds; I am floating in the breath of God. I look at the sights; I am here again, and this time it went right, and it is a miracle I made it out the door and my mouth is dry and I breathe deeply and smell the heat and the dirt. I look to see which way the wind is blowing and I cruise over the target at about 1200 and I swing to the left then the right, and then it's time to cross the wind and I hit turbulence and it's fine, I don't care, and now to set up for the landing and if I can get out of the plane I can stand this sucker up and walk it out and on the radio I hear Ed say "hi there, girly" and I wave my legs at him and he laughs in my ear. "Turn a little more right" and then I am coming closer and I look at the horizon and wait to kick the guy in the head and then Ed says flare, and I go halfway, and then all the way, and I am going back into the air and I stretch my legs out and I am touching the ground and I stand it up and I walk it out and I do a little Snoopy happy dance and shout with joy, and Ed shouts back, and I get the chute in my arms and get over to Ed and hug him tight, and he says "good job" and I say damn tootin', and we crack up. We walk back in and there's Dennis and he says good job and I just grin like a fool. And Ed's standing there, and I am so proud of myself, and everything is so calm and peaceful and I am not hurting anywhere, and I didn't break a nail or a leg and I landed my main and it was perfect and Ed officially passes me to level 4 and I am going to do that on Friday next week. And Ed says I am progressing perfectly and that I am a natural which makes me wonder what that means, but I don't care, because I had gotten out the door and into the air and I danced in the sky. I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just thought you'd like to know.

WOW! There are two things I want to offer: 1. The first recorded, and most lethal, attack on a school occurred in New York (I think). 37 dead. 2 teachers and 35 children, age ranges from 5-16. Never heard of it? 1927, bombing by a mad father. His children died as well. They weren't supposed to be there. 2. Freedoms, like any treasure, must be guarded and fought for. There have been many deaths fighting for my freedom; I will gladly lay down my life in a fight for your freedom. My freedom includes the choice to own a gun or not. Whether I agree with that or not, that is one of the freedoms earned in blood by my countrymen and women. My freedom includes the ability to make a choice for myself as to how I will live my life. It does not give me the right to tell you how to live yours. Freedom gives choices. Freedom, in its' most base concept, cannot tell us which choice to make. (Michele crawls back into her hidey-hole to watch the rest of this conversation - wishing everyone bleau cieux and perfect canopies)

24 hours later, I am struggling to find a way to say thank you. Thank you for the congratulations. For the e-mails and private messages. Thank you for your help, and friendship, and encouragement - especially the encouragement - and mostly, thank you for the hugs. Thank you for posting your experiences, and for the links you've given. Thank you for helping me keep my head. You didn't know it then, but you all changed a life. You all helped save a life. You all were there in my head. Thank you. I couldn't eat last night or today. I wasn't able to sleep last night. Everytime I closed my eyes, I was spiralling again. The earth spinning below. Then pop open my eyes, because it's too scary to remember. The shakes hit this afternoon at about 3ish. I was sitting in my office, and suddenly unable to breathe. Hyperventilating, sweating, quivering. I came home. Told my office that I was coming back likely on Monday. Turned off my pager and the telephones. I turned on the VCR, and I watched that tape, frame by frame. Over and over, frame by frame. My body is square, arms out, arch still nice and steady. The pilot chute comes out pretty. Then the lines come out. And they are straight, until the last few frames. You can see them start to twist right over left. And there is something different about the right set then the left. The light is behind me and I am facing the camera so that there is only blackness and outline. On the right lines there is something sticking out, and it is not there on the left. I am far from able to know what this is, or if it is even abnormal. But there is something different. I read all of your messages (don't worry, Carl, no-one saw you). Right now, I am crying, for the first time since I landed. All of you, you will do better than I did; you will keep your head, and you will pull when you need to. You won't waste time on a garbage chute. You will pull when you need to. And you will land the reserve. Albatross and Carl, you both have touched my heart. Pammi, tell Merrick that he needn't worry - you will be as totally competent in the air as you are on the ground. And everyone else will be fine, as well. You are all MY heroes. bleau cieux, Michele

