That Ribbon-ish Sound...

[runningman 0]

I was cooking dinner a few minutes ago and naturally started thinking about how much I miss jumping (I'm in school again). In my melancholy reverie, I recalled the first time I actually heard canopies opening above me while I was standing on the ground. That distinct, almost ribbon-like sound, accompanied by the little dots of various colors that appear soon thereafter, never fails to put a smile on my face. I just think it's pretty awesome.

Anyway, just wanted to share some thoughts.

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[billvon 2,426]

>That distinct, almost ribbon-like sound, accompanied by the little dots of various colors
>that appear soon thereafter, never fails to put a smile on my face.

At the 200-way in Perris a while back I was on the ground when they opened above me. I'd been on a lot of big dives but I realized I'd never been on the ground before to hear it for myself. It was impressive; sounded like very long thunder.

[pchapman 262]

And when it is really quiet, you hear the rumble of people in freefall.

All that stuff I do remember as being really cool to hear when I was just starting in the sport.

[runningman 0]

That sounds like it would be prolific. I'm too young in the game to have experienced things like that but once I have the time to jump more...it's on.

[runningman 0]

I've actually heard that. It took me a minute to process what it actually was and I had to check myself to make sure I wasn't imagining things.

[tristansdad 0]

Not that the "ribbon-ish" sound isnt great, I think the change in the prop sounds on the turbines as they taxi are the best!

[mjosparky 3]

One of the sweetest sounds I remember for my early days was a D-18, with short stacks, roaring down the runway at 7:30 in the morning. It made the hair on my neck stand up.
Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Quagmirian 40]

What you call the ribbon sound I call the crisp-packet sound. I just love the sound of a zero-p collapsed slider and stabilisers vibrating in the breeze.

[missbrz 0]

I LOVE that sound. My first favorite in this sport though is the sound right at the beginning of a swoop. It's hard to describe but it slowly builds up into this beautiful WHOOSH during the swoop. It's just magic.

[FreeFallFiend 0]

My favorite is the sound bodies make falling off of a very large tower in the middle of the night. Sounds almost like a plane overhead.

Fiend

I am about to take my last voyage, a great leap in the dark. - Thomas Hobbes.

[DcloudZ 0]

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I was cooking dinner a few minutes ago and naturally started thinking about how much I miss jumping (I'm in school again). In my melancholy reverie, I recalled the first time I actually heard canopies opening above me while I was standing on the ground. That distinct, almost ribbon-like sound, accompanied by the little dots of various colors that appear soon thereafter, never fails to put a smile on my face. I just think it's pretty awesome.

Anyway, just wanted to share some thoughts.

I remember the first time I heard that! I was looking up at the sky at my dropzone and everything was so quiet... The sky was a perfect blue and I could see the jumpers exiting the plane. The first sound I heard was while they were in freefall, the roar of the wind as if they were superman! I started to hear it when they were at about 6,000'. Shortly after I heard the first parachute open and the sound was so clear that even from the ground it had made it feel like it was my own parachute opening. It brings me pleasure to think that at some point someone will probably be on the ground watching and listening to me falling and my canopy opening

"Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way." -Alan Watts

[runningman 0]

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It brings me pleasure to think that at some point someone will probably be on the ground watching and listening to me falling and my canopy opening

Exactly!

Man, these posts are amazing. So different, yet all related to the best sport on the planet. I love finding out what other people find to be particularly appealing or special.

Make sure you never forget about the little things. They really do make a difference.

[runningman 0]

I have to agree with you on this one. Someone swooped over the hanger one day and it literally sounded like a jet flying overhead. AMAZING.

[airtwardo 6]

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One of the sweetest sounds I remember for my early days was a D-18, with short stacks, roaring down the runway at 7:30 in the morning. It made the hair on my neck stand up.
Sparky

I always remember with special fondness the metallic 'clink rattle rattle clink' of my rings & ropes when the PC was at full extension and the canopy was about to catch air...Use to love that sound, meant the scary free-fall stuff was over and the fun canopy stuff was starting!

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

[mjosparky 3]

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One of the sweetest sounds I remember for my early days was a D-18, with short stacks, roaring down the runway at 7:30 in the morning. It made the hair on my neck stand up.
Sparky

I always remember with special fondness the metallic 'clink rattle rattle clink' of my rings & ropes when the PC was at full extension and the canopy was about to catch air...Use to love that sound, meant the scary free-fall stuff was over and the fun canopy stuff was starting!

With ropes & rings it was the start of a whole new adventure.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[MikeJD 0]

Nice thread.

We forget how many of our senses are involved, and how powerful the little triggers to those senses can be - more so, in some cases, than the visual aspects of the sport. I do find that in everyday life I can call up some of the feeling of skydiving by recalling those associative triggers. I tried to capture some of the effect in this, which I wrote a couple of years ago.

Some of the things that set my skydive-senses tingling...

