gimpboogie

Thanks for the info grimmie. Yesterday I received a message from another skydiver who jumped with Dan before and after his accident. We shared some info and I received Dan's contact info. This new info changes the history of paralyzed skydivers. Unless we can find anyone else (like the possible other 2 paralyzed skydivers mentioned in the article), Daniel Fairchild is the worlds 1st paralyzed skydiver as early as 1999. To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

that's Daniel Fairchild - see the second link I posted from USPA meeting. I had never heard of him prior to posting the other day. The article I found titled: It's all about attitude and altitude ... and love of skydiving (at the link posted in my 1st post http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000903/A_NEWS/309039994 ) from the article: "There are no handicaps at 13,000 feet, jumpers say LODI -- A skydiving accident in April 1997 took away Daniel Fairchild's use of his legs. But that didn't stop the 40-year-old Stockton resident from jumping out of an airplane at 13,000 feet and heading to Earth at 120 mph. "I got up and did it when my bones got strong enough," said Fairchild, who said he is one of only three paralyzed skydivers in the world who jump unassisted. Pointing to his head and crediting a positive attitude, he said he never thought the injury would stop him from skydiving. Fairchild was one of about 100 skydivers at the Parachute Center near Lodi taking part Saturday in Distant Thunder, an annual skydiving fund-raiser he organizes." " Rick Draeger, an instructor at the Parachute Center, said those with missing limbs or paralysis have a harder time controlling air flow than nondisabled parachutists. He said he is impressed whenever he sees Fairchild jump. "He's gone through a lot of work to get to where he is now," Draeger said. "Every time I skydive with him, I'm amazed." I just had a quick look around and see Daniel T Fairchild was born in 1960. He currently lives in Medford, Oregon. Before that, Daniel lived in Lodi, CA in 1994. Before that, Daniel lived in Stockton, CA from 1995 to 2001. The article from September 03, 2000 seems to verify he was in Stockton in 2000. I've also found several mentions of him skydiving after paralysis in rec.skydiving google groups. These were posted in July and Sept 2000. There was also a reference of him in SkyXtreme magazine, I'm just searching the archives to find exactly what was said about him. I just found these 4 separate references to Daniel Fairchild skydiving while paralyzed. I will log onto my work computer with other software and see what else I can find. As nothing is deleted from the internet, even if you think its deleted. To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

I just learned that as early as 1998 there were 3 paralyzed skydivers jumping unassisted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000903/A_NEWS/309039994 Daniel Fairchild is 1, does anyone know who the other two are? Anyone know if these people still jump? Found this waiver from USPA re Daniel Fairchild U.S.P.A. Board of Directors Meeting, Alexandria, Virginia, July 14 -16, 2000 - Waiver for currency requirements 3 - 3.19F.1 In 1998 the committee granted a waiver for Daniel Fairchild, who is paralyzed and is unable to perform the jumpmasters requirement to renew his Instructor rating. He requests renewal of the waiver allowing him to maintain his USPA Instructor rating and continue to be involved in training. http://www.uspa.org/Portals/0/Downloads/Min_BOD_2000_07.pdf To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

Welcome to group of us para-spydivers, Great to see you've taken to the skies and adapted quickly to new ways of flying To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

Welcome to the skies! Like Lonnie said, we all do things a little differently, so take your time to see what works for you. Read this forum, back several pages you will see posts from Dale Elliott, Pookie, myself and others. The tunnel is a great starting place especially for those of us who had never been skydiving prior to paralysis. Cherish your dreams, and turn your vision into reality Best wishes, and may the pursuit of the blue skies bring you on a wonderful journey of discovery. To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

Awesome mate!! I'm super happy for you! this journey's been long time coming, your dedication is un-ending.

I wear braces on my knees under the pants. The crotch panel helps with some lift, the braces are locked in at optimum freefly angle for me. (I'm a woman by the way ) To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

I agree!!!! I'm certainly nothing but a novice tunnel flyer (if that LOL 3 hrs in a tunnel is just like having a dozen skydives- just enough to realize you know nothing yet!) but I do know enough about paralysis and how difficult it was for me to fly levels etc with merely my hands, arms, head and torso- Chris has less then half of what I have when it comes to use of muscles- yet in his 3rd tunnel flight he is flying better then anyone would believe if they didnt see it themselves! certainly a testament to how determined he is. I'm excited to see his next tunnel video To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

