# Skydive!!!



## Nightingale (Sep 24, 2003)

I said I'd post pics... so here they are!


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## Nightingale (Sep 24, 2003)




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## Nightingale (Sep 24, 2003)




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## Nightingale (Sep 24, 2003)

I'm going back in a few weeks (if I can wait that long...) to start my AFF (Accelerated Free Fall) training so I can eventually jump solo...

I'm trying hard to talk myself out of going this weekend...
but I really can't wait....
so I'll probably go on saturday.  
and if not, then on October 5.



We had a crazy day at work today with budget deadlines and all...
I was the only one who was calm.  Everyone else was running around like chickens missing their heads and stressing out.
My manager asked "How can you be so calm at a time like this?!"
I just looked at him and said "Dan, after surviving throwing myself out of an airplane at 13,000 feet, budget deadlines don't seem so scary."  Kinda puts life in perspective, doesn't it?


Oh, if any of you all are in Southern California and feel like jumping, let me know!  I'm always willing to throw myself out of a perfectly good airplane!


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## arnisador (Sep 24, 2003)

Well, you certainly look like you're having fun!


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## KenpoTess (Sep 24, 2003)

Excellent Shots Kris~!! Oh what fun.. I bet you had the time of your life~!!!   ^5's ~!


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## Nightingale (Sep 24, 2003)

It was the absolute most amazing experience of my life...



Ya know, Tess.... Think about giving it a try...

there's quite a few skydive areas near you....

http://www.skydiveorange.com/
http://www.skydiveoc.com/
http://www.freefalladventures.com/

just to name a few.  Its one of those things that everyone should do at least once. definitely a life changing experience.


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## arnisador (Sep 24, 2003)

"I may be a coward, but I'm a _greeeedy_ little coward..."


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## KenpoTess (Sep 24, 2003)

yeah Kris.. I would think so~!! Unfortunately don't think the cage holding my back together would survive.. but ya never know *G*

Thanks for the LInks~!!!


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## Nightingale (Sep 24, 2003)

Can you ride roller coasters, Tess?

The jolt from opening the parachute isn't bad at all... not any more than you'd get from an average day at Disneyland...

and landing is no more strenuous than stepping off a chair.  You come in very slow and gentle, and then just put your feet on the ground and walk a few steps til the momentum stops.


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## KenpoTess (Sep 24, 2003)

yep.. that I can  Kris   No problems there.. ~!!  


Will have to investigate further~!!!


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## pknox (Sep 24, 2003)

I don't know -- looks like fun, but not having been killed by all of the stupid things I've done in my life so far, I don't think I should go piss God off by jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.


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## Bob Hubbard (Sep 24, 2003)

Looks like a lotta fun...  Always wondered how freefall felt...

Too much a chicken to find out...


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## Nightingale (Sep 24, 2003)

it doesn't feel like you're falling....

mainly because your brain can't perceive distance at 13,000 feet.  you don't really notice the ground getting closer til around 2000 feet.  

it really feels like you're being held up by a cushion of air. Feels like flying, not like falling.


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## Kroy (Sep 25, 2003)

You're a nut! Why would anyone jump out of a perfectly good airplane? Just teasing, I have a fear of flying so sky diving is out of the question but my hat goes off to you, you look like you were having fun.


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## satans.barber (Sep 25, 2003)

Cool pics! That blue jumpsuit's kinda sexy too 

I.


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## Nightingale (Sep 25, 2003)

LOL. thx.

the jump place doesn't have suits made for women, so the ones they have don't fit real comfortably.  I'm looking into buying one of my own... its probably going to be black with blue accents... they're kinda expensive, tho.


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## TheRustyOne (Sep 25, 2003)

Wow...I don't think I'd ever do that! ...no matter how fun it looks.


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## Chronuss (Sep 26, 2003)

I'd do that real quick...I said I'd never go white water rafting...but that was fun as hell, too...specially with class five rapids...tee..hee.


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## cali_tkdbruin (Sep 26, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Nightingale _
> *I said I'd post pics... so here they are! *



I noticed that you're from So. Cal, where do you do your jumps?
Is it Riverside County, Perris?


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## cali_tkdbruin (Sep 26, 2003)

How many jumps before you get to jump solo? BTW, do you get Jumper Wings like the 82nd Airborne Division? 

