brendhanbb 0 #1 December 17, 2018 So I am honestly curious how old everyone was when they made their first jump and also what made you want to jump and decide to do it. I do count tandom as a first job. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JerryBaumchen 1,228 #2 December 18, 2018 Hi brendhanbb, QuoteI am honestly curious . . . - First jump in early 1964 - 23 yrs old at the time - Wanted to make one & only one since I was 15 yrs old Jerry Baumchen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
countzero 7 #3 December 18, 2018 My nephew and I did the Skycoaster at Astroworld that summer and I decided I wanted to go skydiving for/ on my upcoming 35th birthday. The rest is a history of learning lots, having a blast and meeting tons of awesome people that like landing with parachutes instead of planes diamonds are a dawgs best friend Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brendhanbb 0 #4 December 18, 2018 countzero My nephew and I did the Skycoaster at Astroworld that summer and I decided I wanted to go skydiving for/ on my upcoming 35th birthday. The rest is a history of learning lots, having a blast and meeting tons of awesome people that like landing with parachutes instead of planes That is super mega interesting. I am 30 and I have been dreaming about it doing it for years now. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brendhanbb 0 #5 December 18, 2018 JerryBaumchenHi brendhanbb, QuoteI am honestly curious . . . - First jump in early 1964 - 23 yrs old at the time - Wanted to make one & only one since I was 15 yrs old Jerry Baumchen how interesting seriously for me i know i want to make one jump at least but i can really see myself getting hooked on it. its been a dream since as long as i can remember. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuckakers 406 #6 December 18, 2018 Summer of 1985, because a co-worker wanted someone to go with him. Changed everything about me forever.Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
keithbar 1 #7 December 18, 2018 brendhanbbSo I am honestly curious how old everyone was when they made their first jump and also what made you want to jump and decide to do it. I do count tandom as a first job.. 19 at ft. Campbell Ky. Wanted to jump since a child. Dad was active airborne. I remember in Germany watching a demo where he stomped the X 10 to 15 feet away from me . In a double zipper jumpsuit. With para boots round belly reserve slung to the side . Under a para commander. BOOM! Stood it up. Had a military harness center punch. Released all the seatbelt buckles and cool as shit stepped away from the chute as it collapsed. I WAS hooked at 9 yoi have on occasion been accused of pulling low . My response. Naw I wasn't low I'm just such a big guy I look closer than I really am . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AtrusBatleth 0 #8 December 18, 2018 Mid 30s at the time. Thought it was a fun bucket list thing someday but never got serious about it until a friend at a July 4th party (he's British btw) was talking about jumping, he loved it and had done like 5+ tandems by that point. Whole group of us were all going to jump. We live a days drive away from this group so we kept pinging him when this group was going to go, because we had to coordinate with other travel plans and such. Finally he gives us a date, a few from the group were already backing out. My wife and I make plans and then a week before we find out our frequent flyer friend is the only one left in the group and now he wants to reschedule so he can take his mom jumping. My wife and I said screw it, we're jumping even if it's just the two of us, which it was. Glad it was our first vacation we had saved up a lot of money for, otherwise I'm sure we would have pushed it off due to cost. In fact my first thought after landing was "that was amazing... once. I'm not paying that much to go again, I have a family to support." Then I heard about AFF... Max Peck What's the point of having top secret code names, fellas, if we ain't gonna use 'em? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baksteen 84 #9 December 18, 2018 26. I read about skydiving and wanted to try. When I saw that a SL-course was about the same price as a tandem, but for 5 jumps instead of one AND you got to do everything yourself, the choice was easy. Before actually jumping I had this idea about smearing out the jumps I had left and afterwards jump perhaps once or twice every 2-3 months. After I landed I hoped that there would be enough time to make a second jump that day and knew I would be spending a lot of free time at the DZ from that time onwards."That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
headoverheels 315 #10 December 18, 2018 I went and watched a classmate jump. The next week, I turned 18 and made my first 3 jumps the day I trained (static line). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bokdrol 42 #11 December 18, 2018 I did a tandem in 2008 at the age of 57. Liked it. Did another in 2009 and liked it even more. I then started AFF late 2009. Couldn't do AFF in the UK as I was too old. Eventually got my A in 2010 thanks to an excellent Instructor and eventually learning to relax in freefall. Bankrupted myself travelling to Spain and the USA to train due to the BPA's rules on age. Still jumping regularly- did my last 3 jumps for 2018 4 days ago on December 14th. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
massis 2 #12 December 18, 2018 I'd been talking about it for years but never committed. Last year my wife gave me a tandem jump as a gift for my 30th birthday. Now at 51 jumps and hooked on it :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
neilmck 36 #13 December 18, 2018 I wanted to be a parachutist since the age of 7 when I saw a parachute movie at school (early 1970s). Got the chance when I was 19 and jumped at it . I did plenty of jumping in the 80s and early 90s and then had a pause for 25 years after getting married, but started again last year after my daughter wanted to do a tandem. I quickly got my C license back in time to be allowed to follow my daughter and her tandem instructor out of the door! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dm1436 0 #14 December 18, 2018 I did a tandem with my roommate for our 28th birthday. I DID NOT want to go but she dragged me to the DZ. I was hooked immediately and signed up for AFF and now have my license. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
