Skydiving...Have you done it?

creech6317

I have always wanted to!
I went for a biplane ride a couple years ago, and since you aren't really "in" the plane (it is open to the outside) I had to wear a parachute. I told the lady who was strapping me into the thing that that was the next thing I wanted to try. Her response was "NOT TODAY!!!"
I can't wait to do it!

tiffhunt21

Haven't done it yet! But it is my reward to myself once I hit my goal weight! I soooo can't wait!

Sh1tsRainbows

Never, but its on my bucket list

BrittneyKitzmann

Skydiving is one of the most exhilerating things I have ever done! I'm glad that you were able to do it!!!

_skittybang

MassiveDelta

never, EVER,
I don't like the feeling of falling.

I've been parasailing though, and I liked that.

It's not the height for me, it's the falling.

You know I am the same way...I didn't feel like I was falling at all. I felt disoriented and healthy feeling of fear for 3-5 secs coming out of the plane. But as soon as we got spun around face down plummeting toward the ground at 130 MPH I was all better. It felt more like flying not falling at all.

MassiveDelta

no need to jump out of a perfectly good airplane

Funny, I keep thinking of "stories". This "perfectly good airplane" thing is one of those things you hear ninety times a day when you are a skydiver.

My story:

We went up in a C47 at my home DZ, Zephyrhills, FLA. C47s are a lot like DC3s - they hold about 25 jumpers. C47s are old, built around the 1950s - mostly workhorses, and did I mention old? The one at ZHillz was honestly held together with duct tape and spit, but I digress.

Near the open door were three "observers"...mind you, they had no idea what to expect. They weren't jumpers, just people going up for the ride - to observe. There are no seat belts or spare parachutes in jump planes, and no seats, either. Okay. Scene set.

Twenty five or so jumpers all being silly as usual and joking around. You know, because someone might die in twenty minutes, give or take a minute or two. It's about ten minutes into the climb. Someone is peering out the window near the wing. He says to the pilot, "Hey, Charlie, there's a lot of oil or something coming out of the starboard engine..." (C47s have two engines, one on each wing.)

30 sets of eyes look in that direction. Charlies says, "How much is a lot?"

We start quietly putting on our helmets, hats, goggles, gloves. . . . mind you, we're at about 1000 feet - too low to jump under the best conditions, but just fine, thank you, if it's that or go down in flames. This is about where the observers start looking a little deer-in-headlights-ish.


"Quite a bit."

Charlie, "Never mind, I just lost pressure in the engine. Get ready to abort." The right engine is shut down. Now we have a full plane, 1000 feet, 25 jumpers and three observers looking a little squeamish. No seat belts. Pilots have parachutes. They don't know what to think. To be clear, the jumpers were squeamish, too - and at least one of us was standing by the open door ready to bolt.

We all started looking back and forth from Charlie, the engine, the ground, and each other.

Charlie, "I'm going to take it down, you guys need to jump."

NO PROBLEM. That's what we're gonna do. See ya.

The jumpers landed off-airport. It took a while to walk back. I'm glad I had a parachute.

The plane landed just fine on one engine. Two pilots and three observers were uninjured, but rattled.

So much for what started off as a "perfectly good airplane." Well, sorta

Great Story and I love all the pictures

emelypoynter

Great Photo! But personally, I see no reason to jump out of a perfectly functioning airplane. I will land :bigsmile: with the plane!

Every skydiver will tell you... there is no such thing as a perfectly good airplane! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

^^^^this...there is no perfect airplane! I've jumped a C130, C17, Osprey (V-22), and Casa. I was ready to jump out of all of them

MassiveDelta

I went and watched two friends of mine jump last fall. I walked in there saying, there is no way I'd ever jump out of a perfectly good airplane. I walked out with a brochure and a plan. When I meet my goal weight, not the weight I am allowed to jump at, but my goal weight I'm doing it. I will probably be scared to death and want to back out twenty times, but I WILL DO IT!!!! :sick:

That's exciting I hope you share your experience!

Pebble321

I've bungeed but never sky dive. I WANT to!! Ilove your pic!

Im more afraid of bungee jumping for some reason... Maybe over water

I went bungy jumping and skydiving in the same week and I LOVED the skydive and hated the buggy jump. It just seemed stupid to be terrified, fall of a ledge and then bounce around like a big ninny.
Skydiving was like flying - so much cooler!

JulieH3art

I did a tandem dive and I really enjoyed it.

Promised my Mum never to do it again, though.

TheMiddlePath

I've done 4 tandem jumps and LOVED every single one! 2 @ 14K in Indiana, 1 @ 10K in San Diego, and 1 @ 18K in New Zealand.

18K by FAR the best...supplemental oxygen on the way up but way longer freefall and it helps that it was with views of Fox Glacier and the Tasman Sea. GLORIOUS!

kateblue72

It's on my 'bucket' list ... tried to do it my first year of university, but I wasn't of legal age, and parents wouldn't sign. The following year I had an injury ... then never got around to it! Presently I still want to try, but realized last year to do a tandem, I'd need to lose weight ... so here I am. Actually at a weight now that would work, but thinking I will wait another year or so, to be at goal, and that I would also be much more fit! Looks like you had a great time! When I do jump, I will remember to ask and pay for the photo!

deadgirl81

Nope, never done it - I'm afraid I don't want to jump out of a perfectly good plane if I don't really have to :happy: but well done you for doing it

Rick_SH

Love it, my 3rd jump was from 14 000 ft freefall with a 38 second delay....AWEEEEEEESOME!!!
Bungee'd when I lived in Western Canada...we actually jumped in Nanaimo on July 1st...naked, lol!

Good times...ha ha!

Me too!! (but you knew that already). The naked bungee jump sounds like fun too. :-)

Beckahecka

SKYDIVING WAS MY MOTIVATION TO LOSE 30 POUNDS!

Shortly after my 18th birthday, I was scheduled to go skydiving - it had always been a dream of mine. I weighed 210 lbs and was scheduled to go skydiving in October of 2010 - I knew I was heavy, but the cutoff weight limit was 220, so I figured I'd be able to go.

Wrong...

I called them to make reservations to go tandem and they said that females had to be 180 lbs or less. I was so disappointed! But I was determined to reach this life long goal.

So I made some changes when I went off to college that fall. I started eating healthier and exercising. It became a lifestyle change for me. I was feeling healthier and looking better, and by the end of december I was down to 180 lbs.

Well December was a little cold to be falling from 11,000 feet., so I kept up my good habits of eating right and excercising and in July of 2011, I went tandem skydiving at 170 pounds! I was so proud to have finally achieved my goal of skydiving, and at the same time, I had achieved my goal of losing weight and becoming more healthy!

Skydiving was what inspired me to lose weight, but actually becoming more healthy is what furthered my weight loss and health goals. Being healthy and strong is crucial to the active and adventurous lifestyle I want to live, and I think they go hand in hand. I am proud of the acomplishments I have already done, and look forward to completing more and continuing to lead a healthy life.

Pspetal

Yeah I've done it and it was beyond amazing. The free fall part was such a rush, but the best part was floating down slowly with the parachute. I've never felt so peaceful! Its so quiet up there, just you and the breeze. You can't hear anything because you're so high up. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it wasn't so damn expensive.