OK, so I want to obsess about skydiving a little today before really trying to get anything done.  I’ve read all kinds of stuff, but I needed something to take me away and put me back into the moment.  Finally I remembered that I started this little blog, then promptly ignored it soon after.  Duh.

It’d been a good month since my last skydive.  For some reason this fall hasn’t involved much free fall.  It’s tragic.  My work schedule weather and travel have all triangulated to make trips to the DZ few and far between.  My rig was due for it’s inspection and re-pack just before a week long trip to the Dominican Republic (can you believe that there isn’t a drop zone in all of DR??).  So just before the trip I brought my rig in, fully disassembled it with my rigger, and brought it home to clean and Camp-Dry.  This was on the advice of the guy I bought the rig from who said he did this every year, and considering how good the rig still looks well past it’s 10th year in use I figure it worth continuing the habit.

The day before I left for D.R. I dropped the container off, and ordered a new pilot chute (more on that in another post to come).  So there it was yesterday, at my home DZ in Pepperell, MA… which closed for the season last week.  But it was a perfect sunny day, and my brother was headed for a day of jumping with group of my favorite Pep Peeps.  FML.  I waited to be sure that someone would answer the phone at the Parachute Shop before busting ass an hour to Pep to pick up the rig.

So it was 11am before I had my rig with new PC installed in hand.  Time to hit the road hard to make my way Connecticut Parachutist Inc. I called Shawn to see how conditions were, despite the fact that there wasn’t a cloud in the sky nor a breath of wind where I was.  “We haven’t gotten up yet.  Low clouds, but they should be moving out soon, with in an hour or less.”  Cool, the drive would be about an hour and a half, so I could possibly be walking in when the crew would be gearing up for their second jump.

About an hour later Shawn calls me.  “Where are you?”  Me: “Auburn”  S: “Auburn? What the hell are you doing there?” Me: “I’m on the Pike”.  What the heck else would I be doing in Auburn?  No matter, he tells me that they’re going to get something to eat because they’re still waiting for the ceiling to raise.  “Really?” I say.  “It’s perfect here.” still under a cloudless sky.  S: “Maybe we should just fly over there.  Pick a landing spot for us.”  “OK, well about 40 minutes out, so I’ll be pulling just as you guys are getting back from eating so it’ll all work out.  I’m telling you, there is nothing but perfect sky above me.”

I pull into CPI as Otter load 10 is boarding around 1:30.  Still under cloudless skies I scratch my head wondering what Shawn’s game of yanking my chain about weather was all about.  I check in at manifest, hand over the updated reserve packing card, the usual.  Shawn and the Pep Peeps are no where to be seen.  “Was my brother on the load that just took off?” I ask at manifest.  “Nope”, then she gives me a kind of funny look.  “Actually, I don’t think I’ve seen him at manifest at all today yet.”  We check for a few of the other people I thought I’d see.  None of them there.

I leave Shawn a voicemail “Dude, where the hell are you?”.  He calls back.  “Jumptown“.  HAAAA!  I just drove two hours to the wrong drop zone! “Are you guys still waiting to jump?” I ask.  “Ya, we got nothin.”  If there was any day to choose to do something so boneheaded as drive to the wrong drop zone, in another state, this was the day to do it.  While Jumptown was socked in all morning, CPI was putting up load after load.  I manifested for load 11 and got my jump on.

CPI is my winter drop zone.  They’re the only game in town (by “town” I mean southern New England) that stays open 12 months of the year.  The otter goes back to Skydive Spaceland in Texas for the winter, so we jump from a pair of Cessna 182s for the cold months.  It’s still free fall, so I love it regardless of the cramped seating and slow climb to just 9k.  It makes Otter loads in the spring that much sweeter.

The Otter is still here though, so there was no waiting to manifest and get right up into the air.  Since I’m only there part of the year it takes me a while to figure out who I’ve met, and for people to remember me, so I don’t bother looking around for anyone to jump with.  I’ve been thinking about doing a barrel roll out the door for the past week, so just as well to go it alone.  Once I’m out I might as well try a little free flying.

