mdrejhon

April 9th here. I wonder what's the minimum jumps to qualify for posting in this thread ... I may still be a newbie, but I ain't no whuffo! Starting PFF training, going onto 100 jumps by September.

This is a much smaller ride than the bigger and more exciting freefall ride I was on almost 10 years ago. However, if I never went on one of these types of rides, I wouldn't be starting skydiving! Back in 1996, I went on a virtual skydiving type of ride at Canada's Wonderland near Toronto called the "Extreme SkyFlyer". That one was 150 feet high, much higher than the indoor version. It cinched my decision to try skydiving. My first tandem was 1997. This month, I am starting my PFF course. Have always wanted to try doing that. Maybe I'll get to 100 jumps by September. Wish me (and my wallet) luck! I just wanted to add my two cents -- that there are people who has been convinced to try skydiving as a result of freefall type of rides! Mind you, to stay on topic, it is unfortunate to hear that someone has gotten killed on this type of ride.

I'm just being cautious -- it's their first time training a deaf PFF student, as far as I know. Thanks for the information! I'll be talking to them again soon. They are extremely busy with their annual reserve repacks. All those parachutes stored during the Canadian winter that needs to be repacked . To make things even busier, my TI (Will, the son of Tom McCarthy) just graduated from college. And there's no highspeed Internet way out there at that strip totally surrounded by farmland. So email correspondence is a bit slow now, I'll give them a call soon, probably later this week, to finallize the timing and what materials I should bring, such as my own flags/paddles.

Not to nitpick, but at 155 jumps, it's 0.6% not 0.006%. (Ducks to avoid pie being thrown at me )

Interesting. They used arrows during the pre-radio days. Didn't know about that tidbit of dropzone history. So I should make sure to bring the flags or the cardboard arrow to the dropzone?

I apologize about the necessity of linking to another post -- but this IS safety related (A very SERIOUS matter indeed!) Even if you're not deaf, please see this thread below: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1596849 I would like to hear safety implications about canopy control by a deaf skydiver (me!) and the use of alternative communications mechanisms, including the possibility of using a ground flagman for signalling turns and flaring.

Calling all deafies in this forum, as I am deaf too. I'm starting my PFF training in two weeks. (Essentially the same thing as AFF in the states) I need to make a final decision about canopy control signalling without radios, for my first solo landings. I've sorta decided on either flags or paddles, and having a flagman at ground level. I give big thanks Billy Vance for that idea. Other dropzones, have tried a big cardboard arrow on the ground, but Billy prefer flags/paddles because they can easily be used to signal when to flare. As a deafie, how did you train your canopy skills during your first solo jumps? Were there any problems or any unexpected surprises? ___ (I have also posted the below message in another thread)

I'll have to say I'm a BlackBerry addict (they are nicknamed Crackberry for a good reason!) I am a moderator at the Internet's largest BlackBerry forums at www.BlackBerryForums.com (I also help maintain the BlackBerry FAQ at www.BerryFAQ.com ). I got hired on my current mobile-devices computer programming job, on that basis. You can imagine how addicted I am to them

Click the other tshirts (small icons) at the bottom of: http://www.dropzone.com/pub/tshirt.shtml Error 404... missing!

N/A

Yes, Ontario Health. I meant "Ontario Government health card" ... which would essentially refer to the same thing, a slip. Yes, I'm a silly Canuck for that slip. Whoops! Good point, I'll have to check on that, among other redundancies that there might be. Are sedodaries cumilative. I'm going to have to research this - i.e. if each insurance pays $1000 dental, and my dental ends up costing $1500, will both insurance add up to cover both. I'm not terribly familiar with my situation of having two simultaneous secondary insurance coverages, I'm just nervous of cancelling health insurance, especially as I start my PFF course...

