blacksha

1) Not really sure...wanted to do it my whole life but it just wasn't one of those things like taking up skiing that I was just gonna go down to the dropzone on my own and just start learning how to do it...I got started when some crazy guy at work who had done alot of tandems decided to get an entire group of coworkers together and all go skydiving...I said I would do it, at the same time, I was thinking this guy is nuts 2) Prior to jumping out of the plane. Driving to the DZ I think I was seriously pondering my entire life...how in the world did I get talked into this? Wait a second, I always wanted to do this why am I doubting myself...? It was motivation that other cute girls were going, but at the same time, didn't want to chicken out...when it became my turn at the door, I just went. Think I thought about how nuts it was and was alot more scared my 2nd jump after I realized what I did the first time 3) Freefall was nuts...I think once I went out that door I just expected to die and suddenly my tandem master was tapping my shoulders...Either we fell through a cloud or my eyes were closed, all of a sudden I could see the most amazing view. It was very loud...I remember my mouth open and trying to breathe and I was in total shock...when the tandem master deployed all I could say over and over was WOW....WOW....WOW....saying that was the coolest thing ever and the tandem master agreeing with me... 4) When I touched down, I knew my life would never be the same...I was on an adrenaline rush for days and my confidence was through the roof...I felt invincible...of course now I realize how vulnerable I really am but that was an incredible feeling. 5) You'll have a great video after you do your tandem...most people will think your nuts but they will love the video...good luck convincing others to go skydive or even watch. Usually if you can get them to watch for awhile they'll do it, but the hard part is just getting them to come to the dropzone...I've swore up and down I'll never peer pressure anyone to jump but still they always have some excuse for not making it that weekend...

Very sincere THANKS for your help.

I read the manual. But since I missed the section that makes it clear the audible is heard in freefall and not canopy, feel free to point it out where I missed it. Lonne

I just started using a ProTrack audible in my helmet... At this point, I don't pay attention to it much just because I'm used to looking at my visual altimeter and the ground, and focusing on everything I need to do during the jump... But, it seems to me in the 3 jumps I've done with the ProTrack, I still haven't heard the 3rd alarm which is currently set at 3000 feet. I'm always deployed no lower than 4000 feet. Are the alarms strictly freefall alarms, and I won't hear them if I'm no longer in freefall? Lonne

Yep I thought I had a few more years at least...she thought and was told she couldn't get pregnant... She's happy! And I'm happy...but of course freaked...time to accept some responsibility but I sure as hell ain't quittin' skydiving! Just can't die now. :-) Lonne

Pat...when I got your reply, I thought that was you! Read your article in Parachutist this month and so did my woman...you rock! Lonne

Semper Fi to that!!! Alot of whuffos where I work have already suggested to me that my skydiving life is over and I think I shocked the hell out of them with my reply... I said, "Stop skydiving?! WHAT?! No way...I'll just make sure I stick with pulling at 5000 feet..." Lonne

Well, I know two experienced people that skydive that have kids and I greatly respect them both. I thought it might be a touchy subject among some because there was an article in Parachutist a year or two back that made reference to being pregnant and skydiving. I can't remember the exact article. Anyway, the following month someone wrote a letter in reply to the article and really went off about how upset they were someone went skydiving pregnant. I have been in the sport 3 years, and only 30 jumps. I know my jump numbers are low. It's a long story, but, I had 19 jumps, a reserve ride, broke my wrist because I didn't PLF and did the rollerblade put-your-hand out thing like I was told not to. During that time I did a low turn, almost hit a tractor, and landed in a very small Arizona tree. I couldn't do pushups for a year which was really awkward for me and I could hardly write in school but I made it through. In my heart though, I started to gain a love for skydiving, so I came back. It took a year before I started feeling my wrist was normal again, and about another year to really decide and get my life to some normalcy to be able to start skydiving again. Realizing I do have small jump numbers, I put 2 years of time into on the ground experience just reading about packing, jumping, freefalling, canopy flight, etc. etc. Well finally I'm an A licensed skydiver and now realize I'm totally responsible for everything up there. From on the ground observation of the winds, to spotting the DZ and jumping out in the right place, pulling on time, and then flying a good approach and watching out for other canopies at the same time. So anyway, most whuffos have always thought I'm nuts for skydiving. I now understand alot more about skydiving than they do, and often see "parachute failed" in the news articles and then learn the fellow did a low turn but never said that (or knew that) to the reporters... Well I just found out I'm gonna be a dad, and so I wanted to find others out there that continue to skydive as I am going to do. Maybe 15 jumps ago I would have decided differently, but now the way I look at it is that I'm hooked for life and it's my job to make sure I get back on the ground...As long as I understand that I don't see any issues with it. And, just in case anybody was curious...The baby skydived on March 1 and has a due date of somewhere between Sept-Nov Lonne

Probably a touchy subject for some... So how many skydivers got kids?

