Calculated Risk

It’s not uncommon, when telling someone that I’m a skydiver, to hear comments like:

“Wow, you’re brave!”

“That’s dangerous, don’t you get scared?”

“Aren’t you afraid your ‘chute won’t open?”

You get the idea.

Truth is we are taking risks as skydivers, but they are calculated risks.

Just as with anything else in life, you analyze the risks vs. rewards. With skydiving, you also take a look at the safety factors, like a professionally packed reserve that’s there in case your first go at deployment doesn’t go so well and the helmet on your head with a dytter that lets you know when it’s time to break away and deploy. So, the risks are calculated.

It’s kinda like buying a car with safety features like side airbags and antilock breaks.

Another way we calculate the risks of the sport is taking a look at outside factors like winds, the people you’re sharing the sky with and our own personal setbacks. Each and every one of us has areas that could use improvement, and it’s up to us to determine what we’re capable of without hurting ourselves or others in the process.

I did just that this weekend as I decided to get myself back in the air after a hip injury earlier this season. Sunday’s weather was perfect, and with a 13 mph wind it was just right to set me down gently upon landing. Let me tell you, it wasn’t an easy decision. The last thing I wanted was to get hurt again, maybe worse this time, because I didn’t give myself enough time to heal. However, I also knew that the conditions couldn’t be better for a jittery skydive. Sure enough, my calculations were correct. I tiptoed out my landing and got back the confidence I needed. Can’t wait to get back out there!

Taking an honest look at your deficiencies as well as those of your fellow jumpers is important in the decision to make a safe skydive. I’m a big believer that if your gut tells you not to jump with that person just off student status, or if the winds are just a bit too gusty for your liking, then you should listen to it. There’s nothing wrong with playing it on the safe side, no matter how much of a ribbing you might take for it. There’s lots of life, and skydiving, left to be enjoyed.

Love and blue skies!

Ashley

Safety Day Recap

This year I attended Safety Day at two different dropzones. I’m lucky to live in an area where there are two high-quality establishments, each with their own unique community, but both having incredible staff and instructors.

Last weekend I headed down to Skydive Chicago after work on Friday. I made it in time for the break out sessions, learned about safety and emergency aircraft procedures, sat in on a canopy and emergency refresher and finished the evening with a discussion on planning a dive. The break out sessions were really nice in that it gave you a chance to ask more specific questions on particular subjects that you might not feel as comfortable asking in the larger group. It was also a way to be more hands on, practicing emergency canopy procedures and the like.

After the sessions it was time to hang out, eat, drink, and socialize, which took place right on site in the SDC lounge. They sure to have some nice facilities.

This weekend was Safety Day at Chicagoland Skydiving Center (CSC) at it’s new location in Rochelle, IL. Moving a dropzone is no easy task (not that I’m speaking from first-hand knowledge here, but from what I heard, it was a challenge) but plans for the new facilities are well underway and we have a temporary hangar in the meantime.

The day started with a refresher course led by Barry Williams, the head of Freefall University. Arriving in style (or rather, a couple hours late) I only caught two of the breakouts, but it was nice to see an arial of the new DZ and talk about outs, canopy control, etc.

The “official” safety day presentation was held lecture style, with presentations from a number of the staff talking about the new location, plans, aircraft, wingsuiting, fatalities, and more.

What I found interesting was a look at fatalities and the trends over time. We’re lucky to be at a place now where there are more USPA members than ever and less fatalities. This speaks volumes about the education and focus on safety in this sport. More than that, in the 70s and 80s there were a significant number of deaths due to low or no pull situations. These days, most fatalities have to do with canopy flight.

Looking at percentages from last year, 70% of the fatalities happened when equipment was completely fine. Scary huh. Between swooping and low turn accidents, to canopy collisions and unawareness, these types of issues could have been completely avoidable.

One thing that struck me between the two Safety Days was that there was a large focus on canopy skills. Emergency procedures were reviewed as always, but there just seemed to be this extra emphasis on ensuring safety from tracking away and deployment all the way back to being in the hangar. One of the instructors said it best, “the skydive isn’t over till you’re back in the hangar and packing up for that next jump.” Awareness and landing patterns where discussed and it was stressed more times than not to understand the canopy you’re flying and how to approach scary situations close to the ground.

Personally, a canopy course (or two) are at the top of my to-do list this season. Though I’m a small person, I’m flying a 120 square foot canopy – that’s high performance no matter which way you slice it – and I want to know everything I possibly can about the fabric that’s over my head and how to use it safely.