Well, there's always Canada, where I live! Come on, move up here, the country's fine! (Ducks to avoid pie being thrown at me.) (Err... No, no... save that pie for my 100th jump. Maybe September. Starting PFF training in April, let's see how many jumps I get in this year. ) Seriously though, same-sex marriage is one of the things I'm happy to see happening in Canada, even though I do realize not everyone agrees with me. We just agree to disagree... change the subject and talk about something else.... like skydiving!

When I got my health benefits, was gonna cancel my independent health insurance. Or should I keep both? It'll mean I'll essentially have quite a lot of redundancy: - Canada Government Health Card (for basics) - Health benefits from my new job (extended, pays for meds and dental) - Paid independent health insurance (now redundant? meds and dental too.) Any opinions about whether or not I should cancel my paid health insurance, which is now kind of redundant? Now that I am going to start my PFF training, I wonder if it's safer if I should keep my paid health insurance, just in case I do something REALLY DUMB or the wind direction suddenly changes and slams me down. There must be some kind of benefit to being slightly over-insured, is there? Additionally, I guess I should confirm whether either extended health insurance covers extreme sports injuries such as skydiving. Opinions?

I won't comment on the paraglider (not qualified as a newbie), but I will comment as a photographer. As a photographer, I can tell you it's hard to judge the size of things at certain angles, especially when reference objects are not right next to it. My estimation of the width of that paraglider is about 12 to 15 feet wide, but it looks smaller (i.e. 8 to 10 feet wide) due to photography angles and lack of clear size reference (in the air photo), and the wrinkling (in the ground photo). Ask him about the sizes, etc.

I have declared my intention to start PFF training at Gananoque on April 30th, assuming good weather. Most of the logistics are solved. (1) I found a carpool partner. (2) The timing of my April 29th paycheque dictates the weekend. (3) I'll be the only person during classroom training (dedicated tutoring). Thank goodness for small neighbourhood-like dropzones! (4) I'll be bringing my laptop, so that the instructor and I can type to each other during classroom training (5) I've been suggesting the use of a flagman for canopy control The remaining logistics is negotiating the final details between me and my instructor for communications-related issues. Like who's responsible for supplying the flags/paddles for flagman signalling. I may suggest to the TI that on my 4th and final pre-PFF tandem (during the same day as my first PFF jump), that we test out the flagman signalling, and I would control the toggles without the TI signalling me like he did during my 3rd jump. Do you think this is a good idea to test the flagman signalling during my 4th tandem, before my first solo landing? (The TI will still be lightly holding onto them, ready to grab and take over steering if I make any errors)

Damn! How the hell did that happen?

Let's not start it again... BTW, the thread on this is here: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=643895#643895 Sorry about that. My interest was purely to see what the ground rushing up closer and closer would look like at lower altitudes. Not to diminish the death with spectatorism. Just something to scare me into altitude awareness! I'm starting PFF training this April 30th.

Damn! As a fellow Canadian, I feel your pain! I used to work in the USA under the TN-1 visa as well.

I found a volunteer who'll drive me on April 30th! Can't wait to start my 8 IAF jumps!

My opinion is that the picnic area should be handicap accessible. The skate park obviously does not have to be, but the rest of the park should be. Handicapped friends and family members have every right to be proud of watching their skateboarder brother or friends play on the ramps. Or enjoy a nice picnic. However, I believe this can be done for much cheaper. Temporary ramps using beautiful-looking architectural wood railings protected with weatherproofing. Etc. Skip the bricks and concrete for now, you can build temporary ramps easily. Add them to all steps in the park. Make a second sidewalk adjacent to existing sidewalk. Just find some $10,000 for a temporary modifications until somebody saves up $75,000 for the proper fix using permanent architecture. Unless this is a park on a 45 degree hill that requires a handicapped elevator, or two-storey buildings that requires an elevator, can't this be done cheaper? Get lowbidding running on temporary modifications, and see how low you can get... It may not be as beautiful, but vastly better than closing the park!

