Sky Diving

[rumpletumbler]

I've been considering jumping lately. Maybe next spring etc. Could people who have experienced it give me the pros/cons etc? Thank you.

 

[stingray]

I've done a couple of jumps,
Pro's-its a rush, its fun, and there is nothing like it

CON's-people do break bones and worse even with a properly operating chutes , the worst con of course is death due to some catastophic failure or some other screw up.

If you decide to do it find a good qualified place to, most con's are rare and minimized at a proper school .

 

[FN FAL]

cons? are there any?

I have over 500 jumps, there were some times where life got interesting, you just have to be good judge of what's smart to do and what's not.

Like don't go on low timer 20 ways...they don't work out and everybody is trying to kill you.

Don't jump with people that take unecessary risks.

Don't jump borrowed gear.

Don't jump just before a thunderstorm.

Don't jump student gear with FXC automatic researve deployment devices, after you get off student status...stick with cypress though!

Don't jump with people that have been drinking or are stoned.

The pros:

It's fun

It's safe

It's a great way to prove them stupid math problems wrong you had to do in college

It's addictive

It's expensive...oooops that's a con!

 

[garf12]

I went two weekends ago with my CFI. I did tandem, and it was a blast. I probably will not do it again for a while though cause I allready have enough expensive hobbies.

heres a pic from it..
http://www.aviationforum.org/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=54323

 

[RipCurl]

Pros - You get to jump out of an airplane. While it's flying. And that's fun.


Cons - You are jumping out of an airplane. While it's flying. And that's dangerous.

 

[FlyFlyFly]

Couple of thousand jumps, military freefall and civilian, Jumpmaster ratings for military, AFF and Tandem, know where and who to send you to in the SE. PM me if you want more info.

 

[Eagleflip]

Skydiving? It has been the most exiciting thing I've ever experienced. OK, getting shot at was more exciting, but not real fun. Let's stick with jumping.

With over 120 jumps, I consider myself just a neophyte at the sport. There is much more to learn that origianally appears. And I'd slap on a rig right now and do a 60 second delay without a second thought, even though it's been over 20 years since I last sampled the sport.

The highlights?

Falling through a towering cu and tasting the misty spirit of budding rain.

Sensing the ground rise up toward me, all the while apparently floating on a strong cushion of...what? A force. You can't see it, but you can touch it.

You know that air is real. You can push it, smell it, let it flow through your mouth and nose, filling you with that cold taste of absolute exhilaration and effortless design.

Leaning out of the front seat of a Supercub, sitting sideways because my rig (fat as it was) wouldn't allow me to sit normally. Climibing to altitude immediately after takeoff, I leaned out of the airplane and barked at the golfers at the Caddyshack-like country club. God, I loved that day.

I echo FN FAL's recommendations--and I emphasize one. Don't jump, no matter how tempted you are--with idiots. And it doesn't take a skygod to figure out who the idiots are. Your first impression will work at this sport just like any other.

Jump. Go enjoy life. We weren't place here to lead meaningless lives full of wonder at what could have been.

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

I have about 1500 jumps and agree completely with FN-FAL and Eagleflip. GO!!
Excellent posts by both. As a tandem master there is no better feeling than taking someone on their first jumps and seeing the look and hearing the sounds as they jump!!! FN-FAL's list is right on! I will emphasize again his statement about jumping with ANYONE who has been smoking or drinking. Don't go near them, no matter how much you want to try and 'fit in'. Accident waiting to happen. About the only thing that I personally can equate the rush is driving a Bobsled down the track or sliding Skeleton!!! OH YEAH!!
Jump all over it and have a great time!!

 

[FracCapt]

Skydiving really is a kick a$$ sport, and the comraderie is some of the best. Many of my best friends were met through skydiving. I'm nearing 2000 jumps or so...it's all a guesstimate at this point - I haven't logged anything since jump #1000. I don't work in the sport, it's all just fun jumping for me. As others have said....DO IT!

