tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35358327281379484772024-03-05T12:18:29.706-05:00Don The GeekUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-11456291172049874802009-07-13T17:02:00.003-04:002009-07-13T17:09:25.675-04:00Carpe Diem, Assholes!It's coming up on a year since my FJC down at RPC and in that time I've had the opportunity to meet some amazing people and have an incredible amount of fun at the dropzone. This was put together from footage shot over a couple of months at the Raeford DZ (and surrounding locales in some cases). Enjoy!<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300" ><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.facebook.com/v/120342341263" /><embed src="http://www.facebook.com/v/120342341263" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="300"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-87376850570156218912009-01-04T20:31:00.004-05:002009-01-04T21:54:53.292-05:00A couple of firsts this weekendYeah, I owe beer. That's gonna have to wait until the next set of jumps. There haven't been too many updates here due to a) laziness and b) a schedule that seemingly doesn't stop.<br /><br />I was cleared off of AFF and onto self-supervision way back in September (wow! that was a while ago). It's interesting to read through my logbook and dredge up the details of each jump. Some are more clear than others" the last AFF jump with Steve through the sleet while doing front and backflips; watching the wind shift as I turned .for my final and heading all the way down the runway before busting on the tarmac; fighting to close the deployment bag on my first pack job (thanks Liz!). <br /><br />Along the way I've started to get to know everyone at the DZ. It continues to amaze me what a warm and welcoming bunch they are. The advice they give is invaluable. From Chris', Aaron's, and Lewis' advice on improving my poised exit to Keith and Melissa's (The Flying Majeronis) tips on making it through a thick cloud deck safely to Tony's straight-forward explanation on how land right on target I can't say thank you nearly enough. Of course, as I think through just these few I keep remembering everyone else that's helped me along the way. I think I'm up to two cases owed just right now.<br /><br />Saturday didn't start out looking too great. Leaving Raleigh it was cold, cloudy, and misty. Not exactly skydiving weather. The situation down in Raeford was, unfortunately, much the same. The weatherman wasn't exactly batting 1.000 <br /><br /><object width="400" height="300" ><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.facebook.com/v/53137056263" /><embed src="http://www.facebook.com/v/53137056263" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br /><br />Fortunately, it did finally clear up. I hopped on the first load and away we went. I don't know if anyone heard me yell "Happy New Year" on my way out of the plane or my whooping it up under canopy but I don't care. It was good to be back after a 3 week hiatus. The first jump was pretty uneventful. I practiced refining some of the belly flying and tracking techniques I'd been working on in the wind tunnel the day before. Of course, all of that preoccupation with the jump showed up in my landing. My pattern was crap and so was the landing. Tony chewed on my ear about that for a bit.<br /><br />Jump number 2 was "interesting". I need to do 2 hop 'n' pops (low altitude jumps from 5500'). On the first one the clouds rolled in and there was a pretty solid deck from 3000' to 2800'. My poised exits have never been great and that's what I needed to do for this jump. Combine that with the novelty of the clouds and the fact that it's "low altitude" and my nerves got the better of me on the exit. I pushed up and away from the PAC and almost cracked my head on the rear stabilizer. Then, I pulled before I was completely stable. Throw in a measure of dearch just to make things interesting. The bad body position combined with a subterminal opening gave me a nice set of line twists on opening. It wasn't too bad, though. I pulled apart the risers and kicked my way out of them before the spin was too bad. At 4000' I was under canopy and doing a nice slow spiral downward. <br /><br />This was definitely one of the most beautiful jumps I've been on. Above me the sky was perfectly clear. It was that perfect deep blue unmarred by clouds or contrails that just draws you into it. Below me was the cottony top of the cloud deck stretching out to the horizon. The sight was just amazing. <br /><br />The flight through the clouds was something that can only be put into words imperfectly. The whole world collapses into just you. There is no sense of distance, no visual cues. You're flying through a void. The silence is only marred by the light flapping of the slider in the wind.