I plan to post a link to this thread in the skydivers with disabilities forum so if that is a big 'no-no' for cross posting-thanks for deleting one of these in that case. I just felt this video is important enough for the tunnel coaches to see- as I firmly believe this is a 1st ever accomplishment. Chris contacted me this summer asking how my legs were fixed into position for my tunnel sessions, after seeing my videos. Clearly Chris, his friend Omar and others devised some exceptionally unique adaptation using pool noodles to help keep Chris' paralyzed arms and legs stable in the tunnel. Please remember, Chris is paralyzed from the chest down, and elbows down as well- thus the levels you see him flying are completely accomplished by his upper chest, head and shoulders= the only parts of his body he is able to control. Final note- prior to this session, Chris had flown a couple of times (if you check his channel you'll find the other videos and see how out of control he was- needing to be constantly held by the tunnel coach). During one of his previous flights his intestines got twisted causing a medical emergency requiring hospitalization/surgery. This is why you see him wearing the white 'band' (stomach binder) in this most recent video. This would be very important consideration if anyone was thinking of taking a quadriplegic into the tunnel. Without any ab muscles to hold those inner organs in place apparently the force of the wind can literally turn your stomach! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieeZ5mV8V8A&feature=channel_video_title (this was his 2nd tunnel flight in Dubai-the one that landed him in the ER with twisted intestines. It's a lengthy video but if you start watching at 5 min. mark you get to see the tunnel flight only- but comparing it to the video posted here the improvement with these new modifications is astounding: -not to leave out his friends who carried that 300lb wheelchair upstairs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WLAxdOxaWw&feature=relmfu it was after that tunnel flight Chris contacted me to get some direction as to what worked for me. To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

Flying In The Mist will be shown for the 1st time Dec 10th 2011 in Toronto, ON CAN. "On Human Rights Day, December 10th 2011, ALS Ontario will proudly screen the documentary Flying in the Mist, produced by Article19 Films, which documents the life of ALS Ontario client Minna Mettinen. The screening will take place at noon at the Royal Theatre, 608 College Street in Toronto." "ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is a rapidly progressive and fatal neuromuscular disease characterized by degeneration of a select group of nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord." If you are interested in purchasing a ticket for the event or finding out more information please see: http://www.alsont.ca/events/documentary/ (wishing my favorite assholes could come ) To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

This was almost 2 yrs ago soon- but thought I'd post it up for those who either work with paralyzed folks wanting to skydive- or are someone with paralysis looking to try wind tunnels and see what is possible to learn there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuZAPuP676E This was one of my 2 one hour sessions in the tunnel that winter- preceeding the coached jumps required for RW endorsement with CSPA, and to move on from there to participate in other RW jumps This was a session combining levels, with forward & backward flying, along with docking. Other sessions included the rest- and are posted on my channel. What I found most interesting is that the 'fun and games' part of my sessions were actually sometimes most difficult tasks to achieve. Fortunately I had this tunnel to train in, before the jumps of the subsequent summer and winter. Wind tunnels are certainly worth every opportunity, if you have any differences in how you need to fly, in comparison to the typical skydiving population. Its where I test all my new gear when I can-was what I used to say, until I just test pilot myself into a tib/fib. with 2 new gear combinations at once- each of which I had flown with previously separately with success. While a 3rd piece of my gear- I've flown with hundreds of times- impaled itself into my leg this summer due to the combination of several things being tested at once. live and learn, tunnels going to be my best friend for freefall gear changes, the titanium and carbon fiber additions will remind me of this. To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

Thanks, yes I know Dale (not personally, due to distance). He began skydiving the year after I did, from what I recall, almost to the month. Interesting to see now 4 or 5 paraplegics skydiving solo. (skydivers with disabilities forum is where we mostly hang out ) I`ve been an `incident` this summer -tib./fib. so the RW has been on hold and seems perhaps a winter tunnel trip is in order if possible. To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

Hi, Thought I`d share these videos, in case they come of any use in the future for anyone. This was my 2nd time at Skyventure Montreal, where I`d completed an hour 2 months prior to these videos. Went back to the same coach, Olga- very comfortable flying with me and working with the tunnel staff around any gear issues we faced. Basically it involved ensuring there were NO possible ways for any of my knee braces and other `gear`to damage the tunnel. The 1st 5 min. in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3pSI3KceCQ (lots of backsliding and problems with levels) Then I learned a little by the next session: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuZAPuP676E (better with levels and proximity) Finally, fun & games using skills learned. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzqwBpUOvvA ( Basically this was the toughest exercise for me- yet was merely a game ) It was these sessions that taught me enough to start coached RW jumps towards my RW endorsement. Further learning to eventually fly with others in 5,8, & up to a 14 way formation. To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

"Are we gonna die?" is a perfectly reasonable question. jumping out asap without questions is a perfectly reasonable action.... and answers the question To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

Is this for pilots as described in the original post, or for canopy pilots as well? Is there a DZ to jump at for us, or are we ground launching? This sounds very interesting, with relatives in Switzerland, I'd hope it's at the same place next yr. I'd love to fly my canopies there. Thanks for sharing the post here.