William Mccarthy (my tandem instructor, and possibly PFF instructor too) If Fuzzy directs you to this thread, and you are reading this. Can you check your email? I sent two emails this week; let me know what you think; (If missing, check Junk Mail folder...that always happen to everyone, my marky.com email sometimes gets chewed up) PS...William, if classroom takes longer than expected because of communications issue, I'll be happy to give you a tip in cash equalling to the amount of extra time! I know more classroom time means you have less time flying. PPS...Thanks for the GREAT 3rd tandem jump training, especially canopy control practice and flaring! And the extra ground time you gave me. And learning about canopy opening behaviour. (More info sent by email)

It's industry standard that dedicated one-on-one tutoring is more expensive than a school classroom. However, Gananoque is pretty small so I might be the only person in ground school, if I come during a light early-Canadian-spring weekend. I already prepaid for my 4th tandem (it was only $165 in Canadian dollerettes! You American dropzones are so much more expensive...) so that is a big incentive to go back to Gananoque anyway. I want to start sooner than April 30th, but April 30th is when I have the savings necessary for the "PFF+a few extra jumps". I have found a carpool partner, so now all I need to do is solve the classroom issue. Tutoring works much better than classrooms, so if I can be the only person in the classroom, that will be something that I'm willing to volunteer paying extra for because I can ask the instructor to repeat anything I miss. That's something I cannot do during the middle of full class, interrupting a classroom... I'm willing to pay extra to avoid a classroom and be directly tutored instead. Gananoque isn't charging me extra, it's something I'm offering to pay extra for. I'm still trying to figure out the best methods, because they are a small family-run neighbourhood dropzone. Don't worry, they seem very safe run, you must do 4 tandems (open at 5500ft not 4500ft) before they approve your minimum 8 IAF's, before they even let you jump alone! (same rules for everyone, including me) So that means 4 tandems and 8 IAF's, that's a LOT more than a lot other dropzones do before you're allowed to jump alone, that will make a big difference in my own particular case! I will bring my laptop next time I go to Gananoque, which means I can talk about 5 times faster to the instructor by keyboard instead of writing. But I'd like to do the classroom properly!!! That means, if necessary, to compensate for my deafness, I will: - Pay extra to be the only person in classroom - Pay extra for extra classroom time (to allow me to be doubly sure I covered *EVERYTHING*) - Pay some fast typist volunteer at the DZ to type lectures down on my laptop during class (transcriptions) - Pay extra for books to study before class. (Got the "Parachuting: The Skydiving Handbook") (Pay extra as necessary) I don't want to pay an extra $1000 to a court-reporter-type interpretor to come with me all weekend. I'd rather pay extra for extra classroom/tutoring time, and that will probably be more effective anyway. Besides, they'd rather me save money, and pay for more jumps ;-) So no official interpretor, except a volunteer-type interpretor. If I can pay almost nothing extra, that'll be a bonus, and you can bet I'll spend 100% of the savings on extra jumps! (after graduation). Fuzzy, I'm glad to hear the news that I'm probably going to be the only person in class. That will help me greatly! (I realize it may take somewhat longer to train me because you need to speak slowly to me)

Another test: Reduce MTU down to about 1400 or so, if you are using a router. I had similiar problems with my ISP at one point until I reduced this value.

I've kept reading that it's always best to err on the side of caution. At the very least, talk to several professionals. I bet one of the professionals will tell you to go for the bigger one. You might be too volatile right now (changing weight + changing experience) and might want to consider options such as renting the bigger size temporarily. (if still recommended by many professionals). Don't make rash decisions, I'd think it is safer to own a canopy for only 50 jumps and then resell it, to upgrade. (Better yet, fly it until you're fully proficient with that particular canopy, before upgrading.) (Take me with a grain of salt of course, I am a student. The professionals will be very happy to correct me)

Skydive Ganonque is pretty conservative. They require me to do 4 tandems before the PFF program (Canada's AFF) which involves 8 IAF jumps. And during tandem jumps, they open at 5500ft, not 4500ft. I just did my 3rd prerequisite tandem, I am starting the 4th tandem + PFF in May (my paycheque!).