Having been in the sport for 2 full seasons, spending plenty of time on the ground (I am a wind pussy, after all) at dropzones and boogies around the country, I can’t recommend a solid canopy course enough. You never know when you’re going to need some last minute tips that could save your life, and the lives of your fellow jumpers.

:: off soapbox now ::

Hopefully everyone was able to attend Safety Day this year – or at least a refresher course with an instructor. This time of the year, nerves can get the best of you if you’re not prepared.

Hope to see everyone in the sky again soon.

Blue ones!

Ashley

Spring back into Skydiving

With the weather warming up a touch I can’t help but think about Safety Day that’s just around the corner and finally getting back in the air!

A few of my fellow jumpers in the Chicagoland area have asked me to talk about coming back to the sport after a long period off, like you know, the winter. Of course, I’m not the best person to ask since last winter I didn’t go more than 3 weeks without a skydive, so speaking from experience is going to be difficult.

Regardless, this is a great time to take a look at the challenges in coming back to the sport since so many of us will be doing so in the near future. So I’ve skimmed my resources to provide some thoughts for making your transition back to the skydiving world as smooth and painless (figuratively and literally) as possible.

• Attend Safety Day – the official USPA Safety Day is on March 12. Many dropzones choose to have theirs on different days to accommodate jumpers who might want to attend other, larger Safety Day events. Regardless, be sure to attend at least one. For those who may not realize it, Safety Day is more than just about getting back in the air / completing recurrency jumps (if the DZ you’re at is even flying that day). It’s about refreshing your memory on safety in the sky. You’ll have a chance to not only review the USPA BSRs and any changes to the SIM but also refresh on your home dropzone regulations. You’ll review landing patterns, pilot policies and have a chance to hear from the S&TA. I can’t stress the importance of this day enough. You might be surprised how much has fallen out of that brain of yours over the long winter months.

• Check your gear – if you weren’t due for a reserve repack or inspection, be sure to give your gear a good once over yourself. Make sure your 3 rings are in good shape, that your closing loop isn’t worn, that your pilot chute is cocked. If you doubt your last pack job on that final jump of the season, you may even want to shake out your canopy and give it a fresh pack.

• Review canopy skills – I’m a big believer in being a safe and competent canopy pilot; it could save your life. You never know when that rogue student might enter your landing pattern and necessitating a last minute adjustment. Parachutist Online has a great article on becoming a better canopy pilot. This is a start, but if you haven’t before, a canopy course is always a good idea. That’s high on my priority list this year for certain!

• SIM on the go – I mentioned this yesterday on Twitter but if you’re an iPhone user, be sure to download the USPA SIM app. What a better way to stay fresh on those BSRs than by having them in your pocket? You can download the app here or by searching USPA SIM in the app store.

• Watch and read to learn - as I mentioned a couple weeks ago in my currency post, I can’t recommend enough watching videos and reading indicent reports to help you learn what not to do. Get the butterflies out by watching a few cutaway videos, find out what went wrong in seemingly routine skydives that ended in injury or even death by scanning your Parachutists and Dropzone.com incidents. Learning from others mistakes can possibly save your life.

• Make that first jump a safe one - speaking of getting the butterflies out, you’re bound to have some on that first skydive back. I certainly did, even after I was only out for 3 weeks. I imagine it being a bit more intense this year. If you don’t need a recurrency jump with a coach/instructor, make sure that first jump back is with someone you trust and/or someone you’ve flown with a lot. A 16-way zoo dive likely isn’t the best way to get back in the air, just a thought.

I’m sure this isn’t all, so let’s hear it from those of you who’ve been around longer than little ole me….what are some of your suggestions on coming back after a long period off?

Blue skies!

Ashley

It’s all custom!

Well it’s official, my brand new custom rig is complete thanks to the recent addition of my Sabre2 120. It came last week and I’ve been so excited to see it – even more so to fly it!

Custom teal with black ribs, one white and one black cell. LOVE!

Thankfully, CSC has plenty of riggers on staff that don’t mind helping a girl out. Though I’ve seen slinks put together a couple handful of times, I’m still not confident to do it myself. What can I say, I like to have someone who really knows what they’re doing make sure I’m squared away.

Between Doug (the dzo) and two rigger friends it was hooked up in no time. The hard part, was that first pack job. Ugh! Even though I was packing a 120 into a bag and container sized for a 135, it was still a bitch to get in there. It took me 2 attempts to get the slippery ass canopy into the bag, and another three attempts to get my container closed. But let me tell you what, it was worth the struggle.

