I like working the early shift on Saturdays. It leaves me with enough time to run out to the DZ for a jump or two, which is exactly what I did this weekend.
Jump #12
I went up for a solo jump on the last load of the day on Saturday. Julie and Dan also came along and they helped me some more with spotting (though I got distracted and didn't give the pilot the corrections I should have). I was the first one out, and I decided to do a poised exit to minimize time wasted on getting stable. For something to do, I worked on turns again. I'm getting quicker and smoother at them now, and I've pretty much eliminated the unintentional slow turn from bending at my hips. I did a 360-right, 360-left, 90-left, 180-right, and then spent the last few seconds before pull time just relaxing. I overshot the landing again, but flared at the right height and managed to land gently on my feet.
Sunday morning I lazed around the DZ for several hours before getting ready to go. By early afternoon I was finally feeling energetic enough to get in the plane.
Jump #13
Another solo jump, this time with an unpoised exit. I was the last person out of the plane, and I almost fell out the door grabbing at an empty water bottle as it flew out into the wind. I still can't help but laugh a little when I think about the possibility of someone sitting in their back yard seeing a plastic bottle come out of nowhere and land in their lawn. I got out to the north of the landing area and just tracked south until 5000ft, where I stopped to get stable before pulling. My final approach was really fast compared to previous landings. I flared at the right height (according to those who were watching), but there was no way I was going to try to stand it up with as much forward speed as I had. I put my feet down and rolled twice over the right side of my body--another attempt at a PLF. Witnesses said I didn't have my arms tucked in the way I should have and was lucky I didn't hurt anything.
Jump #14
I finally jumped a canopy that I packed (mostly) by myself. I spent a good 40 minutes packing it, asking lots of questions and getting Rick (the S&TA for the DZ) to help me when I got stuck. As I was finishing up with my line stows, we realized that the plane was ready to go and they were waiting on me. I hurriedly finished up the pack job, not asking any more questions and finishing what probably would have taken me 15 minutes in less than 5. Then I threw all of my gear on and headed out to the plane, but not before having 3 people give me gear checks to make sure I closed the container and stowed the pilot chute properly. Rick came with me for another coach jump on tracking. He climbed out on the strut first, and after giving him a count to 3, I dove out the door. The plan was to use Rick as a reference point, tracking directly away from him for 5 seconds, then turning and tracking back. Well, I apparently started tracking too soon--before he got in the position that would leave me tracking perpendicular to jump run. Instead I was tracking directly up jump run (bad idea), but since I turned around and came back after 5 seconds, we weren't anywhere close to other jumpers. The canopy opened without incident, which was a relief considering how nervous I was about packing it. I tried to do some front riser dives, but I lack the necessary arm strength to do so on a giant 260 sq. ft. canopy. I landed about 20 feet from the fallen down fence I mentioned almost hitting in a previous post. My flare was much better, though. I stood it up gently again.
Jump #15
I got one of the more experienced jumpers to pack for me so I could make it up on the last load of the day. Randi (another almost A-licensed jumper) misplaced her goggles and had to ride the plane down. I did another diving exit and practiced flips this time. My front flip was more of just a tumble, but the back flip and barrel roll were pretty well defined. I tracked for 5 seconds or so before pulling, and under canopy I practiced flat turns from half-brakes. Undershot the target by a few meters, but stood it up again.
I'll be jumping again on Thursday, Saturday, and hopefully Sunday of the coming week. Since my first tandem counts towards the A license jump number requirements, I've only got 9 jumps and a couple more checks on the A application card to go. If I can get another 4 or 5 jumps in within this week, I should be able to get my license on the weekend of the 10th at the No Turbines boogie. I should really start saving up some money to buy some of my own gear.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Great News!
Today was a good day. My mom got hired for a full-time nursing position this morning. It pays enough to cover all of her expenses and then some, provides full health coverage as well as a 401k. Also, I found out that I'm getting a raise (and after only a month on the job). I'm going to be taking on a bit more responsibility, helping the managers with a task that has previously been reserved just for them. I'm not sure how much the raise will be, but every little bit helps. This means that a huge weight is lifted off of my shoulders. Barring some sort of catastrophe, the financial situation seems to have worked itself out. Phew!
So now my money earned can be dedicated to skydiving and fun in general. It's amazing how happy that thought makes me.
So now my money earned can be dedicated to skydiving and fun in general. It's amazing how happy that thought makes me.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
My first hop and pop
Jump #11
It's a good thing I'm not expected to buy beer for literally every "first" in skydiving. When I got to the dropzone, a load was about to leave to go to 5000ft, but they had one open spot. After running the idea by Kevin and getting his approval, I decided I'd fill the load. I was on my knees for the whole plane ride so that I could really look around and get a better idea of what the area surrounding the airport looks like from the air. Bill (one of the TI's) pointed out several landmarks and helped me with spotting. My exit went well. I de-arched and looked down at pull-time, which caused me to tilt forward slightly. By 4000ft I had completed my controllability check and was already playing around under canopy. I flared a little late on landing, but I was right on target for accuracy.
Things to work on: look at the plane when I'm falling away from it (I keep forgetting that), maintain arch and look at horizon on pull, PLF if the landing is going to be rough.
A few people from the DZ are heading down to a wind tunnel in Ogden, Utah, this weekend. They invited me to come along, and although I really want to go, I wouldn't feel right skipping out on work on Saturday. They'll have to have fun without me.
It's a good thing I'm not expected to buy beer for literally every "first" in skydiving. When I got to the dropzone, a load was about to leave to go to 5000ft, but they had one open spot. After running the idea by Kevin and getting his approval, I decided I'd fill the load. I was on my knees for the whole plane ride so that I could really look around and get a better idea of what the area surrounding the airport looks like from the air. Bill (one of the TI's) pointed out several landmarks and helped me with spotting. My exit went well. I de-arched and looked down at pull-time, which caused me to tilt forward slightly. By 4000ft I had completed my controllability check and was already playing around under canopy. I flared a little late on landing, but I was right on target for accuracy.
Things to work on: look at the plane when I'm falling away from it (I keep forgetting that), maintain arch and look at horizon on pull, PLF if the landing is going to be rough.
A few people from the DZ are heading down to a wind tunnel in Ogden, Utah, this weekend. They invited me to come along, and although I really want to go, I wouldn't feel right skipping out on work on Saturday. They'll have to have fun without me.
A Visible Difference
One of my professors made a comment this afternoon that kind of caught me off guard. He said that I've seemed happier during the past month than he's ever seen me. He knows how I've been spending my weekends, and he said it was pretty obvious that skydiving is what's making the difference. I guess I hadn't really thought about it, but yes, I am happier now than I have been in a long time. Even though my family situation (read "my mom's financial instability") is more stressful than ever, I'm enjoying life. It's good to have found something that makes the more unpleasant life activities worth suffering through.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Packing
Although I didn't end up jumping yesterday, the day wasn't a complete waste. I got Kevin to teach me how to pack a parachute. My first pack job was really messy. I practically crammed the chute into the deployment bag, and in the end it was very lop-sided and sloppy. I "milked" the lines when I was doing my line stows, so I ended up with a bunch of slack down by the risers. After Kevin came over and pointed out my mistakes, I tore it all apart to try again. Kevin had me go in the other room so he could really tangle everything up and make me figure out how to get it fixed. My second pack job actually went pretty well--so well that he said I should go ahead and put the rig on the table without having someone repack it. I wasn't very comfortable with the idea of my second attempt at packing a parachute being a matter of life or death for another student, so I waited until later in the evening and then pulled it all apart again so that someone who actually knows what they're doing could repack it.
Friday, September 19, 2008
First attempt at tracking
Lucky me, there was a pilot at the DZ last night.
Jump #10
I got out there around 5:00 and got in the plane just before 6. I did a coach jump with Dan, who's been around the sport forever. He was really helpful in going over new canopy techniques with me, and he also answered a couple of my questions about spotting. This was my first tracking dive, and it went OK, I guess. It took me a few seconds to figure out where my heading should be, and then on my first attempt to track I started drifting to the left. Dipping a shoulder to correct the turn didn't work very well, so I went back to the neutral position, turned the direction I wanted to be facing, and gave it another shot. I managed to fly straight this time. The plan was to track back and forth perpendicular (north-south) to jump run, but we were so far north of the landing area that I just kept heading south and didn't stop until just before pull time. I'm now pulling at 4000ft instead of 5000ft. My landing was very gentle, and only 10-15 meters off target.
If I finish moving my mom out of her house early enough on Sunday, I'll try to do a couple solo jumps in the evening. If not, I'll probably be waiting until next Thursday. Pretty soon I'll be out of money (or out of money that isn't already committed to paying my mom's living expenses and mortgage), so unless the DZO is willing to let me start a tab, I might have to take a break from jumping for a bit. If my mom's house would just sell already, I'd be set. Then she'd pay me back the money I've given her, and I'd have few grand extra to start buying my own gear. The only problem with that is so far there's been very little interest in her house. If anyone knows of a family looking for a ~20yr old house with 6 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and 2 kitchens in a nice southern Idaho neighborhood, send them my direction.
Jump #10
I got out there around 5:00 and got in the plane just before 6. I did a coach jump with Dan, who's been around the sport forever. He was really helpful in going over new canopy techniques with me, and he also answered a couple of my questions about spotting. This was my first tracking dive, and it went OK, I guess. It took me a few seconds to figure out where my heading should be, and then on my first attempt to track I started drifting to the left. Dipping a shoulder to correct the turn didn't work very well, so I went back to the neutral position, turned the direction I wanted to be facing, and gave it another shot. I managed to fly straight this time. The plan was to track back and forth perpendicular (north-south) to jump run, but we were so far north of the landing area that I just kept heading south and didn't stop until just before pull time. I'm now pulling at 4000ft instead of 5000ft. My landing was very gentle, and only 10-15 meters off target.
If I finish moving my mom out of her house early enough on Sunday, I'll try to do a couple solo jumps in the evening. If not, I'll probably be waiting until next Thursday. Pretty soon I'll be out of money (or out of money that isn't already committed to paying my mom's living expenses and mortgage), so unless the DZO is willing to let me start a tab, I might have to take a break from jumping for a bit. If my mom's house would just sell already, I'd be set. Then she'd pay me back the money I've given her, and I'd have few grand extra to start buying my own gear. The only problem with that is so far there's been very little interest in her house. If anyone knows of a family looking for a ~20yr old house with 6 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and 2 kitchens in a nice southern Idaho neighborhood, send them my direction.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Nothing to do
No pilot this evening, so I've been sitting around my apartment for hours trying to find something to do. I sincerely hope there's a pilot available on Thursday, since Sunday is going to be taken up helping my mom move, and I'm working every other day for the next week.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Off of student status, on to solos and coach jumps
There were several tandems as well as a few other students scheduled throughout the morning and afternoon on Sunday, so I took advantage of the downtime and did some reading for one of my classes. Around 5:00pm I finally got up in the air again.
Jump #8: AFF Category E-1
Since I was so nervous for the unpoised exit, Kevin agreed to let me do one more from the poised position. This was my first exit without an instructor holding onto my harness, and even that was somewhat nerve-racking. I stabilized shortly after leaving the strut and then did a back flip followed by a barrel roll. This was my first attempt at aerial acrobatics, and the maneuvers were, of course, rather sloppy. The main goal, though, was just to get off balance and then regain stability, which I did without any problem. The winds were coming from a different direction than they have on my previous jumps, and I had some trouble adjusting my landing pattern to compensate for the difference. I ended up way overshooting the target, landing not far from the runway and only 10 feet or so from a fallen-down barbed wire fence. I didn't get the flare right either and had to roll on landing (not quite a textbook PLF, but it worked well enough).
Jump #9: AFF Category E-2 (my graduation jump!)
On this one I faced my fears of the unpoised exit, which turned out to be a lot less scary than I had imagined. I managed to get my belly into the relative wind coming from ahead of the plane and didn't really even tumble before stabilizing. Then I did a front flip (or at least a messy attempt at a front flip) and tried to track forward to dock with Kevin. In three attempts I managed to maintain my heading and reach him once. On two of the attempts I was cocking one leg to the side, which caused me to turn to the left a little. My landing went better this time. I did a few too many s-turns near the bottom and bled off more altitude than I needed to, so I actually landed a little short of the target. My flare was much better and I was able to gently stand up on the landing.
And with that I was cleared for solo and coach jumps. If there's a pilot available, I'll go back out to the DZ tomorrow evening when I get done with classes. I'm not very confident in my spotting capabilities, so I'll probably pay a little extra for a couple coach jumps so I have someone there to help me out with it. I want to work on tracking some more, and just for fun I'd like to try some more flips. If I can continue to afford jumping as often as I have been in the last couple weeks, it won't be long before I'm able to get my A license. And to think... two months ago all I was going to do was a single tandem jump.
