chaosreins

Ask to join the "Skydive Pepperell Family" Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/skydivepepperellclassof2014/ and you can easily connect with jumpers traveling from Boston. Also, the Boston Express has buses from South Station up the Route 3 corridor with a stop at exit 8, which is about a 10 minute drive from the DZ. If you know when you'll be arriving, you should have no trouble finding someone to pick you up. Hell, if i was still living on the east coast, I'd pick you up myself :)

we inadvertently happened upon the macaw guy on our visit a couple years ago. discovered through chatting with him that he grew up in the same little town in massachusetts that i lived in for 10 years. what a small world! (and a rather odd man...but his macaws are gorgeous!)

looks like nothing was lost - see photo below that i took after fred finally made it out of the water.

honestly not sure about jump run. there were several groups, including a 3-person crew jump and a solo jumper dressed in a lobster costume (it was the annual seafood festival, after all). i was snapping photos and not paying close attention to the direction of jump run. the first two groups - lobsterman and the crew guys - did exit further upwind (and inland) of the water, while the last group exited closer to the beach - even with separate passes for each group. i remember thinking "how are they going to get back to the beach?" when the last group exited. [edited to add: winds were blowing out towards the water] i'd estimate steady ground winds at 15-20 mph. we were experiencing the remnants of tropical storm hannah and winds were strong all day. rumor has it that a few of the planned jumpers decided not to participate because of that.

one thing screwy with the story is that none of the jumpers exited anywhere near 14k. (i was there.)while i don't have the experience to judge with much accuracy the height of an otter while looking up from the ground, i would pretty safely say it was no higher than 5-6k when that group left the plane.

charlie picked me up in his van after i landed at the far end of the field last month during my recurrency jump after the long winter. it was my 39th jump. the first thing he said to me was, "you fly like shit!" charlie had followed my canopy from opening to landing, and that comment, together with the knowledge that charlie was watching out for me both in the sky and on the ground, made me appreciate even more just how special a person he was. i feel blessed to have been "harassed" by charlie and am certain i will be a better skydiver thanks to him. he will long stay in my heart and head. blue skies, charlie. sally, you found one hell of a guy. sincere condolences from both me and jeanne. audrey

i'm no expert but i do remember during my training, my aff instructor telling me (repeatedly

careful who you get your insurance with - if you've got a life insurance policy you might not want that company knowing about your skydiving habit

our local (nh) wind tunnel states in their f.a.q. that anyone who has suffered from a prior shoulder dislocation is ineligible to fly.

welcome, bauer! i just got home from a 2 week vacation in maui and was thinking about island hopping to get a jump in, but it was pretty rainy so i bagged the idea. i can't think of too many places more beautiful than hawaii to learn how to skydive! have fun and welcome!

hey chica from cin! columbus native myself here! i hope you give at least a tandem a try...and perhaps pursue the sport further. we need more chicas in skydiving

got any pictures of that?

is the video available in a different format? my computer doesn't want to play it

There is, but not open for upjumpers. It's strictly a tandem op. Ed any more info on this place, please?

because you'll be expected to keep buying it for the folks at your dropzone until you learn to stop prefacing your posts with "my first"

i did my first two 4-ways this past weekend. all i can say is WOWWWWW (that even deserves capital letters) !!! guess i can't go back to just holding hands anymore i was the least experienced jumper and we didn't achieve all our goals in either jump, but i sure learned a lot - linked exits, matching fall rates, staying tight in the formation, don't cover your buddy's altimeter when you grab him/her, etc. etc. i can't wait to try some more.

i disagree. i did my first tandem in 1991 and was hooked. wanted to go for my license right then and there. but had a mortgage, bills, 3 small kids and no money. maybe if i had sold one of my kids, i'd have "found a way". short of that, i simply did not have the $2000+ for the training. the kids are older now, i still have that darn mortgage, and i have college bills to pay. if i didn't get that incredible birthday gift last fall, i'd still be without my "a" license. i think it's a bit presumptuous of you to say that if you have a desire to be in the sport, you will find a way. i completely agree cost *should* never have anything to do with it, but the reality of life is that it always will. now, if you have any suggestions how i can "find a way" to buy some equipment, i'm all ears

my first aff instructor taught me to flare with arms/toggles in front, as you have been doing. after watching my first couple of landings - not on my feet - the dzo (who was helping on radio) suggested i flare with arms/toggles down to the side to give me more stability. my next landing was on my feet. the dzo and lead aff instructor then proceeded to have a lengthy debate whether women should flare in front or on the side - one claiming most women don't have the arm strength to perform a full "side flare" which can jeapardize the landing, and the other claiming a "front flare", while possibly enabling a more complete flare, puts you in an awkward body position for landing. both the dzo and instructor are women, btw. i've found flaring to the side works best for me, even though i'm a small woman without impressive arm strength

very exciting! hope you get a lot of use out of it! one of these days i'll get one myself...

we've already come and gone, actually

thanks. when i did my first solo last month the manifest ladies introduced me to the beer rules...i'm embarrassed to say i immediately broke them. but that was the same day johnny gates made his last jump so i was forgiven. probably can't get away with it twice?

it's free, too

that's correct. this should give you some more information http://www.nasfaa.org/AnnualPubs/TaxBenefitsGuide.html if your modified adjusted gross income is more than $55,000 (if you file as single), you wouldn't be able to claim it either. you might qualify for the lifetime learning credit, however, which does apply for grad school tuition.

i've sent you a pm with some more information on this.