it took all of one jump to get me hooked

[awdordie 0]

Hello forum!

Ill start by introducing myself. I'm Curtis Ray from a very small town called Hartsville TN. I have always been an adventure seeker at heart, but my friends would probably say I'm the quiet/shy type that would shy away from things like this. I have an addiction for cars and going fast, and I'm also a guitarist. From a very early age I was fascinated with flight and anything to do with planes or any type of aircraft. I think this naturally led me to being interested in skydiving.

I know it is usually shunned and/or talked down upon but i have an obsession with B.A.S.E and proximity wingsuit flying. I have watched thousands of hours of proximity tracking, wingsuit proximity, etc. I would say Jeb corliss would have to be my number one inspiration.

I do not know at this moment if i will ever reach the point to where I want to pursue B.A.S.E or wingsuit flying. I do know that i waited 8 yrs too long to start living.

This past weekend my girlfriend decided we should get away for the weekend. she wanted to take her son to the aqarium in Chattanooga TN. I agreed to go because i too wanted to see the aqarium and Ruby Falls since i hadn't been in probably 20 yrs. While eating lunch i thought i would pose the question and ask if we had time if i could make my first jump. She said it was fine, and i pulled up the nearest DZ, which was Chattanooga Skydiving Company, and booked my tandem jump for noon the next day on Sunday 27th of July.

The morning of the jump i was beside myself. I do not know if it was nervousness, excitement, relief, or a combo of all three. I had been wanting to do this for years and today was the day. We arrive and are greeted by a group of very friendly instructors who wasted no time at all getting me going.

Paperwork, then getting harnessed up, then going over exiting the aircraft, then making yourself into a banana or "arch", and finally landing. the tension grew.

They were taking everyone up in a 4 passenger cessna, two instructors, and two students/thrill seekers. When the two ladies in front of me landed they were all smiles. it was mine and their male friend John's turn. My instructor, Also named John, and i were going out first so the other John, and his instructor, I think his name was Mike, were in the back. we taxied to the runway and started down the runway. this is where it gets exciting.

As soon as the pilot began to lift off we here Mike screaming to stop the plane. At first i thought something was terribly wrong. He actually had simply forgotten sd cards to video the other guys jump. We taxied back grabbed sd cards and we were off. This time we made it into the air.

The climb to 10,000 was filled with more instruction, and regular chit chat to calm first time nerves, as well as a few jokes to put us back on edge. At 10,000 when the door opened, i was instructed to put my right foot out beside the instructors, cross my arms and relax. Let me just say, im not afraid of heights, but stepping half way out of a plane at 10,000 ft onto a 1x1 metal step is definitely a gut check.

Before i could blink we rolled out of the plane. The view of the mountains in the area, the Tennessee river, and the valley was simply breath taking. As im sure everyone remembers there first jump, its hard for me to really describe the feeling. Life changing maybe? It felt like we only fell for 2 seconds before the chute was opened, and then maybe a 1 minute canopy ride down. Upon going back and reviewing my video we actually fell for around 35 full seconds and had around a 3 minute canopy ride. I was a victim of a serious adrenaline rush.

Back on the ground it was high fives and more talk of the jump. The instructor said it was totally normal for me to have felt that we only fell for 3 seconds. He said your brain is trying to figure out what is going on and doesn't have time to process all the information.

On the ride home i found myself holding my arm out the window letting the air blow my hand back with my eyes closed trying to remember each detail. Unfortunately I cant remember each detail of the jump. I know that I left the ground and was a dying soul, and when i landed I felt more alive than i ever have and that feeling hasn't stopped since then. I do not believe there is anything on this earth that can put you as close to yourself and clear your mind of anything and everything like sky diving can and did do to me. Now I'm sitting here planning my next jump and looking into AFF courses. The feeling is too good to only experience once.

Enjoy the pictures of my first jump. BLUE SKIES!!!!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/t1.0-9/10177951_712975355440293_8277999233276431900_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/t1.0-9/10556402_712979868773175_2646996845804510286_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/1238275_712979852106510_7082174587403755533_n.jpg?oh=69ea57ea36641d3947b243134aa06f09&oe=5457CBE2&__gda__=1413646815_27c27a7e92df0f98fcdcd6f0d447204a

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10386755_712979825439846_4014916338523090386_n.jpg?oh=97ab53a774fe7356c372e209b06f9b93&oe=5458892F&__gda__=1414171205_85d713ce1e0cf5532d6e87477171cf5f

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10552569_712979922106503_2415741926837023046_n.jpg?oh=7c396d2e4d082d6fc3e521c619a4973e&oe=54516E5E&__gda__=1412886402_c2f60006004ff3b26faed30198407a2a

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t1.0-9/10526105_712979962106499_8736531901519411518_n.jpg

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t1.0-9/10155256_712980052106490_7692847225662383236_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/t1.0-9/10404117_712981042106391_6704547582087592547_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t1.0-9/10557175_712981895439639_5983291866470665265_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/t1.0-9/10403365_712981878772974_7273208901052931173_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10524376_712983122106183_8133704781277974593_n.jpg?oh=3a189b82bf66cc24e0805a0741095aea&oe=54393607&__gda__=1413313215_b66b6f8ca0cf20fc3dead28ac6f37701

[Trafficdiver 8]

Excellent. Go sign up for AFF ASAP. Each jump gets more awesome.

As the sign at the entrance of Skydive New England says "Welcome to your new addiction."

Blue Skies.

[skymama 35]

Welcome to the forums!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon