thrillseek

I'm looking for input from any collegiates out there....hell, even non-collegiates. Do you all think this is a good idea, terrible idea, what??

where i grew up, that would be considered "crop protection". However, i was raised with the guidance from my father that I would eat whatever i shot...never wanted to eat one of those "rats with wings"

i've got 200+ skydives and i still get nervous if i take a break from it...it's natural. If you feel that nervous, sit through training again. You'll shake the nerves...i always do

keep in mind, lower jumpers don't always know any better. It is EVERYONE's responsibility to look out for them until they get their feathers used to flying

I contacted the USPA about the idea... What do you guys think? Maybe just an offshoot of the USPA?

finally!! someone with more time on their hands than me!!

yeah! what gives HH?

"when you're a kid and you wanna go weeee, but you ain't got drugs yet..."

is the size too big?

Wait a minute... The JM was the one talking the student down??? Am i the only one that thinks this is a terrible idea???? Maybe it's just the way we do things at my DZ, but there is someone else on the ground that talks to students, NOT the JM that was in the plane. If i mis-read this, forgive me

for once, Bill and i are in complete agreement. I jump at a smaller dropzone, and we are ALWAYS on the lookout for that small plane that could possibly be in our airspace. Try not to get tunnel vision looking for your "spot" though. Look out, around, down, everywhere. I would say that the same rule applies to aircraft as it does jumpers...lower person has the right of way...odds are, they can't see you.

i think the problems with tubestows causing bag locks are from people that don't have the proper sizes...they treat the tubes like rubberbands and double them...BAD move. They are designed in different sizes for a reason (i.e. different types of lines) I use tubestows and have had absolutely no problems with them. I even mix them with rubber bands. The secret is doing this evenly. For example, you don't want every other one to be different. My first 4 are tubes and the rest are rubber bands...no worries!

Remember, the "big sky, little jumper" theory is a recipe for disaster. I like those big puffy clouds as much as the next jumper, but caution is always the first concern.

are you going to be at WFFC so we can talk about it and maybe make a jump together?

Glad to hear that all is well "Robo Dave"

This is an e-mail i wrote to the "Honolulu Advertiser": To whom it may concern: The article about extreme sports was completely uncalled for. Your writer obviously has no idea what this is all about. He says that it is merely another corporate stunt to gain the 18-35 yr old market, but i strongly disagree. Simply put, life is meant to be lived. If you decide to live it to the fullest by sitting behind a desk, fine. Many of us out here merely stretch life to it's farthest boundaries, thus experiencing a truly enlightened view of the world in which we live. Perhaps your Michael Tsai is scared to leave the security of only doing things he knows about. Perhaps he tried extreme sports and wasn't able physically or mentally. Either way, he has no right to criticize us for knowing how to enjoy our lives. My name is A.T. Clinger, and I am a skydiver.

HEY! i partied with that dude and some fat guy with a beard on new year's eve at Lake Wales...those two were a couple of drunks!...they fit right in!!

this is really basic. I'll let the others fill in the rest; A-25 Jumps B-50 Jumps C-100 Jumps D-200 Jumps

God, that's awful. You hate to hear about something like this. My thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to all involved

...was that you in "Debbie does Deland"??

I forget where i heard the quote, but it goes something like this: "skydiving isn't fun, it's serious fun!" My feelings on the matter of canopy choices may be a bit skewed after losing a good freind to a canopy that was too small. The fact of the matter is that there are soooo many things that can go wrong in this sport that we may not have control over. Things such as gear selection though, we do have control over. My 190lb dumb ass got injured after trying to downsize to a sabre 150 at +/-35 jumps. The speed and reaction time was just too much to learn on that first jump. I wasn't swooping or anything, just trying to avoid a friend who was staring at the peas (unpredictable situation). When i gave the canopy the same amount of input that i ordinarily would have, it reacted WAY faster and drove me into the ground. All for what i thought was a semi-flat turn. The fact is, people aren't ever going to stop this trend of downsizing. Ever. All we can do is look out for our own and teach the lower timed jumpers what we know. In the same respect, we all could use a little bit of humility. The only one in my mind that can say they don't need anyone's advice is perhaps Lew Sanborn, but i'm willing to be even he listens. He is one of my heroes in this sport, as are a lot of the other "over fifty" types. They are still around and jumping partly because of luck, but also because they listened and learned and didn't think they knew it all. That is my rant...Probably just as good for a lot of other scenarios

hmm. maybe i'll see what the deal is @ WFFC. The time in freefall is what excites me most about skydiving, and it seems like this is the way to enjoy it fully.

...actually, i just want to jump one now at +/-200 jumps. I think i would be able to do that. I just don't understand what the extra 300 jumps teaches you about flying a wing suit. I know i'll catch a lot of flack about it, but that's my opinion.