After a person connects the dots from A to B and knows that it is true, a wise man might say that the opposite inverse is also true. I won’t try to explain that to you now, though it’s really just another way to say “Therefore, C must also be true”.
The only skydives I regret, are the ones I have not yet figured out how to write the story, that isn’t to say the story won’t be written to #5, or even #500.. just not yet. However, to avoid having to write really good stories about jumps far past; This year, I will do my best to write about each and every jump, for as long as I can keep up with them.
After another long winter it was nice to be back at the dropzone. Some might say – myself at least – a day as grand as this one could only be created by SkyGod himself: an early April day with blue skies and calm winds from sunrise to sunset.
#516 – First jump was a re-currency two-way with Mini-me – no, not my mini-me’s, but I’m sure you all know who I’m talking about. We turned a few points by plan, then also by plan, separated for few fun backflips and such. Canopy flight was good, though my landing was long, I am glad I have all year to work on accuracy!
#517 – A seven way.. this jump will be written about in much more detail later. For now I’ll simply say that it was a learning experience for myself. I’ve got a few people to talk to first.. but I think the key is that I should never let a single dissenting opinion overrule a majority vote. Observation will only take a person so far in life, then action is required. I have to find a few new books to read, but I’ll be prepared for the situation next time.
#518 – My first student of the year, a truly colorful person. This person did very well in the air, smiled consistently and moved forward with ease, though had some difficulty arching. After a full video debrief, I was able to see her knees were placed just barely wide enough to prevent the flexibility required in the hips. I believe her next jump will be fantastic with this new information, also by the information she shared with me.
#519 – Next I was able to do a recurrency jump with one of the biggest butterflies which I have even flown with. This jumper set a new definition for “graceful exit”: A willing exit from an aircraft in which you recover perfectly. I have no doubt that in the years to come, this jumper will become a new authority in the various methods to achieve slow flight.
#520 – Finally, I ended the day with another recurrency jump. This jumper was one of my classmates in the Brian Germain canopy course last year and had obviously learned very much from him. After a wonderful skydive and canopy flight, she landed with such grace, she had to stop and curtsey for the camera!
All in all, another absolutely wonderful day at the dropzone. Ahh, 2012 is good year.