🚀 go-pugleaf

     Hi fellow jumpers,


     Well, I just completed my first jump this Sunday. It was the
culmination of a six hour class room training and a couple of hours
of ground training. I LOVED it.

     I jumped with my girlfriend and a friend an his girlfriend. We
were all pretty nervous when we were waiting around for our turn to
jump, but as soon as we went through our final checks our nerves
settled down a bit.

     We practiced our exits from the plane in a mock-up of a Cessna.
We went through the whole routine of getting out on the strut, waiting
for the go signal, arching, counting off, checking our chute and pulling
our reserve if a malfunction was apparent. This sequence was drilled into
us for a couple of hours and then it was time to go up.

     The jump-master placed us in order of weight for our first jump, so
I jumped first, my friend second, his girlfriend third and mine last (she
wasn't too pleased about that).

     As we ascended in the plane our jump-master showed us what the ground
looked like at 500 and 1500 feet. We continued to climb until we reached
2800 feet. The jump-master opened the door. This was it!

     He took my pilot chute, gave it back to me, and just before I got out
of the plane took it again.

     I got out of the plane, hanging on to the strut, sliding over until
I was at the end. I dropped my feet off the platform and looked at Bruno
squatting in the door, with a big grin on his face. Go! I released my
hands from the strut and promptly forgot everything I was supposed
to do. I experienced the temporary sensory overload I had heard so
much about and only realized where I was as my canopy opened. There was
a slight twist, which spun me a bit and then I was looking for my control
lines. I found them, pulled them away from the Velcro and begun a nice
leisurely descent at 50% brakes. 

     Everyone had radios so we could be directed from the ground, but for
the first minute or so mine wasn't receiving. It was so peaceful. All I
could hear was the rustling of my canopy. I spotted the jump center right
away, so I wasn't worried about not finding it.

     After a minute or so, the radio kicked in and began instructing me
in my turns. I followed the directions and landed about 20 yards from
the center in nice soft grass.

     All the others also made it down safely, although my girlfriend
landed in a farmers field a little ways off, because her radio hadn't
been working.

     The course cost was $115 cdn. We are allowed four more jumps
at $12, and then the cost is $16 a piece.

     Sorry I babbled on so long, but the adreneline is still flowing!
     
     I can't wait to go again, and i'm hoping this weekend to do two
or three jumps.



     -- 

Steve Grice
philabs!micomvax!steve