Parachuting: Completely off topic!

WhiteStrat

WhiteStrat

Don't stare at the eye.
Anybody here ever jump out of a plane?

I'm terrified of heights. It's the biggest physical challenge I face. But lately I've found a rush in facing that fear. Whether it's a crazy roller coaster or climbing up an winding staircase in a lighthouse--the fear of doing it almost paralyzes me, but the rush of doing it more than makes up for it.

So I'm thinking of doing a parachute jump for my 50th birthday (still a couple years off). Anyone here ever done that? If so, was it worth it?
 
So weird that you should post this WhiteStrat as I just posted in the other thread (bucket list) that I usta jump.

It's tons of fun with the main rush of exiting of the aircraft ... Then the landing. The silent floating is calming.

At first you may have to jump hooked to an instructor but after a few jumps you can go solo.
 
Depends where you are. Tandem jumps are the standard now for entry to the sport, and for charity jumps, but free fall is an amazing feeling - not remotely roller-coaster-ish, and the feeling you get leaning off a high building is much worse than looking down from the open door - somehow you feel 'separated'.

When I first did mine, you waited for a still day, wasting loads of time as more experienced people went in front of you, then you did a number of static line jumps, and if you were controlled, you then did some more static line jumps with a dummy ripcord, then progressed to a jump where you pulled your own, then gradually increased the height and fee-fall time. My son started a couple of years ago and they now do what they call accelerated free fall. Your jump suit has thick sausage shaped beading on the sleeves and legs, and after doing your ground school, you hop out at about 12,000 feet and go into the arch back stable position you practiced on the ground. Two other jumpers drop with you and are very close. If you are stable, they leave you to fall, but if you start to spin, or show instability, they grab the sausages and stabilise you. You check your own altitude and then at the nominated canopy deploy height, you pull the handle and you're on your own for the landing.

I prepared a small recorder and mic, wrapped the mic with foam and hairy cover - and got no useful audio whatsoever until the canopy was over my head. The rest was just a roar!

You should give it a go. I've never heard anyone who has done it say they didn't like it. The initial weird feeling in the tummy lasts a fraction of a second and is not like a roller coaster, and it's the kind of feeling that makes you just grin!
 
When I was in college a group of people were into it. Until one day one of their parachutes didn't open and I had one less classmate. So I've never really felt the urge.... :(
 
I've never done it and will never - you know the old saying "why jump out of a perfectly good plane?"
I'm just chicken....
 
I used to back in the late 70's. I'd still be doing it had a car not crashed into my Harley late one Saturday night. It was cheap too back then. $25.00 dollars and we got to jump five times. Definitely fun!
 
They do have those indoor giant fans that you simulate free fall in. You go inside and just hang in midair and do all of the fun acrobats that you would at 10,000'
 
moresound said:
They do have those indoor giant fans that you simulate free fall in. You go inside and just hang in midair and do all of the fun acrobats that you would at 10,000'
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Hmm...maybe I'll start there. I just had a tough time replacing some smoke detector batteries on a fully extended ladder.
 
I've never been sky diving, but I flew hang gliders, and ultralight's In the 70's-80's.

Fledglingad.jpg
 
I did it years ago, made 3 jumps. it was a rush, glad I did it for the experience but as an aircraft mechanic working in general aviation later, I worked on some of the jump planes. most are flying death traps. never did it again.:eek:
 
Atkron205 said:
I did it years ago, made 3 jumps. it was a rush, glad I did it for the experience but as an aircraft mechanic working in general aviation later, I worked on some of the jump planes. most are flying death traps. never did it again.:eek:
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:( I always thought about flying jump planes > Diver Driver. Then I learned it's a pretty competitive flying job. I just wanted a doo-dad little time-killer hobby job to get someone else to pay for my hours. :rolleyes:

Why are these planes death traps? How would an IA sign off on the airworthiness certificate if the plane isn't airworthy? :eek:
 
Chili said:
:( I always thought about flying jump planes > Diver Driver. Then I learned it's a pretty competitive flying job. I just wanted a doo-dad little time-killer hobby job to get someone else to pay for my hours. :rolleyes:

Why are these planes death traps? How would an IA sign off on the airworthiness certificate if the plane isn't airworthy? :eek:
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I got up to the point of taking my final check ride then divorce struck. never picked it back up. I got my A&P in 89. I have seen owners mail logbooks to an IA and have them signed off for Annual without ever looking at the aircraft. Most of the ones I refer to were deathtraps because the owner was a cheap ass. That and they are flown hard, almost always at max weight with heavy wing loading. You would not believe what I have seen considered airworthy. I will not fly commercial today. To many airlines farming out maintenance to the lowest bidder.
 
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