wndrer73

What about across Hwy 50/550 in Kansas near Dodge City???? I think that's probably the worst of all the states' "armpits"!!! And they actually advertise cattle ranches as "Scenic overlooks"! That's one thing I'll never understand about Kansas!!!!!!(insert 145,580 more exclamation marks here)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "Welcome to the sky!" -- My video/photographer, after my second tandem jump

oh i've been to texas (all u.s. states except alaska actually)... and i never said texas is ugly! actually texas is right up there on the list of "prettiest states in the country". and of course everything is big in texas. (I wont say what "everything" is, but i think most can figure it out). Oh... and according to the highway signs all over the place i'm not supposed to mess with texas. "Welcome to the sky!" -- My video/photographer, after my second tandem jump

Not to mention the natural sights/national parks/etc.... but i'll mention it anyway. "the natural sights/national parks/etc." there. mentioned. good night, and have a nice day. or uhh, something like that. "Welcome to the sky!" -- My video/photographer, after my second tandem jump

I was referring to myself, neither the post and nor the content. (note: I'm from California.) "Welcome to the sky!" -- My video/photographer, after my second tandem jump

Yeah, we're pretty egotistical over here!! Well... ummm.... *I* care! "Welcome to the sky!" -- My video/photographer, after my second tandem jump

California!!! AKA: The Golden State (no more gold anymore! the darn miners got it all about 150 years ago!) Bird: That's what you get if you're on the LA Freeways and drive ONLY 10 mph above the speed limit. Flower: That's what you would have got if you were in Berkeley during the 60's Animal/Mascot: No clue Song: No clue, but if it were up to me, I'd make it... uhhh..... ... hmmmm... uhhhh... .... No clue. That is all. Thank you very much. I shall go lie down now. My head hurts. Bye bye. "Welcome to the sky!" -- My video/photographer, after my second tandem jump

"Uh-oh, he's dead!" -- My video/photographer, after my first tandem jump

ROAD TRIP! "Uh-oh, he's dead!" -- My video/photographer, after my first tandem jump

You've hit it right on the money, Nathan... but if i may, I'd like to add the following to your list (you can insert them into their respective positions if ya wanna...): Is it the "passing the point of no return" as the plane takes off? Is it watching everyone else jumping out as you (im)patiently wait your turn? Is it the ripcord throw/pull? Is it the LANDING? Is it that undeniable feeling of wanting to get back in the plane and do everything all over again? "Uh-oh, he's dead!" -- My video/photographer, after my first tandem jump

They really are great!!! Connie was my JM both times on the tandems and Vic was one of my AFF2 JM's (with Bruce)... Man, I can't wait to get back to Byron and jump again as soon as this darn leg heals!!! and this time, i'm gonna ACE the jump!!!! "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..." Heck, I KNOW I can!!! "Uh-oh, he's dead!" -- My video/photographer, after my first tandem jump

Great job Matt! Wish I woulda been at Byron today to see the original video! Oh well.... Anyway, hope you took videos of #4 and #5.... remember, I'm gonna be learning from your jumps now! ;) I just saw the video too and was impressed with all three backflips -- i can't wait to do 'em myself! Aaaah 5 more weeks.... 35 days.... 840 hours... 50,400 minutes.... 3,024,000 seconds until i'm all healed up and ready to FLY!!!! WOOOHOOOOOO! "Uh-oh, he's dead!" -- My video/photographer, after my first tandem jump

it's vicodin.. and i'm sorry... it's a prescription, so you can't have it. it's mine.. ALL MINE... HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!! only way you're gonna get it is by flaring on the first "oh shit!" and then not doing a PLF. Any takers? "Uh-oh, he's dead!" -- My video/photographer, after my first tandem jump

Oddly enough, that is exactly what our ground school instructor told us to do as well.... "When you see the ground coming up, you're gonna say 'Oh Shit!' Dont flare yet... then you'll say 'OH SHIT!' again -- Dont flare yet... The time to flare is on your third 'OH SHIT!!!!!!!!'" I think I flared on my first crap. Then I flared again, then I think I flared a third time, but don't remember now.. by then i was on the ground anyway. AAAAGGGGHHHH I HATE THIS!!!!!! (sorry, dont mind me, i'm high on painkillers right now and not responsible for anything i say or do. LA LA LA LA LALALALALALLALALA.) When will the cast come off? when can i fly again? when can i yell "OH SHIT!" three times and then flare? WHEN WILL I FEEL THAT WIND IN MY FACE AGAIN?????????? :-( :-( :-( To all students everywhere: Remember to wait for the third "oh shit!" If you don't swear, say "oh my god, oh my god, oh my god" three times, then flare. la la la la la IT'S THE PLATYPUS, I SAY! ITS THE PLATYPUS!!!!!! humuhumunukunukuapuaa. "Uh-oh, he's dead!" -- My video/photographer, after my first tandem jump

