Bradley77

Well, the guy has decided to sell his rig to me afterall! So now I am (soon) going to be the proud owner of a Mirage G3, Saber2 190, PD193 reserve, rsl, and AAD. Yeeehaawww! Damn, my DZO just told me I have to buy beer since this is the first rig that I have bought! Damn, this is fun!

Got my "A" license this past weekend! Started jumping in mid July and now have 33 jumps to my credit! I actually unofficially got my license a couple of weeks ago but the dz kept on finding ways for me to buy beer before I could get a stamp....lol! I've been looking for a rig lately and thought I found a good one, 190 main, but the seller decided not to sell :( Anyway, here to all the people who are working on their "A" license! Keep on having fun...you will get there too! Damn, this is fun!

If you fall out of a plane without a parachute then you need not ride in a plane again. Perhaps they are talking about getting sucked out of an airliner or something. But if you are in a plane for skydiving and you don't have a rig on AND you jump/fall out of a plane you ought not be skydiving again....and likely won't be! The actual landing to the ground is not what kills you. It will break every bone in your body. But when you bounce up and come back down all those broken bones will be driven right into your organs. So just remember to grab the grass as hard as you can the first time you hit so that you don't bounce :) Damn, this is fun!

I know how everyone feels. I did two static line jumps 27 years ago because I wanted to just try it. But I always envied those that actually did a freefall. So 27 years later I took the plunge and 17 jumps (less static line) later I'm having more fun than I have had in a long time. Congrates on your jump....ain't it a blast!! Damn, this is fun!

Ok, I love jumping and I feel pretty safe up in the air and under canopy. I don't get nervious jumping unless a week has gone by and after the stepping off the plane any and all nerves go away. I am a newbie jump and still learning. This past weekend I was at the dz. On Sun I ran out to get breakfast and I just started laughing at myself. I had jumped a total of 15 times since July including two tandems. All I could think of was that my jumps were a comedy of errors. Nothing too error prone, but errors nonetheless. This is how it goes: 15 jumps - 20% with line twists (3 line twists but none in the last 5 jumps) - Solo jump was off by about 4 miles! - AFF 7 first unassisted flare was 5 feet too high w/hard landing - AFF 6 first unassisted exit, 1st dive exit: flipped uncontrollable 4 times until I arched hard and came belly to earth. - And I fell out of the freakin plane this weekend!* All I can do is laugh at myself. I've corrected most of my errors so I don't repeat. And even during my errors I've felt safe and can correct them as I go to come out safe. * Now this had to be the funniest one of all. Not like I really just fell out of the plane...but sort of. I was stepping out for a poised/student exit (facing the front of the plane) from a Cessna 206. I put my left foot out on the platform and then grab the strut with my left hand. So when I stepped out into the wind I had to swing my right hand out to grab the strut and bring my right foot onto the small platform. The next thing I know was the 80-90 knot wind hit me and swung me around and partially off the platform while hanging on to the strut. My left foot was half on the platform but the platform was now at hip level with my right leg dangling down and I was hanging from the strut! It was a coach dive for me and my coach just looked at me and smiled! I just looked back at him, smiled and then mouthed the words, "I gotta go!". I dropped my foot down off the platform so that I was just hanging down from the strut 10K feet in the air. Then I swung out a bit to miss the tire and I just let go. My coach dived out after me and we proceeded with the lesson! Looking back at my errors I realized that in some cases I could certainly have been hurt. But in each case my training came back to me and I solved the problem...and I felt relatively comfortable making the correction....whether it be a line twist, off landing, or hanging from a strut. Certainly errors aren't always fun but I have learned from them. But I do have to laugh at myself sometimes....especially when I realize the I jump out of planes! --- My instructor does say that I jump well, fly well, and land well. So I'm not just flopping around out there. I've just had a few...umm errors! Anyone else have any comedy of error stories? Damn, this is fun!

My first two jumps were 27 years ago while I was in college on the old round canopy via static line. It was something I just wanted to try. 27 years later I decided to give it another go as I had never done an actual freefall. This past summer at work some people mentioned going whitewater rafting....I thought that sounded like fun. But when it came down to it everyone pussied out...pissed me off. I thought to myself that I was gonna do something else...something I wanted to do. I wanted to have some fun and excitement and so screw the poeple at work. What do I want to do? Something fun! Something exciting! Something unusual! Something I've already done?....well kinda...but I really want to fall...or fly. Yep, I'm gonna jump out of a plane! That is what got me going. I told myself that after the tandem I would say, "That was great, lets do it again." assuming I enjoyed myself. Well 12 jumps + 2 static line jumps, I am having a ball. After a week of sitting at home/work I want to go back and jump again. Part of thinks "What the hell am I doing this for?" while the other part of me thinks, "Freakin eh, I am jumping out of a plane!". So I end up driving 3 hours to the dz, waiting if there are a lot of tandems, and then finally strapping on a large umbrella type thing and throwing myself into the air at 10-11K feet in the air. Why did I start taking lessons again at age 46? Why do I still do it (albeit still early in my jumping career)? It is fun, it is unusual, there is a little fear factor, it feels great, I feel relatively safe, it is something man is not supposed to do - only birds, and I've learned the people involved with this sport are simply really fun/nice people! Hell, it is just plain fun! I'm now amazed at all the people who say they would/have fly on planes but would never consider jumping out of one. These are likely the same type of people who in the early 1900 said they would be happy to travel by train but would never consider riding in a plane to somewhere. Planes go up and then land.......and so do I. I just land on my own! Damn, this is fun!

If they ask you to open the rig to swab, they don't ask you to open the reserve do they?? For the cost to repack you could almost ship it to your destination. Damn, this is fun!

Don't you guys/gals a a two way radio on you to help you land? Don't they tell you to get in PLF position with hands up....and when ready they say "FLARE, FLARE, FLARE!"? My first unassisted flare was my AFF 7 and yes like most I flared about 4-5 ft too high and came down hard. My next was my solo where I landed off and flared on and up hill landing....both were hard but no damage. Damn, this is fun!

It really is amazing isn't it. I'm sure you thought and thought about the jump for a number of day before you actually jumped. Nothing can compare and likely it wasn't anything (fear wise) like you thought it would be. It truely is a unique experience. Damn, this is fun!

I didn't mind looking out the open door, I didn't mind getting out on the little platform. But that "ready, set, arch!" made me suck in air and shut my eyes for the first few seconds. After that I felt good....there was no going back (to the plane) so I might as well enjoy it. Actually, I think the "thought" of doing the skydive is actually a lot worse than actually doing the skydive. And of course a lot of your friends p*ssied out...that happens many times. They thought way too much about it. If you get yourself to the dz you will go...I haven't seen anyone not go after they got there. The ride up in the plane is fun (if planes don't bother you. You will almost like the door to come open to cool you off. You will scoot up to the open door and think, "I am going to do this." You will move out onto the platform with instructor attached. Instructor will lean, in three quick motions: forward and say "ready", back and say "Set", and forward again saying "ARCH"....and you will say "Oh, sh*t, I guess I'm gonna do this!" as you fall away from the plane. Then you will feel the rush of air and you will spread your arms and look around. You will say, "this isn't too bad!". Then you likely will look down at the ground and think "Holy cr*p". Then you will feel a jerk and the canopy will open. You will look up and say "Thank God" Then you will think "these leg harnesses are killing my legs!" as you look around the skyline from 4K ft up in the air. Then you will come down relatively softly, land, and say, "That was freakin awsome! I loved that!" Then whether you continue will be up to you and your GF. At least that is what happened to me. Damn, this is fun!

I've had two line twists. The first one was on AFF 3, my first release dive. My second was AFF 7, my final student dive. I tend to bend over when I reach back. My practice pulls seem very good but when it comes to the real pull I mess up sometimes. I was thinking about it this week and thought it might be a good idea if I try to look at my hand that I put out in front of my face in order to keep my head up. My solo dive pull last week was less than stellar and I could feel myself sort of tract down a bit after my pull. But I didn't turn to either side and the canopy opened fine. Man, the first time the line twist occured I looked up to see if the canopy was square and thought to myself, "Oh sh*t, that doesn't look right!!" then about that time the slider came down a bit and I saw the twist. Pulled risers apart and kicked. I remember during ground school my instructor said, "You will get line twists, you will see them!". And I thought to myself, "No I won't cause I'm not going to do anything stupid to get line twists". LOL well I sure did get them. Not the most fun to get but I can take care of them...at leasst if they are simple line twists. Damn, this is fun!

My solo this past Sunday had a distraction. I got out of the plane late after a 4-way. I should have said go around. I wasn't able to spot the airport but jumped anyway thinking I could look for it in freefall Well I did look for it for about 5K ft (jumped at 10K) doing 360 with my head to the ground. I pulled a bit high at 4.5K hoping to see the dz under canopy. No such luck. I ended up landing off and had to buy a case of beer....and I thought it was going to be cheaper jumping solo....damn beer! Damn, this is fun!

On my AFF 6 - first rear dive out exit and first unassisted exit I flipped over 4 times in the air until I gained stability. My instructor said he was just about to come after me to assist until I gained stability. I've since done two more rear dive exits. I flip over more slowly now and only do a single flip before landing on my belly in a stable position. The entire key for me was to ARCH...and I mean really ARCH. On my first dive exit I only stabilized because I made myself arch.....I could feel myself arching hard. My instructor said he could see me arch after the 4th flip. But before that he said I was stiff as a board...lol. Arching hard was the key for me. Once I am on my belly I am very stable including flips and barrel-rolls. But that AFF 6 exit really taught me something. But I dove out on my solo dive an it all went fine...except for the off landing but that is another story. And if I relax I sort of dearch.....so I just arch! It really works. Damn, this is fun!

Well I sort of blew my accuracy landing on my first solo this past weekend. I landed a whopping 3+ miles from the dz Got out of the plane late after a 4-way in front of me. I opened (partly cloudy weather) and couldn't see distance until 3500 ft. There are big power lines about a mile or so from the dz and I was on the other side of them. I thought I was on the correct side of the power lines! at about 3000 ft and unable to find the dz I decided on a field to land. This was only my second unassisted flare and my first was about 4 feet too high. So I flared lower this time upon landing in the field. Unfortunately the field was not flat and I landed on an uphill slope so my landing was a bit rough...but nothing to write home about. I had a two way radio attached so I heard them looking for me. They asked if I was alright and I said "Yes". The then asked if I had any money because they thought it would be easier for me to buy my case of beer on the way back to the dz....lol. So much for my first solo jump! Damn, this is fun!

Both my parents have passed on but I do have a sister. The thought of looking down from a plane gives her the hebeegebees (sp). When I did my first/second static line 27 years ago I called my mom after I landed...she got upset that I didn't tell her I was going to jump in the first place. Now that I have started jumping again it is only my sister. She is not thrilled with it and would rather not hear too much about it. My friends at work on the other hand want me to put them in my will so they can get my plasma TV, motorcycle, truck, etc....are they really my friends....lol? I've only jumped 8 times so far so I'm not sure about the dangers...well I know what could happen of course. I've already had a line twist under canopy (1+ revolution) on my release dive (AFF3). Plus I saw an AFF 1 student who didn't flare on landing! He was bruised up but nothing broken....but man, it sure as heck did not look good as he bounced about a foot in the air after his body first hit the ground! Damn, this is fun!