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Ifearheights

Is this a good idea?

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Every time someone jumps, it takes a few seconds before the instructor throws his first shute open so you maintain a horizontal position while falling, which seems to be comfortable because every first time skydiver is excited.

I assume the first 2-3 seconds of the free fall are the most intense. Are you aware of your speed while falling after the first few seconds? Or does it feel like you are moving in a vacuum

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I assume the first 2-3 seconds of the free fall are the most intense. Are you aware of your speed while falling after the first few seconds? Or does it feel like you are moving in a vacuum



After a few seconds it feels (to me, at least) like you're floating in a strong breeze (blowing upward). Here's the link to the "jumping into a picture" post I mentioned earlier. (Scroll down to the reply by "nightjumps" if it doesn't show up on top.)
My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

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Maybe it's a good idea to take a soft tranquilizer



Are you fucking kidding? That is pathetic. And stupid in ways you can't even comprehend yet.

You are everything that is wrong with the world today. Have a problem - take a drug for it.

How about man up and do it without pharmaceutical assistance or don't jump.

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From the look on their faces I can tell that they are afraid during the first seconds of the free fall.



I doubt you can tell that from the videos, it's more likely you're projecting your own thoughts. An unsmiling face might as easily be intense concentration as fear. Certainly on AFF I found that I was totally focussed on what I needed to do.

A lot of videos find their way on to YouTube because there's something funny or scary in them which will make people react, so you may well be seeing an unrepresentative sample. Try looking at some of the videos posted on the websites of skydiving schools and you'll probably get a very different impression.
Anne

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Taking any drug or drinking can slow your reflexes, I realize this is a tandem. But what if he (instructor) injures himself on exit and you have to pull and land. Just my opinion but if you cant do it without chemical courage, then try a different sport. Now the gurus here may have different views but I don't care to jump with anyone that isn't 100% aware.
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

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Dude I can guarantee you it is going to be scary as fuck on the plane ride up and especially while shuffling towards the door... Either just do it and force your way through the fear or don't bother. I can also guarantee you that you will not regret your decision once you leave the plane door. I say go for it and just try not to puke on your instructor.

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I've a suggestion for you. Ask your instructor to flip you around facing up towards the plane on exit. It's really cool to watch yourself fall away from the big plane you just left. Are you mentioning possibly drugging yourself in another reply? Bad idea.

Just do it.

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Dude I can guarantee you it is going to be scary as fuck on the plane ride up and especially while shuffling towards the door... Either just do it and force your way through the fear or don't bother. I can also guarantee you that you will not regret your decision once you leave the plane door. I say go for it and just try not to puke on your instructor.



So far my life is a life of living by the book and a life of missed chances. " If only I had.. "

I do fear heights and even looking at some vids on youtube makes me feel the adrenaline pumping. There is a decent chance I will faint if I decide to go for it

I want to do this for 2 reasons:
The first one is to push my own limits and take a chance instead of letting it pass by and taking the easy road. The 2nd one is to show friends and family that this is a new me who does take a chance.

Not that I have a need to prove myself to anyone. I am traveling to Australia on my own to mature. And I figure this would be the ultimate challenge to push myself

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I had crippling door fear...rode the plane down on my 8th jump, would show up at the dz at 8am and sometimes not jump...sometimes I would get up enough courage by 3pm to do one jump...extremely frustrating as I KNEW it was all in my head. I read almost every thread on the site about fear, spent hours watching YouTube etc. eventually I realized that I was letting my inability to effectively manage my fear was preventing me from doing something I loved (once I got out of the plane). I eventually learned how to learn to love the exits...and pounded out 17 jumps in the last week (this was a very recent problem).

And it doesn't really feel like "falling" but rather floating and accelerating. For easy math...let's say the jump run is moving horizontally (ie flat over the ground) at 90-100 mph. You fall at terminal at 120 mph. What you're doing when you jump out of the plane is converting 90-100 mph of horizontal speed to 120 of vertical speed. In reality you're going to gain about 20-30mph in 10s/1000 feet. It is sort of like jumping off of a 10m high dive but you don't have the massive "falling elevator" feeling in your stomach because 1) you're not starting with zero vert/horizontal speed and 2) you're jumping into the relative wind which you'll feel first coming at you from the plane and then will shift over 10s to coming below you...gently and not abruptly.