You have such a cool hobby and here I always thought that the MAs were it.. :asian:

Well, now I think I'll take up rock climbing.


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## Nightingale (Sep 26, 2003)

Yep. Perris, CA.

And its a minimum of 8 jumps til you're solo, but jumping with a jumpmaster right next to you til you're off student status and get your license.  its 8 levels of AFF (accelerated free fall) and if you don't pass a level, you have to repeat it til you get it right. most people pass tho.  

after you pass AFF, you're still considered a student til you reach  20 jumps, and then you can get your Class A license which will let you jump anywhere.


AFF Level 1
Positive stability, altitude awareness, practice ripcord touches, experiencing freefalling with two jumpmasters.

AFF Level 2
Forward Movement
Two jumpmasters, increased body awareness, forward movement, pulling your own ripcord, waving off, review freefall.

AFF Level 3
90 Degree Turns
Two jumpmasters, expanded air awareness, spotting, canopy control, positive stability, complete review and more. Sometime before you do Level 4 you must join the United States Parachute Association. 

AFF Level 4
Release Dive
One jumpmaster, obtaining neutral stability, maintaining heading, new freefall procedures, always the review, and more..

AFF Level 5
Turns To Redock
One jumpmaster, forward movement, 180 & 360 turns, canopy control, review and more.

AFF Level 6
Half Series And Tracking
One jumpmaster, more spotting, delta tracking, turns and center-pointing, freefall procedures, and more.

AFF Level 7
Sequence Dive
One jumpmaster, spotting exits, rate of fall, altitude awareness, docking, 360 turns, total review and more.

AFF Level 8
Advanced Flying Skills
One jumpmaster, ground preparations, canopy checks, dive-out exits, sideslipping, tracking, breakoff sequence, total review covering all procedures.


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## cali_tkdbruin (Sep 26, 2003)

That's Cool.

Instead of rock climbing, I think I'll take up your hobby.


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## KenpoMatt (Sep 26, 2003)

For all of you out there who haven't tried it - TRY IT!!! It is the most amazing thing you'll ever do. 

What does it feel like? OK, you're hanging out the door at 13,000+ feet. You are scared out of your f-ing skull. Then, you go. All of a sudden you simply aren't scared anymore. It is a VERY pleasant, exhilirating sensation. There is no "falling" sensation at all. I hate the falling feeling, and I'm telling you, you just won't experince it. I was stoned on endorphins for a solid month after my 1st jump.

This is me on my 1st tandem skydive, the guy on the bottom. I've made about 10 jumps but haven't pursued a license yet. I can't stop thinking about it. Maybe I will enroll in an AFF or AFP program. 

Skydiving rocks!!!!


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## Nightingale (Sep 26, 2003)

> _Originally posted by cali_tkdbruin _
> *That's Cool.
> 
> Instead of rock climbing, I think I'll take up your hobby. *



I'm starting AFF on saturday (if they don't have room today )... if you'd like to join me, you'd be welcome!  The invite's open to anyone!


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## theletch1 (Sep 26, 2003)

You guys do realize that those are guys strapped to your back... not parachutes?!  HE-HE!  I've never done the parachute thing but I've done rappeling and fast roping out of a helo before.  It was a blast.


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## Cryozombie (Sep 26, 2003)

Personally, Id enjoy trying plummeting.

You can only do it once...


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## Elfan (Sep 27, 2003)

Silly people jumping out of perfectly good airplanes ;-)

No seriously that looks awesome and I hope to get around to doing that soon.


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## Nightingale (Sep 28, 2003)

I just did my second skydive yesterday!  This time, I had my own parachute!  I actually landed on my feet too!. Pictures will be up wednesday or thursday, whenever I get them back from kodak.

It was awesome... flying the parachute yourself is the coolest thing, but if anyone's planning on trying it, do a tandem first, so you're familliar with the feeling of free fall.  


and elfan.... Go for it!  Its one of those things almost everyone says "I'd like to try that someday..." and very few actually do it.


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## KenpoTess (Sep 28, 2003)

Bravo Kris~!!!  

It's Fantastic you had someone take pics too~!!!  Looking forward to seeing them~!


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## jfarnsworth (Sep 28, 2003)

I still prefer to keep my feet on the ground.


