How miserable do the last few titles look, all lined up like that. Ugh.
When I called at about 8:05 this morning, there were instructors available, and AccuWeather said there was a 15,000 foot ceiling. Yeah, 15,000 inches maybe. By the time I left at about 12:30, the plane hadn't come out of the hangar yet. Stupid clouds.
On the positive side, John gave me a pretty long refresher session. This is the first time I've really got my hands right on the outside parts of a rig. I was a little leery about it - I don't want to screw it up, but I need to know this stuff, and the worst that happens is that it needs a repack. I came away much more comfortable with the equipment.
Now, if only I can get good enough weather to jump again someday.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Bad weather again
I guess I should just cut-and-paste, but it was a different sort of bad weather. A front came through and started clearing up the clouds, but the wind picked up, and was blowing across the runway. As sort of a test run, 5 experienced guys jumped from 3500 out of a Cessna. Only one of them managed to hit the landing zone.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Bad weather again
Sorry, people of Chambersburg. I am your Rain God.
On Wednesday, the weather forecast for Chambersburg said partly cloudy. I called to reserve a slot for a Cat C jump, and the forecast instantly worsened.
I hung out for an hour and a half or so. Just long enough to watch the C-182 take a couple of loads up to 3500 feet for hop-and-pops. Then the rain started.
Oh, and the Casa was here today. Damn.
On Wednesday, the weather forecast for Chambersburg said partly cloudy. I called to reserve a slot for a Cat C jump, and the forecast instantly worsened.
I hung out for an hour and a half or so. Just long enough to watch the C-182 take a couple of loads up to 3500 feet for hop-and-pops. Then the rain started.
Oh, and the Casa was here today. Damn.
Monday, September 7, 2009
I'm apparently the rain god of Chambersburg
Heavy, overcast, and a couple of very light sprinkles. 2400 foot ceiling, maybe?
On a better note, John was repacking a reverse chute. I watched a lot of the process and learned some more about how it's packed and why it's different from a main chute. Doc Larry showed me the computer attached to the AAD control unit, and the automatic knife that cuts the reserve chute loop.
Refresher training from Dave, a coach. I'm good for another 30 days, unless I decide to make it rain in Chambersburg again.
On a better note, John was repacking a reverse chute. I watched a lot of the process and learned some more about how it's packed and why it's different from a main chute. Doc Larry showed me the computer attached to the AAD control unit, and the automatic knife that cuts the reserve chute loop.
Refresher training from Dave, a coach. I'm good for another 30 days, unless I decide to make it rain in Chambersburg again.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Tandem with Bob
Jump #3 was a tandem jump with Bob, Art, and Don at Skydive Orange.
Steve (who runs the place) was willing to work with me to try to get my Cat C-1 jump in, but after a morning rain delay and a mid-afternoon rain delay, it became obvious to me that I wouldn't be getting my jump in until well after the rest of the guys did their tandem. Maybe I wouldn't get a jump in at all!
My tandem instructor was Chris. On the way up in the plane, we talked about the dive flow, and I mentioned that I was an AFF student. That was just the extra info he needed to turn our tandem into an amazing ride! We took us through a bunch of horizontal spins in freefall, and let me do a lot of the canopy work. We did some fast turns, both directions, switching directions without slowing down. Unbelievably amazing, and someday fairly soon I'll be able to fly like that!
After the jump, and on the video, it looks like Bob loved it, too. Hopefully, he'll get the video up on YouTube or Facebook!
Some details:
Exit from the side of a Twin Otter. Except for smacking Chris's head on the ceiling (he's about the same height as I am), I had a pretty good climbout and exit.
13,940 feet, 50 second freefall, wave off at 6,000. I found the golf ball to pull, but had a little assistance from Chris on the pull. He later said that it was a hard pull for some reason.
Max speed - 168 mph!
Ground winds from the south at 10 mph.
Slid to land in the soccer field.
Steve (who runs the place) was willing to work with me to try to get my Cat C-1 jump in, but after a morning rain delay and a mid-afternoon rain delay, it became obvious to me that I wouldn't be getting my jump in until well after the rest of the guys did their tandem. Maybe I wouldn't get a jump in at all!
My tandem instructor was Chris. On the way up in the plane, we talked about the dive flow, and I mentioned that I was an AFF student. That was just the extra info he needed to turn our tandem into an amazing ride! We took us through a bunch of horizontal spins in freefall, and let me do a lot of the canopy work. We did some fast turns, both directions, switching directions without slowing down. Unbelievably amazing, and someday fairly soon I'll be able to fly like that!
After the jump, and on the video, it looks like Bob loved it, too. Hopefully, he'll get the video up on YouTube or Facebook!
Some details:
Exit from the side of a Twin Otter. Except for smacking Chris's head on the ceiling (he's about the same height as I am), I had a pretty good climbout and exit.
13,940 feet, 50 second freefall, wave off at 6,000. I found the golf ball to pull, but had a little assistance from Chris on the pull. He later said that it was a hard pull for some reason.
Max speed - 168 mph!
Ground winds from the south at 10 mph.
Slid to land in the soccer field.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
The weather didn't cooperate
I spent the day at a picnic table watching the weather. The forecast wasn't looking too good, but a few tandems went. Mostly just hung out with John, Doc Larry, Jay, and some other people waiting.
John did the Cat C training. We practiced the dive flow. Kathy gave me the Cat C quiz, so at least I got checked off on something!
At just before 3:00, the rain started, and we were all grounded.
John did the Cat C training. We practiced the dive flow. Kathy gave me the Cat C quiz, so at least I got checked off on something!
At just before 3:00, the rain started, and we were all grounded.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Cat B AFF jump
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?
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?
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