Jump #2. Category B.
Hazy, some clouds, almost no wind. Doc Larry was the outside (main side) guy and John was the inside (reserve side) guy. Jumped from a Cessna at 11,000 feet.
Doc Larry called my climb-out hesitant. I think it was more awkwardness. I wasn't delaying or stalling, I just didn't move my legs quickly or smoothly. My left foot was also way to far away from Larry's. Damn it's windy on the wing!
I got into an arch right off the bat. It could have been a better arch, and I improved it when I got the arch signal from John.
I was letting my feet come up to my butt. One of the guys gave me the signal to straighten out my feet. I did, but then I let them bend back up.
My practice touches (why I did 3 and not just 2 is a mystery to me) were rushed. Doc Larry wants me to grab the hacky firmly, not just touch it.
My left turn wasn't a full 90 degrees. I was thinking more about the mechanics and didn't pick a spot to turn to. My right turn was about 90 degrees. After both turns, I was at 6,300, so I had time to do the forward motion before 6,000.
Good wave off at 5,000. Good pull at 4,500. Good canopy when I looked up. Released the brakes and had good controllability. Tanya was on the radio from the ground. Larry and John landed very quickly (forgot to ask if they waited to pull or if they did something with their parachutes to descend faster) and Larry took over the radio.
With no wind, Larry wanted me to extend my downwind leg of the landing pattern a ways. Unfortunately, I stuck with the dive flow that's been beaten into my head over a few training sessions. At 600 feet, I turned left into my base leg. At 300 feet, I turned left into what little wind there was for my final leg. Because there was so little wind, I was floating more than normal. Larry tried to get me to do some S-turns to burn off some altitude, but the damage was done. I executed a perfect flair and did a PLF right on the taxiway. All I had to show for that was a minor scratch on the edge of my right hand. Oh, and my legs and back are stiffening up a little this evening.
Pretty good dive, not perfect, but I passed the Cat B level! Now, with vacation coming up, when can I squeeze in C-1?
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Maybe a tandem with Bob?
Bob O saw my video on facebook, and asked if I wanted to join him and some others on a skydive. He followed up with an e-mail today that says August 29 at Skydive Orange in Virginia.
Although I always said that I didn't want to skydive with another guy strapped to my butt, I think I can make an exception for Bob. Also, now that I've started and mentally committed to continuing the AFF program, a tandem jump won't interfere at all.
And, hey - it's Street!
Although I always said that I didn't want to skydive with another guy strapped to my butt, I think I can make an exception for Bob. Also, now that I've started and mentally committed to continuing the AFF program, a tandem jump won't interfere at all.
And, hey - it's Street!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Cat A AFF jump!
(backdated post)
Jump #1. Category A. Weather got better and better as I drove out. Mike from York and his friends were there. Winds were very light, and varied in direction. Jumped with Matt (young, clean-cut) and Bill (a little older, bald in front). Exited at 13,000 from the Casa. Sat down after exiting plane. Tumbling. Matt broke off. Might have arched upside down at some point. Bill flipped us over. First COH missing Matt on main side. Matt came back in after 2 practice touches. Did third practice touch. Second COH, getting close to 6,000. Locked on altimeter at 6,000. Bill reminded me to lock on, but I was already locked on. Just as I was about to wave off, Bill gave me the pull signal at 4,900. Waved off, pulled. Stable position, strong pull. Surprised how much of a jerk there was when the chute deployed. Felt like I was going up. Good chute ("Is it there? Is it square?"). Started controllability check when Henry gave me some directions on the walkie-talkie to make sure he was looking at the right chute. Very relaxing flight in to the drop zone. Henry thinks he gave me the instruction to flare a little early, or possibly a gust of wind came straight into my face when I flared. I released my flare, big mistake, flared again, came in a little fast, and did one of the greatest PLFs the instructors have ever seen. Landed with the buildings on the right.
Jump #1. Category A. Weather got better and better as I drove out. Mike from York and his friends were there. Winds were very light, and varied in direction. Jumped with Matt (young, clean-cut) and Bill (a little older, bald in front). Exited at 13,000 from the Casa. Sat down after exiting plane. Tumbling. Matt broke off. Might have arched upside down at some point. Bill flipped us over. First COH missing Matt on main side. Matt came back in after 2 practice touches. Did third practice touch. Second COH, getting close to 6,000. Locked on altimeter at 6,000. Bill reminded me to lock on, but I was already locked on. Just as I was about to wave off, Bill gave me the pull signal at 4,900. Waved off, pulled. Stable position, strong pull. Surprised how much of a jerk there was when the chute deployed. Felt like I was going up. Good chute ("Is it there? Is it square?"). Started controllability check when Henry gave me some directions on the walkie-talkie to make sure he was looking at the right chute. Very relaxing flight in to the drop zone. Henry thinks he gave me the instruction to flare a little early, or possibly a gust of wind came straight into my face when I flared. I released my flare, big mistake, flared again, came in a little fast, and did one of the greatest PLFs the instructors have ever seen. Landed with the buildings on the right.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Will I make the AFF Cat A jump today?
(backdated post)
Hoping for better weather today. When I got to Chambersburg, there were patches of blue sky, but a lot of pretty low clouds. Since skydiving is a VRF (visual flight requirement) flight, the rule is that you have to be able to see where you're going. You don't jump out of a Cessna with a cockpit full of instruments!
The forecast was iffy. There was a reasonable chance that the weather would clear, so I hung around. I sat in on parts of the same AFF Category A training from June with Drew from Severna Park. I took a long lunch break and went down to Wilson College to take a hike on the nature trail and grab a geocache. I gave Tonya the third degree about what it takes to complete the Class A license requirements, at least until I thought I should let her get her own work done.
Unfortunately, the weather never cleared. It wasn't a total loss, because I got some refresher training and picked up some info about what to expect in the upcoming months.
Hoping for better weather today. When I got to Chambersburg, there were patches of blue sky, but a lot of pretty low clouds. Since skydiving is a VRF (visual flight requirement) flight, the rule is that you have to be able to see where you're going. You don't jump out of a Cessna with a cockpit full of instruments!
The forecast was iffy. There was a reasonable chance that the weather would clear, so I hung around. I sat in on parts of the same AFF Category A training from June with Drew from Severna Park. I took a long lunch break and went down to Wilson College to take a hike on the nature trail and grab a geocache. I gave Tonya the third degree about what it takes to complete the Class A license requirements, at least until I thought I should let her get her own work done.
Unfortunately, the weather never cleared. It wasn't a total loss, because I got some refresher training and picked up some info about what to expect in the upcoming months.
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