dterrick

0:3:many

THANK-YOU Snowflake. My message got through to at least one person... I hope more. You added a very concrete (and very appropriate) physical drill. Nice touch on the Dune quote, too, BTW (mind if I use it?) It's amazing how important the role of our mind is in this sport. With no frame of reference there can be no Understanding (Jung) ... and this is not a sport to "just do". Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Blue Skies Mike! Unlike some who have posted, I an instructor and coach ...in Canada. We jump Cessana 182's 6 months of the year, most students learn via IAD from 3,000 ft. Your "problem" is common and almost certainly psychological. This means it is within YOUR control. Being your own worst critic is a valuable learning tool / survival skill in this sport if you use it correctly. Your local instructors would surely have had serious discussions with you already if they saw anything grossly unsafe or negligent in your actions. They did not. Pause...deep breath....relax.... What you describe as tunnel vision and lack of recall are classic symtoms of anxiety issues - you yourself mentioned "the ride up sucked". You may inadvertently set yourself up for a bad skydive. STOP RIGHT THERE! GET THOSE BAD THOUGHTS OUT OF YOUR HEAD...NOW!! (trust me on this, no good comes from them). Someone said the first grand takes about 10 seconds - yes this is about right. would you expect to be unstable for 10 seconds on an AFF dive? Of course not. Put things in their proper perspective. Ask more questions of your coaches. Know your freefall math. Don't aceept being 'laughed at' - that's beneath your worth as a student skydiver. Anyone who claims they were 'never there' either has poor memory or poor character. My guess is poor memory... so soon we forget our difficult first jumps Congratulations on your post-beer packjob, BTW. I remember my first packjob... I was still a student so they didn't make me buy beer. I think it opened in linetwists too . Chin-up Man! You WILL be fine. Go jump again, soon. (And, if you dare ask for a 'get back on the horse' story, PM me). -Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Hey Dave!! I know that ad... being more of a Triumph man I enjoyed the sight of an MG in flight Seriously though, on one of my various tapes of the series Legends of Motorsport I have an MG program that features that very commercial. It's been a while since I've watched the tape but now that you've got me curious I might just have to dig it up and do some research. If memory serves it would have been in the late 60's. I might even rip it into mpeg format and figure out how to skydiving-movies.com it... Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Hi Grant: I have no reason to believe you had anything but good intentions when making your post. Perhaps when you read the additional detail I've provided you will come to a different conclusion. I would like to point out that your entire reply is directed at me and my histroy without reference to Krisanne and hers. Please re-read what I wrote and to whom it was written. I chose my words carefully first to reflect a positive message, second to add a connection to my own similar experience, and finally to reinforce a very basic safety concept (try twice, and only twice). I would repeat them again, verbatim, the next time a "20 jump student" is encouraged by their successful application of correct emergency procedures. Krisanne(if you're reading this) I STILL say "good job". Mathematical and statistical inaccuracies aside for a moment, here are my situations to consider... now that they are a part of the thread. Reserve ride #1 was described in my original post (jump #20, 4th of the day, opening weekend). The rest of the detail is in post #3 on this thread; this reserve ride is the relevant reserve ride to this thread. Reserve ride #2 occurred on jump #193. This was a spinning mal on a borrowed elliptical - caused by a jammed brake on a triple riser setup. Reserve ride #3 was caused by another jumper striking me from above hard enough to temporarily paralyze my right arm. That was, incidentally, my most recent skydive. Is there a pattern? No. I described my rides as being "for 3 very different reasons" and I stand by that description. Am I concerned? I have no concerns about the first two. But did I "soberly reflect" on my continued involvement in the sport after being incapacitated in mid-air? I wouldn't know where to start. Let's just simplify by saying that the positive support form everyone in the sport who knows me (including several who have more diamonds on their wings than I have hundreds of jumps...), (so far) has kept me from framing my logbook. The Canadian winter layoff is hard enough as it is... What can we learn about safety & training while also learning about coaching and communicating? Sometimes the student becomes the teacher is one thought...any others? Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Heya Krisanne, Well spoken and on the money. I hope HH gets to read your email - it will make his day. I had my first mal on jump #20 as a student (pilot chute in tow, followed, ironically, by a stuck high slider...). I pulled at 4, my count saw me at 'check,000' (now 3,000 +/-) with no canopy. The check released the p/c from the burble but "something was still wrong" (the canopy never fully opened, I didn't give it time). Like you, I had decided not to take a wait and see attitude. Like you, I'd spent all winter hanging out right here on dropzone.com. Like you, I had "good decision" reassurrances from my instructors (over my first Reserveride Beer, of course - and again the next weekend for Solo beer - and the weekend after that over Gear Beer). GOOD JOB! I've had three reserve rides for three very different reasons. I have had potential reserve ride situations, too. The mantra "try once, try twice, go to emergency procedures" works for high or low speed canopy malfunctions. It's great when try #2 puts you back on track but I'll trust my rigger before I'll trust that I can correct something that has ALREADY gone wrong twice

