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The first weekend of Alabama Skydiving Inc. in Pell City did not go off exactly as planned. During a visit to the drop zone by Chuting Star Rigging Loft, I of course had to make a couple of jumps to get a feel for the new digs. Following a fun 3-way jump with two locals, I decided to geek the new drop zone manager, a fellow staff member and friend from Atlanta Skydiving Center, while he made one of his first few tandems at Pell City. Due to the heat, I decided to just go with shorts and a T-shirt. I almost always wear gloves due to 4-way skydiving and tandems, but decided to go without this time. And in the past, even with the gloves, I had a habit of leaving my watch and wedding ring on the ground so I wouldn’t catch the items on the plane on exit or lose them in freefall. Well, I wore the ring in freefall without gloves and lost it in freefall. Ugh. I had all the variables working against me as I, one, didn’t wear gloves; two, had to sit in the Porter at 14,000 feet for 20 minutes due to a thunderstorm cell over the DZ allowing my fingers to get ever so smaller from the cold; three, had to dive hard with my hands behind me because I followed the tandem out; and four, my hands were a little slippery from the sweat of a hot day and then the cold at 14,000 feet. So when I landed, my precious wedding ring was gone and so was the exhilaration of a fun skydive. The good news is that my wife and I share the same design on our wedding rings (two sapphire shooting stars on white gold), so my ring can be remade by using her ring as a pattern. But save yourself the heartaches, headaches and money by taking off your valuable jewelry before every skydive. You may get away with it for a few years, but all it takes is some different conditions and a change of routine to result in the loss of a priceless valuable. While my loss was only material, physical damage is also possible if jewelry is snagged on an aircraft or gear. Leave the jewelry on the ground. :-)

Atlanta Skydiving Center in Cedartown, Georgia, recently expanded its skydiving operations with the purchase of Alabama Skydiving Inc. in Pell City, Alabama. A Caravan and Porter flew jumpers during its first weekend of new ownership July 6 and 7. Several students and more than 25 fun jumpers got a taste of what is to become a bustling drop zone. The ownership already has plans for a new building and swoop pond, and is currently offering $15 jumps to 14,000 feet for experienced skydivers. The drop zone purchase also includes an expansion for Chuting Star Rigging Loft, which is based out of Atlanta Skydiving Center. Alabama jumpers who in the past shipped their rigs to Cedartown for service can now drop off their rigs at Alabama Skydiving in Pell City. The staff will transport rigs to and from the drop zone and loft every weekend, with no extra charge. A Chuting Star Rigging Loft staff member will be at Alabama Skydiving on a regular basis as well to provide information, minor repairs and reserve repacks, as needed. Atlanta Skydiving Center was opened for business Sept. 6, 1997, by two staff members from Skydive Atlanta based out of Ellijay, Ga. The business operated out of a tent and trailer its first year but has grown to include a two-story, 9,000 square foot, climate-controlled building that includes packing areas, team rooms, showers, bunk room, class room, experienced jumper lockers, skydiving gear shop, rigging loft and more. The drop zone has been a big draw for Georgia jumpers as well as Alabama and Tennessee jumpers. Alabama Skydiving Inc. in Pell City now expands the reach and services of Atlanta Skydiving Center. Chuting Star Rigging Loft can now provide a faster turnaround for Alabama customers without shipping. For more information on available services or to drop off a rig for repair or repack, contact us at 770-684-9910, 678-231-2752 or Rigger@Chutingstar.com.