AerialGnome

Welcome! Im also from Iowa (DSM) Im gunna be taking my AFF class this summer as well, hopefully within the month! Although you have me beat, I have 3 tandems lol! I totally know what you mean about not being able to stay out of the air though, even if it is a tandem :) What dropzone you looking at to do your AFF? You never know, until you find out!

Before i started as a tech at BMW, I was a service writer at VW/Audi in Des Moines. The worst cars (for the customer) were the late 90's early 2000 A6's. If the maintenance gets behind on those, if they get driven hard etc, they fall apart. EVERY single one we had come in usually had 1-2000 dollar repairs being done, and still needed 2-3k more in other repairs. Id honestly look into getting another vehicle. Sounds like you've already done a lot of work to it just to keep it driveable. the Higher the mileage the worse things will get. Engine mounts, and Control arms/bushings will usually go as well and those aren't cheap cause of the labor. Oil leaks are a big problem on them as well. You'll more than likely be better off looking into another car and getting rid of the one you have. maybe trade it in on a lease of a NEW audi? You can lease the new A4 for about 450 a MO back home for example. speaking from experience though, I would not buy another USED Audi, or VW. They end up falling apart more often than not. You never know, until you find out!

Well congrats on getting your A license! I am planning on doing the same thing basically, just in about 2 weeks this summer. Glad to hear it was Enjoyable and not too over whelming haha. Did you happen to get any pics/vids? Oh, and Im jealous you got to do it in Australia. one of my Goals is to skydive over there some time. $1500 plane ticket is kind of hindering that though lol You never know, until you find out!

Being a Military member myself, currently on my 2nd deployment, this struck a chord! If she knew where his kids were, threatened them, and was camping outside his house, leaving notes in his vehicle..... Should have just motioned her into his house, and shot her dead when she entered. One dead lady doesnt have a story to tell police... you have mounds of evidence, and no chance of that freak getting loose and coming back. Poor guy, Hope he got some resolve despite the situation! You never know, until you find out!

I didn't really sell anything yet, but to do my first tandem with my wife, we got our first credit card and MAXED it out to pay for both tandems! LOL Worth every penny!!!!! And yes it got paid off! You never know, until you find out!

Skydivesg. I did receive your PM, and sent a reply! I wasnt sure if it went through though cause at the time i wrote it we were having the internet go in and out quite a bit due to the rainstorms here... I'll send another one though no worries! You never know, until you find out!

Skydivesg, I can already tell its addicting LOL, I never planned on doing 3 full tandems, just wanted to go into AFF, but didnt get the chance too cause of the Army lifestyle.....SOO I chose the next best thing and did a few tandems to tie me over until I can Satisfy the urge to jump again! You never know, until you find out!

Snowwhite, I will definitely pass your thanks along to my Wife! And you are most welcome! Are you planning on attending the Couch freaks boogie in Ft. Dodge this year? You never know, until you find out!