Hey Ara, Welcome to the concept of "inflight entertainment". As others have said, it's pointless to attempt listening in freefall. There's little reason to 'tune in' at normal canopy opening height (time, traffic, landing distractions). On the ride up and a high hop n pop in CLEAR airspace nothing beats it. I have a (fairly vintage) MP3 player I use - I can zip it into my jumpsuit and still work the buttons from the outside. It's surprising how loud it needs to be on the ride up in a C-182 (yet another arguement for hearing protection). Under canopy you'll also find a fair amount of wind noise unless you're wearing a fullface or a ski-style helmet. My next purchase will be a set of Shure E-3 "noise isolating" earbuds (expensive but worth it) for the noise issue. Well, for that reason and because I'm a bit of a techno-dweeb when it comes to electronic gadgetry . Suggestions / Cautions: 1. As others have said, seek your STA / DZO permission first and keep the audio jumps at the "sightseeing" level of difficulty to start with. 2. Turn off before the pattern (just like they ask you to do on a commerical airliner ...but YOU are the pilot) 3. Concern yourself with the routing of the headphone wires. If it gets snagged - for any reason at any time - your ears are gonna hurt! Try taping the wire to your chin strap (scotch tape will do) so that the free length is only between your zipper and chin .. there's "not much" danger in that. You should also tape up the excess near the player (again with scotch tape) to the point of having minimal slack in the system at your full arch. 4. Tunes should be off for takeoff and before jumprun (you never know if someone might need to get your attention) "turn on" once you're under a good canopy in clear airspace. 5. Avoid punk and classical music. Punk will cause aggresive flying and classical may put you to sleep at an inopportune time. Try some vintage jazz... you might even like it . Dave PS: ...tune in next week for a detailed description of how to make your own inflight 'Champagne bubble machine' create an authentic Airborne Lawrence Welk Experience (a one anna 2 anna ...)

Geez, it sounds like he's taking a chapter rout of another famous F1 star's book. Ironic, considering M.S. "replaced" Ayrton. Good on him... I guess there really IS a heart under that steely-cold gaze of his. -Dave Ka-Ora! Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Happy Christmas Rob! I'm a touch surprised this is even a subject for discussion. One only reads up to page 10 in the CSPA IA manual (part 2.3) before it specifically states " in all cases the instructor is kneeling beside the pilot facing the rear of the aircraft". It's further aknowledged there may be some "minor variations" on climbout technique, but that's as far as "the book" goes on deviations. A half-season in the JM seat doesn't make me an expert by any means but I know enough to wonder why anyone would deviate so drastically from the established practice... and if the deviations are so good, why we aren't all doing it that way. Maybe it's because it's fairly new and fresh; maybe it was my excellent teachers; every procedure we're taught today has a logical basis. Could these "alternatives" be very old-school procedures leftover from s/l or dynamic exits? Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Aye! 'Tis a fine and noble thing, a good single malt. We may have done this a long time ago. For biggies I enjoy Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Oban. Glenmorangie's a nice middl'er, Bowmore's worth a try if you can find it.. Cask Macallan? Let's just go with yummmm.... (uh, could I have some ice and soda with that? It's too strong ) -Dave "Pear pimples for hairy fishnuts" - Opus Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Heya Peter "coo loo-coo coo coo coo coo coo coo, G'day eh" Yes, I've played Crud, once. (our DZ is on a WWI era air base and the regional cadet gliding school still operates). Yes, the game can lead to injury but not in the way you might suspect. Crud was introduced by a fellow instructor (former cadet officer) one night when we were already a touch too inebriated to be effective with pool cues. Rules? We din' need no steenkin rules ... and ask a drunk skydiver to explain them and whaddyathink you get besides confused? We played as we waited for our late night munchies to be prepared (having a golf course clubhouse within staggering disatnce of our trailer ghetto is a Godsend). Then, we staggered to the Officer's mess for a couple rounds and played shuffleboard with similar vigor. Once they kicked us out (..hey, it was after last call and we were the last ones, um, standing) we went Object-Climbing (you know the one). I'm not sure which was stupider... "RW-lite", or 'taking one for the team' and driving to the hospital so that our 'Beer' participant could have the gash in her shin stitched up (sigh, now she's "scarred for life"). Everyone knows the end result, including her Jumpmaster-dad (yes, we were forgiven, eventually). Until now, the true origin of the tale has not been told. The moral? Avoid Crud. It has strange and unpredictable powers over ration..., uh, waiddaminute, never mind. Dave PS: I'll never forget that the look on your face(s) when I told you guys at H-town that I'd actually landed ON that white Suburban ... ... hehe. Somedays I wonder about me... Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Well spotted Jen!! I'm a Gabriel fan as well and this is news to me. [spiderman voice] ...mussst....seek.... albummm [/spiderman voice] I have no doubt that Peter has done some strange shiite in his life but if he hasn't jumped himself, obviously someone he knew well,did. This sounds like new soundtrack material

I thought so too, but I also understand the 'wonders' of TV camera angles. Did you notice they varied from shot to shot? What do you think the 'tv viewing public' would have thought about seeing "little dots as houses" instead of recognizable shapes? Not nearly so much, I bet. All that said, R.B. appears to have a 'proper' reality show worthy of watching. A Tea party on top of his balloon? Wing walking (even if I'm not sure what the 2 ladies really "did" themselves to make the planes fly close enough to do the baton pass). Meh, I can;t wait to see them going over Victoria Falls in a barrel. Weeeeeeeeee, I think... Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Bill Engvall does a skydiving routine. Never seen or head of either before, but someone posted a link to Engvall's skydiving bit once .... and if you could bribe him to do it live... well HBDTY! -Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Heya Brant, glad you enjoyed the progression. I enjoyed being a part of your progression as an instructor as well. When you speak of jumps, you might be more accurate to say "canopy flights and landings". The reality of almost any Cessna dropzone is we don't get enough altitude to make "7 jump AFF wonders". I took my FJC on a whim. I was offered the choice of a tandem but my decision was to "do it myself". Immediately I was hooked on canopy flight and declined an invitation to transfer to AFF. My theroy...: it's the safe landings that count above all else. Besides that, I was actaully more interested in flight (hang gliding) when I took my FJC so it seemed like the better option. My accounting analysis (ya right, like this is a logical sport?) revealed little cost difference between the paths to the Solo license so I opted for canopy time. You know me, I'm still inclined to pitch pilotchute off the step even if I AM at the top. A regular CrEW habit is just a matter of time (I enjoyed foray #1 very much) - and finding some other dawgs. The only thing I "hated" about the progression was "paper pulls" (who doesn't?). The sheer dificulty of maintaining awareness, proper arch, and the new skill of a training pull while a Manta simultaneously rips you out of freefall cannot be underestimated. Successful mastery of this skill makes every other deployment (and true hop-n-pops from ANY altitude) seem like child's play. Beyond pulling, pulling stable, and pulling on time, I STILL believe that only landing safely is more important to your continued skydiving success. By the time you have 25-30 jumps there should be little difference in the skillset of an AFF vs IAD graduate (very true, Mr. Skymonkey). You're there now and you've learned a lot in a short time. Well done! From here it's more about your attitude than your aptitude. Achieving the SOLO proves a reasonable aptitude. Realizing it is just a 'ticket to learn' is the attitude that will make you successful in the sport. John Parrott often said "there are old skydivers and bold skydivers, but there are few old, bold skydivers". See you all in the POPS club no matter what progresion method you choose (ask a follically challenged skydiver )! -Dave (C1, IA, QE) Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)