Skydiving

[eigen]

THe message title says it all.
My mom is getting me skydiving lessons and a jump or two as a gift for christmas...I am just wondering what to expect. I dont think I will wuss out ...

 

[Descartes]

You can expect to go through a few hours of training, and probably more if you're going solo. I went solo on my first and only, so I had a few more hours of training than others. I did have two instructors go with me, but they were merely to my side; I had to pull my own cord, etc. when the altimeter reached a certain altitude.

Other than that, you can expect the obvious: Falling out of what will likely be a little prop plane.

 

[Spikesoldier]

grasshopper

 

[JulesMaximus]

There is no fvcking way I'm ever going to willingly jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

 

[eigen]

Originally posted by: Descartes
You can expect to go through a few hours of training, and probably more if you're going solo. I went solo on my first and only, so I had a few more hours of training than others. I did have two instructors go with me, but they were merely to my side; I had to pull my own cord, etc. when the altimeter reached a certain altitude.

Other than that, you can expect the obvious: Falling out of what will likely be a little prop plane.

Would you recommend me going solo. I dont think I would have a problem. ( i have been rock climbing 12 years and so feel comfortable trusting equipment and myself.)

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
There is no fvcking way I'm ever going to willingly jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

Exactly.

I think pilots have a saying:

Two things fall out of the sky: Birdsh!t and crazy people.

 

[eigen]

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
There is no fvcking way I'm ever going to willingly jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

Exactly.

I think pilots have a saying:

Two things fall out of the sky: Birdsh!t and crazy people.

Actually the guy that I will be jumping with is a pilot for NW.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: eigen

Originally posted by: Descartes
You can expect to go through a few hours of training, and probably more if you're going solo. I went solo on my first and only, so I had a few more hours of training than others. I did have two instructors go with me, but they were merely to my side; I had to pull my own cord, etc. when the altimeter reached a certain altitude.

Other than that, you can expect the obvious: Falling out of what will likely be a little prop plane.

Would you recommend me going solo. I dont think I would have a problem. ( i have been rock climbing 12 years and so feel comfortable trusting equipment and myself.)

IMO, if you're already jumping out of an airplane a few thousand feet above the ground, then you might as well seriously do it 🙂 You're still perfectly safe, because the instructors are floating in a circle next to you. If you don't pull your cord at a certain altitude they will do it for you. If there's a problem they will attach to you. To me, using a jump cord is like taking a bus to the top of Mt. Everest (yes, I know no buses go to the top of Mt. Everest).

If there is a problem it's likely going to be one of the following: A poorly packed chute, or problems with the plane.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: eigen

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
There is no fvcking way I'm ever going to willingly jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

Exactly.

I think pilots have a saying:

Two things fall out of the sky: Birdsh!t and crazy people.

Actually the guy that I will be jumping with is a pilot for NW.

Well, I suppose if you make your living flying planes then knowing how to successfully jump out of one might not be a bad idea.

 

[eigen]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: eigen

Originally posted by: Descartes
You can expect to go through a few hours of training, and probably more if you're going solo. I went solo on my first and only, so I had a few more hours of training than others. I did have two instructors go with me, but they were merely to my side; I had to pull my own cord, etc. when the altimeter reached a certain altitude.

Other than that, you can expect the obvious: Falling out of what will likely be a little prop plane.

Would you recommend me going solo. I dont think I would have a problem. ( i have been rock climbing 12 years and so feel comfortable trusting equipment and myself.)

IMO, if you're already jumping out of an airplane a few thousand feet above the ground, then you might as well seriously do it 🙂 You're still perfectly safe, because the instructors are floating in a circle next to you. If you don't pull your cord at a certain altitude they will do it for you. If there's a problem they will attach to you. To me, using a jump cord is like taking a bus to the top of Mt. Everest (yes, I know no buses go to the top of Mt. Everest).

If there is a problem it's likely going to be one of the following: A poorly packed chute, or problems with the plane.

I assume they pack your chute and/or supervise you doing so? Man I am so stoked on this DEATH FROM ABOVE BIATHCES
🙂

 

[DrPizza]

I'd love to skydive at least once.