<br /><br />Eventually I came down from the clouds and setup my pattern. The no wind situation combined with a slightly smaller than usual canopy (I was on a PD 240 -- slightly more than a 1:1 wingloading for me) resulted in my misjudging my target and going short on the downwind leg and then long on the final. Jim managed to catch it on video.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300" ><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.facebook.com/v/53142116263" /><embed src="http://www.facebook.com/v/53142116263" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br /><br />We sat on a weather hold for the next hour or two. Jim hoofed it back to Raleigh and I sat around shooting the shit with the up jumpers. The weather broke and I headed up for my second hop 'n' pop. I was a little better on exit but I dearched and pushed to hard away from the plane. This spun me as I came away so that I was diving away rather than sliding backwards. I still need to work on that.<br /><br />Tony's advice on hitting my target on landing, though, was just what I needed to hear. I'm sure it wasn't the prettiest pattern to watch as I made the many small corrections needed to hit where I wanted. And I did. Right into the freshly tore up turf. By my count I was the 4th person that day to catch a nice big mound of dirt and go face down into the dirt. So much for dignity!<br /><br />I hopped onto the second to last load of the day and rode all the way to altitude. The poised exit was better but still not where it needs to be. I'm still dearching a bit but I'm confident that I'll nail it the next jump. I took it easy during freefall and didn't do anything crazy; it was just steady concentration on keeping good positive leg pressure so I didn't backslide, maintaining my hip position so I can move my arms without impacting my stability or fall rate, and keeping an eyeball on my altitude. The wave off and pull at 4500' was solid and I took my time coming down under canopy. <br /><br />It wasn't quite a sunset load, but it was gorgeous nonetheless. I drank in the view and lazily rode my way down. My final leg was nice and steady and on the flare everything clicked for me -- without overthinking the process I made a two stage flare and ran it out in a few steps. This is something I've been struggling with and was definitely my big personal accomplishment for the day. It's kind of funny; I jump out of a plane several times in one day, something most people don't do once in their lives, and the part I'm happiest about is handling the last couple of feet well.<br /><br />I have 3 more jumps I need to make before my A License check dive: two hop 'n' pops that can be signed off and my Category H dive. It's so close I can taste it. Cross your fingers that the weather cooperates next weekend.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-42372766997753315852008-09-15T17:50:00.005-04:002008-09-15T19:12:36.121-04:00Jumps 5,6, and 7 are in the bookYes, you read that right. I transitioned into the AFF program at <a href="http://www.jumpraeford.com/">Raeford Parachute Center</a> with a bang this last weekend and it was an absolute blast.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday</span><br />The weather was looking kind of dicey Friday morning and several other students in the First Jump Class opted to delay until Sunday. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option for me so I made the drive down to Raeford at the crack of dawn. I met Tony, who runs the dropzone, and Roy, who would be my instructor for the day.<br /><br />Roy and I ran through the basics of the DZ's operation (signing up for student jumps, their AFF progression, signing out rental rigs, etc.) and then dove into the basics. A lot of this was information that I'd covered previously at CSS but Roy was excellent at putting a little more behind each nugget of information and filling it in with details from his own jump s and mishaps. From there we headed over to <a href="http://www.paracletexp.com/">Paraclete XP</a> for some time in the wind tunnel. After watching a group from JSOC make it look easy I climbed in for my slot. It was definitely a challenge to get and remain stable in the tunnel versus up top but that also forced me to really work on my technique. I felt like I did a pretty poor job in there but Roy and the Paraclete instructor both said I didn't pretty well. Go figure.<br /><br />The clouds were looking pretty threatening after we got back from the lunch break so I resigned myself to not jumping on Friday. We covered emergency procedures (locate, rip, punch red, punch silver) and how to identify and handle basic canopy malfunctions. The day was rounded up with a couple of practices PFLs.<br /><br />Since I wasn't jumping I headed back up to Raleigh.