accumack 14 #15 December 18, 2018 I was 16 a couple days after my birthday January 12, 1969. Early 1960s an airport was built next to our house and a few months or so later Steve Snyder moved his drop zone there from Valley Forge PA. From then on I wanted skydive so At 16 I did. I had to wait a few days for weather to jump. This January is the 50th anniversary of that jump! That jump is the best thing I ever did! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brendhanbb 0 #16 December 18, 2018 chuckakersSummer of 1985, because a co-worker wanted someone to go with him. Changed everything about me forever. What an interesting story. :) For me its something I know I want to do and at this point it will take a lot to prevent from going :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brendhanbb 0 #17 December 18, 2018 keithbar***So I am honestly curious how old everyone was when they made their first jump and also what made you want to jump and decide to do it. I do count tandom as a first job.. 19 at ft. Campbell Ky. Wanted to jump since a child. Dad was active airborne. I remember in Germany watching a demo where he stomped the X 10 to 15 feet away from me . In a double zipper jumpsuit. With para boots round belly reserve slung to the side . Under a para commander. BOOM! Stood it up. Had a military harness center punch. Released all the seatbelt buckles and cool as shit stepped away from the chute as it collapsed. I WAS hooked at 9 yo Awe what an amazing story! I have wondered a lot what kids of skydivers end up feeling when they see their parents skydiving. Did it feel like a long 10 years before you finally ended up going? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brendhanbb 0 #18 December 18, 2018 AtrusBatleth Mid 30s at the time. Thought it was a fun bucket list thing someday but never got serious about it until a friend at a July 4th party (he's British btw) was talking about jumping, he loved it and had done like 5+ tandems by that point. Whole group of us were all going to jump. We live a days drive away from this group so we kept pinging him when this group was going to go, because we had to coordinate with other travel plans and such. Finally he gives us a date, a few from the group were already backing out. My wife and I make plans and then a week before we find out our frequent flyer friend is the only one left in the group and now he wants to reschedule so he can take his mom jumping. My wife and I said screw it, we're jumping even if it's just the two of us, which it was. Glad it was our first vacation we had saved up a lot of money for, otherwise I'm sure we would have pushed it off due to cost. In fact my first thought after landing was "that was amazing... once. I'm not paying that much to go again, I have a family to support." Then I heard about AFF... What a super interesting story(for me it feels more then a bucket list at this point) It is hard for me to explain but its something I just know I wanna do so badly. I do not think I will be satisfied with just one jump but for now one step at time I want to get at least one tandam jump out of the way before thinking about the next step. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brendhanbb 0 #19 December 18, 2018 I want to say thank you everyone who has shared their story as to why and when they jumped its been quite interesting to read :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
faulknerwn 38 #20 December 19, 2018 I had wanted to go since I was a little kid and it was exam week in grad school in 1993. Drove 3 hours to the closest dz, did 2 static line jumps the first day and never looked back! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yeyo 1 #21 December 19, 2018 I won a free tandem voucher and it was about to expire, so I had to use it. Next week I was doing AFF, I was 34 in 2005.HISPA #93 DS #419.5 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kuai43 7 #22 December 19, 2018 May 19, 1984 - 25yo I did a season of static-line and one freefall on modified T-10 round parachutes. Then.. took 22 years off due to family/job/dithering around with other shit, etc. Came back in 2006 at 47yo and went through the AFF program. Still trying to balance family/job but have managed to knock out 800+ absolutely fun jumps (except the one in the rain with shorts & t-shirt ) and don't regret a bit of it, except for not getting instructional ratings to make it a profession. My father was Airborne (I was born at Ft. Bragg) and probably the genesis of my desire to do the first jump. I simply knew it was something I wanted to do. I recruited a dozen or so co-workers to go along for a first jump course, but of course none of them continued. Some of the best people I know, I met at the dropzone. It's not all about the jumping. You'll know if you go. Don't hold back. Do it if you feel it. Do it now (or when it gets warmer). Regrets are forever. Every fight is a food fight if you're a cannibal Goodness is something to be chosen. When a man cannot choose, he ceases to be a man. - Anthony Burgess Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
betzilla 56 #23 December 19, 2018 I was 25. I basically went on a whim. I had never even considered skydiving, and barely even knew it was a thing. But when a friend asked me if I wanted to go along with a big group for a static line jump, I couldn't think of a good reason not to go (lol), so I went. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dthames 0 #24 December 19, 2018 54. Why, So I could fly wingsuits. Trigger, if I waited too much longer, learning would become harder due to age.Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!” Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RMK 3 #25 December 19, 2018 Age 36 In 2002 on holiday in Cape Town, South Africa saw an advertisement for a dropzone (“Skydive Cape Town” near Melkbosstrand) and thought I’ve always wanted to do that. So the wife and I went the next day and both did tandems. On my video the tandem master asked me “If you like it; do you plan on taking up skydiving?” I replied “Yes, I think so”. I flew back to South Africa a few months later and did AFF. Why not AFF in the UK? In the 2002 the South African Rand (ZAR) had crashed against the UK Pound (GBR). So AFF was the equivalent of £350, tandems were £65 and I even got a custom-made carbon fibre helmet (rare in those days) for £40."Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites