What do you think about to altitude?

[PLFXpert 0]

First I pray for my safety and the safety of everyone on my load.

Then I think about my body positions on the upcoming jump.

Then I'm pretty much singing a song in my head the rest of the way up. Ha ha ha. If someone could read minds, they'd be going on the plane and everyone would be thinking serious thoughts, and then you'd get to the blonde who's singing, "Pour some sugar on meeee" in her head. Ha ha ha.

[freeflir29 0]

I normally close my eyes and relax.....or just bullshit with the people around me.

[diverdriver 5]

Heeeeeeyyyyy.....maybe I should buy a puppy.....then I ran out of gas and I thought......heeeyyyy......why is it so quiet? Guys? guys?

[FallinWoman 1]

THe first load of the day I usually say a little prayer.

If I am in the Cessna, I actually sing out loud...it is so noisy that you can't hear me anyway....and people know that you are singing...it tends to frustrate them...(especially my BF...heehee)

In the big plane...i think about the jump, then I just enjoy the view and the ride.


Anne

~Anne

I'm a Doll!!!!

[Viking 0]

I try to ignore how much this damn student rig hurts my shoulders. If i am jumping with other people then i keep going over the dive with them until it solid in my head

I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver
My God has a bigger dick than your god -George Carlin

[lummy 4]

Quote

"Pour some sugar on meeee" in her head. Ha ha ha.

LOL.... I've had that song stuck in my head on the ride up too... Usually, I'll lip synch to the song in my head and I've even been known to start bopping to the music...

I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. eat sushi, get smoochieTTK#1

[sunshine 2]

I'm usually busy annoying the people around me by poking them, flicking their ears, etc.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[skymama 35]

Think? You mean I'm supposed to think on the way up? Wow, I should try that sometime.

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

[skyboyblue 0]

I am so smart, I am so smart...s-m-r-t.....I mean...doh!

[FallingILweenie 0]

i think about the jump.
then i, and others, yell as loud as we can "reeeeeeeeeeaaaaaadddddyyyyyy, seeeeeeeeeet, goooooooooooooooo" cuz we take our jumps so seriously.

[skymama 35]

Oh, I take my jumps seriously. I'm just not taking the post seriously so I can tease Carrie.

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

[chachi 0]

As a camera man doing alot of tandems I am usually to busy shooting vid to do anything else. On fun jumps me and my loser friends are usualyl entertaining the entire aircraft.

~45

[PLFXpert 0]

Yea yea yea, mama, then why don't you sign on AIM and tease me you meanie!

[edenney 0]

I go through the dive one or more times in my head (depending on the difficultly level). I think about and check my equipment a few times. I look around at the equipment of others around me. Beyond that I just try to relax and my thoughts wander off to all sorts of things that have absolutely nothing to do with skydiving

[skybytch 259]

Depends on the skydive.

Sometimes I'll think about those poor landbound souls stuck on the ground, or what the guy next to me would look like naked.

But usually I'm visualizing the dive a couple times, then working on controlling my arousal level with meditation techniques.

[mujie96 0]

I review my emergency procedures, go over the dive in my head, touch myself..I mean my handles and contemplate using my boobs to get more altitude (never done it yet). If someone I like happens to be on the plane, I rub his thigh or go to sleep on him. SOmetimes I talk to the tandems if they happen to speak English.

Jess

Just keep swimming...just keep swimming....

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Relax, think about the dive, check out the scenery, do my check of threes, more relaxing and when it's right I like to joke with the Tandem Masters about their cutaway procedures (like cutting away the Tandem Student).

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[Cornholio 0]

Wow, a lot of good replies here, but I guess I think of things differently...

When we are on the taxi way or runway, I say a little prayer for me, and everyone else on the plane makes it back to the ground safely and that we have lots of FUN!!

Then for the first couple of minutes, I'm hoping that we get above 2,000' so I don't have to go out via silver. I'm also waiting for my ProTrack to go off to let me know it's working and making sure that it coincides with my wrist altimeter at 1,000'. It's funny is that usually my ears pop right before 1,000' and when turn to look at my wrist alti, the protrack is going off.

Then I usually grab my handles to make sure that they are still there ( for the third or fourth time since putting on my gear.)

By that time, it's just about 3,000' and I enjoy the rest of the ride and stare out the window or try to talk to others on the plane and geek the tandem/AFF cameras. I'm usually deep in thought after this trying to visualize the dive and trying to remember to relax and have fun.

Then before I know it, it's time to GOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Butthead: Whoa! Burritos for breakfast!
Beavis: Yeah! Yeah! Cool!
bellyflier on the dz.com hybrid record jump

[homer 0]

I usually think about the jump, say a little prayer, enjoy the view of the mountains, and try to scary the new students.

CSA #699 Muff #3804

[riddler 0]

Usually stress until I get above 1,500, then relax. Think about my great uncle who was a paratrooper in WW2. Stress about equipment until I check it, then relax again. Think about how great it's going to be once I get on the slide. Stress about he jump until I remember that I'm a good enough skydiver to handle most situations, then relax again. If there's someone I like on the plane, I fantasize about her rubbing my thigh or falling asleep on me. Stress about having everything ready when the door opens and feel the cold, then relax before I go out.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[fudd 0]

I generally try to not panic. Thinking to myself: I'm going to die, I'm going to DIE, why the hell am I doing this..!!! Then I do my gearcheck while I'm still trying not to panic...feeling my handles..hmm...oh there's my TOWEL...ah relax

fudd@theBar

There are only 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

[SpeedRacer 1]

Usually I find the ride to altitude is a good time to reflect on how my weekend compares to most people's (whuffos) weekend.

Speed Racer
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[steve1 5]

I have to go over the dive plan a lot. Maybe it's because I'm so slow. In the old days all you had to remember was to look for something round and get in. I also go over emergency procedures and what if scenarios. I try to get mentally pumped up as well, in other words thinking as positive as I can. And then I just try to enjoy the jump, the sights, sounds, smells (until someone cuts one). I sometimes dwell on the comraderie of jumping with friends. A lot of jumps I have a feeling of pride, in being a skydiver and pride in the people I jump with. I hope I never lose this. I suppose these are things only another jumper will ever understand. Steve1

[cgross 1]

Maybe it's cuz I am new, but on the way up all i can think of is:

I need a new Hobby. I must be a fucking idiot. WHY am I DOING this to MYSELF. Shit here we goooooooo...... WAAAAHOOOOOOOOOO I love this shit!!!!!!!!!

[Slowfaller 0]

At first I just want to make it above 1,000ft. After we do I think about my skydive and exit order. How long between groups etc.. At 'bout 10k i get nervous so I wish everyone a good skydive within earshot to calm myself down and for good vibes.
Chris

--"Someday you will die and somehow somethings going to steal your carbon" -MM