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## michaeledward (Sep 28, 2003)

I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane.  It was always something I had wanted to do ... you know how it is. 

Certainly, it doesn't feel like you are falling ... more like somebody has a REALLY REALLY BIG FAN blowing in your face.  It was OK, but not nearly as exciting as I thought it would be.

I jumped out of a Cesna aircraft at 10,000 feet.  The coolest part of my jump was actually exiting the aircraft. We (the camera man ... myself, and Rich the guy with the parachute, who was strapped to my back) had to crawl out the door of the airplane, onto this little platform, kinda like a skateboard ... so we were actually outside the airplane, *before* we jumped. Well, something that didn't occur to me, until I tried stepping out of the plane, is that the plane is going through the air at about 100 miles an hour ... which means the air is moving toward you at 100 miles an hour ...  (Duh!).

To get the feeling of what this is like ... Get in your car ... Get on the highway ... and then, at 65 mph stick your head out the window.....  you'll definately gain a new appreciation for your dog's behavior.

Mike


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## michaeledward (Sep 30, 2003)

it also can be gravely serious. There is a wonderful, and terrifying, article in this months Readers Digest (pp 104-109) about a AFF instructor dying last year during an instructional jump.

Of course, the danger is, perhaps, part of the thrill.

Mike


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## Nightingale (Sep 30, 2003)

That AFF instructor was an idiot.  He made an extremely poor judgement call, put his student in jeopardy, lost altitude awareness, and lost his life as a result.

The rules are there for good reasons.  By not following the rules, he placed both himself AND HIS STUDENT in great danger.

The rules state specifically that if the student's main chute has not deployed by a certain altitude, that the instructor is to release the student and deploy his own chute.

The reason for this is that ALL students are required to wear an Automatic Activation Device (AAD) that will set off the reserve chute if for some reason the student has been unable to successfully deploy either main or reserve.  The AAD will fire the reserve at a specific altitude and speed.  They are very reliable, and many lives have been saved due to their successful deployment of the reserve chute.

By hanging on to the student and pulling the main chute at such a low altitude, the student did not have time to deccellerate before the AAD fired her reserve chute.  Two parachutes are NOT easy to control and its virtually impossible to have a good landing. Two chutes out is a good way to get yourself killed. Something like this only occurs when, as my AFF instructor put it "Someone ROYALLY F-ED UP!"  

With two parachutes out, you can't "cutaway" or release the main chute and only use the reserve like you would with a main chute malfunction.  Standard procedure is to cutaway the malfunctioning main and THEN deploy the reserve.  If you deploy the reserve while the main's still attatched, you can't release the main because of the very high potential for it to get tangled with the reserve, leaving you with no functioning chute at all.

The instructor's poor judgement not only cost him his life, but could have cost his student hers as well due to the problems of a dual parachute deployment.

Had the instructor followed proper procedure and let the student go at the appropriate altitude to permit the AAD to deploy her reserve, he would be alive today.

The skydivers at my dropzone are very upset about the inaccuracies and misleading statements in that article.  They're sorry about the tragedy, but very aware that it could have been easily prevented by following the rules that exist to protect everyone's safety.


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## Kroy (Oct 4, 2003)

Since this post began, I started checking out the Sky Diving schools around Nova Scotia. I cant believe that I'm actually thinking about it. The way you guys describe it, makes you want to try it. God help me.


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## Nightingale (Oct 4, 2003)

www.dropzone.com

best resource I've found.


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## Kroy (Oct 5, 2003)

Great web-site, thanks. One of the schools I was looking into was linked to that site. That was step one, step two...go there


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## Nightingale (Oct 5, 2003)

lol...

1. pick up phone.
2.  "hello. I'd like to make an appointment for a tandem."
3. give them your credit card number.
4. show up.
5. meet your jumpmaster.
6. get into your jumpsuit
7. get your *** on the plane.
8. get your *** out the door of the plane.

that's all you have to do.  your jumpmaster will take care of the rest.

I'd recommend doing a tandem before AFF.  The feeling of freefall can be a little overwhelming, and with a tandem, you'll at least know what to expect with the wind and all that.  Then, when you do AFF, there's some familiarity there.

Blue skies!
-Kris


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## arnisador (Oct 5, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Nightingale _
> *1. pick up phone.
> 2.  "hello. I'd like to make an appointment for a tandem."
> 3. give them your credit card number.
> ...



Don't you get a class/lecture first?


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## michaeledward (Oct 5, 2003)

I did not get a lecture, just a short video tape saying that 'Skydiving is a dangerous activity that can lead to serious injury *or even death.*  Well DUH! Oh, **** Gravity Works!

Then they made you sign a waiver that you would not start a lawsuit against the jump school, airport for any injuries received while participating in 'Skydiving Activities' ... which included everything I did since driving through the front gate. Oh Yeah .. .and my heirs can't bring litigation against them if I die too.

:xtrmshock


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## pknox (Oct 5, 2003)

Nightingale:

I was told that some skydiving places here in NJ also impose a weight limit (I think it's like 250 lbs from what I've been told) -- is this true by you as well?


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## Kroy (Oct 5, 2003)

I'm doing it!


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## michaeledward (Oct 5, 2003)

> I'm doing it!



*Go For It !! .... Wooo Wooo !!* :boing2:


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## Nightingale (Oct 5, 2003)

There is no weight limit for skydiving...  however....

some dropzones may not have gear for you if you weigh more than 250.  (230 for tandem).  Call in advance and ask.

I know a guy who weighs 350... he had to fly from California to Missouri to find someone with gear he could use... but he's there this weekend working on AFF.



With regards to lectures...
with a tandem, you get a five minute lecture on how to arch while you're getting geared up.  Arching is all you have to do.  Your jumpmaster does the rest.


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## Rich Parsons (Oct 5, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Nightingale _
> *There is no weight limit for skydiving...  however....
> 
> some dropzones may not have gear for you if you weigh more than 250.  (230 for tandem).  Call in advance and ask.
> ...



Yes, this is part of the reason I have not done it yet. When friends sign up they do not have gear rated for my weight, and some how I really want the stitching and buckles designed to hold me properly. Just seems like a good idea 

A lot of those in the MI area and even in the AZ area are rated only to 250 lbs single and 230 lbs, as Nightingale said. My hefty 270 to 275 lbs, is something I think I will work on to get into the range to try this in the future.


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## Nightingale (Oct 5, 2003)

Well, my buddy Aubrey who's in Missouri this weekend is using military gear because its designed to hold his weight.  I'll find out which dropzone so you can call them if you like.

-N-


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## arnisador (Oct 6, 2003)

"Skydiver Hits Bridge in Colorado, Dies"

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031006/ap_on_re_us/skydiving_death_2



> A skydiver attempting a stunt was killed Sunday when he hit a 1,000-foot-high bridge and fell onto the rocks below, police said.
> 
> Dwain Weston, 30, died following the inaugural Go Fast Games, in which he and other parachutists had jumped off the 1,053-foot-high Royal Gorge Bridge, said Heather Hill, a vice president of event sponsor Go Fast Sports & Beverage Co.
> 
> Weston, of Australia, had jumped from an airplane with another parachutist. They were supposed to free fall until they reached the bridge, at which point Weston was to go above the bridge and the other athlete would go under it.


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## Nightingale (Oct 6, 2003)

this guy wasn't a skydiver in the normal sense of the word...

he was a BASE jumper.  BASE stands for Building Antenna Span Earth, which means they jump off fixed objects at much lower altitudes than skydivers who jump from planes and helicopters.

Skydiving is MUCH safer than BASE.  

you fall about 1000 feet every 5 seconds.   That leaves skydivers with a lot more decision time to fix mistakes... and time to deploy a reserve chute.

BASE folks don't even carry a reserve parachute... because if their main chute fails, there's no point in having a reserve, because you've already become one with the ground.  If a BASE jumper's main fails... well, he's got the rest of his life to think about it.

I know some folks who do BASE... and I think they're all freakin nuts!  Of course, all my whuffo friends (whuffos are non-skydivers) think I'm nuts too...  

-N-

ps. the term "Whuffo" comes from the early 60s... a skydiver in the south was asked "Whuffo (what for) you wanna jump outa those planes?"  and the term Whuffo stuck, and is a common skydiver term for anyone who's a non jumper who just doesn't understand the impulse some of us have to hurl ourselves out of perfectly good airplanes at over two miles above the ground, with our very lives depending on a backpack strapped to us... all that, just to be able to reach out and grab our own little handful of sky.  sigh... I can't wait til my next jump.