 

[blakeatwork]

It's fun... went the day after I turned 18... bloody fun coming down, as i was able stay up for about 20 minutes (hot hot day).

first glance out the wing is a little intimidating, but once you get on the strut under the wing, just take a breath, relax your body, and let go...

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: eigen

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: eigen

Originally posted by: Descartes
You can expect to go through a few hours of training, and probably more if you're going solo. I went solo on my first and only, so I had a few more hours of training than others. I did have two instructors go with me, but they were merely to my side; I had to pull my own cord, etc. when the altimeter reached a certain altitude.

Other than that, you can expect the obvious: Falling out of what will likely be a little prop plane.

Would you recommend me going solo. I dont think I would have a problem. ( i have been rock climbing 12 years and so feel comfortable trusting equipment and myself.)

IMO, if you're already jumping out of an airplane a few thousand feet above the ground, then you might as well seriously do it 🙂 You're still perfectly safe, because the instructors are floating in a circle next to you. If you don't pull your cord at a certain altitude they will do it for you. If there's a problem they will attach to you. To me, using a jump cord is like taking a bus to the top of Mt. Everest (yes, I know no buses go to the top of Mt. Everest).

If there is a problem it's likely going to be one of the following: A poorly packed chute, or problems with the plane.

I assume they pack your chute and/or supervise you doing so? Man I am so stoked on this DEATH FROM ABOVE BIATHCES
🙂

Yes, they pack your chute. I wouldn't feel comfortable packing my own supervised or not.

I'm glad you're stoked on the death from above, but remember, if you see you're likely going to hit, try to avoid taking anyone else out with you 🙂 Oh, and watch out for powerlines.

 

[Kelemvor]

I went Static Line a number of years ago and it was a lot of fun. If it wasn't so expensive I'd do it more but that was the only time. I didn't know if I wanted to just jump out of the plane by myself and freefall so we did static line. The whole floating down process is great.

 

[richardycc]

one of my roommate did it, and his leg was caught with the parachute, so he was free falling upside down for a few seconds, luckily he freed himself just in time, or else he would've been the 2nd person that die at my university's sky diving club. He wanted to do it too, but I didn't true that diving club, all they did was give you an hour of "training" and then you are free to do a non-free falling single person dive. I thought the first dive has to be tandem? Anyway, he said he will never dive again. haha

 

[flashbacck]

Originally posted by: Descartes
You can expect to go through a few hours of training, and probably more if you're going solo. I went solo on my first and only, so I had a few more hours of training than others. I did have two instructors go with me, but they were merely to my side; I had to pull my own cord, etc. when the altimeter reached a certain altitude.

Other than that, you can expect the obvious: Falling out of what will likely be a little prop plane.

This pretty much sums it up. If you don't mind the extra hours of training, I'd do it solo (not tandem).

 

[Rudee]

Skydiving school is not one of the places where you want to come in late. In fact, I'd recommend you arrive early and get a seat at the front of the classroom. Kind of important stuff.

 

[Rustynuts]

I jumped 7 times in the late '80s. First 6 were static line and then did a freefall from 9,000 with one instructor hanging on. Pretty cool, but scares you shitless. Rinse and repeat. When you're in the plane, you're like "get me the f*ck back on the ground" then when you land your chute you want to go directly back up. The adrenaline messes with your head like a drug!

I hear it takes like 50 jumps to really get comfortable for most people. I would have probably kept doing it, but the day after my last jump a stupid camerman knocked out a tandem instructor and he and his student "bounced"! The student they think was conciuos the whole time, but back then they didn't train tandem students to pull the cord and in fact the only ripcords were on the instructor's gear. Due to that accident they changed the training rules and modified the rigs to let students pull. I quit after that accident! Now I fly sailplanes.

 

[PricklyPete]

Done it. Definitely worth it and I will do it again when I get a chance.

 

[aircooled]

Done it. Was a BLAST!!!. You must do it! You'll be "high" for a week from it.