Jump #8: AFF Category E-1
Since I was so nervous for the unpoised exit, Kevin agreed to let me do one more from the poised position. This was my first exit without an instructor holding onto my harness, and even that was somewhat nerve-racking. I stabilized shortly after leaving the strut and then did a back flip followed by a barrel roll. This was my first attempt at aerial acrobatics, and the maneuvers were, of course, rather sloppy. The main goal, though, was just to get off balance and then regain stability, which I did without any problem. The winds were coming from a different direction than they have on my previous jumps, and I had some trouble adjusting my landing pattern to compensate for the difference. I ended up way overshooting the target, landing not far from the runway and only 10 feet or so from a fallen-down barbed wire fence. I didn't get the flare right either and had to roll on landing (not quite a textbook PLF, but it worked well enough).
Jump #9: AFF Category E-2 (my graduation jump!)
On this one I faced my fears of the unpoised exit, which turned out to be a lot less scary than I had imagined. I managed to get my belly into the relative wind coming from ahead of the plane and didn't really even tumble before stabilizing. Then I did a front flip (or at least a messy attempt at a front flip) and tried to track forward to dock with Kevin. In three attempts I managed to maintain my heading and reach him once. On two of the attempts I was cocking one leg to the side, which caused me to turn to the left a little. My landing went better this time. I did a few too many s-turns near the bottom and bled off more altitude than I needed to, so I actually landed a little short of the target. My flare was much better and I was able to gently stand up on the landing.
And with that I was cleared for solo and coach jumps. If there's a pilot available, I'll go back out to the DZ tomorrow evening when I get done with classes. I'm not very confident in my spotting capabilities, so I'll probably pay a little extra for a couple coach jumps so I have someone there to help me out with it. I want to work on tracking some more, and just for fun I'd like to try some more flips. If I can continue to afford jumping as often as I have been in the last couple weeks, it won't be long before I'm able to get my A license. And to think... two months ago all I was going to do was a single tandem jump.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
More AFF
In the past week I have doubled my total number of jumps... not like it's that big of a deal since that only brings me up to 8 (including the initial tandem), but it's been a fun week.
Jump #4: AFF Category C-2
Last Thursday (Sept. 4th) I made my first jump since I returned to Idaho. The student rigs here have pilot chutes instead of rip cords, but otherwise everything was familiar. The jump went pretty well. Kevin released me and I was mostly stable, though I went into a slow right-hand turn and then started chipping again around 7,000ft. I held onto my PC for a split second on deployment, but then released it and had a nice opening with no issues. I was pretty much without radio under canopy--Kevin told me when to turn in for the final approach, but otherwise I was on my own. I managed to flare at close to the right height and had a stand-up landing, though it was not quite as gentle a touch-down as I would have liked.
Jump #5: AFF Category D-1
I came back to the DZ again on Saturday evening, had too much to drink, embarrassed myself a bit, and spent the night there again. Sunday (the 7th) I got up bright and early (fighting against the urge to do nothing but sleep all day to recover from the previous night) so I could be on the first load of the day. On this jump I was supposed to be doing 90- and 180-degree turns, but I couldn't seem to get my body position quite right. I just fell stable and on heading... and then more chipping around 7,000ft. No turns = repeat the jump. So my goal of getting all the way through the course without any repeats is out. Oh well. As long as I'm still having fun, which I definitely am, I'll stick with it anyway. I was entirely on my own under canopy this time. I didn't even bring a radio with me, and I was a little nervous about how I would do without it. I ended up flaring waaaay too early (around 25 ft above the ground), realized my mistake, let up on the toggles (even though I knew I was supposed to just continue with the flare in that case), flared a second time, stalled, and then dropped straight down a foot or two for another not-so-gentle stand-up landing. I'm sure I'll get the flaring thing figured out eventually.
Jump #6: AFF Category D-1 (again)
This time I managed to turn, but then I couldn't get myself to stop. It was a slow turn--not out of control by any means--but if Kevin hadn't grabbed on to me again I doubt I would have been able to stop on my own. Thanks to the video, Kevin concluded that I was bending slightly at my hips, which caused me to turn regardless of what my arms were doing. Looking back at the older videos, it turns out that's what happened on my C-2 jump as well. More chipping at 7,000ft. This appears to be a chronic problem. On opening, I had line twists for the first time but was able to get out of them quickly. I flared a little too early, did another stupid double flare, and had another bumpy stand-up landing. Even though I felt like I wouldn't have been able to stop my turn, Kevin said I did fine and passed me on to D-2.
Jump #7: AFF Category D-2
Tuesday I came back to the DZ after class hoping to get a couple more jumps in. On this one I got my turning issues worked out. After Kevin released me I went into a right-hand turn as planned, making sure to keep my torso straight. I turned 270-degrees to face him, and then just made small adjustments to stay pointed at him. No more uncontrolled turns, though I was obviously still nervous and started chipping again. I had more line twists on opening--this time they were twisted a full three times around. It only took a few seconds to get everything straightened out, though, and then I just played around and tried out a couple maneuvers required for the A-license. I did a couple very sharp turns and tried out turning and flaring with the back risers. I'm starting to really enjoy my time under canopy. My flare was almost right this time--maybe a little bit early, but I managed a single smooth flare and yet another stand-up landing. On to category E and acrobatics!
After going over what would be required of me on the category E jump, we headed up on the sunset load. Unfortunately, the climb to altitude took longer than expected, and it was too dark for me to jump by the time we reached 10,000ft. So I got to ride the plane down for the first time. It was quite the experience. In an effort to get us back on the ground quickly, the pilot flew in fairly sharp spirals, and I could feel myself getting light-headed as the blood drained down to my lower extremities. Although I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to make that last jump, I was glad that Kevin made the call to ride the plane down. I'd much rather deal with that disappointment and stay safe than go for it and end up with an injury.
I'm planning to spend all day Sunday at the drop zone again, so we'll see how many jumps I'm able to get done. As much as I'm looking forward to trying flips and rolls, I'm also really nervous. Hopefully I'll get it right on the first try... I can't afford to repeat too many more jumps.
Jump #4: AFF Category C-2
Last Thursday (Sept. 4th) I made my first jump since I returned to Idaho. The student rigs here have pilot chutes instead of rip cords, but otherwise everything was familiar. The jump went pretty well. Kevin released me and I was mostly stable, though I went into a slow right-hand turn and then started chipping again around 7,000ft. I held onto my PC for a split second on deployment, but then released it and had a nice opening with no issues. I was pretty much without radio under canopy--Kevin told me when to turn in for the final approach, but otherwise I was on my own. I managed to flare at close to the right height and had a stand-up landing, though it was not quite as gentle a touch-down as I would have liked.
Jump #5: AFF Category D-1
I came back to the DZ again on Saturday evening, had too much to drink, embarrassed myself a bit, and spent the night there again. Sunday (the 7th) I got up bright and early (fighting against the urge to do nothing but sleep all day to recover from the previous night) so I could be on the first load of the day. On this jump I was supposed to be doing 90- and 180-degree turns, but I couldn't seem to get my body position quite right. I just fell stable and on heading... and then more chipping around 7,000ft. No turns = repeat the jump. So my goal of getting all the way through the course without any repeats is out. Oh well. As long as I'm still having fun, which I definitely am, I'll stick with it anyway. I was entirely on my own under canopy this time. I didn't even bring a radio with me, and I was a little nervous about how I would do without it. I ended up flaring waaaay too early (around 25 ft above the ground), realized my mistake, let up on the toggles (even though I knew I was supposed to just continue with the flare in that case), flared a second time, stalled, and then dropped straight down a foot or two for another not-so-gentle stand-up landing. I'm sure I'll get the flaring thing figured out eventually.
Jump #6: AFF Category D-1 (again)
This time I managed to turn, but then I couldn't get myself to stop. It was a slow turn--not out of control by any means--but if Kevin hadn't grabbed on to me again I doubt I would have been able to stop on my own. Thanks to the video, Kevin concluded that I was bending slightly at my hips, which caused me to turn regardless of what my arms were doing. Looking back at the older videos, it turns out that's what happened on my C-2 jump as well. More chipping at 7,000ft. This appears to be a chronic problem. On opening, I had line twists for the first time but was able to get out of them quickly. I flared a little too early, did another stupid double flare, and had another bumpy stand-up landing. Even though I felt like I wouldn't have been able to stop my turn, Kevin said I did fine and passed me on to D-2.
Jump #7: AFF Category D-2
Tuesday I came back to the DZ after class hoping to get a couple more jumps in. On this one I got my turning issues worked out. After Kevin released me I went into a right-hand turn as planned, making sure to keep my torso straight. I turned 270-degrees to face him, and then just made small adjustments to stay pointed at him. No more uncontrolled turns, though I was obviously still nervous and started chipping again. I had more line twists on opening--this time they were twisted a full three times around. It only took a few seconds to get everything straightened out, though, and then I just played around and tried out a couple maneuvers required for the A-license. I did a couple very sharp turns and tried out turning and flaring with the back risers. I'm starting to really enjoy my time under canopy. My flare was almost right this time--maybe a little bit early, but I managed a single smooth flare and yet another stand-up landing. On to category E and acrobatics!
After going over what would be required of me on the category E jump, we headed up on the sunset load. Unfortunately, the climb to altitude took longer than expected, and it was too dark for me to jump by the time we reached 10,000ft. So I got to ride the plane down for the first time. It was quite the experience. In an effort to get us back on the ground quickly, the pilot flew in fairly sharp spirals, and I could feel myself getting light-headed as the blood drained down to my lower extremities. Although I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to make that last jump, I was glad that Kevin made the call to ride the plane down. I'd much rather deal with that disappointment and stay safe than go for it and end up with an injury.
I'm planning to spend all day Sunday at the drop zone again, so we'll see how many jumps I'm able to get done. As much as I'm looking forward to trying flips and rolls, I'm also really nervous. Hopefully I'll get it right on the first try... I can't afford to repeat too many more jumps.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Patiently waiting
I've been spending quite a bit of time out at my new DZ, Skydive Idaho. Unfortunately, though, I haven't actually gotten to do any jumps yet.
I went out last Wednesday to meet my instructor (Kevin Purdy) and go through some quick training. I think the point of the meeting was actually for him to size me up and see if I was going to be a complete disaster once in the air, but the people at Skydive New Mexico apparently did a decent job (no surprise to me)--he said my previous training was definitely up to par. I went to the DZ again on Sunday morning hoping to be able to jump, but spent the whole day grounded due to pilot and weather issues. I ended up staying the night at the DZ with the idea that my time would come on Monday. No such luck--the weather sucked again. Tonight the weather was decent, but alas, no pilots were available (the DZ's full-time pilot is out of state for school this fall).
The upside to all of this is that I'm getting lots of time on the ground to get to know all of the other students and more experienced jumpers. I love how friendly everyone in the skydiving community is. I'm normally very uncomfortable around groups of people that I don't know, but I already feel right at home with everyone from Skydive Idaho. I look forward to spending a big chunk of my free time at the DZ just hanging out and picking up as much knowledge about the sport as I can. However, it would also be nice if the weather gods would smile upon us on a day when a pilot is around... I want to go skydiving again, dammit!
Oh... and as a side note, I did get that job I interviewed for last week. Hooray for having some extra money to blow on more skydiving.
I went out last Wednesday to meet my instructor (Kevin Purdy) and go through some quick training. I think the point of the meeting was actually for him to size me up and see if I was going to be a complete disaster once in the air, but the people at Skydive New Mexico apparently did a decent job (no surprise to me)--he said my previous training was definitely up to par. I went to the DZ again on Sunday morning hoping to be able to jump, but spent the whole day grounded due to pilot and weather issues. I ended up staying the night at the DZ with the idea that my time would come on Monday. No such luck--the weather sucked again. Tonight the weather was decent, but alas, no pilots were available (the DZ's full-time pilot is out of state for school this fall).
The upside to all of this is that I'm getting lots of time on the ground to get to know all of the other students and more experienced jumpers. I love how friendly everyone in the skydiving community is. I'm normally very uncomfortable around groups of people that I don't know, but I already feel right at home with everyone from Skydive Idaho. I look forward to spending a big chunk of my free time at the DZ just hanging out and picking up as much knowledge about the sport as I can. However, it would also be nice if the weather gods would smile upon us on a day when a pilot is around... I want to go skydiving again, dammit!
Oh... and as a side note, I did get that job I interviewed for last week. Hooray for having some extra money to blow on more skydiving.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
