Skydiving!

An important reminder for those with a fear of flying:

In America, your chances of dying in an airplane crash are 1 in 4.6 million. Your chances of dying in a car crash are 1 in 125. (Source: Institute for Pyschology of Air Travel)

elcome to the Skydiving Department!

s you might have guessed, my hobby, passion, life (pretty much) is skydiving. I knew after the first jump, though, that I was in for the long haul! I could hear my wallet crying and my adrenaline pumping. It was all downhill, so to speak. Actually, more like straight down, no hill. My best friend, Dan Sutton, bought my first jump and the jump course for me for my 27th birthday (July 17, 1995). We made our first jumps on July 18, 1995.

am a member of the United States Parachute Association (USPA). I've been a member since 1995. I currently hold a USPA D license (number D-18541), a USPA C license (number C-25853), and a USPA A license (number A-22911). I accomplished my goal, set in July of 1995 on the day of my first jump: Acquire a D license before my first year of skydiving was over.

have 2,412 jumps as of May 1, 2004. On July 15, 2001, I hit the 24-hour mark for accumulated freefall time. I refuse to equate that number to dollars, so quit asking. ;)

hat's new (or what has happened in the most recent 3 years or so) in my skydiving life? I was part of a 4-way competition skydiving team, "The Parahawks." We practiced every other weekend at the Parahawks Skydiving Center in Marine City, MI (just north of Detroit). If I had to write about my summer vacation of 1999, it would be titled, "I Spent My Summer Vacation Falling Out of Airplanes with the Same Three People."

hat's even newer is my latest (third) camera rig. I have a very wickedly cool Bonehead Flat Top camera helmet, Sony TR20 miniDV video camera, and my trusty Canon Rebel 35mm still camera. I rigged up a blinking Time-Out!! 2000 Evolution audible altimeter (can't find these anymore, since the manufacturer seems to have left the planet), so I can see when the 4-way should be getting ready to leave. I have a very cool new Hanne camera/freefly suit (at right). It rocks for doing 4-way video.

peaking of 4-way video... Here's a groovy little trick I use when I shoot 4-way competitions: I pre-build digital "virtual" meet boards for each round of the competition. Take a look at the one at right. Click on it to see a full-blown copy of one. I load these onto the memory stick in my camera and can record them ahead of each skydive. Besides being really cool-looking, they help the team to find the dives more easily when they fast forward through the tape because the images are perfectly still. When a camera guy videos the dry-erase board, sometimes it's hard to read and shaky. Most importantly, though, it looks cool. :)

peaking of 4-way video (again)... I have a new web site set up for my camera work. It's called, monkeyKam. Everyone's been calling me, "monkeyKam" when I don the camera rig. It started many years ago and it came from the old David Letterman show.

y Gear

• Rig #1Wings Rig (sponsor) - Has the monkeyKam logo embroidered on the back and "Bad Andy" on the mud flap.
• Samurai 120 (sponsor) - Colors: Purple/Purple/Green/Purple/Green/Yellow/Green/Yellow/Yellow - All fluorescent, so put on yer shades!
• PD 126 Reserve (sponsored by Martinit Shot Films) (knock on wood/my skull: haven't had to use a reserve, yet)
• Rig #2: Dolphin Rig (Updated to be a Dolphin 2001 with velcro riser covers and bridal cover for the BOC pouch)
• Jedei 136 (same color scheme as Samurai, albeit slightly faded)
• Tempo 150 Reserve (knock on wood: I've never had to use this one, either)
• Caser collapsible pilot chute (purple chute, black hackey)
• Pro-Track audible altimeter/freefall computer (kicks butt!)
• 3 (count 'em THREE) Alti-2 altimeters:
  - Alti-2 Galaxy (sponsor): Purple case, flo yellow bottom plate, monkeyKam logo on face
  - Alti-2 Galaxy (sponsor): Flo yellow case, purple bottom plate, monkeyKam logo on face
  - Altimaster III TITANIUM altimeter (wrist-mounted)
• FIVE very cool jumpsuits (find me at boogies, like an Extreme "Where's Waldo"):
  - Freefly-type Camera Suite by Hanne: similar style to comp suit below
  - Competition suit: predominantly white, gray back, purple and green grippers, very snug fit
  - Fluourescent yellow, fluourescent green and purple camera suit (matches Jedei canopy)
  - Fluourescent yellow, fluourescent green and purple relative work suit (matches Jedei canopy)
  - Black with Daffy Duck material with red grips (...as if the loud colors on the other suits weren't enough?!)
  - Black with Animaniacs material with red grips
• Red gear bag
• One stuffed plush red lobster
• Blah, blah, blah...

y Awards and Accomplishments

USPA Diamond Freefall Badge for 24 hours of accumulated freefall (picture pending).

USPA Gold Wings for 1,000 Jumps (picture pending).

Falcon Award [number 3485] -- This is awarded for turning four or more points on a 4-way formation. We turned five points, out of a Cessna U-206 at 9,000 feet. I received the Falcon on my 12th jump. This was done at Clements Airport, Bay City, Michigan on September 12, 1995.

Eagle Award [number 1727] -- This award is for getting two or more points on an 8-way formation. We turned three points. The first four people jump out of a Cessna 182 and the other four jump out of a Cessna 180, from 11,000 feet. This was my 81st jump. It was done at the Parahawks (my home drop zone) at Marine City Airport, Marine City, Michigan on March 23, 1996.

Star Crest Recipient [number 13696] -- This is awarded for holding an 8-way star for at least five seconds or about 1,000 feet of freefall. This was from the same dive as the Eagle award above. This was done at the Parahawks.

Star Crest Soloist [7828] -- This is awarded for entering an 8-way (or larger) star formation at least eighth. I got this one on a 12-way on April 27, 1996. I hung out next to the formation as it fell and counted skydivers as they connected together in freefall. After the 8th guy got in, I went into the formation 9th. We held the formation for a good ten to fifteen seconds. We jumped out of a Twin Otter from about 13,000 feet. There were fourteen of us who left the plane, but only twelve made it into the formation. This was done at Napoleon, Michigan.

ere they are! The long awaited skydiving pictures. OK, many of them are of the consumption after the actual skydiving activities, but they are pictures.

Other Cool Skydiving Links

Skydive Tecumseh - The new home of monkeyKam, my freefall video and photo service.

Marine City Parahawks Skydiving Center!! See my original home DZ's Web site! It way, totaly, completely, massively, amazingly kicks bootie, if I do say so myself (I chuckle quietly to myself).

[Cool image pending!] Go to the Skydive Archive! It's the place to be if you're a skydiver.

[Cool image] World Freefall Convention site!!!

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