Anyway...that's my crappy explanation. Report back on how your jump goes. :)

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Dude I can guarantee you it is going to be scary as fuck on the plane ride up and especially while shuffling towards the door... Either just do it and force your way through the fear or don't bother. I can also guarantee you that you will not regret your decision once you leave the plane door. I say go for it and just try not to puke on your instructor.



So far my life is a life of living by the book and a life of missed chances. " If only I had.. "

I do fear heights and even looking at some vids on youtube makes me feel the adrenaline pumping. There is a decent chance I will faint if I decide to go for it

I want to do this for 2 reasons:
The first one is to push my own limits and take a chance instead of letting it pass by and taking the easy road. The 2nd one is to show friends and family that this is a new me who does take a chance.

Not that I have a need to prove myself to anyone. I am traveling to Australia on my own to mature. And I figure this would be the ultimate challenge to push myself



Just curious, how old are you?

What kind of 'chances' do you think you've let slip by so far in your life?

It's always interesting to understand what motivates people to do things like this...things that for some reason they haven't considered 'possible' before. ;)B|


Oh and I wouldn't dwell on the 'fear' thing, don't mind-fuck yourself into over-reacting. Observe, study, learn...the information available will give you confidence in the gear and yourself....becoming well schooled on the what, why and how ~ will tend to alleviate much of the fear, you fear you'll have. :)










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

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Dude I can guarantee you it is going to be scary as fuck on the plane ride up and especially while shuffling towards the door... Either just do it and force your way through the fear or don't bother. I can also guarantee you that you will not regret your decision once you leave the plane door. I say go for it and just try not to puke on your instructor.



So far my life is a life of living by the book and a life of missed chances. " If only I had.. "

I do fear heights and even looking at some vids on youtube makes me feel the adrenaline pumping. There is a decent chance I will faint if I decide to go for it

I want to do this for 2 reasons:
The first one is to push my own limits and take a chance instead of letting it pass by and taking the easy road. The 2nd one is to show friends and family that this is a new me who does take a chance.

Not that I have a need to prove myself to anyone. I am traveling to Australia on my own to mature. And I figure this would be the ultimate challenge to push myself



Just curious, how old are you?

What kind of 'chances' do you think you've let slip by so far in your life?

It's always interesting to understand what motivates people to do things like this...things that for some reason they haven't considered 'possible' before. ;)B|


Oh and I wouldn't dwell on the 'fear' thing, don't mind-fuck yourself into over-reacting. Observe, study, learn...the information available will give you confidence in the gear and yourself....becoming well schooled on the what, why and how ~ will tend to alleviate much of the fear, you fear you'll have. :)


I am 25.
Chances I messed up.. I have completed 95% of my college education. I messed up my last year of the 5 year program almost twice because I am full of the boring habit of studying and living with parents. After my 2nd year in a student apartment I had to come back home because I had courses in a town close to my home (with my parents) and I didn't have them full time. So I could save money by not having expenses of a student apartment but the consequence is that I had a boring life at home with my parents.

I am totally full of it and therefore I am going backpacking throughout Australia which is 9000 miles away from my home country Belgium.

A different aspect is women. For some reason I get very insecure around women in romantic situations. Because my first encounter with love was a bad rejection. Now I've established this image of the sweet boring single boy at home with his parents and I fucking hate it. I have established an image that is hard to get rid of and I want to completely change my environment and start with a clean sheet

These 4 months in Australia will be one big party, paid by my own money. I want my own job, my own financial responsability and no parents taking decisions for me. I want to get to meet new people, push all my limits in every way I can and finally discover myself instead of sticking to boring habits. Being 25 and living with your parents, and have your dad make sandwiches for breakfast as if you are 15 sucks ass and I want to end it.

Jumping out of an airplane is something that all my "friends" assume I would never do, but I want to make a change and push my limits

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I am totally full of it and therefore I am going backpacking throughout Australia which is 9000 miles away from my home country Belgium.
.
.
These 4 months in Australia will be one big party, paid by my own money.



I back-packed Europe as a youngster and it was one of the two best years of my life. Took a duffle bag, my guitar and $200 cash and roamed Europe for a year.

While my motivation was different from yours, I found the experience very, extremely very educating with respect to my ability to take care of myself with no fall-back available.

Good luck on your travels and I'm sure you, like me, will find something inside you that gives you great confidence in your personal independence.
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

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I am totally full of it and therefore I am going backpacking throughout Australia which is 9000 miles away from my home country Belgium.
.
.
These 4 months in Australia will be one big party, paid by my own money.