Let's see. Cut away at 5k. Problems immediately, but no cut-away for at least 10 seconds - tried to correct, then determine the garbage was uncorrectable (spinning mal). Pull red. Elevator feeling for all of a mind's flash - long enough to determine that I was in freefall again, pull silver, then bang. Probably about 2 seconds from a sub-terminal speed at about 4,000 feet. Next time I looked at my alti, I was under a good canopy, at just a hair less than 3,000. Third jump and a reserve ride yesterday, so still pretty fresh. Can't rely too much on my time-frames, tho, because everything went so fast AND so slow at the same time. And I don't know how to do the math really well. Hope this helps. Michele

Well, folks, it works. Red, red, silver, red, silver, silver worked for me today (AFF level III spinning mal - story on theTalk board). Even managed to keep hold of the red handle, but lost the silver (didn't even know that I had it - it was still connected to my harness). My breasts didn't even enter my thoughts - the red was by my neck, and the silver was somewhere near my left waist/ribs. One hand on the silver, but two on the red. Drill. All I can say is Drill. Drill. Then DRILL. And then, guess what, drill some more. Please drill. Michele

Wingnut I have no real idea what actually happened. They are checking the chute out, but I think that either the line broke (don't ask which one), or that there was something off with the toggle and setting. Or maybe it was a line overr, but it didn't look exactly like that. Of course, it didn't look like anything I had seen in the harness room, so go figure. All I know is that once I started spinning, the decision was easy. Scary, terrifying, but easy. Aviatrr - one JM had no problem clearing me once he reviewed the vid, but the other one didn't see the vid, so they're going to check it out tomorrow. I was stable - great position, held it almost without thinking about it. I think the reason is that I had a horrid left turn (non-existant, just a general drift), and that I misunderstood a signal (he signalled left turn, I thought forward movement), and refused. It's all good, no matter what. The JM's had interesting reactions - they were both really mellow. I would have thought that they'd be freaked. I sure was!