That first jump was a three way freefly fun jump with Rick and Stephanie. We did a knee lock exit, of sorts, and broke off into a campfire sit. I have to admit my head wasn’t totally in the freefall as I was anticipating deployment.

I was going to pull a bit high, but by the time we broke off and I felt I’d sufficiently tracked away, I was at 3 grand.

The opening was a bit squirrely, with a long, long snivel but sloppy pack job could have lots to do with the weirdness. Once I got situated under canopy I was in heaven. Once again I had a canopy that responded to my direction and I managed to get to the ground in a decent amount of time. The flare was nice and strong…light winds and the landing was tip toe.

I couldn’t be more excited about this canopy. Thanks PD!

It’s too bad that the end of the season is so near. I just might have to plan a warm weather trip for the near future…any suggestions?

Blue skies!

Ashley

A little on downsizing

This weekend Rick and I headed to Start Skydiving in Middleton, Ohio with our friend Joe for a weekend of “all you can eat” skydiving as we were calling it. They were running a special, $210 for all the jumps you can make in a weekend. We had to take advantage of that!

The first day we made 10 skydives, so Sunday we jumped for free! That’s good stuff right there.

We also were able to make night jumps for our D-license requirements. This is a great dropzone to do night jumps, the LZ is huge and the hangar lights shine into part of the designated landing area so if you’re accurate you can see your feet as you land, making it pretty cakey if you ask me.

Lots of great freefly jumps were made this weekend, too! More docks than I’ve ever made in a single weekend, and my partner and I realized just how much we’re getting it together. Fall rate is less of an issue than it’s ever been and we spend most of our jumps face to face, docking on each other. I LOVE skydiving with him!!

I also was able to demo a “new” canopy this weekend. On the first jump of the weekend we were teamed up with one of the local freeflyers who mentioned that he had a Sabre2 for sale. This got my attention as that’s what I’ve had my eyes open for lately – but when he mentioned it was a 120, I was hesitant.

After a few conversations with trusted friends and fellow jumpers, I felt confident that I could fly it. So I took it for a spin on a hop ‘n pop. I went without a weight belt, or even a jumpsuit, just to get a flavor of how it flew. It opened like a dream…definitely a different story than my Sabre 1. The responsiveness is incredible, pull a toggle and it goes! Landing was a breeze too – the flare is nice and strong, so even coming in a little hot I’m able to get it to slow up enough to tiptoe out.

So, I decided to take it for a full-altitude skydive on the next jump, weight belt, jumpsuit and all. Sure enough, I loved it just as much on this jump too!

I continued to use this canopy throughout the weekend – even through night jumps. It finally feels like I’m in charge of the canopy and I can make it do what I want…and I’m not staying in the sky for 10 minutes! So I brought it home for my rigger to inspect…fingers crossed.

Now, here’s my disclaimer. For anyone who is counting, I skipped a step in the canopy downsize process. I started on a Triathlon 160, downsized to a Sabre 1 150 and now I’m on to a 120. As I mentioned earlier, I was hesitant when he said 120, I even mentioned that “it’d be great if it was a 135,” but given that I’m about 130 pounds out the door, those with much more experience than me advised that I’d be alright.

Normally, I wouldn’t recommend people skip steps in downsizing like this, but every person is different and it all depends on your flying ability and what you want to do with the canopy. After almost 10 jumps on it, I definitely feel confident. This canopy gives me room to grow. There’s so much I can do with it over time. And for right now, as a pretty conservative canopy pilot, it gets me to the ground quickly and safely.

So when it comes time to downsize, demoing is a good idea. You never know what you might be getting yourself into, so try before you buy and see what’s right for you.

Blue skies!

Ashley

BASE WEEK with Miles Daisher

Welcome back to BASE week! Today we’re going to hear from one of the most visible characters in BASE jumping.

If you’rve heard of BASE, you’ve heard of this guy. That’s right kids, it’s Miles Daisher!

*Photo credit unavailable as I borrowed this from his Facebook page. Hope that’s alright. But this is one wicked picture!

I feel so honored to have the chance to chat with Miles and find out more about what makes him tick. So let’s have at it shall we?

SDC: So let’s dive right in with the standard first question: how and when did you get your start in skydiving? Tell us your story…

MD: I became addicted to skydiving September 6, 1995.  I’d always wanted to try it and when my roommate Frank “The Gambler” Gambalie (skydiver, BASE jumper and hero) told me where to go, I booked an AFF (Accelerated Free Fall) course at Skydance Skydiving center in Davis, California. Three days of classroom and coached jumping while passing all of my 7 level jumps to begin hucking my monkey from scareplanes on my own.  Since then I’ve quit all previous jobs I’ve had (a variety of all types) and focused on keeping myself in the parachuting world.