I back-packed Europe as a youngster and it was one of the two best years of my life. Took a duffle bag, my guitar and $200 cash and roamed Europe for a year.

While my motivation was different from yours, I found the experience very, extremely very educating with respect to my ability to take care of myself with no fall-back available.

Good luck on your travels and I'm sure you, like me, will find something inside you that gives you great confidence in your personal independence.



I wish I could do this for 2 years like you, but I have to get back home after 4 and a half months because of my last stupid exam.
Do you think 4 months is enough time to make a change?
My parents told me they have been discussing this with the family and they want to support me financially when I'm there.
How on earth can I ever become independant like this? I have to report what I'm doing every few days so they know I'm fine.

It's good to have people caring for you but it's also what makes me unable to care for myself at this point. When the 4 months are over I plan to go back for a much longer time

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Suggestion - change your mindset from rebellion, reaction and proving a point.

Do what you're doing because it's fun and / or interesting.

Be with people because you enjoy their company - women are people too, not just targets for romance.

Keep in touch with your family because you love them and they love you, not because it's a duty.

If your parents give you money when you want to prove you don't depend on them, put the money in an emergency fund and don't touch it unless you have an emergency. There's no shame in accepting help in an emergency, and if you can cope without using the money, you've proved your independence.

When you feel stifled it's easy to do things because you want to react. So keep asking yourself 'Am I doing this because I want to or am I doing it to prove a point?' When you can answer that question, and the answer is that you are doing things because you choose to, then you can say you're independent.
Anne

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So keep asking yourself 'Am I doing this because I want to or am I doing it to prove a point?'

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Is there one skydiver on this whole planet who takes his first jump because he likes to jump out of an airplane at 14000 feet?

Seems to me that everybody does it to push themselves. For the adrenaline

I want to do it because I want to push myself beyond my limits, and to be honest, to show family that I do have balls. I know how you feel about this but if any skydiver is honest I believe a lot of them did their first jump to make a point, and out of curiosity.

@ women being no targets for romance. I used to think that when I was 18. Now I totally disagree.

My past has shown me multiple times that deep genuine friendship with the opposite sex leads to big trouble. I developed romantic feelings for women I was friends with and it got me in shit. Other women that I had no feelings for developed feelings for me. Byebye friendship.

And then there were some genuine friendships where the girl suddenly has a BF and it turns out the BF sees me as a threat.
So now it's either very superficial friendship, romance or nothing.

Since this is a skydiving forum I won't get into it. U can always send me a PM if you disagree

Peace

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If your parents give you money when you want to prove you don't depend on them, put the money in an emergency fund and don't touch it unless you have an emergency. There's no shame in accepting help in an emergency, and if you can cope without using the money, you've proved your independence.



I had about 10 serious fights with my parents before they realized that there was nothing they could do to stop me from heading to Australia.

When I decided to do so anyway, they paid a traveling agency $600 to take care of my social security and help me out if there are emergencies etc. They paid $600 for something that is COMPLETELY unnecessary since any other backpacker takes care of those issues alone and independantly.

But that's the whole point. They don't let me do stuff alone and watch me 24/7. Dad is such a control freak he never sleeps before he is 100% sure I'm upstairs in my room.

I have saved $25000 in my college period. Enough for 4 months in Australia don't you think?
I want my own responsabilities and I don't wanna have to justify what I am doing 24/7.
After arrival I'll probably say there is limited internet access and I'll send exactly one short email per week

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Suggestion - change your mindset from rebellion, reaction and proving a point.

Do what you're doing because it's fun and / or interesting.

Be with people because you enjoy their company - women are people too, not just targets for romance.

Keep in touch with your family because you love them and they love you, not because it's a duty.

If your parents give you money when you want to prove you don't depend on them, put the money in an emergency fund and don't touch it unless you have an emergency. There's no shame in accepting help in an emergency, and if you can cope without using the money, you've proved your independence.

When you feel stifled it's easy to do things because you want to react. So keep asking yourself 'Am I doing this because I want to or am I doing it to prove a point?' When you can answer that question, and the answer is that you are doing things because you choose to, then you can say you're independent.



I have to say, I agree with all of the above.

I spent 12 years in the army and still rang my family at least once or twice a week. It's hard on the people left behind and they worry. (I joined at 18 and by the age of 19 I was getting shot at in Northern Ireland)

As far as the financials are concerned, it's always a good idea to have an emergency reserve and given that one of the requirements for a working holiday visa is that you have to show that you have sufficient funds available to cover your initial stay (According to the Australian visa website approx $5000 AUD) in Australia while you find work.

