Kim and I managed to find our way back at Orange – a mother’s day present from our families. The weather was questionable, but we were advised to come anyway – they’d manage to get us up. It was Sunday and it seemed quiet compared to our previous trip. I’m sure the weather played a part in the equation. Storms were moving in and out, but never staying for long.
Ned checked us in and told us that our jump masters (JM) would provide us with some instruction before the jump. He gave us each a copy of the Skydiver’s Instruction Manual (SIM). Kim and I hung out at one of the picnic tables and looked through the manuals. I found it hard to focus on the material. During my first jump, my only responsibility was to do what my JM told me. He did all the work and I was just along for the ride. I knew that I wanted more responsibility this time.
Kim’s instructor, Ostrich, came to talk with us. He informed me that my original jumper man, Paul Taylor, was not able to jump with me because he was not around. At first, I was very disappointed. We had made appointments to jump with our original instructors because we felt safe with them. Adding a new instructor to the equation made me a little apprehensive.
While we were waiting, we chatted with some of the other jumpers. Everyone is very friendly at Orange. This one guy stopped by and said hello. He was a tandem instructor and was sure that he had jumped with one of us. After a couple of minutes of trying to determine how he knew us, Kim asked him if had seen our websites (2015 Me Wishes I would have saved my 2004 Website!). Mystery solved! He recognized us from the photos on line. Jake Davis had sent out the link to everyone at Orange.
It was time for the plane to go up, but I still didn’t have a JM. Ostrich told me that he would take Kim up and then he would come back and take me on a subsequent flight. My day was not turning out the way I had anticipated. My original JM was MIA, I couldn’t go on the plane with my number one girl, and I was starting to feel a little shaky because I hadn’t eaten all day.
On our first jump, Kim and I wore jumpsuits, but we heard that it’s more fun to jump without one. Kim’s JM told her it would be okay to jump in shorts this time. She went up and came down without any trouble. She had it again...the perpetual smile. I wanted to have that smile!
After Kim's jump, Ned made an offer we couldn’t refuse. He told us he’d give us a second tandem jump for $100 each - an offer we didn’t want to pass up. This gave us an opportunity to go together(Kim would go with Ostrich), but I still needed a JM. Time to take another leap of faith and jump with someone new. I asked if I could jump with the chatty JM that stopped by and talked with us. He was a little quirky - he didn't wear shoes or a helmet when he jumped. My original jumper man wore a hard helmet - like one you'd wear on a motorcycle.
Decision made. Time to gear up. He came over and told me to get a jumpsuit. I asked him if I could jump without one. "You really should wear a jumpsuit. Your legs could get scraped or cut." Kim was standing nearby telling me how cool it was to jump in shorts Do I really have to wear a jumpsuit? He must have told me six times that I should wear a jumpsuit, but in the end he left the decision up to me. I elected to forego the jumpsuit.
We reviewed my first jump and I told him that I wanted more responsibility this time. On the plane, we went over the jump and practiced a couple of times. Everything went much quicker this time - maybe it was because we were talking on the way to altitude. Our setup and exit from the plane was different than my first jump. Instead of looking straight out the door, we were sideways. He counted off and we were out of the plane.
Since he wasn't wearing a helmet, I could hear him talking to me doing freefall. I checked my altitude, did three practice ripcord pulls, and pulled when it was time. I pulled the ripcord! This time, my reaction to the opening chute was very different. I knew it was going to open and it didn't surprise me.
