skyjump11

May I please make an observation to you? Everyone at your DZ that is an excellent jumper and you watch and go 'wow'....well, guess what? They were all lousy when they first started out and you never got to see all the 'face plants' into the ground when they all were learning to land and the horrible body positions they had when they were learning to fly. It takes many jumps to become 'good.' Please be patient with yourself. It will come for you as it did to all those 'wow' jumpers. Be nice to yourself with the knowledge that 'one day' you will be there too....OK?

greetings young methodist preacher.... I have always believed that Isaiah 40:31, was telling us all to skydive..."they will soar on wings like eagles...." however, my preacher responds with a sweeping hand gesture at his knees and says, "Jesus said, "and lo, I am with you always." I always find myself closer to God as I climb out that door into His 'Breath', than on my knees to pray. (my favorite hymn from your songbook is #261)

greetings, young female 25 year old... way to go for you for jumping from an airplane. you are 25 when you first did, I was 28 and some 36 years later I am still doing it. fly while you still have your wings. enjoy.

Thursday, 25 December 2008 If you are from the Boston area, may I ask some questions? This summer I will be 'passing through' that historical area and (if possible) wanted to stop and make a couple of jumps along the way. What are my options? Where are the 'good' DZ's in your area? grace, peace & blue skies 4 stack canopy 221

N/A

Sir: For whatever it is worth, the FBI is still looking for a 'Dan' Cooper and not a 'DB' Cooper. It is an interesting read if you have the interest to research it. This information will not 'stick.' Why? Because, Sir, we live in a world of 'perception' and not one of 'truth'. grace, peace & blue skies sep

Seldom, do I ever feel the need to write in the forums but yours is an exception. If your older brother were still around I think he would say, "Way to go for you, younger brother. Way to go for you." Savor the moments at the drop zone, perhaps, those memories and those friends will be the best part of your life. Perhaps, if you are lucky, they will be. grace, peace & blue skies, young jumper

Yes Sir, you are qualified to talk about the PC since you go back the 1970's. Around the mid seventies I put 200 plus jumps on my PC. That has become a 'by gone' era that most don't know about. WDI's and (for the most part) long walks back to DZ over barb wired fences bcause seldom was the spot any good but those were days that have become special and so few can remember them. You probably have an SCR & SCS. (Me too) I even have a 4stackCRW number (221) I can't believe I am still jumping after all these years. It is always nice to see a fellow 'old' person out there!

My fellow camera jumper, If you can profit from my mistake I would like to help you save some money. Over the years I have purchased and worn out three different PC100's. I always kept trying to have them 'fixed.' The Authorized Sony repair store in Memphis loved to see me walk in the door. They would take parts from one camera to 'fix' the other. I finally got a Sony DCR-HC32 & a Sony DCR-HC42. (One of them is for 'back up' in case one goes down.) They are 'lighter' and work great and both have the LANC (local area net command.) Also, please remember the reason as to 'why' there are always cameramen that bounce.....it is 'very' easy to get distracted when you are after that perfect video or 35mm shot with those clouds in the background of those jumpers. Good Luck & Success. (I still use a .5 wide angle on the video because it matches well with a 28mm on the 35mm.) (The CH is by far, one of my most favorite places of all....lucky you get to live there!)

All Tennessee is divided into three parts. Memphis is the western, Nashville is the center and Knoxville is the eastern. Knoxville is in the Eastern Time Zone, whereas the other two are Central Time. Interstate 40 was only completed going into Knoxville back in the 1970's. (Why the delay? Because 'that' part always voted 'Republican' and the other two parts were 'Democrat' and contolled the money.) Knoxville is an hour's drive from the birth place of Davy Crockett and is also near the home and burial place of the 17th. president of the U.S. (Andrew Johnson from Johnson City.) Stay out of town when the university of tennessee plays football...their statium holds 106,000 enthusiasts (and yes, that number is correct.) You will be at the gateway to the great Smokie Mountains. They will take your breath away and when the leaves change color in the fall, it will be a memory to keep. They are really not set up to deal with ice and snow...but that's how it is. It is about 200 miles from Memphis to Nashville and another 200 to Knoxville. Tennessee is the only state in the U.S. to be boarder by 7 other states. Al Gore used to be our US senator and he voted 'yes' for every tax increase there ever was. There are several good areas to live just a short drive from the city. Be patient, it will be different living there. Since everyone from the northeast has to travel through Knoxville going South, traffic is always a factor of time. grace, peace and blue skies

Your posting began with, "Greetings, left my wheelchair @ the DZ @ went sky diving." From where I sit, you 'left' that wheelchair a long time ago. Your 'mind' and 'attitude' and commitment to 'move on' has taken you from that chair a while back. And I also understand the thought of, "Boy! I wish I was the 'one' writting this, instead of the 'one' receiving it." Way to go for you! I am proud of you! grace, peace & blue skies Merry Christmas sep