The link to their website is below:
http://www.visabureau.com/australia/australian-working-holiday-visa.aspx

Even if you stick the money in an account and produce a bank statement as proof and maybe a letter from your parents stating that you can call on them for additional funding should you require it, it will help your case. It would be worse to get to passport control and be refused entry on the grounds of insufficient funds.
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Atheism is a Non-Prophet Organisation

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As far as the financials are concerned, it's always a good idea to have an emergency reserve and given that one of the requirements for a working holiday visa is that you have to show that you have sufficient funds available to cover your initial stay (According to the Australian visa website approx $5000 AUD) in Australia while you find work.


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Wow...that's interesting, something I never gave any thought to.

Nice heads up!











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

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Just because they put money into an account doesn't mean you have to use it. You can do this on your own. Skydive for yourself, not to prove anything to your parents.

At 19 I left home, and worked for a year before returning to university as a self-supporting student. It was a great thing for me, and it completely changed my relationship with my parents -- they saw me as an adult. Not because I moved away in a huff, but because I made a plan and executed it, without breaking laws or doing anything childish. It was an action, not a reaction.

Your life is yours -- make your decisions based on that. Have a goal and work towards it. You can change goals -- having one just means that you're thinking about your next action.

Your parents probably love you very much, and want you to succeed. However, they might not think you can succeed without them. So, you have to define a plan and execute it -- that constitutes succeeding. If you go to Australia and party away your money, what will you have proven to yourself? If you go to Australia and figure out how to get a job and support yourself, as well as finding out about living on your own -- that's learning.

As far as its being far away -- that's great. It's the best way to get independent, not having your parents close enough to consult. That way you will have to deal with the consequences of your actions.

Wendy P.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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It was a great thing for me, and it completely changed my relationship with my parents --

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As long as we're tellin' stories~ ;)

I went to college & paid for it myself. After graduation I didn't know what to do, just wanted to not be 'back home' so I bounced around the country for a while.

Knew the folks wouldn't be particularly happy about my being an educated bum so I kind of closed myself off from them.

I was teaching Skydiving in Kansas and working in a bar at night...one evening my dad walked in, hadn't spoken to him in months.

He just handed me his really cool German compass, a war souvenir from WWII. He winked at me and said "Don't get lost son, we care about you" and walked out.

The guy drove over 500 miles to let me know what was REALLY important in life...completely changed my relationship with my parents! B|











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

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If you go to Australia and party away your money, what will you have proven to yourself? If you go to Australia and figure out how to get a job and support yourself, as well as finding out about living on your own -- that's learning.

Wendy P.



I applied for a working holiday visum

Half time working to cover most expenses. The rest is growing up, meeting people from all sorts of cultures and having a good time.

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You think I didn't have arguments with my parents when I came home and announced I wanted to join the army? Especially as my older brother had been shipped home in a body bag less than a year previously.

Instead of having a screaming row about it, I sat them down and calmly explained why I wanted to do it. They still had objections but they respected me for clearly explaining what I wanted to do and why.

As far as the travelling agency thing goes, a little gratitude wouldn't go amiss - something along the lines of 'You didn't have to do that and although I'm capable of organising it for myself, I do appreciate the gesture.'

Maybe it will help them to accept that you're an adult and not likely to throw a childish tantrum every time someone offers you help.
Atheism is a Non-Prophet Organisation

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As far as the travelling agency thing goes, a little gratitude wouldn't go amiss - something along the lines of 'You didn't have to do that and although I'm capable of organising it for myself, I do appreciate the gesture.'



I appreciate the fact that they care for me. But I do not appreciate the fact that they believe I am not capable of taking care of myself. I am 25 years old.. 25!

The $600 is for a pack including 10 items such as taking care of a tax file number, help for opening a bank account etc. I have contacted many backpackers and told my parents how I would take care of this alone. For free

But still, they refused to give me my responsability assuming it would go wrong. That's just how it goes at home.

So I have very mixed feelings if one says I should show gratitude for it. It's not $600 for my well being, it's $600 to compensate for their lack of trust in me

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I appreciate the fact that they care for me. But I do not appreciate the fact that they believe I am not capable of taking care of myself. I am 25 years old.. 25!


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Are you the youngest?

If so, explains a lot...I know it's tough on ya but cut 'em SOME slack. You're growing up means they are growing old! :)

(I'm a grand-pa..I know) ;)











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

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