Hayfield

welcome to the forums soon-to-be ranch hand! Maybe we'll meet around the fire some time. Bring beer. "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

Don't beat yourself up if you're not doing everything perfect all the time. Some of the most skilled instructors at my DZ had to redo an AFF level or two! Keep learning, keep trying, it will click at some point.. Blue Skies "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

Hey Joe, Nice to hear you got to get a jump in, looks like Sunday is going to be the best day of this weekend too. Did the instructor give you any input to the cause of your turn? Sometimes legs and feet can cause turns-toe taps cured my girlfriend of that during her training. She still has a slight tendency to turn when we jump together. I was also told by my instructor to move my arms independently of my torso (easier said than done, but is similar to paddling out on a surfboard). Remember that the SIM and, more importantly, your instructors (especially a good jump debrief) are THE sources of info. On another note, do you know a blond, upbeat girl named Betsy? She jumps at the ranch now, but is from SDJS. Good luck on Sunday! "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

You'll be much better off (skills and money) if you save up over the winter and start hard in April. Do as many jumps close together as you can. This will help you not repeat levels or go uncurrent if you get a few weeks of shitty weather. As for $300 for AFF 1, I hope the first jump course is included for that price. Look around at the nearby DZs and compare prices, the DZ i started at charged 175 per AFF jump, the DZ i moved to the next spring charged 136 per AFF jump, so there are differences. Also, if a DZ has turbine aircraft you'll probably find that you can jump more and have to wait (non weather related) less. Just remember to save your money, it will be torture, but worth it. Oh, one warning: you will want to buy your own gear once you're licensed. Once you start renting gear after you get your A you'll see what I mean. "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

Good luck today Joe. I've only been to Skydive Sussex (where I started last fall) and the Ranch in NY. The staff was great at Sussex and the people at the Ranch kick ass. If you're ever in the mood for a road trip, try the ranch. Their AFF jumps were much cheaper than I've found at other places ($138 each till you're cleared for solos which are 45 each includes gear). Looks like the weather is great for jumping today, damn i'm jealous! "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

Of course, why fall through you're own stink! "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

Try to hold it till just prior to jumprun. Then if you're one of the first few out, let it rip. Turn and yell, "IT WAS ME!!!!" and promptly exit. Make sure to drink plenty of Jaegermeister the night before to provide that diseased-colon aroma. "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

That's better than what we have now! "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

Hi, welcome to the forums. Looks like you're not too far from crosskeys, have you been there? From what I hear it's a great DZ-plenty of people to play with. With the end of the season approaching, they'll probably be flyin on weekends. I work in Manasquan, but havent been to SDJersey Shore yet, something about lack of turbines, I hate to wait. Blue Skies "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

hahahaahahahahahahahahahah! Ginger got a real job!!! Haahahahahahahah! Maybe see you at the ranch this weekend? I may try another afterwork weekday on wed or thurs-then we can jump together and I can kick you. It will be fun! Christine got me back though-show you the vid later. Blue ones, T "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

Keep it up Carolyn! You sound like my girlfriend and I one year ago. We're both licensed now and own our own gear. The best part is: it keeps getting better with every jump! Word to the wise-if you're going to go through training and get your A license, bring beer. Little by little you'll meet people at your DZ-depending on size. Later on you'll have more people to jump with and get pointers from. Enjoy yourself and obey your instructors orders as you would the word of God. Blue Skies all "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

We may all have our opinions and sources of information that provide us different "facts", but some things most of us on this forum will agree on: The politicians fuck things up and soldiers get stuck with the tab. US troops typically do the best they can, but it's hard to do surgery with a sword. To all those who have (or choose) go where we don't/won't: Thanks for your service. Hope you get home ok from deployments. Blue Ones to all. "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

War profiteering makes me f'ing sick. War profiteers should die from anal bleeding and rot in hell. "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