At this time I do not know. That was just the 1st trailer of several (and not my favorite one by all means- because to me- asides from the beginning and the end- it wasn't very hopeful in the beginning- but I suppose for a health care or `patient`audience it was fine) Yet I thought to toss it up, as its going to have a very positive view of a DZ *sure its my DZ but those scenes apply everywhere I`d think* - with some scenes of the camaraderie of jumpers after a jump in the packing area, and shows the fellow jumpers lifting me up into the skyvan-which represents aspects of DZ life - we give each other a helping hand daily in this sport-and trust each other seriously, from gear checks to diving our plans. The skydiving scene is there predominantly to show the wuffo audiences that something they think not possible- can be. As I still have some who work with me, after 4 yrs of me skydiving, last week one saw the trailer and said ``oh gosh! you jump alone, I thought you were always attached to someone`` So it is not a documentary about a skydiver with a disability but rather a documentary of living life as one envisions it, and modifying ways of living to bring the disability along for the ride. Which I see as the attitude of the skydivers currently whom I know have a disability- so perhaps even this perspective seems represents the attitude of many of us- although I really hate getting into the realm of 'speaking for' anyone else. The process is 'unpredictable' from here, although we have a proposed timeline of trying to get it out by this fall here in Canada. It's going to some EU independent film festivals as a documentary currently. As for the North America its really a matter of how quickly we can spread it across the continent- depending on demand There are some TV stations currently interested in showing it (it was created with a TV time slot in mind- so its about 45 min long). This could be an option for your clients. As for showing it in health care settings, that didn't really occur to me- as this film is produced on a very low budget, like most independent films are. As such, the cost of 'advertising' it is a factor.... Certainly anyone who works in a place which may be open to considering that option, PM me and I will give you the producers contact information. Once I know any dates, places etc. I will update the thread. Thanks for your interest. To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

Thank you for the encouraging words.. and for supporting me in writing about my injury. I was discouraged from posting about it, for several reasons mostly because people said as soon as it is learned that a paraplegic skydiver got hurt landing, the 'scare' will be set forth and other DZO's will be reluctant to let others like me start to learn. After debating it for almost a month, I decided that the risk was greater for me NOT to disclose it- because this accident had a lot -mostly- to do with the specific gear that I use. 2 other paraplegics are using the same type of gear (one flies currently, while the other used to, and is going to be getting back into the sport). Also the gear that I use, (and the other 2), is being displayed as the 'way to do it' in the manual created by Rod Mack- so it is now in a manual as a way to teach others. So I began to feel that if this happened to me, it can happen to someone else- and possibly worse then my situation... I can not sit back and keep this away from the 'public record' because if someone else gets hurt under the same circumstances I would feel horrid for not having brought this up for discussion. I appreciate your support in my decision to disclose my injury and circumstances around it. To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

http://vimeo.com/25950478 The 1st trailer for the movie, a documentary about the last yr of my life (with glimpses to the past, from days when I was not in a chair). Also below is one of the 2 posters for the movie. I this is the 1st documentary of a paralyzed female skydiver that I've found out of. Although the movie is not specific about skydiving with disabilities, it naturally comes out in the movie. It is to be a perspective about disability such as mine, with a perspective of hope, of positive energy... which is why I'm personally not a huge fan of that particular trailer as you may see if you have a look. I do like the beginning and the ending The website for the movie is being created now, and premiere showing soon in Toronto, before it begins touring the continent and on to Europe. Currently it is being submitted to several film festivals abroad as this producer has won international film festival award for his documentary called 'Just One Shot'. Hope you enjoy a quick skydiving scene, *the full movie has a much better idea of life on a DZ as it is a documentary of my life after all, and I live at a DZ so naturally skydiving and DZ life in general is portrayed... positively for sure... kept it clean :) except for the pie-ying we have in scene To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

Beautiful news my friend. Good all around congrats on the accuracy. Glad to hear your back in the skies. To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works