NickDG 23 #26 December 31, 2004 My two favorite TV shows from childhood were Ripcord and Sea Hunt. So it could have gone either way . . . I'm in the Marine Corps and on assignment to cover the sport parachute club we had on base. (I was a photographer). I went up in a CH-46 helicopter and shot jumpers exiting and then wound up spending the evening listening to the first jump stories I ever heard and drinking beer. I knew right off I wanted nothing else but to be like these guys. I signed up and paid my thirty five dollars for the first jump course. It consisted of three hours a night over the next five days with the jump on Saturday morning. Each evening's session is followed with Carl Boenish movies and more beer. Friday was packing night, and we (there were five of us) packed our own mains. The packing is done under direct supervision, and they tied the important knots, but not being able to follow shouted directions and get the rig closed meant no jump for you. I was more than ready when Saturday morning came. We went to 2800-feet and I stepped backwards off the tailgate and floated down under my 28-foot Cheapo crabbing across two runways (crabbing was a whole two hours on Tuesday night) before backing myself into a fairly small grass area. I made almost a hundred more jumps before my enlistment ended and all I ever paid was ten dollars a month in club dues. And that went right into the beer kitty. The next DZ I went to was Elsinore. When manifest said it was seven dollars to 7,500-feet, I almost died. That was the day I decided to become an Instructor . . . NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 558 #27 December 31, 2004 Bob Sinclair was my hero on the "Ripcord" TV series. When I turned 20 I made 4 jumps before the snow flew. Only made 2 jumps the next year because I was too busy learning how to fly. The following year I was stationed near Arthur, Ontario, made 50 jumps, earned my "A" and bought a Strato-Star. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peek 20 #28 December 31, 2004 My story: http://www.freefall.com/peek/peekfjc.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmytavino 16 #29 December 31, 2004 It was sept of my sophomore year in college Believe it or not they had a skydiving club there!!! It was 1972 and "insurance" wasn't such a big obstacle.. Plus the airport was literally 4 miles away from the campus !!! hahahaha Static line jump from 3,200 feet... All the training, all the gear, the lift ticket, the J.M.lift ticket,,, an Airplane Ride!!!! ( that was my main intention ) a logbook,, all for 50 Bucks...!!!! . A large group of mostly college students were trained together during a thurs. and friday evening double session.. Most everyone made their first jump... some didn't show on sat... But only 5 or 6 continued to make subsequent static lines ( you needed 4 ),,, and onto freefall... Most of those early friends no longer jump,, but they are always excited to hear of My continuing skydiving pursuits,, whenever we happen to run into each other..... ...Gotta start somewhere ... I was just looking for an airplane ride..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Travman 6 #30 December 31, 2004 Quote My mum still hopes its just a phase lol but i just say at least im not on drugs, this hits her even more now since an old friend of mine died as a result of drugs so this helps her accept skydiving, untill i showed her a piccy of a wing suit. she kinda looked like this smily I saw a report on a drug treatment programme using skydiving. They found that people who wanted to get the sensation high from Ecstasy could get the same fulfilment from skydiving. The programme was very succesful - maybe its because they spend all their money on lift tickets they can't afford the drugs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Superman32 0 #31 December 31, 2004 I've always wanted to jump but never got around to do it b/c I couldn't get people to go with me or this thing or that thing... but the day after I took the MCATs (medical college acceptance test --a 10 hr long super stressful test that essentially decides the rest of your life) a had to decompress and did my first tandem. Inveniam Viam aut Faciam I'm back biatches! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UDSkyJunkie 0 #32 December 31, 2004 QuoteI saw a report on a drug treatment programme using skydiving. They found that people who wanted to get the sensation high from Ecstasy could get the same fulfilment from skydiving. The programme was very succesful - maybe its because they spend all their money on lift tickets they can't afford the drugs. I believe that, it reminds me of a kid at my DZ about 8 or 9 years ago. There was an old-school jumper from way back who hadn't jumped in like 15 years, and his 16 year old son was getting into a lot of trouble with drugs (bad grades, a couple run-ins with the cops, you know... the usual). Anyway, he talked to the DZO about the situation, and brought his son out to do the AFF program in hopes that it would give him something other than drugs to do. Worked perfectly... the guy turned out to be a natural, and cleaned up his act in like a month, and now has about 1000 jumps and 500 BASE jumps. Funny how life works, eh? For myself, I was born into the sport. Dad's been actively jumping since 1973 I think, and on my 18th birthday I finally got to join him... loved it! ('course, it's hard not to when your first jump is a 10-way) My sister just did her first jump in september, and it looks like she's hooked too."Some people follow their dreams, others hunt them down and beat them mercilessly into submission." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
