Help Me Out Research Question

[Researcher 0]

Hello skydivers!

I am doing a research paper trying to answer the following question: What motivates people to go skydiving? Now, I haven't gone skydiving before, but I really want to so this is the reason why I'm doing a research paper on this question. If you guys/gals could answer the following questions, it would be extremely useful for me. Thank you in advance.

1) What motivated you to go skydiving?
2) Are there any mental, emotional, spiritual and/or physical effects of skydiving?
3) Please describe any feelings or thoughts you have while skydiving.
4) How many dives have you done or plan on doing?
How long have you been skydiving?


Further question may come later, as of now these are the questions I came up with. Thank you guys again.

-Mike

[mr_music11 0]

You'll find what motivated each person will be quite different/although there MAY be some common thread. All of which may also differ from from what currently motivates each person to continue.. there are many stories/posts in the intro and greet section of DZ.com that will give you understanding as well...
My motivation was/is my desire for flight as well as quite a few other emotions & feelings that dont translate well into words. God willing, I will be doing this for a long time to come. Blues/soft landings

If flying is piloting a plane.. then swimming is driving a boat. I know why birds sing.. I skydive.

[poolmarty 0]

lots of stuff already here.
Type why skydive in the search bar in the upper left corner.

[Andy9o8 0]

Is this the same guy doing the same research posting under a new name - again? Seems like deja vu all over again ... and again ... and again ...

[Beachbum 0]

You posted that you'd like to jump, so I'd say that before you get too far into asking others, go jump, and report back your answers to those questions for us ...

As long as you are happy with yourself ... who cares what the rest of the world thinks?

[pwln 0]

One of the best ways to research something is to actually do it (if possible). Look at the Dropzone database and find the one that is close to where you live, take about $200 and go jump. (If you don't get video you didn't really jump, add about $60-$100 for video/stills)

Like one of the other posters said, the Dropzone.com search function is your friend. Skydivers on this site are asked this question at least a few times per year.

1) Always wanted to.
2) Yes
3) Hard to put into words, try it, you will see what I mean.
4) About 400, Plan on doing it until I can no longer do it.
5 or 6 years. (400 in 5 years is NOT very many.)

Here, I did a search for Research paper for you.
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=search_results&search_forum=all&search_string=research%20paper&sb=score&mh=25

[skydveraz 0]

Quote

You posted that you'd like to jump, so I'd say that before you get too far into asking others, go jump, and report back your answers to those questions for us ...

I agree! Just go do it!!

Arizona only has two seasons, Hot and HOTTER!

[humbled1 0]

1) It was a xmas gift in 07 for my then 18 year old daughter (got a both a tandem, had always thought about it, but never would have, had it not been for my daughter bugging me)

2)yes all of them, most of them positive in nature, but when things go wrong it can get scary as hell.

3)I feel like I am flying, or swimming in the air if that makes sense, most of my thoughts are about completing the dive properly and not screwing it up for the other jumpers. Thoughts of bouncing or the ground approaching are not even there till pull time, if at all.

4)I did my AFF training and got my A last March, since then I have done 218 jumps, my daughter also got her license so we jump together now, she has 30 jumps. I plan on doing 200-300 each year. Lately I have been doing 8-10 jumps a week.

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

[JohnRich 4]

I jump because my life is worthless. I works for minimum wage and haven't no control over my job, and my personel life is a disaster. But for $22, I can jump out of a danged airplane, and for a few fleetting minutes, I am da master of my own fate. The rush of adrenalin suppresses my depression and makes me feel like a king! I jump to be something greater than I can be in ordinary life! And then Monday comes, and life sux again. If'n I just had me an edurcation I could get myself a good job, and then I'd be happy with life, and I wouln't need to skydive. In my experiance, most skydivers are just like me. They people ain't worth shit, except at the drop zone.

[countzero 7]

1- curiosity and my sense of adventure.

2- yes, but you'd have to go to know what i'm talking about if i tried to explain it.

3- right before exiting i'm always thinking about how much fun i'm about to have. then during the jump i'm just in the flow of the moment and flying my body without really "thinking" about it. after safely landing is when the joy and exhiliration of the dive kick in an i get that "wohoo, that was awesome" feeling, and i'm ready to go do it again.

4- 332 jumps (currently), plan on doing it till i die or physically can't- which ever comes first. been jumping since Dec. of 05'

diamonds are a dawgs best friend

[Croc 0]

Do some actual research--jump!

