What makes skydivers so different from whuffos?

[Robert99 37]

In 1963, I participated in a study, which was apparently sponsored or supported by the Parachute Club of America, to determine if such differences existed.

My involvement consisted of filling out a rather lengthy booklet of psychological type questions and then returning it through my local club to the people who were doing the study.

At least one poster on this thread has knowledge of a doctor who was interested in this subject, had a booklet of questions, and interacted with parachutists.

The PCA related study was supposed to eventually publish the results from the investigation. But I have never seen those results or heard anything further about the investigation.

QUESTION: Do any of the old timers on this thread remember anything about the 1963 study and if the results were ever published?

Robert99

[Guru312 0]

grue

***
With the exception of Nicole Kidman, I can't think of anyone I'd rather hang with than a skydiver. I would love to hear that she is a jumper. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if she is.

Oh god, why her? Ew.

Wait!! You are from Australia. You prolly dislike her because she ignored you one time when you hit on her.

Since typing the reference to her I found out she has made a few jumps. Maybe you'll bump into her on a Aussie DZ some day. Tell her I said "hello" if you do.

Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

[grue 1]

Guru312

Wait!! You are from Australia. You prolly dislike her because she ignored you one time when you hit on her.

Since typing the reference to her I found out she has made a few jumps. Maybe you'll bump into her on a Aussie DZ some day. Tell her I said "hello" if you do.

]

I dislike her because she's a pod person

cavete terrae.

[airtwardo 6]

grue

***
Wait!! You are from Australia. You prolly dislike her because she ignored you one time when you hit on her.

Since typing the reference to her I found out she has made a few jumps. Maybe you'll bump into her on a Aussie DZ some day. Tell her I said "hello" if you do.

]

I dislike her because she's a pod person


That's just what she told you to try and curtail the stalking...

Trust me...there isn't a pod in existence that could contain a red head - and thank God for it!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[grue 1]

airtwardo

That's just what she told you to try and curtail the stalking...

Trust me...there isn't a pod in existence that could contain a red head - and thank God for it!

She was ok back in the 80s and 90s, but she's more plastic than flesh at this point.

cavete terrae.

[airtwardo 6]

grue

***

That's just what she told you to try and curtail the stalking...

Trust me...there isn't a pod in existence that could contain a red head - and thank God for it!

She was ok back in the 80s and 90s, but she's more plastic than flesh at this point.

That's what they make light switches for...ain't the paint what wins a race - look UNDER the hood!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Boomerdog 0]

There IS a difference. There are those who think about it and there are those who cross over the line and actually do it. For many years I thought about it in quick passing. A Christmas present for an AFF lesson started it all; we are both licensed now. I spend the work week thinking about the upcoming weekend of jumping and seeing all my new friends. Now, I want to make it plain that the difference does not make us better than the whuffo's out there. There are many tandem jumpers who come to our DZ and they see the atmosphere and the vibe and several have told me they've never seen anything like the friendliness of the DZ. Now all they have to do is just make the decision to do it!

[Boogers 0]

Tink1717

I have. And many more than I'd like. I have seen multiple staff on staff violence, student on staff violence and jumper to jumper violence including a jumper on jumper stabbing. I don't know how you've went roughly twice as long in the sport as I've been in and not crossed that.

I have seen theft at DZ's and boogies that total in the tens of thousands of dollars, seen drunken vandalism of extreme senselessness and been the victim of hundreds of dollars of property destruction. I too have been to the Herd and NOT seen that, but that was the exception rather than the rule. We are no more or less barbarous than the average whuffo.

Please tell us where all this happens, because I want to be sure I don't go there.

[Boogers 0]

NWFlyer

***As someone new, what do you think is the main cause of such violent disagreements, and what's the best way to keep myself out of trouble?

Same as everywhere.

Egos
Alcohol
Believing that violence is a way to solve problems
Alcohol
Drama
Alcohol
Spending too much time embedded in the DZ world and losing perspective
Alcohol
women
alcohol



Added another category of trouble, in red...

And no, it's not usually the women causing the problem, it's the fact that the ratio of men to women is high, therefore there's a lot of competition amongst the men for the few women.

[NWFlyer 2]

Boogers

******As someone new, what do you think is the main cause of such violent disagreements, and what's the best way to keep myself out of trouble?

Same as everywhere.

Egos
Alcohol
Believing that violence is a way to solve problems
Alcohol
Drama
Alcohol
Spending too much time embedded in the DZ world and losing perspective
Alcohol
women
alcohol



Added another category of trouble, in red...

And no, it's not usually the women causing the problem, it's the fact that the ratio of men to women is high, therefore there's a lot of competition amongst the men for the few women.

I thought that was adequately covered in Egos, Drama, Spending too much time....

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[3mpire 0]

Quote

Trust me...there isn't a pod in existence that could contain a red head - and thank God for it!

+1

[Tink1717 2]

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Please tell us where all this happens, because I want to be sure I don't go there.