In addition to what the others have said to stay away from....here's another thing to avoid...and it's a biggie....don't downsize your canopy too fast. Most people want to jump smaller and smaller canopies...and most can handle them when everything goes right, but when the sh!t hits the fan, they may be well beyond their skill level. I love my tiny cross braced canopy...but it took a long time to work up(or down) to it.

 

[UnAnswerd]

Does anyone know what the world record is as far as free-falling from the highest altitude? I seem to remember something about a man who took some sort of balloon up to an insane altitude (curvature of Earth visible), and then letting go. I think he fell for a total of 20 minuets or something...

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

Captain Joe Kittinger, USAF, 1960, 102,800 ft. 4 minutes, 36 seconds, reached 614 mph.

 

[FN FAL]

In addition to what the others have said to stay away from....here's another thing to avoid...and it's a biggie....don't downsize your canopy too fast. Most people want to jump smaller and smaller canopies...and most can handle them when everything goes right, but when the sh!t hits the fan, they may be well beyond their skill level. I love my tiny cross braced canopy...but it took a long time to work up(or down) to it.

You're right about that one, I found since I jump intermittantly now, that staying in the larger canopies is a good thing. Not too large though. I go 225 and 190 Sabre is about as racy as I care to go. If needed, I have access to a nice rental 200 that does o.k. in a pinch. It has a cypress, so I feel pretty good about that.

Most of our student and rental gear came right from the people that made the movie "cutaway" with Gary Busey and Dennis Rodman. Although it was kind of a sad movie, it is neat seeing the rigs in the movie then jumping them or seeing a student land with one of them.

 

[COEX-FO]

If at First You Don't Succeed,

Skydiving is NOT For You!

 

[SEFlyer]

You're right about that one, I found since I jump intermittantly now, that staying in the larger canopies is a good thing. Not too large though. I go 225 and 190 Sabre is about as racy as I care to go. If needed, I have access to a nice rental 200 that does o.k. in a pinch. It has a cypress, so I feel pretty good about that.

Most of our student and rental gear came right from the people that made the movie "cutaway" with Gary Busey and Dennis Rodman. Although it was kind of a sad movie, it is neat seeing the rigs in the movie then jumping them or seeing a student land with one of them.

I prefer the triathalon. Tried the Sabre a few times, and I think it tried to kill me once with all the line twists I got. Right on about staying in a comfortable SLOW canopy.

 

[Jump Pilot]

Pro: fun

Con: death

 

[ATL2CDG]

My senior AFJROTC instructor, LTCOL Monty Rice (RIP, sir), had quite a few phrases he'd ramble out anytime a keyword popped up in class.

Regarding skydiving (or any other mid-air 'evacuations'), the former USAF navigator, a well-known tightwad, would say: "Unless you're throwin' a handful of $100 bills or a coupon to Steak 'n Shake out the hatch, I ain't jumpin' off a perfectly good airplane".

 

[TundraT]

Years ago when I started jumping, the canopies were round and square canopies were still in the development phase. We used to say, “If you’re round, you are sound. If you are square you are not all there.” Obviously thing have improved over the years and even the reserve canopies are squares. When I was asked why I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane I would reply, “Most airplane accidents happen during take off and landing, reduce the risk, get out somewhere in between.”



C-9294 Jumpmaster

 

[Corona]

I think the biggest con would be that you might get a 'chute made by Acme. Instead of a chute, you have an anvil. Then, you make a Wile E. Coyote-shaped hole in the desert floor. And the anvil lands on your head.
C

 

[TonyC]

Are there any schools out there that start students off with solo freefall? I know of guys that have started out with static line - - and tandem seems to be extremely popular. I've ONLY done freefall, but that was many moons ago.


.

 

[Big Duke Six]

Corona, ROTFLMAO!!

Tony, yes there are many schools out there that do that. It's called Accelerated Free Fall (AFF). I'm not positive on the numbers here, but its something like eight or ten jumps total, with the first few being with two instructors jumping with you, then I believe it goes down to just one guy with you for your last few. You get the idea.

I have done three tandem jumps, spaced out over about ten years. If I ever decide to "take the plunge" and get certified, I think AFF would be the way to go.