PeregrineFalcon

I want to post all this video of my AFF's to youtube for friends and relatives across country to see. I first tried going from DVD straight to youtube. That didn't work. I then copied the files to computer and then tried it. The thing is, when I looked at and copied the files, they were all segmented. Only a minute and a half each. Does anyone know how to combine them all together? When I just put the DVD in, it plays all the way through, but not when I copied it to computer. Here's the link of my exit for AFF level 6. I apologize for the dubber's over use of slow motion. I chose the song "Out of Control" because I was pissed that I couldn't do a forward roll, I was never really out of control. I later completed forward rolls on a different jump. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smefBSrMnZs Sorry it's not clicky. I'll learn how to do that too. Probably not hard. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smefBSrMnZs Ha, I knew this part wasn't hard.

Stripes!!! Sgt. Hulka!!! Love that movie.

Thanks for both those replies.

I'm bending my arm. I don't which one is more stable. I can't tell yet. I'm not good enough to tell the difference. Which one is more stable?

Yeah, there are a couple of other things too. One DZ said that you can turn using your arms but your legs can also allow you to turn. Another DZ said not to bother with the legs at all. One DZ said to flair in one fluid motion, another told me to flair 80% of the way down and finish it off at the last instant. There are other things too. Yeah, I'm asking all those questions, why this way over that. I'm not just deciding for myself. I'm asking. I'm mostly going with the 2nd DZ on stuff because I haven't had the opportunity to go back to the previous DZ and ask them. The thing is, I thought this instruction would be universal. I'm learning it's not. One graduates in 7 levels, another graduates in 8 levels. I look on this site and find out that one DZ has only one JM at Level 1. For a newbie like me who knows next to nothing about this sport, it's sometimes confusing. The flair differences have me the most concerned. I'm just trying to learn everything I can and be as safe as I can.

Can you give an example of where multiple AFFIs gave you different answers? Ok, it's minor stuff really. Nothing major. One DZ told me to extend my arm straight out while pulling and the another one told me to bend the arm over my head. One tells me to flair at 10-15 feet, another one tells me to flair at 6-10 feet. Maybe it's a wind thing in different locations.

I'm a newbie to the sport. I had 4 jumps 14 years ago. I started back at level 1 again this year and have had 6 jumps. I graduate level 7 today and will do my first solo. I called you a troll a week ago because you insulted me for no reason. You said you weren't a troll, just having fun late at night. I just assumed you were drinking or something and I just left it alone. That was it. I haven't held a grudge. I hope you're not. I'll PM you to straighten it out, if it can be straightened out.

Great post. #1 Rope? WTF? #2 Flip her on her back while the canopy was coming out? Please try to explain. Ok, "rope" was the wrong word. Nylon. She had a jump 12 years ago when it was a ripchord. Back then if you let go of the ripchord, it cost you 20 bucks. At least it did for me when I let go 14 years ago on level 1. Both JM and I told her it wasn't the same today, let go of the pilot chute hacky/handle whatever. She didn't let go. When the JM tried grab it from her, she pulled it away from him and toward herself under her own chin. The nylon came up and wrapped around her neck. While the JM was getting that off her, she went backwards and on her back. This happened in a matter of seconds, while the parachute was coming out. So she was back to the earth while the chute was coming out. It was a mess. The JM pulled at this and that and almost lost his hand. SOMEHOW the chute opened. Unreal. All this happened in like 8 seconds.

And how do you decide which answer you take? Kris is not an AFFI but she is giving you very good advice. I am an AFFI and I say the same. Take your advice from the AFFI at the DZ. Are their subtle differences in techniques? Yes, but if you spot a glaring contradiction ask the AFFI why. Personally, I would not want to take up a student who is asking and getting advice willy-nilly. The multiple responses are coming from multiple instructors. I'm asking the best and still getting different answers. I'm taking the advice that sounds the safest.

Take his jump tickets and turn them in for jump tickets for yourself. One AFF ticket probably equals 8 to 10 regulars for yourself.

Oh, I'm well aware that two minutes is nothing. I just wanted to know which one was better to purchase, coached minutes or get in a league.

Stupid fucking blonde dumb fucks!!!!! your a dirty whore. Stupid jewbag! Go pickup a penny or something. Awww...young love.

