Namowal

Thanks. I'm flattered that so many of you suggested I try to get my stuff published. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

No worries. I wasn't offended. :) It really isn't clear from the cartoon that I'm female. Thanks for your encouragement. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Who's he (or she?) Anyone who skydives and draws cartoons can't be all bad. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

You should contact Blue Skies magazine about doing a cartoon strip for them. Thanks, Skymama My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

I'm defiantly in the "This scares the **** out of me!" category right now, so it's good to hear there's hope.

Update- I'm signed up for my first AFF class now. Yikes! :D My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Thanks! As for that A license, I want one, but we'll see if I have the nerve to go through with it. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Thanks, Skymama Thanks, Jockeyshifter63, It's nice to hear that I'm not alone with those thoughts. I was wondering if I'd get replies like "What kind of nut are you? You have no business being anywhere near a drop zone." Of course, the day is young... :) My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Thanks, Peanut Gallery. I could have filled a phone book with the bickering of my curious and cautious sides. Glad to know I'm not the only one who did (and does) this! p.s. Have fun on your jump! My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

I've said "hi" here a few weeks ago, but I thought you might find a cartoon I did about my experience as a noob (tandem) skydiver. I'm not sure if it will bring back memories or just make people think I'm goofy. p.s. I took some artistic liberties with the gear and with... ...well, you'll see. Chicken of the Sky My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Thanks for all the info! My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

I've heard about it. Sounds like a good idea. There's a tunnel near where I live (iFly Hollywood) that I've spent a little time in. (I wanted to see how stable I was in the tube before I tried it out in the sky.) Any advantage to using the Perris one? I suppose one might argue that my local one is "only" a tourist attraction and "serious" would-be students use the one in Perris. Or are the "staying-stable-and-moving-around-in-a-tunnel" skills pretty much the same? (edited for clarity) My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Very true, ALWAYS listen to your instructors over anything you read on these forums. Sounds reasonable to me. To do otherwise would be like taking medical advice from the internet over what your doctor told you. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

I did my second tandem at Elsinore. I really liked it. That's where the "I wanna learn to do this on my own" bug bit. Haven't been to Perris (yet)

Good point. My closest drop zone doesn't offer static line, but there's ones further away that do. Maybe it's worth the drive. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Thanks, Charlie5. I'll do that. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Great list of tips. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

I've also poked around these message boards and read stuff about poor AFF students- ones who "didn't get it" ones who made dangerous mistakes, even ones who were politely told to pursue another hobby. This concerns me because I'd like to take AFF classes but I'm a slowish learner at anything physical. I'm not lazy, reckless or stupid, but every skill I've learned (walking, swimming, catching a ball, driving, riding a bike, yoga, SCUBA etc..) took me a bit longer than average. There was some struggling, then the "Ah ha! That's how it's done!" moment. Will this put me in "problem student" territory? My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

When asked about how they got started in skydiving, typical (perhaps stereotypical?) answers seem to be "Oh, I always wanted to do that" or "I've been jumping off stuff since I could climb." I'm curious about the exceptions. Did any of you grow up thinking "I could never jump out of a plane," only to end up doing exactly that, years later, when you learned more about the sport? My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

And here I thought that voodoo only applied to Burning Man My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

From I've read (I'm quite the noob here) it seems that this sport demands keen awareness as to what's going on in the moment (altitude, body position, avoiding collisions, wind direction, steering, landing on target, flaring, when to cut away etc..). Do you find that this awareness and focus spills over into non-skydiving activities? For example, do you feel you're more likely to spot potential danger on the road or even walking down the street (I hear muggers prefer surprising preoccupied victims?) Just curious. p.s. I couldn't find this through the search but if it's been covered before, a link would be appreciated. Thanks! My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

You jumping at Perris? I noticed the tandems doing backflip exits from the sky van on Sunday. Looked like fun! That being said, according to this thread, many consider the backflip tandem to be a bad idea. Whoops. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Close- it was at Lake Elsinore.:) My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

Good point! I still appreciate all the suggestions. Thanks, everyone. My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

I'm considering starting AFF courses, and am trying to learn as much as I can in the meantime. I'm concerned about being able to make and hold a good arch. I know what one looks like , but replicating it is another matter. I can picture myself in the sky doing what I think is a good arch, only to start spinning around like crazy because a limb was actually too high (or low, or apart etc). Any way I can practice a well-balanced arch on the ground? Or should I book time in a wind tunnel to get up to speed? My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.