"Yep............keep spouting the Dem line. "You're doing it all wrong...........you're doing it all wrong!!!" and not have ANY clue how to do it better. Dems talk........Republicans do. I guess Dems see it as.......if you don't DO anything and keep blaming everyone else.......that just HAS to work! Kept Clinton in office for 8 years." Now the truth is out. Another brainwashed right wing supporter that tells people, "they don't know what they're talking about" and points fingers elsewhere because they cant deal with "their" party being wrong. Learn to speak German, the bullshit sounds more convincing that way. What gets me is how effective the Bush/right have been in villifying the left. It's the right that cuts soldiers combat pay, VA benefits, and social programs for their families. Its the right that tells guys "tough shit, stay longer cause we said so" because they can't get enlistment quotas filled. They've been lying about low enlistment numbers for 3 years, now they cant hide it anymore and must ease enlistment criteria (age, education, etc.). Yes, repubs act, with the son's and daughters of the poor, not their own. PS When I was young and didn't read enough, I enlisted and was a Republican. Education (not liberal bias in college profs or the media) cured me of most right wing tendencies. PPS: I have yet to meet a returning Iraq vet who thinks things are going well (except those on FOX news). "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

In all fairness, we only destroyed one country: Iraq. Afghanistan was already destroyed by Russians and then its own people before we arrived. "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

Thank you. I couldn't have put it better, and didn't. "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

You should recheck your facts. We had and have a national debt. Clinton took over and we had a trade defecit and a budget defecit (spending more than we're making on paper each year) too. Under Clinton, the trade gap decreased and the annual budget defecit was eliminated-America learned to live within its means, unlike me thanks to skydiving and credit cards. This surplus (money we were taking in and not spending each year) was going into paying off our national debt, like the money i won't be spending on skydiving during the winter and will be sending to credit card companies. Under Clinton, we could project when our national debt would be paid off. Now we can't. So he wasn't warlike enough for me personally, but some times it is better to err on the side of caution. "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

Wouldn't that fall under slander or defamation of character? You would have some recourse, but the damage to your name would have been done... Damn, this is a complex issue. When I think about these types of issues I try to keep the big picture in mind- what will this turn into down the road? Thats what I worry about. Maybe I read a little too much 20th century Russian and German history- so i guess i scare easy! Blue Skies "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

Elect a C student to the highest office in the land who puts down his opponents as bein rich elitists, when he is one. Ignore his track record as governor of Texas. Watch as America is fed more propoganda-do you ever see much negative material about the current regime on Fox news? Watch as our jingoistic international rhetoric (some people confuse this crap with balls and patriotism) causes the people of this world to think that the good old USA is the greatest threat to peace. Watch as he commits soldiers to a war (Iraq) right after cutting their combat pay and VA benefits. Attempts to loosen environmental protection laws. There is no acceleration of global warming due to human activity, who cares what NASA scientists say. No wonder his idea of diplomacy is join us or die. There was a time when educated and intelligent people used to do this kind of work... Ben Franklin would vomit if he were alive today. "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

I don't think your analogy works. Typically a reporter works for a newspaper, network, etc. they are probably on salary, so they will not directly profit from inside info the way a stock trader would. A free press is too integral to a real democracy. The press helps to keep our leaders in line. Deepthroat (not the movie) ring a bell? Short of compromising national security by publishing classified or secret information usable by an enemy, I am completely against the threat of imprisonment for non collaboration. This is America, we have an obligation to uphold and defend the constitution first and foremost. "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

He's not kidding about ranch hands taking care of business! "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

lmao, lololol how long ago was that too? "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

Everybody always says arch! They are right. How do you remember to arch and not be stiff? I was told to remember to breathe in freefall. Think about breathing in and out as you exit and you wont hold your breath and be stiff. Breathing is the key to relaxing which is the key to a good arch. But as always: Take any real questions to your instructors! Oh yeah, above all, remember this is supposed to be fun! "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

You only have to stand up one landing. You can stand up a landing w/in 20 meters and count the same landing for two criteria. My girlfriend just went through this, needed to stand up a landing for her A license, then she stood up her 24th landing and was good to go for her checkdive. "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete

Thought I'd skydive once, kinda like check it off my life list, but... My first jump I was nervous as all hell, I even thought about buying some depends undergarments in case I crapped myself! My video looks like a guy being marched off to execution rather than a skydive. Was clenched all the way to the door, then it was all fun. By the time we landed I had figured out how many more jumps I could afford. That was one year ago on 8/6. Now I'm working on the B license and have a rig. It just keeps getting better every jump! So beware my friend, or before you know it... ONE OF US! ONE OF US!! "Remember the First Commandment: Don't Fuck Up!" -Crusty Old Pete