I'm not sure how many times this has been discussed... And I don't have a copy of the FBI's interview with the pilot... But perhaps the pilot was an accomplice of Cooper? Perhaps the pilot's communication with Cooper about the aft stairs was a bit of pre-planned signaling about a preplanned jump location...pretty farfetched but possible... I suppose the interview with the pilot and/or background investigations probably rules this out as a possibility. Lonne

Quade, have you done any survival in the forest?

No Quade, not yet. (night jump) Of course I know its very dangerous and I'll do my night jump on my own schedule...I'm in no rush. And of course that will formulate my opinion some more... Lonne

I just took the time to read the original thread. I think ckret and DB cooper, solved or unsolved, is good for the community. But, it would be cool if it could be solved... As a skydiver Quade, and a young one, yes, I admit, I think it would be good for the skydiving community and for the case to have its own forum. Knowing that skydiving is hurting membership wise, a little publicity on this case wouldn't help but to get more people interested. But perhaps you might be one of those people (and really I have no idea, so no offense intended) who feels the less skydivers out there, the better. ckret, Safe, and other sleuths that have no jumps by their names--have you guys done any jumps yet? ckret, I saw an earlier post of yours mentioning a tandem...have you done it? I'm not sure it would help you solve the case but it would give you an idea how reliable parachutes are these days...most accidents are due to the mistakes. Which it sounds like DB could have made a few. But all in all, if he was a really skilled individual, he could have gotten away with it. Now if parachutes were anywhere near as reliable (even without reserve) back then, your chances were 1 in 1000 (total estimate), the survival was all up to DB Cooper. Anyway, no more opinions until I have a chance to answer all of the known facts released by ckret. Lonne

I used to think DB Cooper was a goner for sure, but that was only because I had misinterpreted and thought he had jumped from 30,000 feet... Now that I hear he jumped from 10,000, it makes it much more likely (well, with my limited experience), that maybe, just maybe, he made it... If he landed in a good clear area... I don't know how the stitching or sewing was, but did anyone consider that perhaps he realized it was sewed and that he quickly cut the stitchings with a knife? OK, maybe kind of as stupid question--especially because I don't know anything about rigging and sewing, really. Highly unlikely... Weird that the chute has a 1946 stamp on it. I can't see any modern skydiver knowing a chute is approx 25 years old and still jumping it...of course, if he just got 4 rigs out of the blue he'd either have to be a) really stupid or b) really smart...no in between Lonne

You got that right...THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!!! A lot of people have died to get skydiving to where it is now... And to think in a way, we are all test jumpers for the future. But definitely, some of us more than others... How many of the guys that started this sport were 99% certain they would land safely on their two feet when their jump was done?

OK, what does the camera need? I'm not considering jumping a camera anytime soon. Just wanting to post a question about a camera and learn about it. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

Hi Dragon (Saskia). I re-read the links, thanks. Just took me awhile to dig through all the safety stuff to find the answer I was looking for and didn't realize it was there (on the third post). My apologies. Interesting safety info and definitely understandable. Sounds like it needs a wide lense huh?

I'm not asking for my own use at this point. I understand I'm still a student and still need some good experience before even jumping with a camera. I'm asking you jumpers out there that fly with cameras if anyone has used this camera and/or if you think its usable within skydiving? Just because I haven't seen anything about it so was just curious what kind of wrist cams people are using...and/or if they see any kind of dangers with this camera? I noticed on the camera website they have a lot of sports that people are using it in but I didn't see anyone on there skydiving unless I didn't look close enough.

What does anybody think about this camera for use in general fun flying? http://www.goprocamera.com/

Usually the morning of and a couple of days before, I don't drink coffee...I've noticed in general coffee affects my nerves more at work and other things, sometimes makes me more alert but other times more jittery...I see other skydivers drink it so I assume after a while its not such a big deal anymore but for me still its too much. I eat a tiny breakfast. I've only seen one person (on a tandem) puke, and i've heard other stories of tandem passengers puking and it hitting the tandem master in the goggles. The feeling of freefall, even the initial exit, has never made me feel like puking but I don't eat much just in case. One time I bungee jumped and I could feel it come up my throat on the way down...Recently I laxed this a bit and ate a slice of pizza before a jump and didn't seem to do anything. I've noticed others eat some pretty awful junk food. I pray and make myself right with my Maker before every jump. I deep breathe on the way to altitude, close my eyes and try to relax myself as much as possible, rehearse the dive flow. Definitely fist and high five as many pals as possible in a gesture as a way of saying, "Wow! This is for real, we're gonna jump! Right on!" Camraderie and to try to keep attitude positve.

