darkascent

Hi all, I'm moving from Boston to LA around July. I haven't put together my itinerary yet -- but I was hoping you all could make some recommendations as to where I should stop along the way to jump. If all goes as planned, I'll be spending 14 days driving the ~3000 miles. Route is TBD, but I don't plan on doing any crazy doglegs (Ex: Boston>Florida>Chicago, etc). Let's hear your thoughts! Thanks! John

Mesquite was fun. It has some pretty good views of the desert and mountains from altitude too. Makes for some cool pictures. Winds start to get a bit choppy in the afternoon though. Gravel/dirt landing area. It's worth the drive and taking a break from the strip. I called a bunch of other DZs in Vegas and they were all too eager to hang up on me and take phone calls from tandems. The windtunnel there does not have any coaching either.

If you've got a well paying job -- keep it. You may not have the time to jump as often as you want, but you'll have the finacial freedom to afford the sport. If you've got a lower paying job -- start saving money and jump when you can. Currency is important, so you may want to save up a big chunk of money so you can finish AFF in one block, and then maybe A-license in another.

Are there any considerations to be taken by sub-200 jumpers? Should someone who should not be jumping with a helmet cam yet be allowed to jump with one? Any potential snag issues if wearing anywhere besides your helmet? GoPros have been getting a lot of press in the skydiving community and I'm not sure if this has been addressed yet.