Unexpected fear getting a hold of me before my AFF cat. B jump

[Shredex 0]

When I did my AFF, I saved for the solo package which gave me my first 9 jumps. Then I rented a trailer on the DZ for a week to complete the course.

I had no tandems and I never even have been on a plane before.

Day 1:
Cat A - I was a little scared. Just went to robot mode and jumped out without thinking as much as I could. was terrifying at first...kicked a little...then I arched...which made everything wonderful.

Day 2:
Cat B - Very nervous, took me a couple hours before I worked myself up to manifest. Little more nervous on the plane. Jump was much nicer and I was anxious to do the next after landing.
Cat C1 - Not as nervous. Anxious to jump again but I knew I had my first solo exit in 2 jumps so I didn't want my first to be the first of the day the next day...so I saved it.

Day 3:
Cat C2 - Nervous as heck. Took me a couple hours to manifest. On the plane I'm thinking to myself "Do I really wanna be doing this? I could just not jump...blah blah" Of course after doing it anxious to jump again. After opening I let out one of those victory yells.
Cat D1 - Little nervous knowing it was gonna be my first solo exit. Got through it. Ready to jump again...no more loads though (Waited to long to manifest)

Day 4:
Cat D2 - Nervous as heck again. Wen't through the same crap on the plane telling myself I should stop or that this would be my last jump...blah blah. Landed anxious for the next :D Let out an ever louder victory yell after opening.
Cat E1 - Little nervous, was gonna be first dive exit. Still asking myself the same questions on the plane...just went through it...ended up loving the dive exit much more. Couldn't wait to jump again.
Cat E2 - Still nervous on plane but not very much this time. Did the jump. Did my flips. Landed. Greeted with my AFF Graduation certificate :]

Day 5:
Solo #1 - This was the most nervous out of all the days/jumps. I actually felt like I was going to puke. I kept making trips to the bathroom. It took me nearly 4-5 hours to finally work up the nuts to manifest. Was just a nervous wreck. But decided to finally do it. I paid for it, and I wasn't gonna let myself down. Told myself to just do it and I would be done. Went up, jumped. Had a blast. After opening I let out the loudest yell of joy/victory I have ever in my life. It's like the more nervous you are before the jump, the more exciting it is. Really accomplishing something, knowing you got through it(the plane ride). Landed. Grabbed my wallet and went straight back to manifest to by another ticket and got myself on the next load.
Solo #2 - Not very nervous at all. Was much nicer. Jump wasn't that great though, (sneaky sneaky cloud making me pull at 8K :'[ )

So, we all get the feeling. It's all about consistency, though. Even if you have 500 jumps, if you stop jumped for a few months and come back, that first ride is gonna be a little scary. Just gotta keep reminding yourself of how nice it is once you are out of the plane. The plane ride is the challenge. The jump is the goal. Get yourself through it and enjoy flying :]

Keep it current, and blue skies.
-Josh

[cocheese 0]

Quit with the fucking drug solutions.

Have no fear til pull time.

Visualize a relaxed experience.

Go bowling until it sucks so bad you want to jump out of an airplane.

Try a wind tunnel.

Good luck and we're all counting on you.

[adagen 0]

Haven't many jumps so I can only say what worked for me. That was to focus my brain on the routine of the jump as advised by the instructor, and keep going through it in my mind. So at door time my brain was concentrating on the steps I needed to go through rather than the thought of jumping out of a plane.

Anne

[JohnMitchell 14]

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Haven't many jumps so I can only say what worked for me. That was to focus my brain on the routine of the jump as advised by the instructor, and keep going through it in my mind. So at door time my brain was concentrating on the steps I needed to go through rather than the thought of jumping out of a plane.

That is EXACTLY the right thing to do.

Same thing world class skydiving competitors do when they're competing. Stay focused and calm by keeping your mind on task.

[glorious_alien 0]

I did that, many times, millions of visualizations, but the sudden appearance of physical fear took me by surprise. I was perfectly fine all the way up until the door opened.

[dthames 0]

I posted a URL to the duck cartoons, but it was some of her later work. Go back to when the duck was in AFF.

http://tailotherat.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-09-30T09:07:00-07:00&max-results=20&start=16&by-date=false

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[skybytch 259]

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Quit with the fucking drug solutions.

What he said. They aren't solutions. If you really think you need to take a pill to skydive, find some other hobby.

[JohnMitchell 14]

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I did that, many times, millions of visualizations, but the sudden appearance of physical fear took me by surprise. I was perfectly fine all the way up until the door opened.

Very common reaction.
So, how did you do after you jumped out? That's the real question.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

Being angry with yourself just makes an unpleasant experience more unpleasant. A not-entirely-rational part of your mind stepped up to try to save your life. It won't understand why you're angry. That just makes the whole thing worse next time around.

Embrace the fear. Savor it like a fine wine. This is probably the most intense emotion you've ever felt, and you want to mute it out? This is what you're here for! This is what tells you that you're really alive!

Don't take drugs for this. You will never know your own strength if you do.

When you next stand at that door, you will be the absolute master of your own fate. Enjoy that too, if you have the time.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[Maksimsf 0]

I had to take a "vacation" for a 6 month after my 1st jump (Static line from 1500 ft. with round D-5). I had 6 month to think about it. Don't push it, there is no reason to manifest next day after you ride the plane down. Wait a few month and think about it. Then download few videos: some pornography and skydiving clips - watch all of em. If you feel that skydiving videos turn you on more then porn - you are ready for a jump :) Don't try to foul yourself.

[glorious_alien 0]

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I did that, many times, millions of visualizations, but the sudden appearance of physical fear took me by surprise. I was perfectly fine all the way up until the door opened.

Very common reaction.
So, how did you do after you jumped out? That's the real question.

According to my instructor, I did really well. Exit OK. Good response to hand signals, a bit too eager, though. Good canopy control, good altitude awareness. Pulled on my own at the right altitude. (Well, waived off at 6200 ft figuring that it will take about 200 feet to complete the waving process and then I'd pull at 6000, as required.) Turned too early on the last leg of the landing pattern (was about to be blown over the runway, so did the turn at 400 ft). Landed on my feet fairly softly. The radio on my helmet was cutting in and out, so I decided to ignore it and land on my own. It worked out well.

[glorious_alien 0]

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Quit with the fucking drug solutions.

What he said. They aren't solutions. If you really think you need to take a pill to skydive, find some other hobby.

Of course you are right, and this is a chance to grow. And for some reason I don't think that skydiving is really a hobby. It's a state of being, a way to transform into another person, a stronger and more capable one, it's an altered state of mind, it's completely spiritual. No?

[glorious_alien 0]

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I had to take a "vacation" for a 6 month after my 1st jump (Static line from 1500 ft. with round D-5). I had 6 month to think about it. Don't push it, there is no reason to manifest next day after you ride the plane down. Wait a few month and think about it. Then download few videos: some pornography and skydiving clips - watch all of em. If you feel that skydiving videos turn you on more then porn - you are ready for a jump :) Don't try to foul yourself.

Hmmm. Porn v. skydiving videos. Not even a contest! (And not because I am a chick, I dig porn too!) But this is an excellent suggestion. Although not entirely possible since I just can't stay away from the dz... I want to be there even if I am not jumping... And when I see people landing with parachutes, i am nearly in tears of joy...

Watching skydiving videos makes me long for the sky so much, I can barely breath when I watch them: they are that breathtaking and awe-inspiring to me. And I want to be that!

[glorious_alien 0]

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Embrace the fear. Savor it like a fine wine. This is probably the most intense emotion you've ever felt, and you want to mute it out? This is what you're here for! This is what tells you that you're really alive!

When you next stand at that door, you will be the absolute master of your own fate. Enjoy that too, if you have the time.

This is definitely the most intense emotion of my ENTIRE life, no kidding. It took my by surprise. I did not know I had something like that in me.

I do wonder if they would let me stand in the doorway just a little. I already rode a car on a highway at 120 miles an hour while hanging halfway out of it, but it's not the same... But very fun nonetheless...

[fastphil 0]

Maybe a plane with no in-flight door is what you need...

[skyjumpenfool 2]

Fear is a natural emotion!! How you deal with fear is something that has to be developed. I encourage all that "WANT" to skydive to try it. However, all the warm and fuzzy responses here may be leading you astray. So, with that in mind, I say to you... Skydiving is an extreme sport and is NOT for everyone.

Here's why... If you're overcome by fear when the door opens, what's going to be your response when your main parachute malfunctions? Will you be able to control that fear and respond in a completely rational way? If not, this is a life and death problem.

Fear is not a bad thing!! Just make sure you evaluate your ability to deal with it in an honest manner. There's no shame in choosing another sport. Try something a little less dramatic and conquer your fear at that level. Then, someday, give skydiving another chance. Your “learned” ability to deal with fear will better equip you to the skydiving environment.
Uhmmm… and keep in mind, most will tell you that I don’t know shit from shinola!

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

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This is definitely the most intense emotion of my ENTIRE life, no kidding. It took my by surprise. I did not know I had something like that in me.

I do wonder if they would let me stand in the doorway just a little. I already rode a car on a highway at 120 miles an hour while hanging halfway out of it, but it's not the same... But very fun nonetheless...

Do you mean on the way up? You could probably sit at the door! Just explain to them that you're terribly afraid of the door monster and want to get to know it better!

At altitude you could probably also get them to go around for you. They did that for me in a King Air once. I'd had trouble on a previous jump getting all the way out the door with my rig, so they held me to last, circled around for another run and gave me plenty of time to climb out. I didn't need it that time around, as it turns out, but I did appreciate it nonetheless. It took a lot of pressure off on that jump.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[glorious_alien 0]

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This is definitely the most intense emotion of my ENTIRE life, no kidding. It took my by surprise. I did not know I had something like that in me.

I do wonder if they would let me stand in the doorway just a little. I already rode a car on a highway at 120 miles an hour while hanging halfway out of it, but it's not the same... But very fun nonetheless...

Do you mean on the way up? You could probably sit at the door! Just explain to them that you're terribly afraid of the door monster and want to get to know it better!

At altitude you could probably also get them to go around for you. They did that for me in a King Air once. I'd had trouble on a previous jump getting all the way out the door with my rig, so they held me to last, circled around for another run and gave me plenty of time to climb out. I didn't need it that time around, as it turns out, but I did appreciate it nonetheless. It took a lot of pressure off on that jump.

I am going to try to ask them to do that, they probably won't do it considering what a disgraced andpathetic fool I am now in their eyes. Oh well. What I TEMPORARILY lack in balls, I make up for in shamelessness.

[cocheese 0]

Hesitation and fear will get you killed in this sport. You can't be a timid little girl and just close your eyes, tense up, and call 911 to save you.

You are on your own the second you leave the door. Your instructor isn't God. And even your god can't save you.

You have to say to yourself "THIS IS WHAT I CAME TO DO" So let's do this shit. I am in charge of saving myself. I know what to do."

All you have to do is pull and flare. You've done it before. Now pull stable and flare on time and you can do this shit thousands of times.

THIS IS WHAT I CAME TO DO! And I'm going to do it. And I'm going to do it right. Relaxed, with a smile, and with performance mode confidence.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

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I am going to try to ask them to do that, they probably won't do it considering what a disgraced andpathetic fool I am now in their eyes. Oh well. What I TEMPORARILY lack in balls, I make up for in shamelessness.

Nah, just in your eyes. If you're going to care what other people think, at least get it right!

I had one of the older instructors asking me why I was doing this given my age and weight. They didn't think I'd get all the way through AFF with my fall speed, and they were very concerned that if I were in a situation where I had lost my instructors they wouldn't be able to save my life if I failed to act.

Well I'm proud of the fact that no matter what else was going on, I've always pulled my own chute at the correct altitude. I've had a couple of instructors tell me I'm the fastest falling, most altitude aware students they've ever met.

Everyone's a bit different. I failed every other jump before AFF 5 -- took me 12 jumps to get through the program. The ones where I failed usually felt like I learned more than the ones where I passed.

I knew I wanted to do this, stood back up and tried again when I failed (Often laughing at myself in the process) and got my license!

These were setbacks, nothing more, and minor ones at that. If you can get past this, no one will even remember, 50 jumps from now, that you even had this problem. Much less 100, 300 or 1000 jumps from now.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[Amyr 0]

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Watching skydiving videos makes me long for the sky so much, I can barely breath when I watch them: they are that breathtaking and awe-inspiring to me. And I want to be that!

You put into words what i feel. I want to be that too. I want it so bad it hurts both mentally and physically > GOOD LUCK I hope you become what you want YOU CAN DO THIS!

[glorious_alien 0]

Exactly. I am on the manifest for Sunday. I am not giving up, there is still plenty of fight left in me.

Thanks for sharing your story, it really is inspiring.

[glorious_alien 0]

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Watching skydiving videos makes me long for the sky so much, I can barely breath when I watch them: they are that breathtaking and awe-inspiring to me. And I want to be that!

You put into words what i feel. I want to be that too. I want it so bad it hurts both mentally and physically > GOOD LUCK I hope you become what you want YOU CAN DO THIS!

Thank you, Amyr! Will report on Sunday about progress. Let's hope it will be a good news...

[glorious_alien 0]

Not that it matters at this point, but I conquered that fear and got through 3 tandems and 3 AFF jumps. Got injured landing after my Cat C, but as soon as the break has healed, I am coming back. Thank you, everyone, for supporting me!

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

glorious_alien

Not that it matters at this point, but I conquered that fear and got through 3 tandems and 3 AFF jumps. Got injured landing after my Cat C, but as soon as the break has healed, I am coming back. Thank you, everyone, for supporting me!

It matters to you, and that's the most important person. Glad to hear you worked your way through it.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?