Ive read through this whole thread, found it quite interesting to say the least! I figured I would throw in my thoughts, from a different perspective, being as I am not licensed to jump, but have a few tandems, and am planning on continuing to get my A license. I am in no way claiming my 3 tandems are any sort of knowledge base for actually jumping, or wingsuiting! SO please dont jump down my throat too much. But from a VERY new person to the sport, this idea seems pretty cool. I understand there are A LOT of risks to this, and every other form of skydiving. Personally, a tandem wingsuit jump would definitely appeal to me as a new jumper!!! I've always been somewhat infatuated with skydiving, thus why I did a tandem jump before I got deployed. Doing the Tandem only Fueled my desire to jump again, and so I started searching the net for video's and what not. That naturally produced me seeing wing suit video's and my reaction of "Holy crap I want to do that"! Now that I have done a few more tandems, and have done more research into the process of what it takes to get to the level on wingsuiting this is somewhat MORE appealing. I would LOVE the chance to fly in the sky longer than just the average freefall, via wingsuit. Thats a chance at a dream of many people! And if they could offer this as a legitimate option as DZ's, I would be all for it!! I understand MANY things can go wrong, a lot that I have no knowledge of at this point even. But I dont think something like this should be shunned so heavily before testing etc... My impression of the skydiving world was of MOST of them wanting to try new and innovative jump ideas, Like falling with a car from the sky etc.... and this getting such a Bad rap seems kind of counter to that impression... I do understand both sides of the argument though, if this was a new jumper. In my very uneducated opinion, I don't see harm in trying to develop tandem wingsuiting. There is going to be risk involved obviously, and thus should have parameters trying to govern that risk during its development as much as possible. But If you can find the right people to do the testing, go for it! Obviously there will be more at play than just finding the right people, like legalities and such... But those things can probably be worked through if a big enough push from the industry? I think it would be a great way to draw more people towards the sport. and maybe these people putting it out there that they are doing it regardless of all else, will maybe light a fire for the harness manf. to try and come up with a tandem wingsuit harness? or maybe start the negotiations at least lol Soo here is some input from a ULTRA NOOB. I know a lot of you will probably be smacking yourselves in the face at reading this. BUT I am trying to stay humble as I am acknowledging my inexperience and ignorance about skydiving. I thought it may be interesting for some of the more experienced people to see if from someone with basically none, and to further this conversation positively, and maybe end the name calling for a while. ok so there is my .02! You never know, until you find out!

Skymama, I dont know if we'll be competing against each other...well maybe a little bit :) but we just think it would be awesome to jump together! Anticipation is makin the rest of this year look very long haha! Thanks! You never know, until you find out!

Welcome! New myself as well, No AFF for myself yet, but plan to this summer. I used to live in Wheaton, while going to college in Illinois too! You never know, until you find out!

Thanks Shawn! Doin our best over here to keep everyone safe! You never know, until you find out!

Thanks! You never know, until you find out!

Hello everyone!!! My name is Gabe, and I am a newcomer to the AMAZING sport of skydiving! I am currently deployed to Afghanistan, as an 11C aka. Mortar Gunner. My skydiving history so far: 1st jump: Tandem Aug 8th, 2008 at Sky dive Arizona. I have pics and video, absolutely blew my mind haha! This was to blow off some steam right before I got deployed to Iraq. Wifey jumped with me :) http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l146/a5hatch/IMG_2290.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l146/a5hatch/IMG_2295.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l146/a5hatch/IMG_2308.jpg Here is the Vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AiWwdN_K1w 2nd jump: Tandem, Sept 27th 2009 @ Sky Dive AZ. No pics or video, but I got them for my Wife who also jumped this time :) Here is her vid....I think her videographer was fairly new, as the video cuts out at one point after they exit... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXWLLAzkE5c 3rd and final Jump so far: Tandem, July 21st 2010 @ Sky Dive Twin Cities. No video, but my buddy Charlie got a few pics. This was to Blow off steam before me getting deployed AGAIN this time to Afghanistan, where I currently am. http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l146/a5hatch/Groupjump.jpg My wife is on the far right, Im the one just left of her. Future plans: When I get home from Afghanistan, The wife and I ARE going to get our A licenses, and try and make it down to the Dollar Daze boogie in Ft. Dodge IA this year!! At least, as long as everything goes to plan lol havent decided what DZ to get our licenses at, We are leaning towards Skydive Twin Cities, so we can do it with another friend of ours... If that doesnt work, we'll probably do it in Iowa with the Couchfreaks/Winterset DZ. I am absolutely in love with Skydiving, and have every intention on getting as involved as I can afford to! MY wife shares the love for the sport, but she is a little more concerned with the Solo diving aspect... So I joined here to learn as much as physically possible while I am deployed, and hopefully to make a few friends/acquaintances. Once again, Hello! You never know, until you find out!