Full Name:  Jamie Sides

Age:  22

# of Jumps: 2700+

Ratings: Coach, AFFI, TDMI

Favorite Discipline:

I love to do everything; I think it makes you a better skydiver.

College:  Virginia Tech

Major:  Civil Engineering

Favorite Jump Plane:

King Air, Fast and Quite

What is your favorite song to listen to before you jump? 

     Something techno, it gets you in a good fast but smooth flow for your skydive.

What first brought you to the sport of skydiving?

     My father started jumping when I was 5yrs. old and then bought a dropzone right before I turned 16, so I would have to say my father and being around it all my life.

What is your favorite aspect of skydiving?

The freedom!

You are a very accomplished skydiver for your age.  What was the most interesting skydiving experience you've had?

     Having my first spinning malfunction on an elliptical canopy (jump 225).

What advice do you have for a college student looking to get their AFFI (where to start, what to work on first, etc.)?

     Wow, this is a hard one. I would say that currency is probably the best place to start. You need to be jumping as much as possible. Also, the best way to build your skills for becoming an AFFI is to start shooting video, because you are always chasing something. When you shoot video you start to not think about your flying and you just fly to whatever you are videoing. This is one of the hardest things to do in AFF, anticipate and act before something happens. So, shooting video you are focused on what you are shooting and you learn to be more aware of what is going on around you so you can react quicker. Things I would work on are freefall awareness and flying without thinking, like the Nike slogan, JUST DO IT!

You guys have a lot of club participation, how do you keep numbers up and everyone anxious to show up every weekend?

     Everyone kind of does it on there own. We have a meeting every other Monday night and every Wednesday night we have conference night were one of our members makes dinner for us all and we chip in $5 a head to help out. This event just brings everyone together and it’s a relaxing time with friends to break the stress of classes.

If you could give a shout out to one of your other club members, who would it be and why?

     Christie Nix, because she did so much with this club in her years as president that she really has made it easy on me. Also, even now she is still in grad school here at Virginia Tech and she still helps me out when I have no idea what I am doing. Thanks a lot Christie for all of the help.

What would be the first bit of advice you would give to a student just getting their A-License?

     Use the wealth of knowledge that is around you and if you have a question, ask someone, preferably an instructor or coach. Also, talk around the bon fire at night is just that, talk. More people get hurt by trying something that they heard at the bon fire the night before and thought it was a good idea, than a lot of other things in skydiving. Also, altitude awareness saves lives. All of these new audible altimeters are cool, but you still need to keep altitude aware. I have been a victim of altitude loss and was very lucky that I realized it and opened my parachute. I have had many friends in the sport of skydiving die due to loss of altitude awareness. You don’t wear your altimeter for decoration, USE IT.