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday</span><br />I got back down to Raeford around 9:00 that morning and put my name up on the student board for my A level jump. My instructors Peter (another CSS orphan and all around expert skydiver) and Mike (one of RCP's veteran instructors) ran through the dive flow with me several times. They gave me good marks and even better feedback on my initial exit. I was a little flat and my leg position needed some work. My PHTs were definitely rushed along with the actual pull at 5500'.<br /><br />This was my first time under canopy by myself and I was really stressing about that. I'd been studying the landing pattern all day but things still look quite different from up high. Controlling my own canopy was an awesome experience and aside from the flapping of my slider it was incredibly peaceful. The contrast from the rush of the wind at 120 MPH just heightened that sensation.<br /><br />Tony guided me through the landing as I kept a close watch on my altimeter. I did pretty well until the landing. I still need to break some of the tandem landing habits.<br /><br /><iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=35.018318,-79.189038&spn=0.009533,0.01914&t=h&msid=103594456213882309005.000456f6e7c7cbcbc530f&output=embed&s=AARTsJplHN_bwWp_I73WYsSNfXoqfQjoyA" scrolling="no" width="425" frameborder="0" height="350"></iframe><br /><small>The landing pattern for Jumps 1 and 2 <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=35.018318,-79.189038&spn=0.009533,0.01914&t=h&msid=103594456213882309005.000456f6e7c7cbcbc530f&source=embed" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />My second (and B-level) jump was with Roy and Chris (Ratboy? Nor sure where that nickname came from). As before we ran through the dive flow and talked about each aspect and in particular how to make a proper turn. My exit and initial arch this time around were better but I was still trailing my legs a little too much.<br /><br />The turns were interesting. I could have sworn my instructors were helping with the motion but evidently they weren't. According to the logs I had good forward motion, turns, and altitude awareness. Let me tell you, I'm definitely going to be aware of the altitude! At 6000' you have about 30 seconds before you hit the ground if you don't pull chute. Now, if you do you'll spend a lot more time in the sky and I'm pretty sure the landing will be a bit softer.<br /><br />I flew the same landing pattern as before but I flared way too high (60'!). I ended up doing a PFL but the only thing bruised was my ego. Obviously, my depth perception needs some work.<br /><br />My final jump of the day was also the last load (number 15!) for the DZ. The sun was creeping low in the sky as we rode up. Sitting in the back of the plane was a new experience. That door was awfully close, especially when we crossed 1000' and unbuckled and opened it up. Wow. I felt the Korissa, another student that was sitting in front of me (and closer to the door) scoot closer to the inside of the plane. Obviously, I wasn't the only person a little unnerved!<br /><br />The C1 jump is pretty straight-forward: Stay stable. After we left the plane I did a single PHT and two toe taps and then went into my arch. Once I was stable my instructors, Roy and Chris (different Chris) let me go. For about 20 seconds I was on my own in freefall. Awesome!<br /><br />My last canopy ride down of the day was gorgeous. After some initial disorientation trying to find the DZ I settled into the holding area above the end of the runway and coasted down to 1000'. My landing pattern was a little tight but along the way I practiced my flares and worked to get up and forward in my rig for a proper standup landing. As I came in on my final leg I did my best to concentrate on the horizon to gauge my altitude and made a decent flare. Unfortunately, I didn't realize I was over a ditch and ended up dropping about 10' when I thought I'd be hitting the ground. Oops! My foot took the brunt of things but otherwise I felt great about all of it. According to Peter and Chris I was little wobbly initially so I know I need to work on maintaining my body position during my PHTs and toe taps.<br /><br />It was a great day and I enjoyed hoisting a beer with the rest of the RPC crew after everyone was down. The ride back home was spent ruminating on my next set of jumps this coming weekend. Too bad we have a maintenance window otherwise I'd be out there Saturday and Sunday! Oh well ...<br /><br />Blue Skies!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-41706337128032781392008-09-02T13:50:00.002-04:002008-09-02T14:03:43.696-04:00CSS Dropzone Closed to CiviliansSad news: The Carolina Sky Sports has closed to civilians. The announcement was made after the 35th anniversary boogie (I wish I could have made it!).<br /><br />Fear not, though! There's an excellent facility down in <a href="http://www.jumpraeford.com/">Raeford</a> where most (if not all) of the jumpers from CSS will be migrating.<br /><br />Whit has also gotten some activity going on the <a href="http://groups.google.com/group/cssfamily">CSS Family</a> Google Group to keep all the former CSSers in touch and jumping.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-11923161116756088492008-08-31T16:38:00.002-04:002008-08-31T16:41:10.651-04:00Pure Unadulterated Cuteness<a href="http://www.new.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=580571123729&ref=share">My niece</a>.<br /><br />I don't mean to gush but she's just so adorable!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-50625885832216540262008-08-29T14:25:00.004-04:002008-08-29T14:28:18.020-04:00An excellent progressionWe're going from this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWbUqfGiPhnXJuirk18iHyAEQESDuteNXb__2Zg3-Gg6-9lKPHLg-oDupOaFxOXXNl4za0fhzu-DI0g3iZaVfcs31-1Dhh2gZb7_kn9OB7M5WL8nQ_AVMQz4km5jrruYdSLUJv2RIKPk/s1600-h/Binoculars.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWbUqfGiPhnXJuirk18iHyAEQESDuteNXb__2Zg3-Gg6-9lKPHLg-oDupOaFxOXXNl4za0fhzu-DI0g3iZaVfcs31-1Dhh2gZb7_kn9OB7M5WL8nQ_AVMQz4km5jrruYdSLUJv2RIKPk/s400/Binoculars.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240007624929940546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />To this<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfzZ2jOALzyGAnfjam4FbVhPYiBLE1fSH7vkaFnZAeBYFmCI3JcjYvUCK8-dvK0595v9dF0MyCNKwEHKDlnfUeA4DOwY5yQhQKFhtk_YBG0rklwQmU7qdVqPyW0BgBo9qeaHc1Gfhtew/s1600-h/hot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfzZ2jOALzyGAnfjam4FbVhPYiBLE1fSH7vkaFnZAeBYFmCI3JcjYvUCK8-dvK0595v9dF0MyCNKwEHKDlnfUeA4DOwY5yQhQKFhtk_YBG0rklwQmU7qdVqPyW0BgBo9qeaHc1Gfhtew/s400/hot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240007767215900402" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-15498686819677052212008-08-20T17:26:00.002-04:002008-08-20T17:31:24.870-04:00Kudos to switchabitI noticed my <a href="http://www.switchabit.com">switches</a> weren't working earlier this afternoon. After fiddling with them for a bit I shot some feedback over to the Switchabit crew. <br /><br />About 30 minutes later things started working and I got a followup:<br /><blockquote>Thanks for the heads up. There was a hardware problem that escaped our monitors. Everything is back online. Let me know if you have any further problems.<br /><br />cheers,<br />Jay</blockquote><br /><br />So, kudos to switchabit for jumping on the issue quickly and also for responding in such an upfront manner. We need more customer service like this.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-67587171316356919562008-08-20T16:02:00.002-04:002008-08-20T16:07:10.669-04:00Auctioning landing slotsMegan McArdle has some interesting commentary up on <a href="http://meganmcardle.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/08/by_request_auctioning_landing.php">auctioning landing slots</a> to raise money for the FAA.<br /><br />Hey, eBay just announced their new fee structure. Now is the time!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-34450735460500301562008-08-20T13:12:00.001-04:002008-08-20T17:31:45.412-04:00Cool video of some RW at CSSI stumbled across this while looking for some of Todd's videos shot for <a href="http://www.carolinaskysports.com">CSS</a> on YouTube.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4oNdLRQnwjg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4oNdLRQnwjg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-52320638754412374352008-08-20T13:07:00.005-04:002008-08-20T17:31:45.413-04:00Tandem Jump 4I think I'm going to stop jumping on Sundays. The week before last it was weather. This week it was the plane. <br /><br />After sleeping through my alarm Sunday morning I showed up at the drop zone a few minutes late. I should have known something was up when Todd (one of the videographers) was just hanging out in the lobby going through old videos. It turns out that one of the engines on the CASA was overheating so it was grounded for the day. Better safe than sorry. <br /><br />Of course, this spawned all sorts of commentary that morning:<br /><br />"There's no such thing as a perfectly good airplane"<br />"Hey, we only need to get up to altitude"<br />"Does this mean I can go take a nap?" (one of the instructors)<br /><br />So we spent the morning hanging out on the deck and trading stories. For a novice like me times like that are valuable inasmuch as it gives me a chance to pick up little nuggets of information as well as get to know the folks that will be coaching me once I moved onto my IAF jumps (more on that later). <br /><br />I did my briefing with JT that morning. Tandem 4 focuses on dives and is also the first jump where you make a poised rather than a diving exit. We ran through everything and I settled in to wait for the plane to show up while JT took a nap. Saturday appeared to have worn him out. <br /><br />Despite several false starts (a lawnmower driving behind a metal hangar sounds surprisingly like a twin turboprop) the Otter finally arrived from Raeford. Up we went! <br /><br />A few folks did pop and drops at 7K and then we lumbered on up to 14,000'. I have to say that I was not what I considered mentally prepared for this jump. While I was loose enough I do think the newness of the side exit from the Otter was weighing heavily on my subconscious. Beyond that I had not mentally rehearsed the jump to the degree that I needed to. I was getting the plan jumbled in my head. This added to the overall feeling of unease and ended up feeding on itself and resulted in several mistakes. While none were truly dangerous the OCD perfectionist in me was not at all satisfied. Let's run through them:<br /><br />1) I didn't get in position in the door properly.<br />2) I grabbed the bar above the exit.<br />3) Once I began the skydive and moved into my dives I didn't keep track of time or altitude accurately. <br />4) My PHT (singular) was crap.<br />5) I didn't wave off at pull.<br />6) I pulled at 5500' and not 6500'.<br />7) Altitude awareness under canopy was lacking.<br />8) I snapped my head back on the landing and smacked JT in the jaw. Sorry, man.<br /><br />These are all things I will definitely be pondering while I wait for ground school in September. I don't want to be <i>The Best</i> out there but I do want to perform to what I consider my best and this jump definitely wasn't it. <br /><br />That being said, the dives and deltas were awesome. Rocketing across the sky like that is an amazing feeling and its why I keep doing this.<br /><br />The next available Ground School slot is 7 September. I'll be doing my last tandem that day and also doing my first jump under my own canopy after a day of additional instruction.<br /><br />I can't wait.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-33226235642548012532008-08-15T13:38:00.002-04:002008-08-15T13:47:49.221-04:00If you need to buy a false leg for a horse ...... then please <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/news/health_science/story/1178529.html">do not raise the funds through petty larceny</a>. Seriously, I couldn't make this stuff up if I had to.<br /><br /><blockquote>Joyce Bernann McKinney was charged in Carter County with criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and failure to appear in court, said lawyer David Crockett, who represented her in the Tennessee case. She is accused of instructing a 15-year-old boy to break into a house, and Crockett said she needed the money to buy a false leg for a beloved horse.</blockquote><br /><br />Of course, this isn't the first time McKinney has been in the news. In 1977 <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10156488?source=rss">she kidnapped a Mormon missionar</a>y and made him her "sex slave". From there, she jumped bail before the case went to trial only to resurface recently after paying Korean scientists $53,000 to clone her dog. <br /><br />This woman is a <a href="http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&q=%22Joyce+McKinney%22">nexus of crazy</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-57855791362688183322008-08-13T10:02:00.002-04:002008-08-13T10:04:46.737-04:00Lawyers continue to ruin everyone's funSeriously people, is <a href="http://raleigh.mync.com/site/raleigh/news/story/6977/">this</a> what we're coming to?<br /><blockquote>"Leaving toys in the middle of that fall zone creates potential for a child to strike a hard surface rather than the safety surface underneath," Payne said.<br /><br />An accident could be grounds for a lawsuit according to Payne. He said the city will remove any toys left at park after August 15</blockquote><br /><br />Hat tip: <a href="http://www.30threads.com/2008/08/13/dont-take-away-our-toys/">30Threads</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-84364012721568986212008-08-12T19:38:00.004-04:002008-08-12T19:44:02.228-04:00But what of the pickles?Newsflash: <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/2538545/Al-Qaeda-in-Iraq-alienated-by-cucumber-laws-and-brutality.html">Iraqis don't care what idiots think</a>.<br /><br /><blockquote>Al-Qa'eda has lost credibility for enforcing a series of rules imposing their way of thought on the most mundane aspects of everyday life.<br /><br />They include a ban on women buying suggestively-shaped vegetables</blockquote><br /><br />They also evidently wanted to ban ice cream. Ice cream!? It's one of the happiest of foods. Do away with that and you're gonna lose those hearts and minds.<br /><br />Hat Tip: <a href="http://www.pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/archives2/022816.php">Instapundit</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-86021920710168692142008-08-11T14:31:00.002-04:002008-08-11T14:35:21.015-04:00WordleThis is kinda cute ...<br /><br /><a href="http://wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/116068/DonTheGeek" title="Wordle: DonTheGeek"><img src="http://wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/116068/DonTheGeek" style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-58978854740234080382008-08-11T10:37:00.006-04:002008-08-11T13:17:43.963-04:00Tandem Jump 3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3099/2753233229_11715ba133.jpg?v=0"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3099/2753233229_11715ba133.jpg?v=0" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I was back up at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&q=Carolina%20Sky%20Sports&um=1&sa=N&tab=wl">Carolina Sky Sports</a> this weekend for my third tandem jump. The original plan for the day was to do two tandem jumps at 12:00 and 2:00 PM. Unfortunately, mother nature intervened.<br /><br /><br />Sunday morning I was rudely awoken by the sound of thunder outside my bedroom window. A glance outside confirmed my fears. We were completely socked in. There was a glimmer of hope, however. The weather radar showed somewhat clear skies to the west as the storms made their way through the area. By 11:30 I was walking through the front door at CSS. Sadly, I was only able to make one jump at 4:00.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3222/2753232225_c8819e712c.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3222/2753232225_c8819e712c.jpg?v=0" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />The previous two weeks I'd spent my free time reading through the <a href="http://http://www.uspa.org/SIM/tabid/161/Default.aspx">SIM</a> and reviewing the lessons learned on my first two jumps. This is where I appreciate an instructor like John Renfro. He drilled into me the key concepts I needed to be learning at this stage of my training.<br /><br /><b>The Three Ps</b><br />1) <b>P</b>ull<br />2) <b>P</b>ull at the correct altitude<br />3) <b>P</b>ull at the correct altitude and while stable<br /><br /><br />In addition to that I needed to learn to trust my arch as I exited the aircraft. The initial tandem jumps are intentionally unstable so as to reinforce that concept with novice skydivers. Just to make things a little extra hairy, the rear exit from the <a href="http://www.carolinaskysports.com/TheDropzone/TheAircraft/tabid/64/Default.aspx">CASA 212</a> means you go from no wind to a whole lotta wind very quickly. That's not to say it isn't fun. It's a fucking blast going through that initial tumble while the world spins around you.<br /><br />On the climb up my instructor Eric and I chatted briefly and traded a few jokes. This helped with another piece of advice John gave me: relax. If you're relaxed you're thinking clearly and can react properly in the event there is a problem. If everything goes according to plan then it means you're that much more clear headed and able to enjoy the jump. After all, that's why I'm jumping out of plane with a bunch of other lunatics. Because it's as much fun as you can possibly have with your pants on!<br /><br />The final piece of advice that came from John was "Plan the jump and jump the plan." Running through the list of things I would be expected to do during my jump helped me to relax immensely as we climbed to 14,000 ft. It calmed that knot in my stomach as the aircraft lurched every so slightly as the first jumpers out disappeared from view. <br /><br />This jump's plan was pretty straight forward:<br /><br />1) Get to the edge of the ramp and <b>Check in</b> with the instructor.<br />2) After the thumbs up it will be <b>Ready! Set! Go!</b> and we're out of the aircraft.<br />3) Arch hard and get stable.<br />4) After the tap begin the skydive. Pick a heading and check your altimeter. We're around 12,000 ft so we have plenty of time.<br />5) Perform a right 360° turn.<br />6) Check your altimeter.<br />7) Perform a left 360° turn.<br />8) Check your altimeter.<br />9) Perform a Practice Handle Throw (PHT).<br />10) Check your altimeter (<i>are you seeing a pattern here?</i>).<br />11) Perform a Practice Handle Throw (PHT).<br />12) Check your altimeter.<br />13) Perform a Practice Handle Throw (PHT).<br />14) Check your altimeter.<br />15) At 6500 ft keep your eye on your altimete.<br />16) At 6000 ft wave off and pull!<br /><br />Once the canopy is out check for <b>There</b>, <b>Square</b>, <b>Stable</b>, and <b>Steerable</b>. If it is then head on over to the holding area and get in line to land.<br /><br />The downwind leg of the landing was spot on. We didn't bleed enough altitude on the base leg so we came in a little high and a little fast for the final leg and then hit a few cross gusts. It was interesting, but at that point you're close enough to the ground that you feel secure. Still, dropping onto the deck at this point would still earn you a broken leg. <br /><br />We ended up flaring and just floating onto the deck at the LZ. However, due to the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28708168@N08/2753233617/in/photostream/">slight height differential</a> between my instructor and I we both ended up on our asses.<br /><br />Eric gave me a brief rundown on the post-jump procedures including gathering up the lines and taking everything back to the packing area and laying it out for the packing team.<br /><br /><br /><br />All in all, it was a great jump!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-36066300160922575262008-08-04T16:57:00.003-04:002008-08-04T17:13:58.058-04:00SkydivingThe latest vice to enter my repertoire is skydiving. Back in May my buddy convinced me to go with him while he made <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4ezrwzbLXU">his second tandem jump</a>. With the house finally sold I'm finally able to get into the swing of things and start jumping on a regular basis. <br /><br />My second tandem jump came the last week in July and I think I did OK.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b4YRSQAB_Hw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b4YRSQAB_Hw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />This weekend I'll be heading back up to <a href="http://www.carolinaskysports.com">Carolina Sky Sports</a> for jumps 3 and 4. Unfortunately, the earliest <a href="http://www.turbyfill.com/skydive/groundschool/groundsch.htm">ground school</a> slot available was 6 September so I'll have to take a brief hiatus after this weekend. <br /><br />Until then I'll be studying the <a href="http://www.uspa.org/SIM/tabid/161/Default.aspx">SIM</a> and looking forward to landing under my own canopy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-87365139923020360782008-07-15T18:48:00.001-04:002008-07-15T18:48:29.061-04:00I'm defintely digging switchabit.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-75261777482310179412008-07-15T18:43:00.001-04:002008-07-15T18:43:04.248-04:00Plant foodMy plant loves Diet Dew almost as much as I do.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-69673292450008819942008-07-15T17:34:00.001-04:002008-07-15T17:34:36.008-04:00Qwest can DIAFUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-73649811640797427932008-07-15T16:58:00.001-04:002008-07-15T16:58:10.670-04:00Qwest's VoIP service is down in SEA ... and it took down their tech support line with it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-5762223335466095502008-07-15T13:02:00.001-04:002008-07-15T13:02:03.079-04:00It's time for Fuji San!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-41140296600702040322008-07-14T15:25:00.001-04:002008-07-14T15:25:07.991-04:00I just found a missing week in my calendar. Sweet!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-2888306190211762212008-05-17T00:58:00.001-04:002008-05-17T00:59:52.657-04:00Not quite dead yetYeah.. this place has been a graveyard. I think I'm gonna dig up the stinky corpse, though.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-53960250679512657342007-08-08T12:17:00.001-04:002007-08-08T12:26:47.336-04:00It's been a quiet week ...... but things will be getting busy soon. We have maintenance windows scheduled for the next three Saturdays so I'm kissing a normal sleep schedule goodbye. Fortunately, I took some time out last night to raise a few pints with the boys. AG and LC had a multi-hour rambling conversation that spanned everything from baseball to fantasy football. Now, I like watching sports. I'm rabid about my hockey (<a href="http://www.caneshockey.com">Go 'Canes</a>!). But man, these guys ability to retain information about players, games, stats, etc. is staggering.<br /><br />I think the only thing standing in their way is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-C3Bx4Cc8g">Hurricane Ditka</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535832728137948477.post-48457988067464471342007-08-06T15:28:00.000-04:002007-08-06T15:28:32.131-04:00Seriously Good: Paisano: Tuna Casserole<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/instapundit/main/~3/141309670/007897.php">Glenn Reynolds recently linked</a> to Kevin Weeks' (not <i>that</i> <a href="http://www.kevinweekes.com/">Kevin Weekes</a>) <i>Seriously Good</i> food blog. While browsing through the blog I came across his <a href="http://seriouslygood.kdweeks.com/2007/07/paisano-tuna-casserole.html">Tuna Casserole</a>. Man, does that sound good. <br /><br />One more blog into Google Reader and a new recipe to check out.<br /><br />w00t!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0