Namowal

Thanks. I was going for the incompetent-but-not-sinister look. :) Then again, maybe I'm being too hard on the canopy, since it was probably my position during deployment that gave "him" a twist. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Thanks, DougH, mutumbo and Trafficdiver. :) My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Good catch! It's sorta a semi-inside joke on my blog. I've corrupted the expression and use it to mean "Wait- something's off here," (it was used in this context in an obscure song I like) but the real translation is "Something is missing," Thanks. Glad to know I'm not being a wimp about this. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

While I don't buy the "skydiving is safer than driving" cliche, it wouldn't surprise me if whomever coined it was driving on California freeways at the time... My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Thanks, obelixtim and wolfriverjoe.:) I agree that a complete absence of anxiety would be asking for trouble. To this day I still get a bit apprehensive on (don't laugh too hard) some freeway interchanges. It's not the "oh nooooooo!" of terror but the "Hey, pay attention to what's going on!" feeling. I'm cool with that. It helps keep my car (and me) intact. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Here's a cartoon I did about my recent AFF level two: http://tailotherat.blogspot.com/2011/09/skydiving-duck-iv-shakes-on-plane-aff.html Skydiving Duck: Shakes on a Plane Guess who still gets pretty nervous? I thought after two tandems and AFF level one that I might calm down just a little... My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

"When I jump out of perfectly good buses and trains I hit the ground too fast" My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Yes, but....IMO... When properly done, video can be a very useful tool to aid learning. However, not just any video is good. Flying AFF video is just that...flying AFF video. This not a tandem jump where head-down "looks cool", taking hands/feet "looks cool", transitions "look cool", video flying skills "look cool", etc.. It's not a time for circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one. AFF video should be a straight up learning tool. Right side up, action side on screen, no distractions, no question of placement at student pull time. -head-down exits or flight destroys learning opportunity for exits -full-time close-up facial shots do nothing to show what is going on with the student body position etc. -close-ups distract student particularly at/near pull time -pulling early and not capturing student deployment is a missed learning opportunity -extreme awareness is needed at student pull time and instructor escape. The student just may turn in a way that will put you in an instructors escape path. I was wondering about that. The video I'd want would be an objective one where I could see what I was actually doing up there. A "look at me!" souvenir zoomed in on my head wouldn't do that.

Is it worth the extra money to have your AFF jumps recorded on video? I turned it down for my first jump because it cost more and I thought it would be distracting. Now I'm thinking it might be helpful to observe my jumps from that perspective (with the instructor), to catch mistakes and reinforce what I'm doing right. What do you think? My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

That reminds me of something I read in the book Deep Survival. It pointed out that some mountain climbing accidents happen on the way down when participants* consider their climb "done" at the summit, and start to focus on later-in-the-day plans instead of what they're doing now. I bet this is why people are often careless when they walk through parking lots. They're thinking of what they need to buy/do instead of watching for cars. "Be here now" might be a cliche, but it's good advice. *I know little about mountain climbing and am not suggesting most climbers do this. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Thanks shattenjager. I'm attempting level two this weekend. I'm still in "No! Not the door!" mode, so it should be good for material (in addition to learning skills). My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

I'm a fellow noob, but I hear where you're coming from. My skydiving experiences remind me of fantasy stories where the character suddenly discovers a marvelous secret, like when Harry Potter discovers he's a wizard. Or when the "A. Square" in Flatland discovers the third dimention. People can do this? I can do this? Incredible! And yes, some non-skydivers in my life think I have a death wish (and think they have the right to tell me how stupid/crazy/irresponsible I am). But as you said, it's anything but a death wish. It's finding something that makes life more amazing. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

I am looking forward to the day when the realization that I'm next out the door triggers an innate "Oh boy!" instead of an "Oh no! What am I doing?"

Actually "under impression that I know what I'm doing" often applies to me on the ground as well. Maybe I should have a T-shirt made up. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

I didn't realize I'd given them BASE rigs. What gave it away? Or does BASE now stand for Barmy Anxious Student Exit? My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

It's odd, but even though I had two previous tandems (and thus knew damn well what leaving a plane felt like), the intensity of the drop still surprised me. I guess it's gonna take some more drops before I get used to that part. Thanks :) Well, I was secretly proud that I landed without hurting myself. I remember thinking "Dang, that PLF thing really works!" My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Thanks, Trafficdiver, Charlie5, OwenB, obelixtim and skymama.

Here's the cartoon version of my recent level 1 AFF experience. Let's just say I could have done better.... Chicken of the Sky, AFF version My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

My first was out of a a C182 or something similar. That's the one where I felt it the most. The next two were out of a Twin Otter. Still felt a drop but it was wayless dramatic than out of the Cessna. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Aren't you the guy who suggested aiming for the kiddie pool in case my reserve malfunctioned? ;) My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Heh heh. Actually I watched that scene a few times for inspiration (of sorts) before my last two jumps. The door and the drop scare me, but remembering his nutcase enthusiasm puts some fun back in the situation. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Thanks! I'm working on the next installment.

I like how you think. I have noticed it feels more like accelerating an less like a drop with each jump. Well, the feeling does remind of the scene from Dr. Strangeglove where the guy rides the bomb down, rodeo style! :) From the other answers, it sounds like this is something you adapt to once you've done it enough times. A bit like moving (or staying) near busy train tracks or a big airport. At first the racket wakes you up with a jolt and you wonder how on earth to locals tolerate it. Then you get used to it. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

According to what I've read, including searches on this forum, most skydivers don't feel a falling sensation. I've only jumped a few times (2 tandems, and AFF level 1), but each time I felt a drop. It was the worst on my first tandem- unmistakable and a bigger drop than I've ever felt on a roller coaster. The feeling was less strong on tandem #2 (the fact that we flipped around a few times may have distracted my inner ears.) The AFF jump was a more normal exit, but again, for the first few seconds, I felt the drop. Again, it wasn't nearly as strong as my first jump, but it was there. In each case, it went away after 5-10 seconds. Is my mind playing tricks on me? Or are a few people super sensitive to this kind of thing? My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

[me trying to be funny] Tell you what. I'm about as new as you, and this scares the #^@& out of me. If brain transplant technology improves anytime soon, I'll gladly donate the chunk of my brain that feels "the rush" much the same way someone on the tracks feels "the train." I'll reserve 5% of said chunk to keep me from wandering into propellers or looking for my house when I should be looking at the altimeter. It's a win-win, I say! [/me trying to be funny] :) My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.