prcastro

Phenominal staff. Can't say enough about the professionalism and competence these people possess. Geoff, Jessie, Keri, Andy, Carina, Jeff, Luke, Bryan, Dave Kaiser, JT (and anyone else I missed that makes a cameo appearance on occassion to help out) are definitely at the top tier of the skydiving industry. Jessie runs a tight ship, no doubt about it. She may come off as a bit brash and abraisive to some that don't know what she's about, but that's why she's the Northwest Regional Director, and safety is certainly her top priority. God love her for that. They've been running their operation out of Shelton for a while now at Sanderson field and the new hangar is definitely the "duck's nuts" (that's a good thing). I've seen these guys execute numerous tandems with stellar performance. Everyone comes down with a smile on their faces and many of them have come back for more. I like to go out there on occasion even if I'm not jumping that day, just to park on the sidelines and watch the festivities (Andy and Luke do some of SICKEST swoops imaginable on those XAOS-27 "pillow cases" they call canopies). Being a Florida native, I'm used to having decent jumping weather most of the year round, but for those that aren't familiar with this part of the country and plan on coming up this way, my suggestion is to gear your skydiving vacation in the summer months. You will be privy to some of the most beautiful weather you've ever seen in your life, not to mention an incredible view of Mt. Rainier at 14 grand. Nothing but MAD LOVE for crew out at Kapowsin Air Sports!

Absolutely the most incredible scenery you will probably ever see while jumping, unless you're just not into the beach and the ocean. Most of the people have a rather pleasing disposition, but if you're a low-time freeflyer, you can forget about getting invited on anything organized. You tend to feel very much like an outsider, unless you're in their clique, which is a real shame. None of the experienced freeflyers there are really willing to take the time and jump with an out-of-towner and teach you something, so if your freefly skills are up to speed, I guess this place is for you. Bottom line, have a couple of thousand jumps under your belt before expecting to feel comfortable there.

Good luck with the Army and the whole rigger thing. You'll find, though, that jumping static line rounds like the T-10C in the Army is a bit more work than fun. You jump with a hell of a lot more equipment (about 60 pounds of parachute, including main and reserve, and another 60 to 80 pounds of additional gear you'll need to survive and fight with once you hit the ground) and your're only jumping at an altitude of 800 to about 1500 feet, all depending on what type aircraft you're jumping out of and the mission you're conducting. Most of your jumps will be at night (midnight to 2AM, or somewhere in there) and the chute you're jumping is designed as a method of insertion, in order to bring you to the ground quickly so you can fight, which means you're coming down pretty quick (about 21 feet per second, depending on the combined weight of your gear, your chutes, and your ass). Unlike skydiving, paratrooping will beat you down pretty good, but you should have fun with it as long as you listen to your jumpmasters and do what you gotta do to keep from getting hurt.

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know if "RAM", as in "RAM parachute" is an acronym for something, or does it just mean something obvious like "RAM-MING air into an airfoil?" "Treat your relationships like a canopy - have fun with it, but if it starts to get squirrley on you, cut away!"

Quote***I have never considered teaching sit flying using a sit suit mainly because I think a person should learn to fly their body and not a suit. Quote I happen to agree with that statement, that a person should learn to fly their body, but why is it then that most freefly "experts" repeatedly harp on the use of a freefly suit to help you fly? Wouldn't you agree that at least big freefliers benefit greatly from suits, especially baggy ones with lots of drag? Do you really think any freeflier who's been freeflying with a suit for awhile can fly just as well without it, or at least be able to slow him or herself down enough to stay with a group?

Dearest Katie, You don't know me at all nor did I know Nate, and I know that no words I type down could possibly console you enough in your time of grief. I haven't been in the sport that long, and fortunately have never lost anyone really close. Still, it kills me a little more inside every time I hear of someone else that pays the ultimate price in this inherently dangerous sport that we all love so much. I guess it might have something to do with the idea that it snaps me back in touch with my own mortality, or the idea that it could very well happen to someone I truly care about, at any given time. Again, I know that no matter what is said in these forums could ease your grief in this time of suffering. All I will offer you is this; if Nate was as passionate about his sport as most skydivers are, then rest in the comfort of knowing that he died doing what he probably loved doing more than anything in the world, second only to spending time with family and friends that loved him, like you and all of the people I've seen posts from so far. My prayers and sincerest condolences are with you and your family.

Thanks, Drew. Sorry about that.

Sorry about that. Thanks.

About a month and a half ago or so, I fractured my ankle on a relatively hard landing. Not because I was doing anything stupid (e.g., hooking or coming in on a crosswind final), just dumb luck on a windy day. I'm a rookie in the sport (just over 200 jumps or so in about a year and a half) and I'll be grounded for a while longer before going back up in the air any time soon. My question(s) is this; 1st of all, does anyone out there have some insight on injuries they've sustained while jumping? Were you nervous the first time you went back up? Secondly, will my skills deminish greatly? If they do, is it like riding a bike? Will it come back quickly? I like to freefly and I never thought I was that good at it to begin with. Is there anything I can do while grounded to keep up with what little skill I had before I got hurt? Help would be greatly appreciated, peeps. "It puts the lotion on its skin or it will get the hose again."

Waddup, all you freefly freaks? I'm relatively new to skydiving (only a year in the sport w/130+ jumps) and I was bitten by the freefly bug immediately. Nothing thrills me more up there than watching you experienced cats make flying on your head look so easy, but DAMN, it's frustrating. I'm pretty decent with holding a head-down, if I do say so myself, but being my own worst critic ... well, you see where I'm going with it. I've tried daffy, "holding the pizza boxes out to the side", delta wing, all that stuff. I seem to fall straightest and with more control flying like a delta wing, but being 225 pounds, I fall like a waxed safe and it's hard for others to keep up with me even in a stand. When I put my arms out to the side to slow myself down (pizza holder style), I tend to compromise a bit of control and I get squirrely. Daffy is out of the question for me. I suck at it. Any opinions on what works best, or how to modify either of these styles so they work a little better for me? Help me out here, folks.

Holy CRAP!!! That's alot of stuff. Just when I thought I was doing well just being able to hold a sit and HD. How demoralizing. "It puts the lotion on its skin or it will get the hose again."

Hello, fellow "freaks"... I few weeks ago, I submitted my very first post. I must say, I was quite taken aback by the number of responses to it. It's like I said in my first post, some of the coolest people on the planet are in the skydive community. Although I'm nowhere NEAR to being considered a veteran of this great sport/pasttime of ours, the more time I spend around fellow skydivers, the more I feel like I've been "adopted" into a surrogate family of folks that I feel blessed to be associated with. So again, here's to all you diabolically twisted adrenaline fiends out there who make my weekends more fun now than I ever imagined possible. I hope to one day jump with some of you other than in my great home DZ in Miami. I'll tip a cold one for ya'. "It puts the lotion into the basket ..."

I guess in my own mind I'm a star, Katie ... but then again, aren't we all?

Waddup, all? I'm a forum "virgin", if you will. First time I've ever submitted anything here. I'm relatively new to skydiving and I just wanted to say that it's an entirely new world for me. I've met some of the coolest people I've ever met in my life and I've had so much fun skydiving, I'm beginning to think it should be illegal. If word ever got out about how therapeutic jumping out of a plane can be, there would be alot of therapists out of work, so here's to all you (fellow) maniacs that have opened my eyes and helped me to see the light ... the green light. BLUE SKIES!!!