sraja

Try SportRX.com - I love my prescription googles. Now I can look cool and enjoy the benefits of an open-faced helmet.

Nope you are correct - A license requires 25 jumps. 18 levels + 2 tandems = 20 jumps. The remaining 5 you can do solos or go with some experienced fun jumpers. But when you buy the AFP package - you pay for 17 levels + 5 jumps. So you dont have to buy separate jump tickets. Also, your 18th level is a free jump - its your graduation jump and they will organize whatever you want. I did a tracking dive on my graduation jump but I know people who have done 4 ways, 5 ways, 9 ways whatever you want. An experienced load organizer will help you find the right people for that.

-Warning - Biased Opinion - Congratulation on your 2 jumps. And its even better that you are looking to continue. I did my training at SDC last November and have about 80 odd jumps so far. I havent been to Skydive Chicagoland yet but I'll tell you what I know about SDC 1. SDC follows a custom AFP program not the usual AFF that is available at most dropzones. The difference is that AFP has 18 levels (including 3 free fly jumps, 1 tracking dive, 2 hop and pops) 2. The AFP program takes you directly to your A license so you dont have to keep doing solos and coach jumps until you get there 3. SDC uses Sabre 2 canopies for students - this is a topic where everyone has their own opinion but the advantage is that you will probably buy a very similar canopy as soon as you get off student status. 4. Most of SDC's student rigs are fairly new < 2-3 years old and they have a HUGE selection of sizes and containers as you may have noticed during your trips there 5. The atmosphere is very friendly for students and even though I was jumping in Chicago winter in November, some instructor would always be willing to take me up. (Sometimes I had to bribe them with beer later in the evening but thats all I had to pay for making them jump in 40F weather). Best of all, several of us fun jumpers will readily jump with you as soon as you get of student status. 6. There are several low jumper programs at SDC like Chasing Amy's hookup program or Furies Scrambles etc. 7. And I almost forgot to mention the Advanced Freefall and Canopy control class. You get a 2 hour session on advanced free fall techniques like swooping to a formation, canopy accuracy, downsizing etc. And a lengthy essay test to go with it as well. 8. My favourite is the evening atmosphere - simply the best I have seen so far. 9. Edited to add a big plus - Huge landing area with separate student, high performance and swoop pond areas. Several outs as well (read corn fields). Having said the above, please bear in mind that I have not visited the other 2 dropzones you mentioned. Hope the above helps a little.

Thanks - the software looks really cool. One question - you had mentioned about the ability to view and assign spaces on a load in realtime - is that still work in progress or has that been shelved for now.

Hey Matt The screen shots are only thumbnail images. I think you mistakenly linked the incorrect files.

And for more details on my body position during the track so that someone can comment on possible burble interference 1. Shoulders cupped 2. Toes pointed 3. Hands inverted - meaning my altimeter was perhaps at sometimes facing the ground instead of the sky 4. Belly sucked in 5. Dearched at the hip 6. Tightening up my entire body so much that it pained for the entire track

Got out of the otter at 13500, went into a max track right out of the door. I felt myself potato chipping so I got out of the track and then went right back into it. On the second track after a few seconds the velcro covers on my Havok helmet blew open on the right and left sides. The flapping noise was really irritating and so I stopped and pulled at the appropriate altitude. I covered a lot of ground too vis-a-vis I checked the deploy spot versus the exit spot. Now, I had my altitrack with me and it recorded a minimum fall rate of 75mph and an average of 112mph. The graph has me confused - 1. Why did I accelerate to 160mph after exit when I was in a max track position? Shouldnt I be falling slower? 2. The second track is when the altitrack recorded the minimum fall rate - anyone here seen anything similar? Some people at the DZ said it could be because my altimeter was in a burble - but everything else about the graph looks perfect. The low fall rate combined with the high forward speed is probably what blew my velcro covers open (atleast I'd like to think so) 3. Anyone here who has max tracked with an alti-track see anything odd on this graph? Someone recommended that for the most accurate readings I should have the altitrack on my ankles - that way it has the least intereference from the burble. Thanks in advance

I'm one of the locals and I'll be there the entire 7 days

Hello Jee If you are still at SDC you could show this problem to Kirk and he will gladly test jump it for you to identify the exact problem. There are a few Icarus test pilots out at SDC and they can help too.

I agree in principle that this is not good - but if you are on a 4 way or larger group, it may so happen that someone tracks up or down jumprun. I think the only way to minimize this risk is with adequate separation and also making sure that all jumpers clear their airspace before deploying.. am i correct?

He had a Wings - pretty old. He was pretty cool about the whole incident and told me the same thing - 'not to beat myself about it - just be more careful next time around'.

I visited Danielson today. Nice cute place. Expect to see me there atleast one Thursday every two weeks.

On jump #28, I mistimed my flare and badly bruised my tailbone. To make matters worse, I was visiting a dropzone in winter and this happened on the second day. I couldnt jump for the next 5 days and it felt like a real "bummer". Over the next few months of winter I spent a lot of time really wondering if I would ever regain the confidence to jump. On my first jump back, I took the radio and went up - and ever since then I have looked at that injury as a learning experience.

