Taking Up Skydiving in Mid-life

[Fruitfly 0]

Hi Everyone,
I've decided to pursue an AFF A license at age 46. I'm reading the threads on this forum with great interest and I'm pretty stoked to have found such an adventurous crowd!

Just curious~~
I'd love to hear from those who picked up this sport in his/her 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's....

[Nutz 0]

I started when I was 39.

"Don't! Get! Eliminated!"

[glh 4]

Started in 2002 at the age of 45

[regulator 0]

Started in 2006 at the age of 36.

[Jbag 0]

damn you people are fucking old!

IHYD

[BillyVance 34]

started at 25, still going at 42 1/2

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

I started as a way to celebrate my 50th birthday.

I am a bit slower to master some skills, which may have more to do with my inate klutzyness than my age. However, with persistence I do OK.

I am SO addicted. Love my new DZ family.

My wife came to a DZ party last summer and made an interesting observation about age. She noted that we jumpers did NOT seem to self-segregate by age as much as other groups do. We pretty much ignore age and just have fun.

WARNING: If you get hooked, it will cost you all your money and the rest of your life!

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[MikeJD 0]

I started 'properly' at 27, after a brief false start a few years earlier. I see no reason not to get into it at any age, as long as you're fit enough - the oldest regular I can remember at my local club was jumping well into his seventies.

It seems to me that some countries (the US being one of them) tends to have an older average population of active jumpers than others. But that's probably a totally skewed impression based on the boogies I've been to.

[fasted3 0]

I've jumped with some really old guys.
I'm only 59

But what do I know?

[grannyinthesky 0]

Quote

Hi Everyone,
I've decided to pursue an AFF A license at age 46. I'm reading the threads on this forum with great interest and I'm pretty stoked to have found such an adventurous crowd!

Just curious~~
I'd love to hear from those who picked up this sport in his/her 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's....

I started just a little over 2 years ago at age 57. I've managed to do a jump or two in those two years.
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2999531#2999531

"safety first... and What the hell.....
safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy

POPS #10490

[heavydude 0]

started at 46, how can youngins afford this sport !

[skyjumpenfool 2]

It's not about your age. Welcome to the sport!

Now, I have two comments....
1. Your 46? Unless you're planning on living till you're 92, that's not middle aged. That's just plain old.

2. When compared to many of us here, you're still just a young pup. So, again, welcome to the sport.

Birdshit & Fools Productions

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

[jclalor 12]

Quote

Just curious~~
I'd love to hear from those who picked up this sport in his/her 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's....

Made 40 jumps at age 20, took a brief 27 year break, and getting back into jumping was the best decision I have made in a while.

[muff528 3]

I started at 41. I hope that's ~mid-life.

[fog52 58]

I sarted when I was 38. That was 20 years ago and I still can't get enough jumps!

Magna res est vocis et silentii temperamentum

[countzero 7]

did my 1st jump on my 35th birthday. been on jumps where i was the oldest and been on jumps where i was the youngest. you'll soon find at the DZ there are people from all walks of life united by the love of jumping. because in freefall it dosen't matter how old you are it matters how much fun you have!!

best of luck with AFF

diamonds are a dawgs best friend

[CSpenceFLY 1]

I started at 32. Still at it at 43. Not sure if that is mid-life. Depends on how long you plan to live.

[topdocker 0]

I started at 24, and still here 24 years later.

I'm the one of the youngest on my team, we each did over 500 jumps last year!

Two things:

1) Never act your age
2) Its not the age, its the mileage

top

Jump more, post less!

[skymama 35]

I started just a few months before turning 35. I celebrated my 10 year sky birthday a couple weeks ago.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[Guru312 0]

Quote

damn you people are fucking old!

Are you kidding?! They are the young ones.

Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

[Croc 0]

Started eight years ago at age 51. I'm a slow learner, so I've learned to be careful! Welcome, and get ready to spend, spend, spend!

"Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so."

Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy

[Fruitfly 0]

WOW!!! I am SO excited to get all of your replies! This is fascinating and wonderful and inspiring.

Thank you all for taking the time to check in and respond. Awesome, awesome, awesome...

[VideoFly 0]

I started at 43.

[humbled1 0]

I was 40 when I did my FJC.

It was exactly 2 years ago today!!

"Tell ya the truth, I don't think this is a brains kind of operation."

[FFMedic 0]

Got signed off on my "A" the day before my 57th B'day. One year later I got my "B".

I have noticed that it appears there are many young and many old jumpers at the DZ's I have jumped, but fewer true middle agers. Must be the family thing. No time, no money, no permission. :)