op5e 0 #33 January 1, 2005 Friend was hunting for someone else to fill a spot on an AFF course. I raided my piggy bank (had 400$ in coins thank god) and put it in the bank and then jumped that weekend. Best decision I have ever made. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
docjohn 0 #34 January 1, 2005 Purely by accident. Stationed in Ramstein Germany in 1974, I ran across the January 1974 issue of PARACHUTIST in the barrack's magazine rack. Read it cover to cover and got hooked. Took the first jump course and never looked back. Should be getting my 30 year certificate from USPA soon. Kept that issue of PARACHUTIST. Wanna see it? PARACHUTIST January 1974 Doc http://www.manifestmaster.com/video Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #35 January 2, 2005 1956, 7 years old....sister dating a military jumper who bought her a toy parachute as a gift....(do you see where this is going?)....put it on my back and jumped off the apex of the house (no injuries, just the wind knocked out)...never forgot the thrill of freefalling..... 1977 years later my brother was jumping and talked me into trying it.....did 14 and "retired"..... 2004 again brother was the instigator.....did a tandem and immediately signed up for AFF.... finally having some real fun in life!My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BEorP 0 #36 January 2, 2005 I remember as a little kid watching a show on Discovery, it was called The Ultimate Adventure (with Nicholas Hulot I think). They did lots of cool stuff, but I always remember thinking about how cool it'd be to jump out of a plane (and live to tell about it). Then in September I happened to see someone from the Western Skydiving Club during clubs week. I didn't plan on coming to university and joining the skydiving club, but as they say, there's no time like the present. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #37 January 2, 2005 This the show? Ushuaia - The Ultimate Adventure Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BEorP 0 #38 January 2, 2005 That's it! Thanks for bringing back those memories. I actually started browsing your site early this afternoon, there's a lot of amazing videos there... is there any way to DL them to my HD? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #39 January 2, 2005 Right click on the Download button and hit "save target as" or "save link as." It actually works properly as of last night for the first time ever. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dorbie 0 #40 January 2, 2005 I'd always wanted to skydive but never did it, I wasn't really sure if I could actually jump when it came to it, or more specifically I thought I probably could but I was pretty sure I'd be crapping myself and wouldn't enjoy it. Then I had some time because I was between jobs and discovered that you could do your first AFF jump without a tandem or static line so I showed up at the DZ that weekend for ground school. My first jump was awesome, I was more worried about screwing up my dive flow than I was about jumping out at 13,000'. I was hooked, when the next day I couldn't get my second jump in due to wind I ended up paying for a tandem to get another jump in anyway, and it seemed surprisingly similar to the AFF jump at the time. I don't know exactly what triggered my decision to finally sign up for skydive training but I wish I'd done it years earlier. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 6 #41 January 2, 2005 Quote maybe its because they spend all their money on lift tickets they can't afford the drugs. Quote Now THAT'S a joke that tells itself! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #42 January 3, 2005 QuoteQuote maybe its because they spend all their money on lift tickets they can't afford the drugs. Quote Now THAT'S a joke that tells itself! Yea, thats the way I remember it. SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Belgian_Skygirl 0 #43 January 3, 2005 I always wanted to do a skydive in my life. My husband started before I did, as I was ill at the time and not allowed to jump. He wasnt very motivated to jump, but he went to take the first level AFF anyway. He came home and was VERY excited about it. The first thing he said to me when he got home: I have a new hobby ... he couldn't stop talking about it. 7 months later it was my turn.... I was completely prepared, even before I took the course I knew most stuff... so I was very calm to take the course and jump out of the plane... untill I was in the air, falling. I couldn't breath, I knew what to do but mu body was disconnected. I couldn't move... My instructors had to open the parachutes. Under parchute, everything went well. I did consider o take the course SL, but the instructors that jumped with me told me that I did well under the parachute and that a brainlock can happen, but does not necessarily implies that a person will have it every time. They suggested that I should continue doing AFF, as I had a mental problem dring the freefall part. It took some time to make a decision, but I don't regret it. I think I underestimated skydiving from a mental point of view and I am very happy I did continue skydiving. I guess my expectaions during my first jump were too high. I underestimated everything. I had a very romantic idea about skydiving for the first time. The fun part to me began after finishing the course. As you see: it was my dream to skydive and I talked y boyfriend into doing so (his friends went, but he wasn't that interested... he did it as I always wanted to do that and he ot a bt excited as I was the excited one. When he did his first jump, it was the best experience of his life.) A few motnhs later, when I was cured, I took my first jump.. and my experience was the opposite of his... but I am still jumping, and I love it!!! Note: a few minutes before I had to go out of the plane... my altimeter went crazy... I had to change it with one of my instructors... Maybe this unexpected thing caused too much stress... I don't know... Later I found out that I was the first student of one of the instructors... his first student was a person tha didn't react in the air... me . Now we lagh about it... but I can assure you... I will never forget that experience. But neither the good parts I experienced later...