uberchris

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Posts posted by uberchris

  1. RedFootedBoobie

    Hey All (from south africa)

    I'm a 38 year old, pretty fit guy, grown up my whole life involved in some form of extreme sport, from karting & rock climbing to dirt biking & MTB, I'm sure you would now see that it is pretty close to the ground but speed was always the objective, I have never had any issues with height but(at risk of possibly insulting some :)
    Please take this from someone who knows almost nothing about the world and fraternity of skydiving and my impressions are probably wrong (a lot like the 17 year marriage I had to endure, lol. But also the reason I am this forum), but, I think there was an aspect of helplessness and lack of control that was foremost to me, I thought you fell like a stone, hard snap when shute opened and gentle flight to the ground. Beside the balls to jump out of a plane (who does that - really? I still need to get my head around that one) I could not see much beyond the safety routines that one must adhere to and safe exit and landing procedures.

    That being said, I am that typical type A personality with a highly addictive nature and (at the time) total disregard for myself or anyone else and I doubt I'd be typing this mail if I had attempted this sport 10 years ago.

    But then, a few years ago I saw it.....
    Something I had done from the day I was born, only thing was it was so disappointing and vague every time I woke up. Flying-suit' s were a reality, technology had developed in the world of skydiving to such a degree that we could now fly (or at least fall in a controlled manner) and the physical creation of what I had done my whole life and used the other sports to try and emulate the feeling I felt had experienced almost every night had come to reality.

    I then started slowly doing my research, not very focused mind you but I started reading up and familiarising myself with the world of skydiving to the point where I am now and through the confluence of a numbert of factors I have made a commitment to fly a wing-suit within 2 years of my 1st AFF jump.

    I have set my bearing on this target and understand that I am at the bottom of a VERY STEEP learning curve and would like to do a few things:
    firstly, to say hi and introduce myself -Hello,
    Secondly, ask if my objective is realistic (I am a normal guy eaking out a living like the rest of us and something has to give to fit the skydiving malarkey into my monthly budget) in terms of cost VS time-frame,
    Thirdly, ask for any input or words from the wise which one should be aware of when undertaking this journey in the hope of gaining as much insight as possible
    Lastly, to put to writing my commitment to myself in an open forum, which keeps me dedicated and focused on the end goal, to fly off the Brixton tower in my hometown Johannesburg, it's literally a few km's away from my home. 273m radio tower on a pronounced ridge-line.

    I hope you guys can offer valuable input and I look forward to gaining a huge amount if info while entereing a whole new world, understanding of the risks of the sport and being ok with the ultimate blue sky jump but trying to postpone that as long as possible. ;). Any input from a lesson learnt to the correct terminoligy will be appreciated, I heard the guys at my DZ referring to the sargent stripes, skydive-scubadive-m*## dive before 9am are the qualifying criteria. :P:$

    I have heard that a man's whole persona changes in this time and I am both excited and crapping myself for what lies ahead.

    I believe one the accepeted salutations are "Blue Skies"
    Regards
    V



    jesus, i can never get those 3 minutes of my life back. why did i read that
    gravity brings me down.........

  5. DcloudZ

    Apparently in their mind all we do is fall from the sky until our parachute opens and then it places us gently on the ground.


    /End rant



    news alert homeboy, thats exactly what we do. some of us just do it with style, or while covering miles across the ground. and if youre not having gentle landings, upsize or work on your canopy skills
    gravity brings me down.........

  7. i dont know how accurate that is, i have a handful of friends that have gotten in serious accidents flying highly loaded speedwings close to the ground..........id be careful flying highly loaded canopies as well wether youre close to the ground or not.

    and if you want to fly backwards, but not hook your canopy up backwards, kick into a half line twist
    =)
    gravity brings me down.........

  13. so im not taking anyones sides here, i dont really care about whether or not people jump cameras......... personally i was using a camera strictly to figure out how much hangtime i was getting from exit to pull in my tracks and WS jumps, and really nothing more. yes i have a cutaway on my helmet. i dont jump my gopro because first off, i suck at wingsuiting and secondly because the footage i get blows and is nothing special. therefore i choose to rarely jump with a gopro because its just an extra snag hazard during deployment and my videos are awful.

    =)

    i dont understand with newer jumpers, why cameras are such a "distraction".....

    for me, i put the gopro on my helmet while im sitting waiting for the plane, i turn the power on and forget the camera is there. then, during the ride to altitude, i gear up, do my check check triple check on all my gear and handles, push the "record" button, and put my helmet on. then i get ready and i exit. for me personally, its only one extra step in the entire gearing up process and thats simply when i hit record.............otherwise its like the camera doesnt exist........ i suppose the target fixation during freefall is definitely where these idiots lose awareness and make big mistakes, that i am definitely NOT arguing.

    so i have to wonder where all these clowns who forget to route chest straps, who forget goggles, etc. etc., fuck up in their gear checks and make mistakes directly because of their cameras.............isnt that just darwinism/idiocy?

    anyways i suppose i just cant get a grip on people who forget such major shit like chest straps and stuff.....

    edit: we all know i have shit for experience, im not arguing with anyone just trying to figure out the difference between complete stupidity and distraction BEFORE the exit

    cheers
    gravity brings me down.........

  17. fuss (fs)
    n.
    1. Needlessly nervous or useless activity; commotion: There was a lot of fuss on moving day.
    2.
    a. A state of excessive and unwarranted concern over an unimportant matter: made a big fuss over one low test grade.
    b. An objection; a protest: The longer working hours caused a big fuss.
    3. A quarrel.
    4. A display of affectionate excitement and attention: Everyone made a fuss over the new baby.
    v. fussed, fuss·ing, fuss·es
    v.intr.
    1. To trouble or worry over trifles.
    2. To be excessively careful or solicitous: fussed over their children.
    3. To get into or be in a state of nervous or useless activity: fussed with the collar of his coat.
    4. To object; complain.
    gravity brings me down.........

  20. can anyone compare to how this thing flies in comparison to a tube3?

    as in difficulty in stability on the first few jumps. is it easier to control?
    gravity brings me down.........

  22. mistercwood

    ***Other people shouldn't have to suffer because of that guy's decision not to care about his altitude. So a few can't handle the thrill of the camera. Doesn't mean they represent everybody.



    Not jumping with a camera is a kind of suffering, now? Did you read the other stickied thread I posted? :S I also like how you flipped his loss of altitude awareness to being a "decision". He didn't decide shit, he got distracted by the camera and ended up a handful of seconds away from bouncing. Here's the video, if you'd like to see a fellow skygod in action.

    oh sweet, tender jesus, im still a noob, and dont know shit, but wouldnt you think that while your shooting your awesome video on your back, that when you see the entire formation of trackers, WELL above you under canopies, that maybe its time to pull?
    what a dumbass. all he needed was a spinning mal on his main to make that video really awesome!
    gravity brings me down.........

  25. airtwardo


    There are some 'Rules' of sort that a n00b should be made aware of in order to make the experience less traumatic...so to speak.

    I'll start the list & hopefully others will add to it:



    1. ~ Never try to out drink the old guy with the 'Gultch' hat and the 'HERD' tee-shirt...it's a bad idea & won't end well for you!



    dont whiz on the electric fence
    gravity brings me down.........