SDC: That’s pretty incredible! I’m a huge believer in following your passions and doing what you love, all the time. Your story is a great example of that. I’m sure a lot of people out there envy that – and I’m sure you hear that all the time

SDC: So when and how did you transition to BASE?

MD: Watching Frank’s BASE videos was always really cool.  When I saw one in particular of a jump from the Troll Spire on the Great Troll wall in Norway where Frank jumped and tracked away from the wall for 26 second before pulling his pilot chute to open his parachute.  He was flying his body away from the wall and this sparked my interest to get involved with fixed object parachuting.  From the EARTH!  I’ve lived my dream and have had the opportunity to jump the Troll wall from Frank’s exit point, the Troll Spire.  This was one of the pinnacle jumps that I’ve ever done!

I started on bridges that were the safest things to jump in case your opening faces a direction other than the heading that you choose.  If you have a 180 degree off heading opening on a cliff or a building you will have only an instant to correct the direction your parachute is flying before you strike or hit the object you jumped from.  With a 20 MPH forward speed on these canopies we fly, things can happen fast and usually do.  Bridges are the safest way to start.  I take baby steps with every goal I have so I may enjoy the ride to conquer each challenge as safe as possible.

SDC: Do you frequently get to skydive these days or are you all BASE all the time?

MD: I still Skydive quite a bit.  I LOVE it.  Compared to BASE jumping, Skydiving is a fun time, walk in the park where you get to dance in the sky with your friends.  Also you can train to do many things for BASE jumping while having a safe amount of time in the air as well as more time to dial in tricks and ways to fly your body more proficiently while skydiving.  I also perform Demonstration jumps with the Red Bull Air Force from aircraft.  I’ve even started a new sport called Skyaking (see picture above) that involves skydiving while in a kayak.  The freefall can be tricky but I think I’ve got a good handle on this now and the landings are really fun.  Swooping into a lake, river or even a ditch while strapped in a Skayak is always a great time!

SDC: That’s incredible – I’ve seen some of the videos of this and you can’t help but smile while watching you having a blast up there, in a kayak! Where do you do most of your skydiving these days – where do you consider your “home DZ” I suppose?

MD: I’ve had a few different home DZs.  I started in Skydance Skydiving then moved to Lodi for years.  Then I learned to do tandems and packed a bunch at Skydive Lake Tahoe when I became a professional parachutist. It is hard for me to call one place my home DZ.  Nowadays I’ll call the Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls Idaho my home DZ as I do more BASE jumps than anything else.  Or anyone else, because I can here in this BASE jumping friendly environment.  At 2,669 BASE jumps I’m catching up to the 3,100 skydives I’ve done. Last spring I’d call Sebastian Florida my home DZ.  I must say that I’ve been SUPER fortunate to be able to call Lauterbrunnen Switzerland my home DZ last summer as we’ve (Red Bull Air Force) been shooting a 3D movie called Human Flight for a few months.  Check out humanflight3dmovie.com to see some of what we were up to.  Mostly big wall proximity flying with squirrel suits. I’d have to say it is tough to point a finger at one DZ to call home when I love to visit them all.

SDC: We’ve all seen at least one Miles D video and there’s always one common denominator – you are very high energy! What’s your secret?

MD: The secret to the high energy I have while skydiving and BASE jumping is this . . . When you do things you are passionate about, you do them 115%, or put everything into them.  When you love what you do, you get excited about it.  For me and this instance, I find it really easy to get excited about flying parachutes and my body through the air.  It is super sensory overload for me.  I love it!  Then there is the rest of my life where my mom would always tell me to settle down and stay still which I’m still not truly understanding why and what she really means by this.  As well as the fact that I love the Red Bull energy drink that keeps my vitamin B levels up to where I enjoy them.  Caffeine is good for you too if you like to get after stuff.  I guess the ADD in me is a good thing and I’ve harnessed the power of it and sustained for life with some help drinking the right stuff.

SDC: What is one of the most memorable experiences you’ve had in this sport?