Tom Petty Free falling

Hi Sandy, All of us have battled with this at some point...particularly those of us that started with Static Line... I was told over and over to ARCH and always ARCH'd just fine on the ground but for some reason couldn't figure out it's the same thing in the air... :-) One you step off that strut, put your mind into the zone that says ARCH and just ARCH your whole body You'll be fine and I'm sure you're doing great. You're not quitting and that is the first step to success... Lonne

Normal? Yep, I'd say so. But afterwards it will feel like one of the biggest accomplishments of your life. Just practice, practice, practice on the ground so that you know where that handle is and when you get up there and ARCH-REACH-PULL it will all happen naturally...

Hmmm. Well, I've read all the messages on this entire thread and I have to say it's been quite interesting to hear everyone's viewpoints. I only have 19 jumps, and I've been hounded countless times by family members, friends, everyone, asking me why the heck do keep doing this? I had my first reserve ride on my 19th jump actually. And being that I have only 19 jumps, I'm not exactly sure what happened. I did a few static line jumps, a few hop and pops, and a few 5 second delays before I switched to AFF. I found both methods of instruction to be extremely educational!! I found static line to be great for canopy instruction without overwhelming worry of what happens in freefall. Then, when I felt more confident with my canopy skills, I switched over to AFF to learn more about freefall. It did wonders in comparison to my limited (and still limited) knowledge on my 5 second delays. Yes I was d*mn nieve those first few jumps thinking how I will be just fine with instructors jumping with me. My instructors made it real clear to me that they were only going to do so much, but when it came down to it I was jumping on my own and needed to be able to handle myself. It scared me at the time but it made me realize I needed to step up to the plate and quite depending on them. By my 19th jump, I was having alot of fun, and also realized every single jump that emergency procedures may be just what I need to do if something bad happened. And it did. I pulled my ripcord (spring loaded pilot chute) at 5500, did a 5 count...then 6, 7, 8 (sh!!) and automatically started my cutaway and reserve procedures. Before I even got to the reserve the RSL activated. I was told later that I probably had a pilot chute hesitation (burble). By the time I looked at my altimeter I was at 3000 and under a good reserve canopy. While I'm sure I was told about that possibility before, all the training can be pretty overwhelming for a new student. I landed on a 250 reserve, but flared a little late, came in running, fell forward, and didn't PLF. I suffered a broken wrist (over 3 months ago) that I'm still waiting for it to heal. I learned three things on that jump...next time look behind to see if the chute is deploying, next time react faster, and when in doubt, PLF!!!! I think we learned on jump number 3 (first static line jump), that if the canopy starts to spin, check for a lineover and check for a loose toggle. We are all upset that people are asking us why the heck we are still skydiving (or in my case wanting to skydive). But at the end of the day, I remind myself that skydiving is very dangerous, and, while these people are a little uneducated about skydiving truths, ultimately, it is dangerous, it is your life up there, it is fun, but every jump always be prepared. And also explain to the people asking in more detail about what other facts you have to ask before automatically deciding, that parachute won't open. This is what the majority of people think. I tell them again and again, that the same thing could happen to me, I'm not experienced, but that I educate myself about packing, malfunctions, etc. so that when and if things happen I'll be as prepared as possible. But ultimately, if it aint' your day to make it, no matter how trained your are, it ain't your day. Live on! Be smart! Be educated! And jump! As far as Shayna. Awesome that she wants to jump again. If I were her, I'd review all over again what all the possible malfunctions are and drill drill drill until she knows what to do in every situation. And also tell myself that no chute ever is guaranteed. All you can do is reduce the odds! As far as the media coverage goes, I'd like to see alot more answers that delegate what really happened to the skydiving community, and alot more answers saying I don't skydive enough to know completely what really happened but I will learn before I jump again. Everyone have a great day. Unexperienced jumper but dedicated to learning more, hope I didn't piss anyone off. All in all, the posts above reminded me that when I jump again, I can also try balancing with the rear risers, for some reason that didn't click with my brain before (that I remember, last jump was 3 months ago) but I should definitely know that at 19 jumps. Lonne