Jumping as a metaphor for life...

[Guru312 0]

An old friend of mine, who started jumping in 1969, and I, who started jumping in 1960, were talking about what we see as considerable differences of perspective on jumping between “the old days” and what seems to be the case today.

In the simplest of terms, we both see jumping out of airplanes as a metaphor for “taking responsibility for one’s life” in ways which younger jumpers seem to not do. Paying people to pack a personal rig is the best example. Having someone pack my rig isn’t anything I would ever do. [I exclude tandem masters and JMs who have to make many jumps in a day and hardly have the time to pack; after all, business is business.]

When I began sport jumping with the XVIII Airborne Corps SPC, it was a requirement that all jumpers had to learn to pack and were required to pack their own main for every jump--even the first. Where my friend learned, the “learn to pack” requirement was similar but only after a certain number of jumps.

Learning to pack a parachute is not very difficult as everyone reading here knows. And, as everyone here knows, jumping out of an airplane isn’t particularly physically demanding. I first jumped with the 82nd Airborne at Ft. Bragg where jump school was structured to weed out those guys who didn’t have that “something”; it was quite physically challenging and totally structured to make us think we could conquer anything or anyone…single-handedly. “Lean, mean, bad-assed paratroopers!”

Today, with AFF and particularly tandem rides at almost every DZ, students don’t have to learn packing before jumping. And, having been a DZO for a number of years, I realize that it’s totally impractical to require students to learn packing at even small DZs and totally impossible at a large DZ.

My friend is a current AFF Instructor (my I/JM ratings aren’t current) is of the opinion that tandem jumping is actually decreasing the retention/continuation rate. He thinks most people do a tandem like they’d ride a roller coaster: a transient thrill with no life lesson involved and therefore have no reason to continue. Do you think this is true?

After jumping for a few years I decided to get a rigger’s ticket for chest and back because I wanted to be responsible completely for “taking my life into my own hands.”

A newspaper reporter once wrote an article about my DZ with the tile “Jumping out of airplanes: An existential errand.” So…my poll questions address the overall idea of “Skydiving as a metaphor for life.”

What do you think? Do you see any larger, philosophical implications in your life for taking charge of your life by jumping…and packing? How has jumping changed your life in regard to accepting responsibilities?

Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

[ladydyver 0]

Baby jumper here but this is what I have found for me

1.) I almost always pack my own rig unless I have done a lot of jumping during the day.....it always takes me a long time to pack, but don't really care as packing is relaxing to me and it has its own therapy. My hubby will sometimes pack my rig for me......mostly because I am slow at it and he wants me to get on the next load with him. I have also packed his rig for him a couple of times. I am neurotic about my packing....if i don't like the way it packed, it comes out and I start over again.

2.) I think most people do a tandem to say that they did it......and if it really touches their soul they take the first jump course.

3.) I have always been the responsible sort of person so jumping for me metaphorically has more to do with the freedom and the escape that I feel when I am in the sky.......scuba does the same thing (in a different way)

DPH # 2
"I am not sure what you are suppose to do with that, but I don't think it is suppose to flop around like that." ~Skootz~
I have a strong regard for the rules.......doc!

[faulknerwn 36]

I had to pack the majority of my student jumps (in '93). It was good for me.. I almost always pack for myself - when I don't - its normally when I've been letting a rookie packer practice on my rig (I jump 7-cell squares - even though its a Triathalon 99, line twists are still a non-event so I don't worry much).

I've done a handful of tandems - my first wasn't till I had 20+ jumps, the rest have been scarier cuz they've all been with friends getting their ratings. It is a rush hanging out the door without a parachute - I about chicken out every time!

I haven't gotten my rigger's ticket yet, but I do pack all my own reserves under supervision. That is relatively new for me though - I do have 17ish rides from other riggers :-)

I do agree with the responsibility thing - especially for SL students but also for AFF - it is taking responsibility for your own life. I really emphasize that in the FJC - no one is responsible for saving your ass but you. My coolest jump ever - I was jumping gutter gear as a novelty jump - belly mount reserve and all - and the main ripcord was floating. I was planning to dump at 8k and I spent 3000 feet looking for the ripcord with no luck. As I stared at the belly mount reserve handle, all I remember thinking in freefall how I had no AAD, no RSL, no square canopies, and whether I lived or died at this point was completely up to me. I dumped the belly-mount reserve - to an insanely hard opening - and it was the coolest jump ever.

[Squeak 17]

i can see how almost any activity can in some manner or other be a metaphor for at least some part of life.


I dont actually call myself a skydiver, I'm not much into labeling myself based on activities i participate in.

However i do take responsibilty for my own jumping, (except my reserve repack). I have near 800 jumps and over 750 would be self packed.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[climbnjump 0]

Quote

My friend is a current AFF Instructor (my I/JM ratings aren’t current) is of the opinion that tandem jumping is actually decreasing the retention/continuation rate. He thinks most people do a tandem like they’d ride a roller coaster: a transient thrill with no life lesson involved and therefore have no reason to continue. Do you think this is true?

So…my poll questions address the overall idea of “Skydiving as a metaphor for life.”

What do you think?

Well, I haven't had enough wine tonight to be able to wax philosophically about why I see skydiving as a metaphor for life, but I do.

I always pack my own chute. (Ok, that's a little fib. As a rookie packer several years ago, I did pay someone else to "tame" my new Sabre 2 - about 17 pack jobs - probably the best money I've ever spent...)

About tandem jumps... I had no intention of becoming a skydiver. I "won" a tandem jump on a charity auction. I only bid on it because the jump was donated by a gal I knew and I thought I might get a date out of it. (That's another story...) Less than 10 seconds into the freefall, I knew that it wasn't going to be my last jump. As soon as the parachute opened, I started asking the TM questions. We discussed training, costs, etc., all the way to the ground. After landing, I walked into the office and signed up for AFF. So at least in my case, experiencing a tandem jump was the only reason I became a skydiver.

[MikeJD 0]

I always pack for myself - other than my reserve - but I don't see it so much as a responsibility issue. Parachute gear is pretty reliable - generally, canopies want to open - and there's a lot more to surviving in this sport than packing your main correctly.

I just like the independence that comes with being able to pack, and do it pretty quickly (and I don't like adding £5 to the cost of every skydive!). It amazes me that some experienced jumpers are lost without packers, and end up missing loads when none are available.

But I'm never completely comfortable packing for other people. Even though I've done something like 1500 pack jobs without a mal, I still worry that I'll cause one for a friend!