MD: I’ve had many super memorable moments in the air with my friends.  One that really let’s me feel that I can conquer anything and do anything if I put my mind to it as well as enjoy each moment to the fullest, is when I did a 2 way with Shane McConkey (my best friend and BASE partner) from the Troll wall in our squirrel suits to actually live the dream and experience the reason I’ve been driving so hard and learning so much to safely get to where I am today.  We jumped together at sunset after our Norwegian friends showed us the way to the top and flew for what seemed like forever.  Shane shot video of me and I just looked around and soaked it all in.  I didn’t even fly well and wasn’t really trying to.  I was enjoying the moment the entire day!  Shane was yelling at me to Go man Go! and was buzzing around me like a bee trying to get me to fly faster but I just smiled and thought about The Gambler and the good times we’ve all had together.  Then after we landed in a field by the road, I hid behind a hay stack because the jump we did wasn’t exactly legal.  Shane made fun of me and did the most hilarious John Belushi impersonation while in the wide open field, running side to side and diving on the ground to hide.  Then he’d get up again and run side to side and dive on the ground to make fun of how stupidly paranoid I was of getting caught. We laughed for hours on this while we had pizza in the landing area with our Norwegian BASE tour guides toasting a few beers as the sun disappeared on us.

Ahhhhhh the stuff dreams are made of. That’s for sure.

SDC: That sounds amazing. That’s one thing about parachuting I’ve come to love the most – experiencing these moments with good friends. There’s nothing quite like it! Aside from Bridge Day, what are some of the must-attend boogies and events in the skydiving and BASE world?

MD: If you ever get a chance to go to Malaysia to jump the KL Tower, DO IT!  To me this event is the funnest.  That is a word too. It’s a multi day BASE boogie with cultural celebrations and all the jumps you can handle off the 1,000 ft tower.  There is an organized multi week tour that travels the country and has demonstration jumps at many different buildings.  I’d like to have enough time to do this someday but the KL Tower is the crowned jewel of the trip from what I hear.  I’m trying to get myself organized up on this adventure again this year.

SDC: Malaysia has always been a place I’ve wanted to visit. Maybe now there’s another reason…What’s the best piece of advice (related to skydiving/BASE jumping or not) that you’ve ever been given?

MD: The best advice I’ve gotten in my life is “Pay Attention!”  You can learn a lot by observing.  Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut.  Unless you have a question of course.  Many people want to get into BASE and start hucking flips and do cool tricks right away.  Best thing you can do is to get your FUNdamentals dialed in and perfected before starting to get rad.  When you do want to learn something new, break it down into pieces and practice each part so that your motor muscle memory can save you when your brain doesn’t.  Baby steps take longer to do but will get you to your goals safer than going full tilt taking chances and missing out on the Journey that is ever so important and a big part of the whole big picture.

SDC: With the amount you have on your plate you must have a very supportive family?

MD: I gotta give huge props to my wife Nikki and children.  I don’t know where I’d be without their support and trust and faith in me and what I do.  My lifestyle is kinda crazy in the (not so) real world of normalcy.  I have a crazy schedule that is subject to change at a few days notice.  Hard to make every soccer game, gymnastics meet and even birthday party.  We all support each other like a team.  I’m super blessed to have such an understanding and helpful family who has my back no matter what.  The same thing said for me to them.  I don’t take unnecessary risks even when I’m doing the “crazy” stuff I do. There is a method to my madness. I plan on sticking around for years and years to be able to brag up the good times with great friends and give my kids as much grief as possible unless they remain the almost perfect angels that they are for the rest of their lives.  I try to surround myself with good people and abide by the great words of Bill and Ted on their adventures “Be excellent to each other.”  This would be the one moment where my wife would not support me in my cheesiness as she thinks I’m a dork sometimes.  The thing is, she is right and I’m glad she can keep it real too.  I can handle it when I’m right and she can’t seem to appreciate the goodness of a quality movie I believe in.

SDC: So for all those aspiring BASE jumpers out there here’s one you’ll appreciate: If you could give one piece of advice to newbie BASE jumpers, what would it be?

MD: If you would like to learn to BASE jump, come check me out at Miles D’s BASE Camp and learn a safe approach to a dangerous sport. Or at least take your time while you PAY ATTENTION to the do’s more than the don’ts of the sport.  Know what can go wrong and be ready for anything but plant the super positive seed in your head to ready yourself for the perfect outcome of every jump.  Not false confidence but know what you have to do to make the perfect landing happen every time you step off the Earth.  The biggest thing is to know your gear, it’s tendencies and how to make it do the right thing . . . land safe.

Blue skies!  Rock On!

Thanks Miles! This was a treat!

I highly recommend checking out any and all of Miles’ videos – it’s some good stuff.

Blue ones!

Ashley

Cutaway Controversy

One night I dreamt that I had been talking with a friend after skydiving, and he said to me “I knew you’d cut away before your 100th.” The next day, it came true…

A couple weeks back, during the Everglades Boogie at Skydive AirAdventures, I experienced my first cut away. It was an enlightening experience in a number of ways…let me explain.

(And yes, for the record, I already purchased my owed case of beer.)

Friday evening we signed up for a high altitude jump first thing the next morning – after which we jumped on the sunset load to finish out the day.

The weather was beautiful – nothing quite like a sunset Skyvan load – though the wind had picked up slightly.

Naturally, this makes me a little nervous about making it back to the DZ, given that I’m under a canopy that’s proving to be too large for my exit weight. And I was right – the skydive was immensely fun, a 4-way horny gorilla – but I didn’t quite make it back to the LZ. I landed just shy of the target…in the camping area. A fellow skydiver who was firing up his grill about 10 feet from my landing spot gave me a ride back. Nice guy!

So I took this frustration and headed straight to the Aerodyne tent to ask them for a smaller, demo canopy to use on the high altitude jump in the morning.

Given the fact that there was a higher probability of my landing off on a high altitude, I didn’t want to increase those odds by flying my canopy in the higher winds that were expected for the morning.

I worked with the rep, Les, to decide on a canopy to fly. We settled on a Pilot since I was familiar with them as a student.

As he was installing the demo I asked who packed it last and if I should repack the canopy. His words: “This is a brand new canopy and I packed it myself so that should be the least of you worries.”

Perfect! So I was good to go for the morning.

That day I was nervous. Mainly because I was doing a high altitude at an unfamiliar DZ in a little bit of wind – I really didn’t want to land in the sugar cane!

But the jump went well – I was a little late out the door, but was able to hold a sit for 60 seconds or so. It was good practice.

And then, I deployed. Almost instantly (read: as soon as the bag was out of the container) I could feel that something was amiss. Looking up I said to myself  (literally, aloud) “I’ve seen videos of this shit before.” There were countless line twists above my head and I was spinning to the left.

Reaching up and attempting to spread the risers I realized the situation was too far out of hand, the lines weren’t budging. At just under 2,000 feet, I didn’t want to waste anymore time so I reached for the cutaway pillow and chopped.

Before I could even grasp onto that silver handle my reserve was above my head. Thank you RSL.

Now safetly under a crisp, white canopy, I gathered myself, stuck my cut away handle in my teeth (I wasn’t about to be the girl who lost her handles) and steered myself back to the DZ.

I thought for sure with this situation I was going to end up in a sugar cane field somewhere, but with the breeze that had picked up even more, I made it back. Though when I got there, I wasn’t penetrating the wind at ALL, so I had to pick from one of three options:

1) land on the packing tend

2) land on top of the skyvan

3) gracefully set myself down on the tarmac between the two

I went for the latter and prepared to PLF like it was my job. The winds helped set me down on my feet and luckily there were plenty of people nearby who rushed over to pluck my canopy out of the air before it touched the concrete.

As expected, Les was there to meet me after the cut away – though not quite with the message I had anticipated. He briefly interrogated me on why I cut away his canopy (to which I responded “because I wanted to live”), then, with clear frustration, he headed off to “find it.”

Lucky for everyone, both the canopy and freebag landed at the edge of the airport and were retrieved unharmed.

I was then approached by two Performance Designs reps who had no idea I was testing out a canopy, but wanted to see if I was alright and inquire about the malfunction. I instantly gained a lot of respect for PD. Throughout the weekend I talked with Karl about accuracy and tips for packing to ensure that things like this don’t happen in the future.

Feeling rather exhilerated, I disregarded the attitude the Aerodyne rep presented, and headed over to meet Rick. The extra adrenaline rush was really starting to hit me. The event seemed so clear (though now it’s rather fuzzy – wish I would have worn the GoPro on that jump after all) and I was feeling like I could do anything. Hell, I just saved my own life!

Thankfully, Thomas was available for a rush repack, so we headed up to the rigging loft. While I was waiting, Les came back to me with my canopy in hand (my personal canopy, not the cutaway). He proceeded to blame me for cutting away a canopy he seemed to believe was landable.

What gets me more than anything is that the thought never crossed my mind to be upset with Aerodyne – and yet that’s exactly how they approached me.

I was completely taken aback by the disrespect and lack of concern for my safety that he displayed, so were other onlookers.

Jokes began to fly that I cut away a perfectly good Aerodyne canopy because I knew I had a better PD reserve to use. Which of course, was not the case. Funny, none the less.

After spending time talking with lots of different folks about the incident, it’s uncertain the exact cause of the malfunction – precisely where a helmet cam would have come in handy. From body position to a bad pack job, it could be any number of things, or a combination of these factors. Regardless, as the pilot of that canopy I had a decision to make, and chopping was the right one for me. Even with some of the doubt I’ve encountered along the way, I look back with confidence and say “I had to cut that canopy away.”

One thing I’ve learned by talking to others is that other skydivers will always question your malfunction and doubt your decision to cut away. But the truth is, I was there and they were not – and in the end I learned that I can do it and it’s nothing to sweat. When you’re in that moment and you have to pull that handle, you just do it. Nothing else exists but that moment as you release your main from the container.

Though some of it is fuzzy, I look back on certain details of the malfunction with great clarity – the feel of the cut away pillow, the sound of the main releasing. I look back on the incident with an odd fondness as I walked away a more confident and knowledgable skydiver.

Blue Skies!

Ashley

BASE on the brain

Until recently, BASE jumping was something I saw as too dangerous to even contemplate. I mean seriously? Who in their right mind hurls themselves off an object only hundreds of feet above the LZ, just to see if their one parachute is going to open?

Even as a skydiver who has come to love and trust my canopy as a life-saving device, I still couldn’t wrap my head around this seemingly life-threatening version of parachuting.

*Photo by Sandy Weltman

But since my visit to Bridge Day back in mid-October, and having seen the care taken with safety, packing and preparation, BASE jumping continues to be a regular topic of conversation between Rick and me.

As my trusted freefly partner, and someone who’s done his share of BASE jumping over the years, my considerations to take the plunge from a static object include him standing by my side.

*Photo by Ashley Mead (We’ve talked about doing a 2-way like this at next year’s Bridge Day)

It’s an exciting picture, though not without it’s dangers.

For me, there are a few things that stick in my head when contemplating making my first BASE jump:

• There’s no reserve parachute. You’ve only got one shot. REALLY? But doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance?
• With the extremely low altitudes, a reserve would do you no good, anyhow. It also doesn’t give you much chance to toss your pilot. This girl certainly won’t be going stowed for a while.
• On most jumps, your accuracy is critical as landing areas tend to be small. This is why the Perrine looks so desirable for my first.
• The scary stat that 1 in 10 BASE jumpers die doing this. (read: 1 in 10 jumpERS, not 1 in 10 jumps…things like Bridge Day would never take place if that was the case). On the up side, at least they go doing what they love, right?

Most of these things are points of anxiety because they differ from skydiving. And frankly, the prospect of a badly timed flare that could break any number of body parts scares me to no end.

I hear it’s all about the PLF, but my stubborn ass just might decide I need to walk it out. Yep, I’m chick enough to admit that!

As I mentioned, I’d like to make my first jump off the Potato Bridge in Twin Falls, Idaho. It’s a legal jump with a landing area that was cleared by parachutists so you’ve got room for error. Though I’ve been told that Bridge Day is by far the best place to make your first BASE, as you have access to a first jump course that teaches you all you need to know about safety, packing, and making the jump.

Personally, I’d rather not go through all that. Some of my skydiving friends are also accomplished BASE jumpers, I should have no trouble finding a mentor to show me the ropes. And it’s something we can do on our own time.

This is definitely still just an idea in the making, but the longer I’m in the sport, the more appealing new experience, like BASE, seem to grab my attention.

Ultimately, I’d love to do this the right way – to find a mentor to walk me through it, have someone to show me the ropes, teach me how to pack, so that when the day comes and I’m standing on the edge of that bridge, or piece of Earth, that I can know just how prepared I am to make this jump.

What are some of the steps that you took for your first BASE jump? Did you have a mentor or did you grab a rig and wing it? Was your first object a bridge, antenna…?

Blue skies!

Ashley

Mid-week jumps and weekend happenings

After an exhausting weekend in West Virginia for Bridge Day I really thought this week at the office would drag. But boy was I wrong.

Seriously, how is it Friday already?

I think taking a half vacation day on Wednesday to take advantage of the nice weather really helped. The temperatures got up to almost 70 degrees and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Perfect fall jumping weather!

So Rick and I headed down to Canton Air Sports to meet up with a number of our other jumping buddies who had the same idea.

A couple jumps was just the fix I needed…I was starting to twitch over here!

The first jump was a new two-way freefly attempt – one we had seen pictures of before, though we’re not entirely sure what to call it. Essentially, it’s a one-man sit with a head-down stinger. I was the stinger. And we actually pulled it off for a couple seconds. More practice is definitely in order.

If anyone has a name for this, please feel free to share.

The second jump was a high pull so we could play under canopy for a while. I’ve never pulled at 7 grand before, and given the amount of time I hung out in the sky, I’m pretty certain I won’t again for a while.

What can I say, I just get a little uncomfortable being under canopy for so long. But I did learn a little more about my Triathlon – how far I can push it with spirals, testing out front and rear riser moves. For anyone with a new canopy, I definitely recommend a high pull to help you get acquainted.

Hopefully on Sunday the weather will play nice and I can get back to the playground in the sky. If you’re in the NE Ohio area, come out and fly with me. Otherwise, here’s what’s going on this weekend around the skydiving community:

• 10/24. CSC Halloween Party. Live music, costume contest, bonfire and camping. If you’re in or around Chicago, this is a can’t miss DZ party.
• 10/24. RW skills camp. Also at CSC. Visit Dropzone.com for more information.

And next week there is sure to be numerous Halloween boogies to choose from.

Blue Skies!

Ashley

Canopy piloting

Skydiving is a sport with many fascets. I remember thinking “gosh, there’s so much to this” when I was going through my AFF ground school training.

At the time, I had no idea just how much.

Freefall has always been my favorite part of skydiving. It’s what sucked me in from the start. Being under canopy has always made me a little nervous – and rightfully so.

This is one part of the sport that, if you’re not completely aware and on your toes, can be extremely dangerous.

I learned quickly that you cannot trust that those in the sky with you are good canopy pilots. In the early days of jumping in big-ways, I had a habit of separating myself from the pack under canopy, which tended to lead to long walks from landing farther away or even off the DZ.

As I became more accustom to flying and more comfortable being in the air with my fellow skydivers, I relaxed a little. At the same time, I became less aware.

Which brings me to what I’m about to tell you. This is something I’m not proud to admit, especially to y’all, but I feel like this could be a great learning experience for everyone who skydives, or plans to skydive.

Earlier this summer I was involved in a two-way canopy collision.

Yikes I know. We’re both okay, and walked away from the incident without injuries other than bruised egos.

The thing is, I was the only one who saw what happened from start to finish – and there were even a few things I missed.

It happened on an 8-way. First jump of the day, full caravan load of mostly fun jumpers. We were the first group out. I pulled at 3,500 ft, but was still flying a Sabre 210 so I was under canopy for a decent amount of time. The other girl involved was under a very large student canopy (292 if I remember correctly).

As I was setting up for my final approach, I noticed she was rather close to me, but she was headed in the opposite direction. So I disregarded it.

Mistake #1 – when you think you might be too close, you probably are. This is where I should have made a flat, right hand turn to steer away. But I didn’t.

She took a left-hand turn right in my direction! She was slightly lower than I was and didn’t see me. Rather than making any sharp movements (thinking, we’re below 500 ft, I don’t want to turn quickly) I pulled my body up and tucked my knees into my chest.

Luckily, I avoided leg contact with her canopy as she flew under me, but my foot caught her pilot chute trailing behind as I brought them back down.

As I turned around, I saw that her canopy was fully inflated. At the time, it seemed like we avoided a collision and everything was okay. Come to find out from spectators on the ground, half of her canopy collapsed!

She didn’t even realize what happened as she just thought she hit a bit of turbulent air.

We both landed safely, slightly oblivious to what had just occurred. That is, until we heard the accounts from the spectators and experienced jumpers on the ground.

(A successful stand up post-collision landing)

After some expected talking-tos, the incident hasn’t been discussed much. Though it remains fresh in my mind each time I’m under canopy. I’ve become so much more aware because of this incident, and my head is now on a swivel each time I find myself piloting my canopy.

It really hit me hard last night as I was viewing pictures of the event where this incident occurred, and came across a photo that was taken mere seconds after our paths crossed. A photo that I had no idea existed.

My initial thought was, I hope no one ever sees this again, just as our conversation shortly there after was about the concern that we’d forever be the dumb girls of the DZ, that a reputation would follow us.

But what I really hope, and what’s most important, is that people can take something away from what we experienced that day, and learn from it. After all, that’s what skydiving is about – learning from each other, good and bad.

It appears as if the pilot chute had just released from my foot as I was bringing my legs back down from my chest.

Having discussed this with others who were there, this image is worse than any of us remember. Thankfully, her student canopy reinflated as it should and we both walked away unharmed. This incident could have been a lot worse, we were lucky. In the end, we both learned a lot about the importance of safe piloting and being alert and aware under canopy.

And hopefully, all y’all learned something here today too.

Blue Skies!

Ashley