DarrellM5

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Jump Profile

  • Home DZ
    Skydive Mesquite
  • License
    Student
  • Number of Jumps
    24
  • Years in Sport
    1
  1. I jump an XL Flite Suit that belongs to my DZ. I'm 5'9" and 210 lbs. It works great for me. It's a little loose but it helps slow me down some (I fall like a rock). I'm currently considering buying my own Flite Suit or custom ordering another brand.
  2. My wife wasn't too thrilled about my new hobby. As I finished AFF and got a few more jumps in she started to come around a bit. Then she visited the dropzone with me and that seemed to help a lot. However, I've been doing all my jumping in Mesquite and the tragedy this past weekend has cancelled out all of her confidence. I'm back to square one.
  3. I met Fonz and Jean last weekend in Mesquite. They were so warm and friendly that I felt like an old friend right away. I've been telling my friends about this incredible person I met who has 11,000 jumps in a career going back to 1968. Knowing that I'm fairly new to the sport, Fonz was giving me safety advice on the plane ride up. I'm shocked and deeply saddened by this tragedy. My heart goes out to his family and the family of the student.
  4. I just turned 45. I had my first tandem in May and just finished my AFF last weekend. I participate in a lot of sports/hobbies with people 1/2 my age. Occasionally, people ask me why I spend so much time hanging out with young people. I just tell them "because most people my age are too old".
  5. I think that's the key. Just get back up there and do it. And try not to end your skydiving day with a less than stellar jump.
  6. I was really dreading my E1 last Monday after a really HARD opening on my D2 jump Sunday (ribs are still sore). I had a hard time sleeping- partly due to my ribs hurting. I got out of bed with an impending feeling of doom. I could barely eat any breakfast and I was nervous as hell on the flight up. I just kept breathing deep and rehearsing a perfect jump in my mind. My E1 and E2 ended up going really well with the smoothest openings I've had so far. I finished the day cleared for solo jumping and really excited. I can't wait for my next jump.
  7. Congratulations on your first jump. I'm glad it all turned out alright in the end and that you learned a valuable lesson that could save your life next time. I also appreciate you posting it so we can all either learn from it or have it reinforced in our minds. I'm currently in my AFF is Mesquite, NV and my instructor had definitely been drilling the "cutaway if you can't fly straight with a toggle no lower than shoulder height" thing into our heads. I hope the rest of your AFF goes really smooth.
  8. Any of them. They're all guaranteed for life.
  9. 301 miles each way to skydive in Mesquite, NV. I live in central Nevada. 335 if I drive via Las Vegas. Just over 4 hours of dodging cows on the Extraterrestrial Highway by Area 51.
  10. I'm really new to the sport myself and I'm sure some more knowledgeable people will chime in, but I'll take a stab at it. As far as I can tell, there isn't any special license required for a pilot to drop jumpers. There are certain restrictions however. The SIM (Skydivers Information Manual) is available as a free .pdf download on the USPA website. I think you'll be able to find most of the answers to your questions there.
  11. Nice work, but definitely not the thread I should be reading since my AFF training starts next weekend.
  12. No problem finding it on the market and installing it on my Droid.