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## arnisador (Oct 6, 2003)

He _was_ a BASE jumper, but was jumping out of a plane on this particular jump.


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## Kroy (Oct 6, 2003)

Work with me guys.Only good stories, please.


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## arnisador (Oct 6, 2003)

"The ground is soft, and spongy..."


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## Kroy (Oct 6, 2003)

Phew


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## Nightingale (Oct 7, 2003)

> _Originally posted by arnisador _
> *He was a BASE jumper, but was jumping out of a plane on this particular jump. *



um.... you said in the post of the article that he jumped off the BRIDGE.  All the info I have says he jumped off the bridge and hit a support on the way down. He was wearing a wingsuit, and those can be tricky to control on exit.


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## arnisador (Oct 7, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Nightingale _
> *um.... you said in the post of the article that he jumped off the BRIDGE.  *



Um...it did say in what I quoted that he had successfully BASE jumped off a bridge _earlier_ in the day. But if you refer to my post:
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=166323#post166323

it says in the third quoted paragraph:



> Weston, of Australia, had jumped from an airplane with another parachutist.


.

In general, an airplane is not a bridge.

Earlier, he had jumped from a bridge without incident. Later, he jumped from a plane, intending to pass over the bridge while another parachutist went under it. He went into the bridge instead and was killed. Hence the title of the article, "Skydiver Hits Bridge...".


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## michaeledward (Aug 23, 2004)

Kroy said:
			
		

> Work with me guys.Only good stories, please.


http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/08/23/safrica.freefall.reut/index.html



> JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) -- A South African skydiver survived a 3,500 meter (11,500 ft) plunge after her parachute failed to open and lines broke on her reserve chute, a local skydiving club said Monday


See ... it all works out in the end.


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## OUMoose (Aug 23, 2004)

Nightingale said:
			
		

> it doesn't feel like you're falling....
> 
> mainly because your brain can't perceive distance at 13,000 feet.  you don't really notice the ground getting closer til around 2000 feet.
> 
> it really feels like you're being held up by a cushion of air. Feels like flying, not like falling.



*peers out the window the plane*

Guess what, my brain may not be able to perceive _precise_ distance at that altitude, but it can understand "long way down".

Looks like you had a blast though!  Nevertheless, my feet will remain firmly planted on the ground, thanks.   :asian:


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## Feisty Mouse (Aug 23, 2004)

Wow!  You look absolutely radiant in those photos, Nightingale!  I am too scared of heights to do that - I think that once I was in the air (and strapped to a knowledgeable professional) would be one thing, but I wouldn't be able to make myself step out of the airplane.  Yikes.  

But snaps to you.


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## mj-hi-yah (Aug 23, 2004)

Nightingale,

Those are beautiful pictures! You look so totally elated. And btw you look like your avatar. 

It brings back memories from days gone by for me...I did one jump in the olden days  before the tandem jump. So after a four hour course the guy pushed my butt out of the plane onto a tiny platform with, a parachute of course, and a one way radio. It was so awesome!!!! The parachute opened fine and there was this amazing feeling of floating through the sky. Then I hear the instructor on the ground give turn signal commands like make a left turn, now make a right turn, etc., and then firmly say, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU MAKE A ...CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR _total static_ as I scream into the one way radio (which of course :lol: being a one way radio is futile :idunno: ) "*WHAT???* It is very important that I what? What am I supposed to do?" then finally the static clears as I hear him _frantically _commanding "*MAKE A LEFT TURN!!!!!"* *phew* 
That was scary as all hell!* :angry:* And one of best experiences ever!!!

I read the course description above and it has come a very long way. You're lucky to be learning this all in these days. If I wasn't a mom I'd be floating with ya today! I understand the feeling and the rush...there's nothing like it! 

Have you solo jumped yet? I'd love to hear about it!

MJ


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## Mark Weiser (Aug 23, 2004)

I know the feeling I did a 3000 ft static line jump while in the USMC at Paris Island California back in 1982.


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## Sarah (Aug 23, 2004)

You looked like you were haveing soooo much fun.


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