KNewman

Michelle First off welcome

Hey Red Put on a back-pack and practice your exits off the deck in your back yard. I feel your pain, I get withdrawls during the week when I cant jump. I spend my freetime digging around dropzone.com and looking at the films on headdown.net and skydivingmovies.com. I only have 6 more jumps to go until I get my A license and then I will be able to go to any dropzone that will let me jump, hopefully that will help!!! Anyway, have fun and be safe!!!!! Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Welcome to our wonderful world

Klara IAD stands for Instructor Assisted Deployment. The instructor deploys your pilot chute as you exit the aircraft. This is the training program that I am currently doing. I have since moved on and am currently in the unsupervised freefall portion of the training program. Good luck to you in whatever method of instruction you choose. Have fun (that is what is all about) and be safe!!! Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

$14 to 3500 and $22 to 12000. I try to get out there every other weekend. Blue Skies!!! Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Hey Lisa Its me again (remeber the guy whos tandem main blew up!) I had the exact same problem when I did my tandem and again when I did my first ten second delay. What was causing my shortness of breath was being tense. I have now moved on to higher altitudes (up to 13600) and have had no problems. Relaxing is the key!!!!! Blue Skies Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Speedylisa Yes my dear speedylisa there is a reserve! I know this from experience. On my tandem, the main decided it wanted to blow apart into little pieces. Needless to say we landed under that beautiful reserve chute. Welcome to this wonderful sport Blue Skies Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

To Bozo Thanks for being alert and being safety conscious, as a newbie myself it is nice to know that others are looking out for us!! I will not get on a plane unless I have had my gear checked at least twice on the ground, and will not jump unless someone checks me out in the plane at altitude. Skydiving is way fun, but not worth dying for, especially for not taking the time for a gear check prior to getting on the plane. Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Andy

OSOK I have had problems with my landings (getting better), my exits from the otter (have them nailed now), my fall rate (to fast, learned how to slow it down). It all comes with experience. I also think it comes from being CONFIDENT that you can do something and most of all have FUN!! I have found that I was putting way too much pressure on myself to execute everything perfectly. Doing this made me tense. Everything works much better when you are relaxed and CONFIDENT you can do this!!!! THe main goal of skydiving for me is to have fun and be safe. Make these your top priorities and you will always have BLUE SKIES!!! Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Dude You are so hosed You will be finding thing around the house to sell so you can go jumping. I myself have sold off my golf clubs, my climbing gear is next (know anyone who climbs and needs gear?), then my paintball stuff. It never ends!!! Have fun!!!! Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Hello to all First off thanks for all of the info, (Which I used). I have the problem all figured out now. I think it was a case of first time jitters. Did four more exits this weekend and all of them were right on the money!!!! Good enough in fact to be cleared for self supervision!!!! Thanks everyone Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Hello to all I had the most incredible saturday. I was all worried after last weekend (unstable exit out of otter) that I was going to spend a few jumps figuring the exit out and not get to do my back and front loops. Anyway, got to 12,100 and dove out, this time it was way cool, stable on the hill, started my back loops and front loops (real easy, nailed every one of them). Next dive was the practice tracking dive, did 4, 5 second tracks with a 180 degree turn in between each one. How cool is this, zipping around the sky. Did a back loop and one final track. (did I mention, another good exit out of the otter?) Stuck the landing (another thing I have been having problems with) When I got back to the packing area (beaming from ear to ear) my instructor told me that the two dives I just did were outstanding and that I had better get packed because he was clearing me for my solo dive!!!!! I packed as fast as I could and made the next manifest and the load organizer let me jump first on the second pass!!!! Did back loops all the way down for fun!!!!!!!. Was able to get packed in time for the last load of the day, went up to 12,400, did my (now good) exit, and just enjoyed the view, watching the sun start to set, the other divers all around and then sadly had to open and land. Stuck my landing 5 foot from the pea pit (solving yet another problem I was having). I am so sorry to ramble on so long, but yesterday was the most incredible day of jumping I have ever had!!!!! Blue Skies to everyone!!!! Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Way to go!!! I have 11 jumps and have stood up only one of them. I felt the exact same way you did when you got yours. Victory is sweet, and kill the nay sayers. Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Hello to all, I had a good weekend jumping. I did a 15 second delay from a cessna 182 with a diving exit and was able to get stable rather quickly, no tumbling or flipping. Graduated to the Otter (first time). Went to 12000 feet and did another diving exit with my instructor. It seems to me that it took a lot longer to get stable. After leaving the plane I arched hard and it seemed to take forever to get belly to earth. I was able to do all my manuvers, Left 360, right 360 and a left barrel roll (FUN) before 5000; AGL. My question is how long (on average) should it take to get stable ? Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Just an idea, I think it would be good to have a forum out there for skydivers in training to talk about our learning experiences and ask questions about what we can do to improve. Having a single post will keep us newbies from having to search through different forums to get assistance. Not that it is not workable as it is with all the tools you have made available such as the watch thread tool, I just would like to talk to others in my situation in one place. Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!

Thanks to all who have replied to my post today. I am going to order the book. I am planning to get a few more jumps in this weekend

I am very new to this wonderful sport (8 Jumps so far) and am currently working on getting an A license. I have made many military jumps but there is no comparison to the fun level and cool factors of freefall, real canopy flight and standup landings. I enjoy reading all of the information available on dropzone.com and would appreciate any comments from the experienced jumpers as to my progression in this sport. I am currently doing my 15 second delays and have had no problems with stability so far some problems I am having is with judging my landings and getting close to the target area, I have been close only twice. I am currently working to get better. Anyway thanks for everyone being out there and I hope to talk, jump or see you out at Raeford real soon. Kevin Blue Skies and Stand-up Landings!!!!!!