YEAH MATT!!!! Great job there! I wish I hadn't broken my ankle -- no more skydives for me for a long time now! :-( Anyway, I've seen Matt's video (the original) and I gotta say it's pretty damn great!!! Download it if you're a newbie like us and looking for good AFF-L3 videos to watch ... It even shows a nifty little trick with his pilot chute getting caught in one of the JM's hands!!! That was ....... interesting! Funny, I just posted one message saying how MY jump today went... and here I see a note about Matt's jump (who was there at the time and has my ankle captured on video!) :-( No, wait... :-) Hmmm, I dunno what to do... :-( coz my leg's broken and I can't skydive for a long time, or :-) coz it could have been a lot worse and I *CAN* skydive AFTER a long time.. Think, Ishaan... Think! It's all in the attitude! Hmmmmmm, well... :-) :-) :-) WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!

I learned a very important lesson today on my AFF-L2 jump: WHEN TO FLARE! The ground school for AFF-1 can only teach you the theory and the rules of when to flare.... but I think one can only learn through practice and -- (hopefully not) -- mistakes.. I made a big boo-boo, and that caused an even bigger boo-boo: I flare way too early... realized I was flaring early, eased up on the toggles a little but, flared again, and STILL was too early! Suddenly, now the canopy was stopped completely, and my feet were still about 4-5 feet above the ground (my estimate -- and I'm obviously not good on judging heights!).... Well, you can guess what happened next.. The short of it is that now I'm sitting here with a fractured right ankle, not being able to do the two things that I love the most: Driving and Skydiving. (yes, in that order!)... AAaaaah welll.... it had to happen sooner or later, right? But this still hasn't put me off from skydiving though (much to the dismay of friends/family who've never experienced what it feels like and who've given me that "I told you so!" look!) -- I'm going again just as soon as this leg is completely healed!!! WOOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!! "Uh-oh, he's dead!" -- My video/photographer, after my first tandem jump

In the AFF classes, we have to pull between 5,500 feet (L1) and 4,000 feet (L8)... Well, after all the classes are done, do you guys prefer being in freefall for a longer time for the pure exhileration of it all... or do you like to open your chute early (say... 10000 feet or even sooner) and enjoy a peaceful slow descent towards the Earth? Just curious... Somebody posted earlier that they've seen birds fly with them while under the canopy and it's an amazing feeling! I just wonder what is more thrilling for most people... freefall time, or canopy time? Or both, equally? Sorry if this question has been asked a billion times.... forgive this newbie! "Uh-oh, he's dead!" -- My video/photographer, after my first tandem jump

Wow, a mere newbie like me CAN'T WAIT until I've learned enough to be in your position... To be able to fly like a bird... all alone.... then I can slap myself for not doing all this (i.e. take lessons) sooner! Congratulations on your success... Here's to many many more jumps!!! "Uh-oh, he's dead!" -- My video/photographer, after my first tandem jump

Sure... the next time I go 14000 feet closer to him, I'll be sure to thank him for ya! ;) "Uh-oh, he's dead!" -- My video/photographer, after my first tandem jump

ABSO-FREAKIN-LUTELY!!!! Then rewinding the tape again.. and again... and again.... and again..... I'm addicted! "Uh-oh, he's dead!" -- My video/photographer, after my first tandem jump

I was just watching videos of a few jumps (both mine and others), and I began to wonder how many times I've seen them... I just never get tired of watching them over and over... Has anyone else done that? Will it EVER get tiring to see the same stuff? I STILL get a thrill every time I see anybody in those videos exiting the plane! And I STILL yell (quietly at 2 AM, but it's still a yell...) "WOOOHOOO" when the chute opens on the video! *sigh* Can't wait to live that again...................... "Uh-oh, he's dead!" -- My video/photographer, after my first tandem jump

I was just watching videos of a few jumps (both mine and others), and I began to wonder how many times I've seen them... I just never get tired of watching them over and over... Has anyone else done that? Will it EVER get tiring to see the same stuff? I STILL get a thrill every time I see anybody in those videos exiting the plane! And I STILL yell (quietly at 2 AM, but it's still a yell...) "WOOOHOOO" when the chute opens on the video! *sigh* Can't wait to live that again...................... "Uh-oh, he's dead!" -- My video/photographer, after my first tandem jump

Well spoken. Typed. hmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... I wanna be a monkey again.

"Barf... Puke... Whatever! Where's my money?" -- Pizza The Hutt, "Spaceballs" yeah i'll pro'lly be up even later than 2.... damn this thing is addictive!

err... no... but i've been to the pinnacles near king city, CA... and should I tell Dan that you're gonna be late for work tomorrow coz you were up till 1 AM post-whoring? Maybe I should tell John the same thing about me.....

Jessica, So what exactly is "spelunking"? Can't make out too much from that picture... is it sorta like repelling on a cliff? ooooo.... now there's something i haven't done since i was err..... 9? 10? somethin' like that!