On Sunday, we did a 4 way exit which was to grow into a 5 way round. We were then going to turn a few more points - open accordion, compressed accordion and back to a round. It all went fine until we went from the open accordion to the compressed accordion. I floated up, slid to the left and ended over a fellow jumpers burble. I fell on top of him and disloged his main container pin. I went low but stayed in sight of the formation. Then I noticed everyone breaking away as soon his d-bag came out and caused a horse shoe malfunction. The fellow jumper deployed his pilot chute , the malfunction cleared and he landed safely but I felt very bad for having caused this error. Lesson learnt - be aware of everyone else on the skydive and that is more important than making a point. At the time I fell on him, I didnt think much of it because when I jump with other jumpers of similar or lower numbers we are all tumbling and falling and it hasnt caused anything more than a few jokes about each other back at the hangar. This time it wasnt that comedic and it could have been worse. Learn from my mistake and what is normally a funny occurence could have been much more serious.

So I finally made a jump in no wind conditions and I kept telling myself that I am in control all the way on my final approach. I flared to 2nd stage and held it - got the surf - and then flared more. But the forward speed was still there. I PLFed and got dragged on my side and sprained my forearm. Not exactly how I would have liked it but I felt I was definetly in more control than I have ever been. I know exactly what I didnt do right - I didnt complete my flare and bring the canopy to a complete halt. Next time I am more confident and not so afraid to jump in no wind conditions. Thanks to all your inputs here - very helpful.

Thank you Walt! That explanation really helped. I am eager to try out the stuff now on a no-wind day. Which is tomorrow!!! Like you mentioned - I am able to reduce my rate of descent but the forward speed at full flare scares the crap out me. I have also gathered the following advice from fellow jumpers at the DZ 1. Flare, rock back in your harness and butt slide using heels 2. Do a punch flare as compared to a staged flare but do it a wee little later than you would normally do a staged flare 3. Try finding the sweet spot up high and apply that down below And for the other poster who asked what the bump bump thing was - it was meant to convey the way I skimmed, slid and tumbled across the ground last saturday.

Last saturday there was absolutely no wind at the dropzone. I made three jumps and this is how they went - 1. Bumpity bumpity bump! Not so bad... 2. Whoa!!! Bumpity bumpity bump!! Still not so bad.. 3. Stop!! I am at position "4" on my flare and it still going as fast as normal flight!! I stopped jumping right after that. The speed was too scary for me. I asked around and all the experience jumpers seem to think no wind days are the most fun but there was a lot of carnage amongst the low time jumpers :) Now, I have heard various techniques to try on no-wind days and I do intend to try them the next time around but I am interested in hearing what techniques you use to slow down and get a tip-toe landing on no-wind day. Personally, I prefer about 10mph winds to get that right flare and gentle touch down... but hey! who knows in another 200 jumps I could be the one going whee!! on a no wind day.

I am not sure what you mean exactly by a recurrency jump but I'll assume it means that you have been out of the sport for a significant amount of time ( > 6 months) and are now looking to get back into the sport. That would mean a coach jump which is like $40 for the coach and the price of your slot $23. If you can find a coach you know they'll jump with you for free and you only pay the proce of your slot. Oh and that includes a 2 hour refresher course on emergency procedures, landing patterns and basic canopy control techniques.

Congratulations and great to have you back! Where are you doing your jumps?

Thanks everyone for their inputs. Now - does anyone know of any exercises to strengthen neck muscles? I am doing the neck rotations but not sure they do anything more than stretch the muscles. Thanks in advance

So I made 5 jumps over two days this weekend. Nothing fancy, just belly flying and tracking. I had one really hard opening but besides that I had normal standup landings and uneventful jumps. But this morning I have a bothersome neck pain. I wouldn't claim that it hurts but it bothers me (kinda like a neck sprain) when I turn my neck in certain directions. Is this normal? Do others also experience it after making several skydives? I have noticed this on other days when I am jumping as well. Any insight would be appreciated

Coincidentally I had a hard landing on my arse too on jump #28. I wrote about it here in the 'Stupid things I have done' thread. That landing took a big chunk of my confidence away and I got back in the air 4 months later. Couple of things I did to make sure I was comfortable 1. Do a couple of coach jumps 2. Take the radio with me for flaring instructions 3. Jump in mild wind conditions - 10-12mph 4. Fly a large canopy Hopefully doing some of these things will help comfort you like they did for me (atleast a wee bit). It boils down to just getting out there and doing it but then thats upto you.

My first cutaway was on my 13th jump - I have a prayer that I say as the plane takes off.

My crazy skydiving dream last night was about a normal jump with normal freefall and then opening around 4000 feet. I had a ball of mess above my head and so I cutaway and pull my reserve. Get a stand up landing and no problem. But then, for some reason I pack my reserve as my main and get right back on the next load. I jump, open up and have a good canopy above my head. Only after I land do I realize that I jumped my reserve as my main... wierd!!!

That is a decent salary for the experience and work you are doing. I live in NJ for 15 days a month and remaining in Chicago. I would recommend you look for housing either in North Jersey - condos rent for approx 1100$ pm or Central Jersey (commute to work would be 30mins by train) but rent would be 1000$ pm. Look at apartments.com for a better picture. Another option is to look for housing in craigslist.org - you can find some good places there. You have Skydive Sussex, Crosskeys and the Ranch to choose from for DZs - all of them would involve significant commute but if it is only going to be once a week, that is a fair compromise.