It's not limited to any single place. I've seen it at single cessna drop zones as well as the huge boogies. There is no place you can get away from it and there is no way you can tar a single place or even a group of places with the label. You roll the dice and take your chances every time you leave the house. The reality is that there is not now, nor will there ever be in the future, any place or time where you are safe. Life is a risk.

Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off.
-The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!)
AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717

[Joellercoaster 6]

Tink1717

Quote

Please tell us where all this happens, because I want to be sure I don't go there.

I've seen it at single cessna drop zones as well as the huge boogies.

Yarp.

Maybe no stabbings, but all the rest, and I haven't even been skydiving that long.

For every wine-drenched sunset barbecue with beautiful people licking each other's nipples around the campfire, there has been a drunk Welshman kicking down doors and a mad whuffo running amok in the campground with a rubber mallet and a Stanley knife.

I don't think it's skydivers that make the difference, but skydiving itself certainly has something to do with it. Skydivers and non-jumpers are the same people, make no mistake. We are not special. But our environment tends to concentrate emotion - good, and bad.

The good is worth it.

--
"I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan

"You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?

[potatoman 0]

The real diff:
We have been there, and they have not, we live it, they don't, they dream it, we do our dreams.

Makes for a good family with a natural trust factor.

You have the right to your opinion, and I have the right to tell you how Fu***** stupid it is.
Davelepka - "This isn't an x-box, or a Chevy truck forum"
Whatever you do, don't listen to ChrisD.

[Nataly 38]

The fact that we jump in the first place is uncommon, but I'm not convinced we as people are so different... People like to feel special... And saying "I jump out of planes" makes a lot of people feel special. A small subset of skydivers really are different, just like a small subset of *any* group would be.

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[3mpire 0]

We aren't immune to navel gazing, that's for sure!

[airtwardo 6]

3mpire

We aren't immune to navel gazing, that's for sure!

Or Navel Grazing!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[GooniesKid 0]

Nataly

The fact that we jump in the first place is uncommon, but I'm not convinced we as people are so different... People like to feel special... And saying "I jump out of planes" makes a lot of people feel special. A small subset of skydivers really are different, just like a small subset of *any* group would be.

I hear ya. And what makes me different than my whuffo friends is that I can always get a 1-up.
For example:
Whuffo : "OMG, I went par 4 on today's course"
Me : "Oh, cool story bro,,,I skydive"
Whuffo : "oh" :(

Plus i like the attention it gets me and it's a great ice breaker on dates.

[3mpire 0]

Quote

Or Navel Grazing!

mmm. Fresh lint.

[airtwardo 6]

3mpire

Quote

Or Navel Grazing!

mmm. Fresh lint.

Heading for the South 40!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[3mpire 0]

Quote

Heading for the South 40!

Heyo!

[timefighter 0]

Nataly

The fact that we jump in the first place is uncommon, but I'm not convinced we as people are so different... People like to feel special... And saying "I jump out of planes" makes a lot of people feel special. A small subset of skydivers really are different, just like a small subset of *any* group would be.

I agree with this. Skydivers are no different to anybody else. If anything a lot of jumpers just like to think of themselves as a bit special and different because they jump out of planes. There are nice people in the sport and there are dicks. Same as any other sporting group except that occasionally the sport of skydiving is used to self validate or impress others instead of other more traditional methods like expensive cars etc.

[chuteless 1]

For the most part I would say, Skydivers know they can fly, while wuffos cannot fly...........that is why they ask

Wuffo you jump from de airplane ?

[camaroluvr447 0]

We're all people and as such prone to human shortcomings like anger. However I think in skydivers and other extreme/adventure sports participants share a different life philosophy than much of society. Most of us value the experiences life offers more than our very materialistic oriented society who is so focused on $$$ they forget how to live. I think the biggest difference is we learned the value of enjoying the little things like a sunny day, friendship and conversation on a weather hold, and all the small things that are free in life, like a soft breeze. Call it having priorities straight.

Some rules can be bent. Some can be broken. But you cant break all the rules all the time.

[JohnMitchell 14]

Guru312

From my experience as a DZO as well as ten years as a jump pilot jumpers are more respectful of others and they seem to have a more laissez-faire or live and let live attitude. They seem to be less physically confrontational and, in general, just more laid back and accepting of others than the non-jumping community.


I think jumpers are more individualistic and less conforming than whuffos which makes them seem more accepting of differences in others.

Thanks for your observations. I think you've hit the nail on the head with this.

I've often thought that the high degree of trust we place in each other (to do proper gear checks, to track and wave off, to use decent separation on jump run) makes us more cooperative and less likely to find conflict for minor reasons. I know that my wife and I have formed an extremely tight bond jumping together. Few whuffos know what it's like to trust their spouse with their life.

And skydivers sure as hell seem to be more adventurous and willing to try new things than most people. I like vacationing with skydivers more than any other bunch of people.