Skydivers and the 'door'

[SkyIsLove83 0]

I've had more time than in the past to read some posts around here. I know everyone is different but I am just curious to hear others' stories.

I've seen a lot of people, even some with thousands of jumps, say they still get that anxiety when the door opens.

Now, I am not even what I would consider a 'skydiver' - only did it 4 times. 3 tandems and 1 for my AFF 1. However, I do not get that anxiety. Not on the plane going up and not when they open the door. When the door opens, I get this huge smile on my face and LOVE the way it looks when people are disappearing from my sight and falling. I felt almost silly Sunday when they opened the door and I shouted, "Woohoo!! - Let's go!"

Like I said, everyone is different so I am sure there are a few like me and a few people who will always feel their stomach turn when it comes time to open up the door. I just would like to hear your reactions and what goes through your mind. How do YOU feel when the door opens?

[thedude325 0]

As I'm a solo jumper right now, I'm usually the one who opens the door. I get to spot, which is great. Ask your instructor to show you how. Sticking your head out and looking down is neat.

[Harmless 0]

I was nervous of the door until jump 5... since then I just feel happy when it opens. Free fall never made me nervous. Now I only get nervous when I'm landing in an airplane

"Damn you Gravity, you win again"

[Sangi 0]

When I was on my AFF I used to be terrified of "the door", when it opened I was scared shitless, when I got to the edge I was in somekind of euphoria where the fear absolutely consumes you and then you just burnout and when I jumped the whole fear just disappeared so I relaxed more...

It took some time to get used to this thing, but now, I love it.. I specially take up the seat in the way back of L-410 and open the door myself and watch the tandems and other people exit by popping my head through the open door..

For me it's just the general getting used to things, at first it's bad, but later it just gets better and better..

"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean

[Tomcat933 0]

I was scared shitless the when the door came open on the first jump, on later jumps the door opening was sort of an anxiety release from nerves built up in the airplane, like now its go time. Now there's little or no anxiety in the airplane or when the door opens.

[Phosphorus8 0]

I still get nervous as hell sitting by the door, especially when it is open until I get to about 4K, then I relax a little!

"Well behaved women rarely make history" - Marilyn Monroe

[KermieCorleone 0]

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I still get nervous as hell sitting by the door, especially when it is open until I get to about 4K, then I relax a little!

I dont mind sitting next to the door, I dont even mind sticking my head out to spot or just check out the view but I feel quite jittery when we are at the lower altitudes, I get calmer the higher up we get, but even at higher altitudes I am nervous when the door is closed. I get a little relief when they call 'door' but even then if I am not one of the first ones out, I feel like I am gonna pull a "George Costanza" on everyone to get out of the plane. But in general sitting in that plane is a little uneasy feeling for me. and slightly boring.

- Neil

Never make assumptions! That harmless rectangle could be two triangles having sex ...

[mellow 0]

during the first 4 or 5 aff jumps, the door really freaked me out. as soon as it opened, and the noise of the wind was there, i was full of anxiety- until i jumped out. then i was in freefall, and felt great.

it didn't take too long before i got used to the door, though. now, if i haven't jumped for a week or so, before the first jump or two, i am nervous in the plane. i check my handles about a dozen times (i check them for all jumps anyway, but when i'm nervous i check them alot), and then as soon as the door opens, the anxiety goes away and i just want to get out. so now the door doesn't have me freaked at all, just the ride to altitude when there's a lapse of time between jumps.

i never want the butterflies to go away. i think they'll keep me focused on being safe. even if i've made several jumps in a row, and i'm not really feeling particularly nervous anymore, in the plane i wonder if this will be the jump that i have a mal or cutaway, which prompts me to check my handles and review what i would do in various scenarios.

Jennifer

don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

[JumpsOffCliffs 0]

ive actually never been freaked out so far, but i do get a bit of a stomach turn, but its out of eagerness. i want that door to open and such. like my first tandem jump(in a tandem aff progression) i was so eager that my TI felt my leg bouncing on the balls of my feet before we were hooked up, the whole time i was staring at the door smiling.

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

As a student I had lots of door distress.

Now I often am the guy sitting in the open door as we climb. I am often the guy opening the door at altitude. I love sticking my head out to check the spot.

Today I often feel a bit of performance anxiety... "Gotta nail the exit...don't let the team down."

I love floating before exit. As a big guy I get that opportunity a lot (having big guys as front float makes a nice "hole" or windshadow/burble for others to climb out). As a result, I spend a lot more time "in the door" than most. I am the first guy to move out the door on my team, so I am there the longest. In good weather that is fun... in cold weather, I freeze longer than anyone else (but I never notice the cold temp in freefall).

The door is my friend, but hasn't always been.

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

[rivetgeek 0]

For me I have no problem past 2000 feet as my anxiety just has to do with falling out of an open door. As long as I'm high enough to deploy at least my reserve, I'm pretty ok. I never get nervous at the door, I get more nervous sitting near the open door before jump run because its a pretty big door (twin otter).

~Bones Knit, blood clots, glory is forever, and chicks dig scars.~

[apt3studiodiver 0]

I with you on the past 2k mark. Never get door anxiety except once.. dz brought in a 206 for the weekend and it had no door period. And each load with tandems I was first out so sat right next to the pilot. Takeoff-2k+ I felt a bit sketchy but after that I was absolutely fine.

www.apt3studios.com
www.musicpromotiononline.com
www.internetcafegaming.com
D.S. # 4321

[happythoughts 0]

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As I'm a solo jumper right now, I'm usually the one who opens the door.

I hate being last out and having to close the door.

[billvon 2,384]

>I've seen a lot of people, even some with thousands of jumps, say they
>still get that anxiety when the door opens.

I still get anxiety when I realize I'm going to be sitting next to the door from around November to May. In August, for some reason, my anxiety evaporates, and changes to an anxiety of being in the front of the plane with the sweaty tandem students.

[cocheese 0]

I just think it's a lot better view than looking through a window in the plane.

[mtbriles 0]

At first the door scared me ALOT!

but now im very comfortable with it and i like to be the one sitting by the door while its open on the way to alti. My theory is as long as were above a thousand and something goes wrong with the plane PEACE BITCHES cause i know ill be out first lol.

Why not?
My direction in life is up...then down again REALLY REALLY FAST!!!
Never take life too seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
D.S. #55

[fastphil 0]

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As I'm a solo jumper right now, I'm usually the one who opens the door.

I hate being last out and having to close the door.

Somebody's gotta do it...

[Phosphorus8 0]

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As I'm a solo jumper right now, I'm usually the one who opens the door.

I hate being last out and having to close the door.

Somebody's gotta do it...

I thought the pilot was the one that usually took care of that

"Well behaved women rarely make history" - Marilyn Monroe

[kkeenan 13]

In my opinion, anyone with "thousands of jumps", who tells you that they get anxious when the door is opened, is just trying to make you feel better. I think it's just a low-timer thing, and people get over it.

_____________________________________
Dude, you are so awesome...
Can I be on your ash jump ?

[SkyIsLove83 0]

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In my opinion, anyone with "thousands of jumps", who tells you that they get anxious when the door is opened, is just trying to make you feel better. I think it's just a low-timer thing, and people get over it.

Maybe. In either case, I love it. I don't feel nervous and I guess that makes me believe more that I really have what it takes (okay, minus the funds) to do this. =)

[pirana 0]

I love the door, I love it most when it is open. If not for safety and a few pansies in the plane I'd like it to be open all the time in the summer.

The sky is so cool, and sunset - I get excited just thinking about it. Last Wednesday, sunset load, the sky was so beautiful at altitude. Incredible. I am even tempted to say that with a sky like that I'd dig just cruising around for a few minutes with the door open than actually making the dive. It was that gorgeous.

Then we made the dive, did 18 points and I became OK with giving up my perch in the open door.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[George_ORH 0]

I'm only on jump 20 and am still getting the butterflys when the door opens up but I am slowly getting better. From 11-13k I feel pretty good (all business doing last minute checks).

If I do more than 1 jump a day, It seems alot easier. I've done 4 jumps in a day and felt almost at total ease by that 4th jump.

***Due to recent cutbacks, The light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off***

[skybeergodd 0]

My only door anxiety comes from being in the back of the Skyvan. For some reason if I end up in the back of the Skyvan, then the perosn sitting next to the door latch is either a complete moron or "scared" they are going to fall out while unlatching and re-latching the door. So the green light is on and the spot is getting worse while they are fumbling with the door!!!!

[ABerry83 1]

haha, that's funny.

I still have some problems with it, but it keeps getting better for me each jump. With only 4 AFF jumps, I've got quite a few more to go ! I remember on my first L2 jump, it seemed like my legs were rubber and weighed 500 lbs. each as I was told to slide over to the door...I never said anything about it to anyone, and my exit was still great, but it wasn't easy getting to the door that day! Two jumps later, I was more than happy to go to the door and jump out....strange huh?

[tjm 0]

I did my five static line jumps out of a Cessna 206 with a rear cargo door exit. Except there was no door. I had to ride from take-off up to 4500' w/ no door and I was sitting right next to the edge. Needless to say I was scared sh*tless. After 600 jumps I still get nervous when the door is open, but not while sitting next to it as much there being a few people in between me and the door. I am more or less scared of not being in control. Once I'm at the door i'm still nervous but not as bad. I do have a fear of edges, and also love doing the things that scare the hell out of me.

Can't wait to BASE jump, its going to scare the hell out of me and i'll love it.

If you're not living on the edge; you're taking up too much room!