This is all still sinking in. I get to Perris, and check in at the school. Everything's easy, take the ground class, learn all the things I need, go through the harness room, lookin' good, feelin' nervous, all normal. Suited up, got put on wind hold, talked to my JM about all the questions about everything, from reserve test loads to booties on a jumpsuit. So we go up for level III. I'm a nervous wreck, and literally trembing. We get a ride down because the wind is gusting 16-20 knots, which is far too much for me to deal with. And I am glad that the decision to jump was taken away, and furious that I am glad that I didn't jump. This time, leg straps were nice and tight, everything felt fine, except my head. All the "what if's" and "oh f&*k's" had taken up residence, made their nest, and were not just talking to me, but screaming at me. While we were on the ground waiting for the next load, I walked around. Talked to both my JM's (Vinnie Palmieri and Jim). Talked to Dennis. Relaxed (yeah, right). walked through my jump, touched BOC and red and silver handles, tried to stop thinking, pasted a stupid-ass grin on my face, and re-boarded. On the ride up, it was more of the same. I was able to discipline myself to take deep breaths, imagine the skydive, relax, and breathe again, until it was my turn at the door. Made a complete 180 attitude change. "I AM A SKYDIVER - THIS IS WHAT SKYDIVERS DO; THEY GET OUT OF THE GODDAM DOOR" was the refrain running through my head now. Out I go - free - arching, smiling, doing my one PRCT, COA, get the all-clear, great body position, do a really wussy, mealy left hand turn, check alti, do a great right hand turn, check alti, misunderstand the jm's signal, and refuse to do what I thought was a forward momentum (there are people in front of me, for pete's sake), check alti, 6k, lock onto my alti, here's 5, ready, grab cord, pull, toss......beautiful. There goes the pilot, and I'm waiting, um, oh, there it is....ow. But not as "ow"" as previously. And now it is just flashes. Look up, see line twist, o.k., I know how to handle that. Hands up the risers, push outward, kick. God, what the hell is wrong with the right side? O.k., it's not really like the pix, but I guess that's end cells not open - do end cells go that far in?. I know how to handle this, too. But where's the slider? (I have no recollection as to where it actually was - I didn't hear it, and I didn't see it). Look and reach for the left toggle, loop it over hand. Look and reach for the right toggle. Reach for the right toggle again. What the f*&k? Where is that stupid yellow thing? Christ I'm starting to not fly straight. Turning to the left. Shake out of the toggle, thinking "No pressure on that side where the hell is the other toggle". Keep reaching, (spinning left), looking, grabbing anything, and all I get was a handful of - shoelaces? (That was all my mind could name - they were the brake lines). There was no tension, just loose shoelaces. I'm pulling this, trying to get a hold of something, anything, please what the fuck! Now I'm spinning fast, body levelling off, no longer in a sit but forced back to prone. And picking up speed. And watching the ground spiral below. See the edge of the chute at eye level with me - and I'M BELLY DOWN! Four spins that I counted, feet feeling "full", shit, centrifugal force. All I remember then was "that pix in the harness room" and on top of that "this is not correctable", and I was looking down for the red - found it (by my neck), two hands, look silver (it's still there, but under my left breast), pull red, arch and pull silver. Bang! now I'm sitting up again, and I reach up and get hold of both toggles, and I am trying to remain calm. I look at my alti, knowing that 2,500 doesn't mean shit now, because I am flying my reserve. This IS the canopy I will be landing. I am at about 3,000. I spot the dz, knowing that I was in the wrong place, but now looking for outs because I have this pretty blue thing over my head and not the red and white one I started with. And I am floating. And now this voice crackles into my ear "Good girl, hon. I saw it all...good job. Now come home". I can't think, only shriek. Only cry (not recommended in goggles, btw). Blindly following the voice in my ear, coming home. Turning hard left, turning hard left again. Getting my knees together, hearing him say sit it down, don't stand it up, sit down. Now I see the spot I am landing, and then I hear FLARE and so I do. And I sit down. And then lay down. And then get out of a toggle, and ground the chute. And flop on top of it, crying. Sobbing. Can't stand up. The dirt tastes good in small servings. "Hon? You o.k.? Can you stand up?" comes into my ear. I wave one hand over my head, and stay on the ground. I get to my knees, gather my chute, try to stand, and here I am, and I'm walking over the peas, and there are people landing around me so I sit down again under the windsock, and feel hands helping me up, and I get over to the school and on the vid I say "look! Start with red, end with blue, I can pull the handle" and everyone cracks up but I don't remember this at all. And my jm's have not decided whether or not to clear me to level 4, and I don't care, and it takes at least an hour to debrief me, and it was my third jump and I had a reserve ride. The shit happened so fast. And my head was so clear. And I am so thankful that I was able to literally walk away (o.k., so I broke another nail). And I really wanted to say thank you to everyone here, because I attribute the experiences you all have posted in helping me keep a clear head, and especially THANK YOU to Sangiro because he's the reason this board it here in the first place so I could learn, and thank you to the rigger, and the jm's, and everyone and I am home now, and I haven't lost it yet but I am sure that's coming, and I am having a big screwdriver with extra vodka and then going to go to bed. So, how was your day? bleau cieux Michele

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the advice and the encouragement. (Especially you, Speed Racer, for your invaluable comments and helpful information. No, really.) I'll let everyone know how it goes this time - and I promise to have my leg straps tighter, so this time I can find the BOC. If anyone's out at Perris today, come look for me. I'll be there about 11ish, long brown hair (generally back in a french braid), wearing a bright green shirt. You'll also be able to identify me because I'll be mumbling (Out, Arch, COA oh geez....Out, Arch, COA oh geez.... Out, Arch, COA oh geez) lol bleau cieux Michele

I just made the reservation for tomorrow at Perris for AFF Level III (and if all goes well, Level IV). Anyone know what I should expect? All it says in my brochure is "2 jm's, 90 degree turns, expanded air awareness, spotting, canpoy control, positive stability, complete review and more!". What's "and more..."? For that matter, what's spotting? expanded air awareness? etc. Also, on my last jump I had difficulty in getting out of the door - I mean a really hard time. I made my jm's and videographer wait 27 seconds (by the VCR's count) before we jumped. I apologized to my JM's and Koji (vid), and my JM said he was getting ready to help me. Which means toss my tuckus right out the door, I think. Anyone have any hints as to helping me out the door, aside from throwing my ass right out? bleau cieux - Michele

Thanks, Donna. I'll have to try that. I appreciate it! bleau cieux - Michele