I roll out onto my back and watch the plane go away as I do a 180 turn.  I spent a little while trying to dial in my back flying, trying to sort out directional control using my left foot.  I get some good left and right turns, but can’t quite get nice and still.  What the hell, I figure, I want to try some head down anyway.  I push my legs out wide and arch a little, and the plane shows up between my feet again, cool!  I watch another group exit, then glance around for the 5 way that left before me.  I’m still between everyone, and kind of amazed that I can actually visually place myself in the sky between the groups.  It seems like half a minute has gone by, but the visuals don’t follow that.  I check my alti, and spin a fast 360.  Ya, head down, be careful turning your head.  I play around with remaining stable while looking at the alti, and figure out myself to be at about 9k.  I’m on my back at about a 45 angle, so I push a little harder for vertical, and belly out.

I give it a couple more goes with varying degrees of success until about 6k.  I usually look for other people to jump with when I jump, but it’s really fun just to get out alone and goof around.  Free fall seems to last longer on your own.  I hang in there after 6k, and look around for other jumpers while I hit the brakes for a nice deployment.  After all, I’m not sure how much difference my crispy new pilot chute is going to change things.  As it turns out, not much.  I pitch, and the whole deployment sequence goes off nice, but now without the hesitation after line stretch that I’d been getting.  It feels good, but I notice the certain lack of extra adrenaline that had been accompanying my openings.  That’s good, right?

Once under canopy I find that I’m right on top with plenty of altitude for fun, yay!  Things were rather bumpy under 1,200 feet, but no big worries.  I end up punching my toggles a little at the end of my flare popping up in a quick breeze, but still walk the landing out easily.

The second jump I got together with a group for a 6-way.  Funny being the new guy again.  When I asked if I could join the organizer asked how many jumps I had.  I saw worry run across his face when I told him 160. He actually check with another jumper to ask if she was OK with me being on that jump.  It’s easy to forget how small a number 160 is when you’re the guy with 160 jumps but really comfortable with RW.  He asked if I’ve done much RW, and a few qualifying questions before feeling OK with me being there.  I tried to give him a piece of mind that I’m not a meat missile without overstating my skills.  I certainly didn’t want to say I was some cool guy RW flier, then screw up the dive.

The dive plan was to make a dog-bone, rotate the two halves of the bone 360, then go to open accordion, break that into two pieces and rotate that 360, then go to a round.  I took rear float, my favorite position to leave from, so that made me confident.  Rear float is great for a lightweight like me.  I can push off just as the group is starting the exit, and I can get a little high and watch everyone on the hill.  If the dive is going well I can drop right in, if not I can watch for others before taking up my slot.

That’s how this jump went.  When I find myself looking at the base person all alone on the hill, I always wonder “what the hell is everyone waiting for?”  Eric looked up at me and pointed to his leg to be sure I knew where I was headed.  Not an issue, I fly up to his leg grip and hold my position for others to show up before taking grips.  I was podding off of Eric with another guy, Dave was in a two way position with Eric way with one person of his pod on his right leg.  All of the sudden I find myself getting left high.  Was I getting lazy and slow?  I look around to see everyone looking down and behind me.  Uh, oh, that’s where they’re going.  The sixth jumper was a good 100 feet below us.  OK, pull in tight and let’s see if we can get her.

We picked her up after a pretty long chase, but good to get everyone in on the jump.  I check for altitude as she closes in… dead battery.  OK, I guess I’ll let everyone else decide where we are at.  To my surprise we went for the second point as soon as we picked up Cristy.  Our half spun like a top, and the other half blew up, but they were quick to get back together.  Just as they did, everyone broke.  I love the break, especially when we’re in a tight group.  I slowed up and watched people dive in their tracks below as I tracked over the neighborhoods of Ellington.

There was I big push from the west once I was under canopy, and oh ya, no altimeter.  Not a big concern eyeballing the landing.  Actually, I couldn’t join the pattern anyway from where I opened.  So I pushed my way back to the edge of the landing area making sure I was in before the other jumpers who were on pattern.

Just two jumps on the day, but two more than I would have made if I’d shown up at the planned DZ!