"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

[jimmytavino 16]

answers


1. i had never been in a plane before, and was mostly looking for an airplane ride .. jumping out was a bonus...( 50 bucks for training, gear ( Static Line ) , lift, logbook and certificate)

2. Yes. there are.
physically,,, your body can take a beating and you can wear out.
spiritual?? emotional??
Yes again...we are Flying....that's pretty amazing, and amazement is alllll in the head.

3. I FEEL the air beneath me,, which supports me and lets me move where i want..
i hear the wind noise, and enjoy its' song...
I often think While under canopy,, "This is exactly, where i want to be "

4 a... i went over 3,000 jumps,,,a couple of years ago.. IF i can get to 4 grand... i'd be a happy guy.

4 b .. i'm in my Thirty-Eighth year of skydiving, and 55th year on earth...

jmy
scr 6190
scs 4876
nscr 1817
POPS 3935

[slj678 0]

I saw the Power Rangers do it in the movie when I was a kid my sister told me she would take me when I turned 18. The rest is history

"I didn't know they gave out rings at the holocaust"

[Beachbum 0]

Quote

I jump because my life is worthless. I works for minimum wage and haven't no control over my job, and my personel life is a disaster. But for $22, I can jump out of a danged airplane, and for a few fleetting minutes, I am da master of my own fate. The rush of adrenalin suppresses my depression and makes me feel like a king! I jump to be something greater than I can be in ordinary life! And then Monday comes, and life sux again. If'n I just had me an edurcation I could get myself a good job, and then I'd be happy with life, and I wouln't need to skydive. In my experiance, most skydivers are just like me. They people ain't worth shit, except at the drop zone.

dang!!! ... cheer up Sunshine ... ;) ... I know I'M worthless, but to say that about ALL skydivers???? Remined me sumtime and I'll show you how to use yur spell chequer.

what was that ... some sort of intelligence test for the OP???

As long as you are happy with yourself ... who cares what the rest of the world thinks?

[rhanold 0]

I get out of plane. I pull cord so no go boom. me like.

You can call this one a "flier" in your data if you wish.

Wa wa waaaaaa

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

#1 Fill out your profile. A few details on where the paper is for would be nice. College? High School? Junior High?

Your questions:

1 Always wanted to. I have always loved flight. Flying dreams are awesome.
2 Yes. exhilleration (sp?), euphoria, and an incredible adrenaline/dopamine rush. The amazing sense of accomplishment that is a result of facing major fears and doing it anyway. A much greater appreciation for life (my own and that of others) that comes from the realization of how close to death we are (everyone, not just skydivers - how dangerous is the freeway at rush hour and how many realize it?). Major ear popping. That's the short list.
3 Fear and nervous in the plane until the door opens, then anticipation, then the most amazing thing in the whole world - flight. The oddest thought I had was during a solo tracking dive- holding the same position most of the jump. At about 7500' I had a sudden realization of exactly where I was and exactly what I was doing. I was 3/4 mile above the ground, plummeting towards it at 120mph with no support and only the parachute on my back (that I had packed) to keep me alive. Very strange sensation. Still cool.
4 Check my profile - 6 years and almost 200 jumps. NO plan to stop until I have to.

Quote

what was that ... some sort of intelligence test for the OP???

No, it was a smart-ass response referencing the horrendously biased "survey" from a week or so ago.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[huge 0]

Quote

1) What motivated you to go skydiving?
2) Are there any mental, emotional, spiritual and/or physical effects of skydiving?
3) Please describe any feelings or thoughts you have while skydiving.
4) How many dives have you done or plan on doing?
How long have you been skydiving?

1) I was on an assignment to a country where I didn't really know anybody and had too much time during the weekends. I had thought about going skydiving for a long time but never got around to actually do it. One weekend I saw paragliders and got the idea to go skydiving.
2) I found peace where I expected to find rush. I find skydiving to be the best way clear my head and set my priorities straight.
3) During the dive it does feel like what you'd expect flying to be like. But when you really start thinking about it, it isn't flying. It's falling. Controlled falling, I give you that, but it's still falling.
4) Two years so far and plan to do it as long as I can and find it fun.

[Programmer 0]

First, to answer your question, JohnRich's answer is about as close as I can get, except he was kidding.
The more interesting question is this: Why do people who really want to skydive not do it? Your post says, "I really want to... that's why I'm doing a research paper on it...". I don't know about you, but if I really want a cheeseburger, I don't research why people like cheeseburgers, I eat a cheeseburger. Other than the cost, what keeps you from doing something you really want to do? How about researching that and report back to us??