angrypeppers

Hey there! I just did my Level 1 at Mile Hi this past Sunday. Welcome to the forums... Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

I was waiting for someone to ask that question! I bought the II first, since I liked the idea of the bigger face on it. But then, I found the Galaxy for a *really* nice price, so I bought it too. Figured I could try both and sell the one I liked least. I'll ask an instructor to check it out on my next jump... Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

I just started my AFF, and geek that I am, I bought two used altimeters off the classifieds here: an Altimaster II and a Galaxy. I've already sent the II to Alti-2 for a recalibration/checkout, but am curious about what to do with the Galaxy. It's in great shape, and seems to work on the ground (needle moves with weather pressure changes). Not really a comprehensive check, I know. I don't want to use it before I know it's accurate. My question is this: Should I send the Galaxy for a recalibration too, or can I just take it on a few jumps as a backup and check it in the plane against my student altimeter? I'm going to use a student alti for my jumps till I know that the Galaxy is working correctly, or I get the II back from the recalibration, so it's not time critical for me. Thx! Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

One brother, two years younger than me... Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

Thanks, everyone! I'm actually feeling pretty good about the jump. I know there's a few things I have to work on, but they'll get better with more jumps. I'm already counting the days till Saturday...Level 2! I'll probably hit the tunnel this week to work on the legs. The door hesitation will have to wait till Saturday though. The door fear kinda caught me by surprise. The tandem I did last month was different: we didn't hang out in the door, just a fairly quick look, then out we went. Standing in the doorway, looking up the airplane at the wing and prop was definitely different! Freaked me out a bit... I must have watched the video a half dozen times today at work, and showed it to buddies another half dozen times. Most of them think I'm nuts, and one person called me "Dangerboy", which I took as a compliment. Too bad I couldn't get a dollar for every time I heard "perfectly good airplane". I like reading people's stories about their jumps, so hopefully mine will entertain, especially for you folks with hundreds/thousands of jumps. I hope I'm just as geeked about jumping when I have all those jumps as I am right now. Thanks again... Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

I hear ya. I'm going to have to get a PT job to pay for my jumps! Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

Did my AFF Level 1 today at Mile Hi. What a beatiful day to jump! Sunny, little wind, and you could see from Long's Peak down past Mt. Evans. I was a bit nervous, since this would be my first time under canopy. I did a tandem a month or so ago, but this one was all on me! We got to Mile Hi at 0800 and checked in. Shortly thereafter, me and two others did the prejump briefing. Answered some questions, and practiced cutaway/reserve pulls with the bibs. Went well, and yes, we believe that we can save our lives, which of course, is a good thing. I took the AFF class last weekend, but didn't get to jump then due to high winds. So I've been reading and studying all week so that I'd be prepared for today. Eventually, I was assigned a video guy and two instructors, and assigned to Otter 6. Love the Otter! We geared up, and waited. I chatted with two of my classmates from last week, then heard the call: "Otter 6 five minutes". Butterflies were really kicking in now, though I was trying to stay focused and calm. The vid guy took some pics and video, then we were off the the trailer. Once we got out to the plane, it was time for one more gear check, then inside the plane. Once airborne, I went through the dive flow with the instructors, and watched the alti. Once the door came open, I took a few deep breaths, then we scooted back to the door as the folks in front of us jumped. I got a bit of subconscious door fear I think. Brady shook me three times before I finally let go. Sorry to the folks behind us for that. Once we got stable, I started my flow: I did my COA and touches. Chris and Brady were giving me hand signals, and I honestly saw maybe half of them...sensory overload I suppose. I was trying to hold a good arch, but need to work on my legs some more. Then the moment of truth: 5500'. I reached back, grabbed the hackey, and tossed it. The chute opened clean! Thank god. I know the emergency procedures, but didn't want to test myself today! Man, it was nice seeing that canopy over my head. I did my controllability check, though tentatively. Since I had never flown a canopy before, I wanted to ease into turns and flares. The canopy flew fine, and was a lot more responsive than I though it would be (290 Navigator). And the instructors were right, it did like to dive while turning! I got down to about 3k, and noticed that I wasn't descending as fast as I thought I should. That's when I noticed that I was holding the toggles down a bit. Gotta remember that for next time. Once I figured that out, I started getting directions over the radio: turn left, turn right. Brady did a fine job getting me lined up for the landing area, though I still wasn't turning aggressively enough. Gotta remember that too. The landing was OK, stumbled a bit, but I got down, wasn't hurt, and the parachute wasn't damaged. I gathered up the chute, Chris came over and got some more film, then it was off to get the trailer ride back to the hangar. Aaron and Brady debriefed me on what they saw, but also wanted to know what I saw. I remember seeing the signals for my legs, but I missed most of the rest of the signals. Need to work on that too.. Things to work on: 1. When I get the doorway shake, GO! I don't like the thought of holding up anyone, or causing them to jump out of position because of me. 2. Relax, enjoy the freefall, and point the toes more. 3. Turns under canopy should be more aggressive, though controlled. 4. Breathe! 5. Be more aware of the instructor's coaching. I shouldn't have missed the hand signals. 6. Check heading more frequently, not just altitude. 7. Don't unintentionally put pressure on the toggles while descending. Things I did correctly: 1. Alti checks. I checked often, and was able to pull on time. Checked the alti often once under canopy too. Altimeters are good! 2. Since I had practiced the dive flow a hundred times at home, I was able to complete it properly, and on schedule. Not just from memory either, but I knew what I was to do, and did it. 3. Even though I didn't need them this jump, I knew the emergency procedures. I'll keep reviewing them, but I was fairly confident that if I did get a mal, I'd be able to deal with it correctly. I may need them next time. All in all, I'd give myself a 7 out of ten. Not great, but I got down safely, and I feel a lot better about flying the canopy. I have a lot to work on and learn yet, but this jump was a big confidence booster! I'll do some more tunnel time this week, and start studying again. Level 2 is on Saturday, and I want to do better than this time! Many thanks to Brady and Aaron for the instruction, and to Chris for the video and pics! Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

Same here...green to blue or somewhere in between... I've got a work buddy who has amber colored eyes. Kinda freaky really...might just be contacts though. Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

Looks like an Antonov AN-2 to me...never saw wingtips like that though! Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

I'm scheduled for my AFF Level 1 on Sunday so I'll be there too. I'm planning on hanging around for a few hours if the weather holds out. Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

Social Distortion - Live at the Roxy. Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

Welcome, Gato! I know what you mean about the lack of books/magazines...we have the same problem in Denver. There's a bunch of vendors linked to this site that can help out though...and there's always Amazon. Check at your DZ too, they may have some books for you...and you'll support the DZ at the same time! Have fun on your jump! Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

How about an airline job? You could be a ramp rat (baggage/fuel/deicing), and get the airline benefits (travel). The pay usually sucks though... Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

Hi there, and welcome to the fun! I'm new to the sport too...one tandem so far, but I'm doing my first AFF jump this weekend. Try it, you'll be hooked! Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

Yeah, I saw the weather cleared out on Saturday...figures. I'm scheduled for this coming Saturday, so keep your fingers crossed! Going to do the tunnel at least once this week too... Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

I'd say to check in to getting your own car, except Oxford isn't really "car friendly" unless you live outside of the main part of town. And traffic on the loop roads (A34/A40/A4047/A4142 if I remember correctly) can be as bad as the States during rush hours. Driving in the center of town is horrible, and parking is just as bad: pricey in the public garages, and parking spots on the streets are scarce. Can't help you out w/rides, sorry! How's that for a useless response? Really, I'll bet that you'll meet some mates who can get you around, either from the DZ, or school. Does your college or another one, have a skydiving club? I seen a bunch of UK folks on DZ, so maybe they can help you out. Hope you enjoy you time there. I love that part of the country...beautiful. The picture is from my trip there last February. Have a few pints of bitter for me when you get the chance...which *should* be often! Cheers! Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

Nah, I'm not on a timetable. I'd love to be able to take vacation this fall to get my jumps done, but then I'd have to come back to the cold/unstable weather and probably sit around for a while anyway. After Christmas would work, but I don't think I can wait that long...I'll go nuts! Plus, it would be better right now money-wise to spread it out a bit...until someone buys the truck I have for sale. The real pisser is that I decided to do this at the end of the summer! I'm comfortable with the idea of starting training now, jumping as often as I can afford and the weather allows, while using the tunnel through the cold months. Even knowing I'll have to wait out the weather some weekends, I'd rather get going now. I know what you mean about keeping training close together. I went through that during my pilot's training. Went *much* better when I could fly more than once a week! And I've got Longmont WX from weather.com bookmarked on the toolbar of my browser. I look at the weather there as much as I do here, even if I'm not heading up there. Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

I'm not discouraged, but I was really looking forward to jumping this weekend! I'll keep y'all posted on my progress. At least I can go to the tunnel before my AFF. I kinda did the same thing with my pilot training. Took three years to go from first lesson to my license. Flew with a bunch of different instructors, in four a/c types, at three different airports in two states before I got my ticket. I won't let that happen with my skydiving! I've even thought of taking vacation and going somplace warm for the training, but I'd rather stay in CO...I'd rather do the training where I'm going to be jumping. Jewels, I'm sure I'll see you at SVC...might even go tomorrow to watch and learn from you pros! Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

I can't remember his name right now...he's Chris's roommate? Brad, maybe? This is going to bug me... I'll go back at least once more before my jump next weekend. Need to practice a bit more. And it's a lot of fun too! Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

Hi. I'm here a lot too... Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

The tunnel was great! Did a total of about six minutes, in three rotations. I got the DVD too...strange watching it though. I did better on the DVD than I thought I did while I was in the tunnel, and vice versa. Can't wait to go back! I did feel much more confident at the end of the session. I was able to turn both directions, and control my height. All were pretty sloppy, but you could tell what I'm doing! Need to work a bit on controlling my legs. One thing I thought was really cool is that we did the session like an AFF lesson, rather than a fun ride. Used AFF hand signals, and simulated altimeter checks. Didn't do any practice touches, but we will next time. Now that I have another week till my jump, I can head back to the tunnel for more practice! Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

Well, the good news is that I'm scheduled for the tunnel tonite...first time there, so that should be fun. I was jumping at Mile Hi too; tomorrow looks stormy, but Sunday may be OK for your friend. The Sunday class was a bit of a fluke anyway. There were too many people interested in AFF for their normal Saturday class, so they tried to have a second class on Sunday. Didn't work out I guess. Weekends are now cleared forever. No more 4 wheeling or fishing. Must...learn...to...jump! Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

My AFF Level 1 was cancelled for this weekend. Too many people bailed for the Sunday class. They offered me a spot in the Saturday class, but I already have plans, and it looks like the weather will be crappy tomorrow. I rescheduled for next weekend, but I wanted to go on Sunday! Sorry, just had to vent a little bit. Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

Kinda like this one? This is a Grumman E-2T Hawkeye... Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.

Agreed! I'd look at southern NH. It's nearly perfect: 1. Skiing is close by for the cold months 2. Boston is just across the border 3. The ocean is less than an hour's drive 4. Some of the best seafood lives near there 5. There are DZ's in MA and Maine, and there's a tunnel in Nashua. 6. What Wendy said about the taxes (or lack thereof) I'm partial to the Portsmouth area, but lived in Nashua/Merrimack for eight years (lived off campus during college in Nashua, so I know it's affordable!). Chris Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me.