dreamsville

I am not a long-time veteran in this sport. 2700 feet is low enough for me. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Make sure that the jumprun runs parallel to the runway if you're going to track across it. At our DZ with last week's winds, the jumprun was perpendicular to the runway on many loads (understanding that you will want to avoid approach and flight paths). | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Make them quality jumps so you feel you're learning the types of skills that are your favorites. I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

At some point, it's nice to have something that's a (dead?) give away. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Sounds good. Talk to someone at your DZ if you feel you need to work on deployment body position. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

I gutted it out and went out the door when I was scared. For a while we had a drill seargent dealing with the newbies, so it was hard at first. Later, we had some other people who were more supportive and that made me look forward to the jumps more. To add it all up, I'd take the suggestions about the videos and the humor and be sure you add supportive people to it. Do solos or keep it small at first. As long as you're aware of others around you (and you're probably a solo in this situation) don't forget to notice the beauty around you. That's another aspect that will make you want to come back. Thinking of music on the way up or under canopy may help as well. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Uh, Luna, I have seen others go through what you went through (as I myself did for a while, not that I am a sky god). Some of those same people are now on placing teams in the Nationals (not that the Nationals are the end-all of goals). I guess you are realizing that if you can get this far against a great challenge, that there is a lot more you can do as well. You may find that you are a more resilient learner than some others because you now know that sticking with it pays dividends. Hold that thought. Keep going and you will have many fun and rewarding days in this sport. Enjoy, onward and upward (you lose points if you don't smile)! | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Nice job! I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

The flattest track (short of a wing suit) can often be achieved with a slight de-arch with your hands as close to your side and slightly below your hips as you can manage with stable, straight flight. Point your legs and toes (which you already know). I notice that not everyone does the de-arch part. If you do this, you will feel the slight burble beneath your stomach and a little added speed, especially if you're thin. It will carry you farther, faster, and you may see others that broke the formation when you did drift below and to the side of you in their tracks. Use Russian Radar until clear, then wave and throw. Remember, though to watch for other groups if you are forced to track up or down the flight line by the presence of others around you at break-off. It is possible to track too far if your group isn't big enough to own the load. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Yeah, forget about that! I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

I think it'd be fun. Where can we go to do it? Depending upon the altitude, what medical/other exams are required? | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

I recently bought ear-plugs, but, as you said, I would stow them before freefall because I am afraid I might miss a yell or something under canopy. Of course, I could always slip off my helmet at the end of free fall, take out the earplugs, put the helmet back on, and then pull. However, that sounds like an awful lot going on! | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Would someone clarify? I think that freefall has less to do with hearing damage than the noise from the aircraft itself. Any takers? | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

With one of these people, I'm not sure if it had anything to do with the confering of a 3-D award whose paperwork was suspect. But I believe it was. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Superficially, it sounds as though your body position may have caused the bag and the pilot chute to become involved with the main lines/risers. That seems like an unusual situation, at least in my experience. Others may differ. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

The oral exam sounds like a more practical approach. A good instructor will do a better job of getting an idea of competency than some of these written exams will show. Having said that, I don't know what the oral exam requirements are, since there was a written A exam when I took it. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Another reason to keep it snug is free-flying. Even though the strap may technically be tight enough to save you, it's better not to have play on the position of the rig that potentially leaves airpspace between it and the jumper or allows it to slide around in head-down or sit-fly. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

I can recall someone at another DZ doing this with one of the DZO's rigs last year. She went for a low pull, and unfortunately there were a few hundred dollars involved to cover the cost of replacing the Cypres knife and repacking the reserve (yah, she waited a bit to long, and her AAD was on). It was made more bitter by the fact that she didn't have the money to cover this. As a sad post-script, I heard that she did a low turn elsewhere in the country while on vacation with a friend recently, and is recovering from a damaged pelvis and other injuries. This after having injured herself at the WFFC a couple of years ago. Some people have less than their healthy share of fear. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

What's Fandango? I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Glad you're OK. I had an "almost" like this yesterday. I felt the twist above my head after dumping at 3k. As I have had to deal with an actual cutaway like this one before (I learned the Hairy Bob lesson: when it started to break towards the horizon, I chopped, so had choice of landing areas under reserve) in this situation, I thought "oh no, not this again", so I started to look up to assess about pulling the red handle shortly. As I did so, I barely had the chance to look at the twist before it whipped me around and untwisted on the spot. At that point, I grabbed the lower risers and looked around, and no one was very close. I noticed that the thing wanted ot turn right, so I pulled more on the left side to stop the turn and check it out. Turned out the brake had released, so I grabbed both of them and it was fine, still above 2k. I just passed this along, because for the initial opening experience, my mind was where yours was. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

I have jumped with Steve Lapp a number of times, as well as some other organizers in the last few years. Generally Steve and the others that charge are worth the money. They have a large book of jumps in their heads, give good advice, and help provide newcomers with a group situation and maybe new friends that might not have happened as easily otherwise. How many times have you had a beer with someone you met while jumping with them all day, and getting to know them and how they fly? Makes a difference. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

My freefall does not include a wingsuit, so this is just another example of why the situation (wing suit, CRW) needs to be taken into account. I never jump without a Cypres, but it should not be mandatory. People have been schooled as to why/when it's needed and useful. Nuf said. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

I don't think anyone, either in person or through a forum, would recommend a high wingloading of any kind to a novice. I know you know that. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Makes me wonder how we still have dispensation to skydive, what with all those kooky perceptions out there. It's these misinterpretations and misconceptions that help foster fear and mindless restrictions. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Thanks. Cutaway just arrived and Dropzone is likely on its way. If it's to be cloudy tomorrow I may watch it after I do my taxes. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143