- Standing out in the middle of the landing area on a still summer's day. The only sounds are the birds, the insects, the distant drone of the jump plane descending and the faint rumble of a big formation in freefall.
- The cut of the engine on run-in. Even when I'm on the ground, it gives me the same sense of anticipation that the jumpers are experiencing thousands of feet above me.
- Hearing a song on the radio that was popular when I was learning to skydive.
- The smell of nylon when I open my rig bag.
- The smell of jet fuel, of course.
- The smell of the inside of my helmet (Eww!)

[runningman 0]

First of all, that poem was extremely poignant and I thoroughly enjoyed it. You are a truly gifted writer.

Secondly, I can identify with the first, second, fourth, and fifth things you said. I will say that standing in the middle of the landing area on a quiet day, listening to the canopies opening and swooping overhead, is pretty close to paradise.

[BKS60 0]

I have the grand total of 9 jumps UNTIL this coming weekend. Monday morning driving into work with the window down I had the sudden realization that while making my first jump with no-one holding onto me the day before....... I did not hear any wind while in freefall!
I love this sport!

"You don't get many warnings in this sport before you get damaged"

[DcloudZ 0]

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Make sure you never forget about the little things. They really do make a difference.

In regards to the small things, does anyone else stick their arm out of the window while driving on the highway and imagine that they are in freefall? I've caught myself doing that often lately, always makes me happy

"Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way." -Alan Watts

[runningman 0]

I've actually gotten out of the car and sat up on the window when my friend was driving. Stupid? Sure. But it legitimately felt like I was at the bottom of the hill and about to hit terminal.

Oh, and I stick my arm out all the time.

[JohnRich 4]

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I actually heard canopies opening above me while I was standing on the ground. That distinct, almost ribbon-like sound, accompanied by the little dots of various colors that appear soon thereafter...

The canopies should appear first, followed by the sound of the opening canopies about 10 seconds or more later, assuming minimum opening altitudes of 2,000'. Sound travels at about 1,000 feet per second. It wouild be impossible per the laws of physics for you to hear the sound of opening canopies before they were visually viewable. Light travels just a little bit faster than sound. What you may be hearing is the sound of the wind rushing past the bodies in freefall, before the canopy openings.

[oldwomanc6 38]

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I actually heard canopies opening above me while I was standing on the ground. That distinct, almost ribbon-like sound, accompanied by the little dots of various colors that appear soon thereafter...

The canopies should appear first, followed by the sound of the opening canopies about 10 seconds or more later, assuming minimum opening altitudes of 2,000'. Sound travels at about 1,000 feet per second. It wouild be impossible per the laws of physics for you to hear the sound of opening canopies before they were visually viewable. Light travels just a little bit faster than sound. What you may be hearing is the sound of the wind rushing past the bodies in freefall, before the canopy openings.

Buzz-kill. That took all the romance out of it.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[airtwardo 6]

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I actually heard canopies opening above me while I was standing on the ground. That distinct, almost ribbon-like sound, accompanied by the little dots of various colors that appear soon thereafter...

The canopies should appear first, followed by the sound of the opening canopies about 10 seconds or more later, assuming minimum opening altitudes of 2,000'. Sound travels at about 1,000 feet per second. It wouild be impossible per the laws of physics for you to hear the sound of opening canopies before they were visually viewable. Light travels just a little bit faster than sound. What you may be hearing is the sound of the wind rushing past the bodies in freefall, before the canopy openings.

Buzz-kill. That took all the romance out of it.

Ever hear a femur snap

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

[cocheese 0]

I know. And if your vision is bad, you hear shit first anyway..


My ribbonish story: Skydive Chicago....246 way. I had 18 jumps and enough money to get there and back from Michigan. I told the gate keeper that I was experienced and just coming to watch and maybe buy a helmet. He let us in.

From take off until everyone landed, I had goose bumps like never before.

The rush of that much fabric is very loud. And 240+ canpoies opening made it THE coolest thing I ever saw and heard in my life. And I've seen and heard a lot cool shit. Ok take the excitement of Bridge Day and multiply it by 240 and then condense it down to one short moment.

Oh and I didn't buy a helmet. I bought the whole sport.

[mjosparky 3]

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I know. And if your vision is bad, you hear shit first anyway..


My ribbonish story: Skydive Chicago....246 way. I had 18 jumps and enough money to get there and back from Michigan. I told the gate keeper that I was experienced and just coming to watch and maybe buy a helmet. He let us in.

From take off until everyone landed, I had goose bumps like never before.

The rush of that much fabric is very loud. And 240+ canpoies opening made it THE coolest thing I ever saw and heard in my life. And I've seen and heard a lot cool shit. Ok take the excitement of Bridge Day and multiply it by 240 and then condense it down to one short moment.

Oh and I didn't buy a helmet. I bought the whole sport.

Neat....I was on that load.
Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals