Has anyone gone skydiving?

[BlackD1114]

My older brother is taking me skydiving tomorrow and to be honest, I can't wait. I've never jumped before and this first time that we go, we'll be jumping tandem with an instructor.

Anyone here have any stories? Everyone I talk to that has jumped before tells me how much fun it is and most of the people that I talk to have jumped in the military.

[Montreux_Blue]

One of my co-workers has over 1,000 jumps with only one accident, he broke his foot coming in too fast on his landing about a year ago. A few pins and screws, rehab and now he can walk again!

[BlackD1114]

One of my co-workers has over 1,000 jumps with only one accident, he broke his foot coming in too fast on his landing about a year ago. A few pins and screws, rehab and now he can walk again!

Does he jump just for fun? When I was younger, a friend of my dad's would come by every once in a while and show us videos of his jumps in canyons and other places. I found out later that some of his footage that he shot was for Mountain Dew commercials. The guy was a professional base jumper.

[petejw]

You'll love it,
Im scared of heights and did a tandem jump about 15yrs ago, the freakiest part was the 20 min flight in a little plane getting to the right height, when it was my turn to jump i didnt have a chance to look back, the moment i was standing at the door comprehending the fact i was about to jumpout of a perfectly good plane at 12000 feet, we jumped, the sensation of free falling was awesome, then when the parachute opens and you gluide down, the sound is so peaceful, then you take it all in before landing to the ground.
One of the best things i ever did, had a cpl of mates who ended up doing the courses to jump solo.
Also recomend you get a video of the jump and stick it on you tube for us all to watch. :-)
Have fun.

[Montreux_Blue]

He jumps for fun.

[BlackD1114]

Also recomend you get a video of the jump and stick it on you tube for us all to watch. :-)

I would love to get a video of the jump but I don't really have the the extra $125 to spend on it. I'm lucky enough to go as is; my brother is going to pay for me as a birthday gift. The jump alone is going to cost $225 per person. The skydive place was giving discounts for students last month and I'm going to see if they are still continuing it since I'm currently in school; maybe I can save my bro a couple of bucks.

If the chute opens, be sure that I'll be posting about the experience tomorrow.

[Montreux_Blue]

You could get someone to video tape you from where you are going to land.

[b.walker5]

My daughter has jumped a few times and loves it, but I still have trouble understanding the logic behind jumping out of perfectly good aeroplanes, same with bunjy jumping, there's just no sense in jumping off perfectly good bridges

[Bigfoot]

I did it once, not tandem. It was fun and a huge rush.

[b.walker5]

Who dares wins

Okay, just watched the local edition of Who Dares Wins. They took a woman who is absolutely scared of heights to 20,000 feet, strapped her to a skydiver and threw her out of an aeroplane. 20,000 feet Her first, and only, skydive. She was set up by her husband and she was bricking. It turns out it's the first time it's been done tandem here in NZ. Just her bad luck that they chose to break a record with a complete beginner with a fear of heights. I don't think she really understood what she was in for when she accepted the dare but reality soon set in when they handed her the oxygen. She got real nervous but hats off to her, she done it.

[Ivan]

I jumped off the back porch once, does that count?

My dad used to haul jumpers when I was a little runt. He has some pretty good stories.

[BigDick]

My daughter has jumped a few times and loves it, but I still have trouble understanding the logic behind jumping out of perfectly good aeroplanes, same with bunjy jumping, there's just no sense in jumping off perfectly good bridges

I definitely gotta second this! Aint' no way I'd do that, the ground comes at you too fast!

[bigray03]

You'll love it.!!!!!

It's one of those things you either love it or hate it. Never known of someone that enjoyed it and did not FEEN to do it again unless they just absoluty hated it. IT IS BY FAR THE BEST FEELING I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED, 2nd ONLY THE THE BIRTH OF MY 3 BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN. I suprised my wife for her B-Day about 6 years ago, with a sky diving trip. It was the first time that either of us had done this. It's one of those things that we had talked about alot just never really expected to ever acutally do it, and she is terrified of flying. I was taking private flying lessons and met some people who were into it and there we were like birds in the sky.
I don't know how the hell to explain it other than major rush and total peace. I know it sounds strange to those of you who have never and will never for what ever your reasons but it's just the most peacefull, tranqual, experience in the world that you could ever ever imagine. Even if it only last for a short time, it has been the biggest stress relief in my life ever since that day.
My wife and I went back together and jumped a few times after that day and enjoyed it but she has since decided no more. She is more terified of the flight to altitude than the jump. Isn't that strange. LOL. I decided to get my certs. and continued to jump on some what regular basis. Been almost 2 yrs. since last jump of 47 for me. No kidding, you take off and make a couple jumps a month and BAM,, no stress. Totally at peace.
I recently started my flight training again after about 5 yrs. of being idle with it and that just drives my wife crazy. She is terrified of flying and worries herself batty. And to top it off, I am in a helicopter as a passenger on average about 15-20 hrs. a week with my job already and that drives her nuts. It's just something I love and enjoy doing more than anything else in the world is being up in the air. IT GETS NO BETTER THAN THAT!!! NOT EVEN BLASTING DOWN THE ROAD ON AN XS OR BIKE OF CHOICE. "NOT EVEN CLOSE." LOL..
I REALLY HOPE YOUR EXPERIENCE WAS A WONDERFULL ONE! BLUE SKIES!!

[gareth]

Did a tandem a few years ago from a small airfied in NJ. Two "jumpers" with two instructors and a pilot in an overloaded Cessna. It took us 20 minutes or so circling around to groan our way up to 15,000 feet. Just to echo a previous poster, that was the worst part of the whole thing. The plane felt way underpowered.
When we got to the right height things got even funkier. My instructor leaned over, lifted the flap that was the "door" to the drop, and tied it with a piece of string to a sheetrock screw on the underside of the wing to hold the flap open. At that point I couldn't wait to get out of the POS plane. We went out backwards, and flipped into the spreadeagle position and the freefall was just AMAZING. Better than any motorbike full-speed, off the dial run. Then the chute opened driving the harness into my family jewels and when I had recovered a bit, just drifted down and looked at the view through watery eyes. Easy landing. Great thrill.

We had to watch a safety video before we jumped, which was delivered by a long-bearded dude who looked like he was a refugee from ZZtop.
None of the introductions to the sport seemed to be designed to inspire confidence at this particular airfield, especially the actual plane.

I got a certificate to state that I had done the jump. There were typos in it. They were apparently very proud of me and of their "Saftey Record"


It's funny in retrospect.

But I had a great time and landed saft and suond.

Enjoy.

[bigray03]

OMG. laughing my gut up..lol

Pretty much the same exact deal where I have jumped..
It's always the same ol'l comment from folks. "Why would you jump out of a pertectly good aeroplane?" LOL
Yeah right..... The area jump zone flys a guy that owns his own cesna 172 and beings that they did not go into production until 1955 I would venture to say it is an 1955 Cessna 172, only because they were not made before then. LOL.... This bitch has no mufflers at all with no insulation at all. SUPER LOUD AND SHAKEY!!!! About half the rivets that holds this thing together fell off in god knows when. perfectly good plane my ass!!