11/2/07 Well, sir, that's an honest question. Having almost retired from the 'real' world myself, this is what has worked for me. Jumping and shooting video & 35mm of tandems is not only a lot of fun but also keeps your flying skills sharp. With 800 jumps under your belt, you should have a friend that does video and I have not known one cameraman that will not go out of his way to share the knowledge he has learned to help another cameraman. By doing this, you get a jump paid for, make some money, but most important of all, you will give someone a DVD of their tandem jump that will give them great pleasure and smiles when it's shown again and again. Don't tell the pilot that pays me, but I'd almost do that for 'free' because of the enjoyment I get for being able to share what I love with someone that probably will only make one skydive in their life. Good luck in whatever you decide. Please remember, that all of the good cameramen (and girls too) started out shooting poor videos and stuck with it and became good. grace, peace & blue skies sep

11/2/07 just 'kidding' about the use of the word 'mature'....you know how us jumpers like to 'pick at one another' way to go for sticking with it grace, peace & blue skies sep

11/1/07 your answer was 'clever' and 'funny' I laughed out loud. thanks sep

11/1/07 your 'best' friend had best be the one that packs your reserve parachute... you are trusting your 'last chance' of living to that person grace, peace & blue skies sep

11/1/07 Wow! Not only a jumper, but an RN as well. (Both of those impress me.) Your home is only a short distance from the Schiphol Airport (jumping off point to many historical places in that part of the world) Reading your post gave me a 'smile' thinking about your beautiful country...thanks. Don't forget to double glove in the ER. (Your English is very good!) grace, peace & blue skies sep

11/1/07 I'm sorry, I forgot to say this. The fifth post down, mentioned about the 'mature' POPS...throw out that word 'mature'. Mature people are in nursing homes, we jump out of airplanes. On page 75, November issue of Parachutist, gives you the information on joining POPS. And guess what? You passed the test. You're in! (Tandems count too.) Besides the Parachutists Over Phorty (POPS), there is Jumpers Over Sixty (JOS) and Jumpers Over Seventy (you can work up to those) You will note that they call it jumping instead of skydiving. That was the term used back in the 1960's and early 1970's. grace, peace & blue skies, young 57 year old sep

11/1/07 Oh, Good Grief! "Not too old, I hope"...... first off, 57 is young I am 60 Now the people that jump that are in their mid seventies and early eighties, well now, they are 'really' old. And I love them all. grace, peace & blue skies sep

10/22/07 I'm sorry. I understand your loss. My West Highland White Terrier was with me for 16 years and he left me 14 years ago. There is not a day that has gone by that I still don't miss him. Outside of my son, he was my best friend. I do believe that he is in Heaven waiting for me. When I die, both of our ashes were be scattered by friends on a skydive. Won't that be a jump for them to remember? Way to go for you, to be there at the end for your friend...his spirit knew you were there for him. grace, peace & blue skies sep

10/16/07 Here's a thought for you. Why not have a camerman/friend, video your opening? That way, you won't have to guess. grace, peace & blue skies sep

10/14/07 Sir, may I take a turn at answering your question? Dec. 31, 1999, 11:59 PM, 14,500 feet above the desert in Coleridge, AZ, when Mike says, "exit,exit, exit." The cloud cover was above us, so no light from the stars. The desert was totally black except for the car head lights that shown on the LZ. Six of us went out and we had glow sticks on our altimeters. Coming in, that was all you could see. After docking, I couldn't even see the faces of the people I was holding. At breakoff, we had to trust that each of us would do a 180 and track. At that time, at the turn of the century, I was between the heavens and the earth. (Yes, I am aware that the 'true' turn of the century would have been that time, the next year.) But, it's my story and that's how I tell it. grace, peace & blue skies! sep

9/29/07 Mr. White, It does my heart good when I see an old person, like you, with so many years in the sport. It gives me hope. grace, peace & blue skies sep 4stack 221 (I responded to Joe by email)

it's just another skydive

24 August 2007 Please, do yourself a big favor and wait until you have 200 jumps before you start thinking about a camera. Your attention span changes when you've got a camera on your head and (honestly) can get you killed in a hurry. There will be a lot of good choices when you are ready but first, get to be a good flyer and that will keep you safe. Since my son is not around to tell me not to talk about the 'old' days I will say, My first camera helmet was a motorcycle helmet with an 8mm camera bolted to the top. The days of a pre-made camera helmet were far off. (And one of these days, if you stick with it, all of your friends will have your photographs in their homes and offices and that, my friend, is a great feeling of satisfaction.) When I started jumping with a 35mm camera, I took a jump glove and attached metal rings to the thumb and index finger, ran a wire inside my jumpsuit, up to the camera as a make shift shutter release (little did I realize that my hand touching the metal on the plane would complete the circuit and fire off all my pictures...ah, we live and learn.) And yes, you probably weren't born when that happened. grace, peace & blue skies

17 Aug 07 Since you enjoy taking photographs, one of these days, after 200 jumps, you might want to consider jumping with a camera. For a some of us, that's the reason to jump. Having a friend display one of your photos in their home or office is a great feeling knowing that you took that! And one of these days you just might get one of them published in Parachutist. grace, peace & blue skies