Really? No one has told you why? Weren't you reading? Here are just some and they're not in the order of importance. 1. It will cost a great deal of money to repeat this level just for a shits and giggles sort of manuver. I believe you mentioned not having a lot of money, so I don't understand blowing it on this. 2. You'll scare the hell out of your JM. These guys honest to God save lives all the time. This one guy saved a girl's life in so many ways when she held onto her PC handle, causing the rope to go around her neck and hang her, then flip her on her back while the canopy was coming out. This JM risked his own life to save hers. That's got to cause some gray hairs, and you're going to frighten him like that on purpose? Not cool. 3. You may actually endager his life. 4. You may actually endager your life. 5. You can get banned from the DZ. Like I said, they're not in order of importance. Do you need more reasons?

I'm doing my level 7 this Saturday, too. There's NO WAY I would do that. I spent all this money just to fail the last one and have the same JM who I've had at level 2 be pissed at me? And a guy I've come to respect at that? Nope. I have done a couple of unplanned things, but nothing like that. Very minor. 1. When he first released me at level 3, I started to spin to my right. He tole me to spin 360 left then right. I figured I'd just keep doing the right turn first and then do the left turn second. 2. At level 6, I did a SHITTY forward roll. Looked at my altitude and decided to try it again and did better. That's all I've done unplanned. Some might even say that's too much for a newb.

A better question is, Are YOU old enough to remember Madame? Your picture doesn't look it.

Thanks, man.

I wonder how much more it costs in fuel to go that much higher. Of course, 11 years ago, gas prices were much lower.

What's the highest altitude at which you've jumped?

What's your longest time in freefall with a wingsuit and how far did you drop?

Tell about the dying!!! Tell about the dying!!! STORYTIME!!!

If Lesnar wins, it's not going to be from a knock out...at least not standing up. It'll be from taking Coutre down and not letting him get back up. Then a few punches...and a bunch of nothing...then the ref stands them up...then Lesnar takes him down again. Wash, rinse, repeat. That's how Lesnar will win. And that will only happen if Coutre really is too old to counter, which he may be, I don't know. As for Lesnar being quick for a big guy? Hell yes, he is. He explodes on those shoots. But he wasn't able to punch well against Herring.

Shingles. Nobody really knows what it is, and it sounds funny. Ever see Groundhog Day? "It's me! Ned Ryerson! Needle-nose Ned, Ned The Head? Come on, buddy, Case Western High! Got the shingles real bad almost didn't graduate? BING!" Shingles. It's ok to make fun of shingles.

I'm doing both. I've found that even AFF instructors have different opinions on things. I did AFF 1 14 years ago in Perris Vally. Long story, but after four jumps, I quit and got back into it this year. I did AFF 1 again in Byron. When the winds wouldn't let me jump for a while, I went to Hollister to do AFF 2, the instructor asked me if I wanted to sit in the AFF 1 instruction with the 3 other students. I said, sure. In those three events, there were quite a number of surprising differences in instruction. So, whenever I have a technical question, I'm asking multiple people.

Great idea for a thread. Here are my lessons learned. Some from mistakes, others just by doing it right the first time. 1. When doing your first release dive, take your time with the wave off and pull. In fact, do it like this. Wave off...ARCH...slow pull. 2. Don't try to do what you see the pros do. I saw them doing a couple of staged flairs, so I tried it. Heh. With the big canopies they give you for AFF, staged flairs are not such a good idea. 3. Try to spring for a video on your later stages to watch your form and see what you're doing wrong. Sometimes you can find an AFF instructor who has a helmet camera and will film it for you for twenty bucks, maybe less. Then watch your form!!! 4. After each jump, be ready to admit every little mistake you made to your JM. When JM sees that you know what you did right and wrong, he's more comfortable jumping with you next time and may let you progress a little faster than the average student. 5. This is the biggest one. Don't be afraid to ask questions...from anybody at the DZ who will listen.

I was reading my kid a story tonight, and he made a flippant remark asking if the author's first name was "Dr." You know, Dr. Seuss. I then told him your story, and he said, "There was a kid named "Mister" at camp this summer. And he told me the whole story. Then I said, "That's a weird story" and he said there was a kid named Story too.