------------------------------------------------- No dive, like skydive... wanna bet on it? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freedom1 0 #44 January 3, 2005 I had wanted to go for "a" skydive ever since the first time that heard that my grandfather was a special forces paratrooper in WW2. It was the summer previous to my first year of university and I had assemballed 13 friends who seemed to want to go skydiving more than me so I was ready to take the course and jump with them. Well the day came and it was me and 2 friends that actually took the course and only me and my best bud Mike that actually took the plunge. Well the rest as they say is history; I went through the IAD progression method and hear I am. I could not be a more appreciative and fulfilled person as a result. That was a great question and brings back a lot of memories... Thanx. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fast 0 #45 January 3, 2005 Saw this crazy looking building in florida... Ya know... this "Sky Venture" place... So like $40 later I had 4 min of tunnel time and this really nice person behind the counter (Arlo) had told me and the guy I was there with all about skydiving. So anyways... here I am ~D Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me. Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gordy 0 #46 January 4, 2005 General boredom with the day to day.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ying 0 #47 January 4, 2005 My boyfriend dumped me. I got depressed and wanted to hurt myself. It took me 60 seconds to forget the bastard :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
D22369 0 #48 January 4, 2005 How did you all get into skydiving?*** I got suckered into it...... friend of mine was having his 30th b-day and wanted to go with all his friends, ten backed out the day of the jump and only two of us showed.... I was totally enthralled with the feelings from that first jump that I had to continue..... RoyThey say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kimgriffin 0 #49 January 4, 2005 Heard some drunk guys talking about it in bar 13 yrs ago. My friends and I in our drunken state agreed that would be a really fun thing to try. The next weekend I found the first DZ in the phone book (California City, Calif.) and made an appointment for a static line jump. My friends all chickened out so I went solo and, like most of us, was immediately in love/hooked. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites JeepDiver 0 #50 January 4, 2005 I'd been wanting to do it for years. I first saw the Blue Angels as a kid at an air show, I must have been 8 years old. Then I saw the Golden Knights do a demo jump & I knew I could do that. When I grew up... I seemed to get into the mood to give Skydiving a try about every 5 years or so and never did. One thing or another would come up and I would get sidetracked. I had seen Jeb Corliss's video "A Year in the Life" and was amazed. To jump like that took ballz. Jumping out of an airplane was nothing compared to that. A group of my friends were talking about it one day and we were all going to go the following day and jump for our first time tandem. Everyone I had planned to do my first jump with were no-shows. Off I went to the dropzone by myself and after the experience I was hooked. I had it video taped, found out about skydivingmovies.com showed the vid to my (Wuffo) friends and all my offshore fishing buddies thought I was crazy. http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=1788 I used to dream of being offshore, now I look at the clouds and want to get back up there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Page 2 of 7 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
JeepDiver 0 #50 January 4, 2005 I'd been wanting to do it for years. I first saw the Blue Angels as a kid at an air show, I must have been 8 years old. Then I saw the Golden Knights do a demo jump & I knew I could do that. When I grew up... I seemed to get into the mood to give Skydiving a try about every 5 years or so and never did. One thing or another would come up and I would get sidetracked. I had seen Jeb Corliss's video "A Year in the Life" and was amazed. To jump like that took ballz. Jumping out of an airplane was nothing compared to that. A group of my friends were talking about it one day and we were all going to go the following day and jump for our first time tandem. Everyone I had planned to do my first jump with were no-shows. Off I went to the dropzone by myself and after the experience I was hooked. I had it video taped, found out about skydivingmovies.com showed the vid to my (Wuffo) friends and all my offshore fishing buddies thought I was crazy. http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=1788 I used to dream of being offshore, now I look at the clouds and want to get back up there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
