freeflydeeva

Members
  • Content

    54
  • Joined

  • Last visited

    Never
  • Feedback

    0%

Everything posted by freeflydeeva

  1. I agree that safety is a serious issue in our sport today. We have more knowledge about our gear, canopy design and flight, and how our bodies fly. The fatality numbers have decreased even in a sport where the population jumping has increased. However, I agree that there tends to be a decent number of people who tend to get the blinders on under canopy. I have seen the most safety conscious skydivers in freefall, cut people off repeatedly under canopy and not even realize that they do it. I am not saying everyone does, but there are people who do. One thing that disturbs me is the number of canopy collisions/and or canopy related injuries in the sport today. That number is increasing. Just take a look at the last year. We have had what? five canopy collisions? maybe more, with at least two fatalities. It saddens me that we are losing our fellow brothers and sisters to the sport when they are under fully functional canopies. It seems like such a waste. If a single post in any of these forums or threads makes one person think and become a little more alert, then that is one less likely brother or sister that we will lose to this sport.
  2. The gear dealer at my DZ was able to get extra backs, springs and screws for the Protrack. I don't remember if they were free, but if they weren't they were very inexpensive. He gives them free to people who need one. If you have a dealer nearby, you might want to ask him/her about it. We have given out a handful or so. That way the jumper isn't without their protrack (from having to send it in) D
  3. I have to agree with you there. I just ordered my new odyssey. YEAH!!!!! My first new rig! Go Javelin! I just happen to have a friend who has both the G3 and G4. I do like the looks of the G4 better. However, $1800 is expensive!! And that doesn't include options. Dee
  4. He jumps a spectre 135. He had a new G3 with the same canopies. Comparing the two, the G4 is shorter and is deeper, however it is more aerodynamically designed. The reserve tray is shorter and the bulk is pushed upwards a little more. The bottom of the main tray is curved more to reduce drag in the sit position. I personally like the design a lot better. It just isn't as flat looking as the G3, in my opinion. Dee
  5. I have seen it. A friend of mine has one. From what he says, it is more comfortable on him. Over the shoulders and around the back. The looks, now that is a different story. It looks like a short pregnant version of the G3. However, he does think the rig is more comfortable overall over the G3. Dee
  6. If I may offer another line of thought on this. The general consensus of the skydiving community is that a skydiver with 70 jumps should be considered a novice to intermediate skydiver. Yes there are expceptions to every situation. Another opinion has to do less with jump numbers and more with skill and specific situations. What I would like to share is my perception. When we train our bodies to do something new, especially in skydiving, we train our muscles to perform certain functions. We create muscle memory with repetition. I don't remember how many times my instructors made me repeat the pull sequence until it was ingrained in my head and within my muscles. The same is applied to formation skydiving, freeflying, landing, etc. Yes, someone with 70 jumps may have landed in each one of the situations that billvon outlined. But once is not enough. Not even twice. Those situations need to be done so many times that it is ingrained in our mind and body. Perfect situation: Someone cuts you off on landing. People tend to revert back to the norm when any situation arises that is high tension, high stress, etc. You are going to do the one action that you have done repeated times in the past. Muscle memory takes minimum of 20 repetitions to achieve. There is very little chance that all of those situations could have been jumped 20 times each with only having 70+ jumps to your name. The chances that you will handle a situation in the best possible way under a canopy loaded 1.4 has been substantially decreased without the benefit of experience and repetition. Once again, just my .02 Dee
  7. I had a professor whose name was Benjamin Dover. No joke! He got kinda mad when we called him Ben
  8. When I learned how to dive, my instructor told me to put my feet on my butt for one simple reason. When most students first imagine diving from a plane they think about relating it to diving into a pool, which is arms stretched out in front and legs out straight. The instruction of putting the feet on the butt is simply to change the students perception of body position. I know once I hit my first dive, I relaxed and then the instructors told dive out with the legs in the neutral position. It worked great. But that is only my 2 cents worth.
  9. Jason Fitzsimmons: Memorial Service is to be held on Friday, August 30, at 11am at Skydive Dallas. Words from family and friends are to be said with an ash dive to follow. Please send any flowers or sympathy cards to Skydive Dallas 1039 PR 438, Whitewright, TX 75491 Brad Walk: Funeral service is to be held on Thursday, August 29 at 10am at the Temple Beth Elohim 10 Bethel Rd, Wellesly, Massachusetts 02481. His family as that donations be made to either of th following organizations. SPCA of Texas 362 South Industrial Blvd., Dallas, TX 75307 (214)651-9611 or Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America 280 Hillside Avenue, Needham, MA 02494 (781)449-0324. Blue Skies, You both will be missed! Deanne
  10. Quote ------------------------------------------------------------ How in the world can you drink 16 oz of that s$#T! ------------------------------------------------------------ By adding 32oz of vodka ==================================== Red bull + vodka = no memory of the night before except the grass beneath your head LOL
  11. Welcome to the forums DJ. Dee
  12. BIG CONGRATS TO THE FREEFLYING CREW AT SKYFEST!!!!!! They got the state record of 9 on Sunday! WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
  13. I have just obtained the information for Zara Sunday's Visitation and Funeral and am passing it on. Visitation: Tonight, Tuesday, from 6:30-8:30 in Saginaw, Tx at the United Methodist Church at the corner of Bluebonnet and Green Funeral: Tomorrow at 10am
  14. Plowed cornfield to the north, plowed beanfield to the east, plowed cornfield to the south and plowed cornfield to the west. Take your pick.
  15. Longest out landing I had was 2 years ago. We landed about 3 miles out. We had decided to do a cross country jump. We had a brand new pilot and we told him we wanted to go about 8 miles. Problem #1. He took us nautical miles Problem #2. Winds died down. We landed out 3 miles from Rantoul in the middle of a plowed cornfield. Luckily 2 of us had cells. Problem #3. We called to tell them where we were and they couldn't find us. (Now mind you, anyone who has seen Central Illinois knows that all the roads are in 1 mile squares) You think that if you tell them go 3 miles east and 1 mile north they would find us...nope) However, the funny part is that as we are trudging down the road, a car approaches. Low and behold... it was my mom and step-dad out visiting friends of theirs and on their way back home. LOL Go figure. Dee
  16. Cyndi, Don't forget that you ditched the gear in a barb wire fence. LOL But from the pickup person's perspective... it was funny to see ya'all run from the little ole horsies. Dee
  17. Ya know, the thing is that, I knew it was close, really close, but I didn't realize just how close. I was just focusing on landing safely. As I walked into the hanger, I had several people comment on it. When I talked to the guy, he really kinda laughed it off as a long spot. Let me tell you, I wasn't a happy jumper. Dee
  18. I demoed a Sabre2 and put 2 jumps on it. Both had such hard openings that left bruises, not to mention off heading. I let a friend demo it and he had what he called uncomfortable openings and every single one opened off heading. He put 10 jumps on it. I will keep with my safire for now. Sabre2 is too expensive to be having those kind of openings.
  19. I just wanted to mention this because what could have happened. I almost had a canopy collision and/or very bad landing this weekend. Let's just say it scared the **** out of me. First off, I am fairly conservative with my approaches and landings. I do a standard downwind, base and final approach and I am turned in on final usually around 200ft. I also look around for canopies quite a bit. I was on final yesterday when another jumper, coming from the right, cuts right in front of me. He flew so close to me that I ended up flying right through his burble. I was less than 100ft above the ground at the time. My canopy "danced" around quite a bit. And that is putting it mildly. By the time it started flying right again, I had just enough time to flare for landing. I went up to him and asked what was up? He replied that he had gotten a long spot and was trying to make it back to the main landing area. He had been unable to do a left hand pattern and hadn't been able to turn into the wind sooner because of the hanger and trailers. He had been flying towards me from high and behind my right shoulder. The side note is that on the other side of the hanger is the alternate landing area. Because the jumper was so intent on making it back to the main landing area, he flew right over the alternate landing area, several other outs and created a situation that could have turned out a lot worse than it did. Another several feet closer and we could have a collision or if my canopy had decided to take longer to restablize, I could have had a very nasty landing. Please don't be so focused on a specific landing area that you jeopardize yourself and others in the process. Take the out.
  20. JC, Somehow I highly doubt that! Public sex? Where? Can I join in?
  21. Gale, Congratulations on your first Solo!!!!! As far as fear, it can happen at any stage. One of the two times that I can remember being really scared was my 80th jump. I had just moved 800 miles and was jumping at a new dropzone. It was the first time I had been on a bigger plane (other than a cessna), it was my first new rig. I had been jumping student rigs until that point. My first main which was 30 square feet smaller and lightly eliptical. You talk about freaking out. I started hyperventilating on the plane from being so scared. Talk about embarrassing. I had 80 jumps and one of the dz's instructors was asking if I wanted to ride the plane down. I made up my mind at that point. If I wanted to continue in this sport I had to get over the fear. I took several, and I mean several deep breaths and got out of the plane. I now am approaching 300 jumps and can't imagine what my life would be without skydiving in it. I think a significant part of this sport is our ability to face our fears and do something that most humans would never do. We are living life. It can't get any better than that. Take care and have fun on your next dive.
  22. Thanks for all the feedback guys. I will let you know which way I decide to go, besides down that is. LOL
  23. Hey wingie, Glad you made it safe to Colorado. Had a blast Thurs.nite hanging, drinking and talking w/ you at Skydive Dallas. :) Dee
  24. My question was whether to look into a stiletto of the same size as the safire I currently jump. How much difference is there between the two canopies, especially at the bottom end of the flare? I don't want faster, I just had the opportunity to buy the safire or the stiletto (same size) and was interested in opinions on the two canopies.
  25. Really glad everything worked out okay. You evidently did what you thought was right. I had a very bad line dump 2 years ago. Broke some A lines and cut away only to have a reserve with a major turn in it. Almost as bad a turn as the main. Flew it in with one toggle at my hip while the other was at normal flight. Was a bitch to flare. LOL So you never know what you will end up with when you cut away. :-) Just glad you are okay. Dee