millertimeunc

I'm taking my check ride today in a DA-20. Wish me luck! The best things in life are dangerous.

I fly a Phantom 2 because it does everything well. Damn thing flies like it's reading my mind.

Because that is my only frame of reference. My advice is worth exactly what you pay for it. The best things in life are dangerous.

Some of us don't need these toys to get the "event" outside our pants. The best things in life are dangerous.

We're learning on DA-20's out here, which is sort of like a glider with a weed eater engine attached to the front. 125 hp takes a while to get you anywhere. The best things in life are dangerous.

It's called a dollar ride because you owe your instructor a dollar for your first flight. It's a USAF tradition. We had a smartass Canadian come through here a while back and pay $1.26 (value of a Canadian dollar at the exchange rate of the time) for his first ride. The best things in life are dangerous.

First flight ever, my instructor demonstrated a touch-n-go once, and then it was up to me to do the next 4, then we flew to an area about 14 miles away and did steep turns, power off stalls, and slow flight before coming back and landing again. Damn, the Air Force really throws you off the deep end when you're first learning to fly! Lots of fun, though! The best things in life are dangerous.

Negligible increase in performance. I tried a variety of 190's (Sabre, Sabre 2, Spectre, Safire 2, Triathlon) loaded at 1.19 back when I was flying a Spectre 210. The difference in performance wasn't enough for me to justify buying a 190. The best things in life are dangerous.

Amaretto, Creme de Cacao, Bailey's. Mix in equal parts, shake over ice, and serve. Deeeeeeelicious!

Try using the pedal on the left The best things in life are dangerous.

I'm over the initial shock of being told "no" on my favorite sport, and after the first 2 days here, I can see that they're front-loading the course and feeding us from a fire hose, so I've got bigger things to worry about than not jumping. It's only 2 months of no skydiving, and then I've got 3 months to crank out as many jumps as I can before UPT starts. Meanwhile, I think I'll be hitting up the wind tunnel on the weekends. On the plus side, about 2 hours of class time yesterday was devoted to "wing loading and its effects."

Oh goody, I have more fun times ahead to look forward to. The best things in life are dangerous.

I realized during class today that skydiving and flying in the Air Force are ass-backwards to each other. I started skydiving flying a Spectre, and I hope someday I'll be skilled enough to fly a Katana. In the Air Force, I'm starting off flying a Katana, and hope that someday I'll be good enough to fly a Spectre. The best things in life are dangerous.

On a different note, if I could jump here, how much of a difference would I notice in freefall and canopy flight jumping here in Colorado? I normally jump at either Palatka or Z-hills. The best things in life are dangerous.

Pueblo Colorado. Doss Aviation pretty much runs the whole school, with just a couple high ranking Air Force officers to handle any military affairs that crop up (i.e. a family member dies and you need to get back home). I'm feeling slightly better about it now. I guess not being able to jump for 2 months will make waiting for my wingsuit easier. The best things in life are dangerous.

But...but...I got almost 40 jumps just in March alone! The withdrawl...I...can't...go...on... My rig is sitting in the corner here mocking me. The best things in life are dangerous.

Initial Flight Screening oficially blows. I've been here for 5 hours and just found out they've put a ban on any of us skydiving on the weekinds. They say it's because "they're afraid we'll sprain an ankle and have to be removed from training", but no problem if you want to go skiing or 4-wheeling etc. I'm going to run it all the way up the chain of command, but it looks like they're standing shoulder to shoulder on this one. What's a 2nd Lt to do? The best things in life are dangerous.

You must be either a retired senior enlisted member or a retired officer, so which is it? The best things in life are dangerous.

And just what is that supposed to mean? The best things in life are dangerous.

I'm sitting here literally giddy with excitement. This is the doorway to being an Air Force pilot. I hear the Katana is a sweet little plane, though kind of weedy in the rarefied air of Pueblo Colorado.

...and I don't care what anyone says, it won't change my mind. The best things in life are dangerous.

Dammit, I want my Phantom 2! Grrrrrr, the cruel waiting game begins... The best things in life are dangerous.

I got selected to take the freefall course AM-490 at the Air Force Academy in August of 2004. It's basically 5 jumps from 4500 feet, count to 7 and pull. That was pretty much it, until January of last year when I took my dad skydiving as a Christmas present, and bought a skydive for myself as well. My dad and my brother refer to me as "the little crack dealer" in the family for buying them their first skydives. So basically, my first 5 skydives were courtesy of the military, the next 200 some-odd were on me. The best things in life are dangerous.

The rear riser flare? Yes, of course I tried it up high first. Several times. The best things in life are dangerous.

I haven't started swooping yet, just trying to learn how to fly my new canopy in various flight modes. I'd like to know for sure that I can land my canopy safely without using the toggles if the need arises. Anyone ever try it with a rear riser and a toggle? The best things in life are dangerous.