VivaHeadDown

Email manifest there at Perris, and they'll get you all the info you need about pack jobs and organized loads for RW. I work there right now, but just as a DZ bumb so not too sure on what to tell you. Either way, hope to see you there for the holidays!

120 seconds for RW work??? That's two minutes...something isn't right here.

I've driven those roads extensively to pick up wayward skydivers and I gotta tell you...THAT'S OFF-ROADING!!! I'd never take my own car, good choice in the rental. : )

Rhonda, I'll be there thursday jumping, but I have to work the rest of the fetival so will not be able to jump then. Can't wait for the parties, although I'm STILL recouping from the Swoop and 120-way weekend! Oh well, at least there's not 6 airplanes to load and fuel this time. Hope to see everyone else there!

As a skydiver, I'll try just about anything once. It's what got me to try this (as I thought then) "crazy" sport. I've had my fantasies about my girlfriend and another woman (and she says she's also been interested but we're just not super social enough to find a 3rd), but who knows if it'll live up to the expectations. I'd like to find out, but like others in the thread mentioned, it's hard to set up even for those who've had experience. (hint hint, any interests in the SoCal area? : ) ) -VivaHeadDownAndUpAndInAndOutAnd...

VIKING..NOOOOO, not the DZ first man. Take her to the photo thingy first. Think about it...a girl you barely know with a bunch of horney skydiver guys who aren't shy??? Take her on a photo shoot first, give her a chance to get to know you, a little, then whisk her away to the DZ. Skydiving is a must, but the Pink Elephant way is the way to get the ball rolling before it takes a two and a half mile leap.

I heard some people outside my tent talking about picking up an extra helmut on accident. Someone thought it was a student helmut, so maybe it was. Have you tried the school again to see if it was turned in since then?

Your arms are useless when compared to the affect your legs have. Stretch and get more flexible in your legs if you want to open up your range of speeds. And wear a suit with baggier legs can help as well.

It's very easy to get your feet uneven so check them as well. And did someone say properly maintained velcro is safe for everyday freeflying??? Either you left out "not" right before safe, or maybe you need to share some of whatever it is you're smokin. It's just not reliable enough...or am I smokin something?

If you meet anyone from ERAU (my old school and club) tell them Kris Reynolds says hi! There were always about a half dozen of us out there at any time either jumping or working, so the odds are actually pretty good now that school started back up!

Do you think this might be the year where they teach Ptiger about the space bar? That will always be my favorite year. : ) VivaSpaceBar

500 metric tones

hhmmm...being an instructor = jumping AND gettin some...what a great world we live in, where do I sign up?

Jumping for 2 mo. huh? Well, welcome to skydiving. They're a lot of things that you'll probably run into like this. Skydiving is not PC, and the only rules are those that deal with safety. But there are so many great things that are out in the open, so it all balances out. Personally, and I know that doesn't mean much, I think that the instructor should wait until the jumper is off student status.

I used to jump an older model javelin that belong to my college club. It's had many mods added by a profesional rigger as a result of some of my dives. I think I am several inches shorter due to 2 premature openings in a stand. Thank God there were no collisions on either jump. It's a simple rule: Exposed pieces and parts are a BAD thing. Avoid jumping in rigs that aren't safe for FFing otherwise you're taking a risk that's going to eventually do some damage if not kill you.

Congrats! Just don't get lazy on the test taking otherwise you'll end up with 237 jumps one day like me...and still only have your A license. : ) A friend of mine in Florida waited until after jump 350 to get his A, and that was only because it was raining so he couldn't jump. This is a crazy sport we love.

Check your stows, old F-111 fabric really shouldn't be able to slam much. I jumped a PD190 for a long time at just under a 1:1 ratio and it had the most boring, er, smoothest openings.

It's a good thing safety and comfort aren't the same thing when it comes to student rigs, or else there be a lot fewer students. I can still remember the bruises in places I didn't even know the rig could touch, not to mention the obvious ones.

The pull up cord thing is pretty fun, but tie two together and take a friend out there with you. Pass it back and forth. It's fun and fine tunes your control (need steady slow movements to pull this one off) similar to what you'll need to dock. As far as solo stuff goes: You want complete vertical control of your sit, and to reduce the amount of sliding you do. Transitions are a major bonus (don't cork). Learn to control your fall rate better, and try really hard to get someone else in the air with you in a sit. You'll never really know how well you're doing until you have that reference. Sometimes you'll learn to compensate for one bad habit, and end up forming others without being able to tell. I just read this over and all I have to say is it's all just common sense things. You want to be able to dictate what your body is doing in this possition, so figure out your stengths and weeknesses and just keep trying to smooth them out. When you get really stressed, that's the best time to just fun jump with someone else. So many "first" FF jumps go to hell, but you'll see a difference over time. First you'll stay relative, then you'll come in close, then you'll be able to transition without losing your partner, and eventually you'll be able to dock. Read older article's written by Max Cohn in both Parachutist and Skydiving Mag., he's a genious for putting these techniques into words. Something I learned from experience and have been told a lot about from some good jumpers: find a consistant partner to jump with. You'll develop a lot faster if you have someone familiar with you. It allows for a lot more input about your mistakes (some you don't even notice), and once you get more confidant you know that you're not going to have to be there to coach someone new everytime you want to freefly. Not that helping out is a bad thing, it's a lot of fun to pass on skydiving knowledge, but it's also your $$$ that's got you in the air and you should be able to progress as well for that. Blah blah blah...I've never written this much before. Sorry about it all, I just really dig freeflying. : ) VivaFreeflying A skydiving fortune cookie says- A person with a good, controled, stable sit can act as base for any level of freeflyer, and that makes for safe learning.

"wingnut" wants to know why people name their animals wierd names....isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?

It's nice to see someone finally making good on showing her goodies. I think you are an inspiration to all of us, and all the lovely ladies of DZ.com should consider how much fun she had in doing this. Don't you like to have fun? Please, have fun...we (and by we I speak for me and assume for everyone else) want you to. : )

For nearly 3 years Skydive Deland kept me sane throughout my time at college. The owner, Bob Hallet, was more than generous to our school's club and it's members. The staff was easy to work with, and the locals were easy to spend a relaxing day or wild night on the DZ with. There is a wide range of ages, experience, and interests at Deland, and I can not wait to jump there again when I get some vacation time.

In reply to: a company that makes skydivers... WHAT KIND OF OPTIONS WOULD THOSE COME WITH? Viva

In reply to: a company that makes skydivers... WHAT KIND OF OPTIONS WOULD THOSE COME WITH?

ooh ooh! Can it be my turn to punish her???? : ) !!!!