Am I getting complacent?

[Tuna-Salad 0]

So when I started jumping I was terrified.. asking myself.. what the fuck are you doing here? Why are you on this plane? the same struggle I think lots of you have had. Now it's like driving a car.. how I was terrified at first now it is business as usual. Is this bad? It seems odd that I went out on a saturday and jumped and was terrified and considered quitting for weeks because it just wasnt fun... then did another jump later that day at the request of a friend and all of the fear/terror/uneasy was gone. It was this dive I realized all along what the instructors meant by "relax". I still fly with my head on a swivel but I wonder now.. Is this dangerous? i was told early on if you aren't terrified you shouldn't be jumping. Just kind of weird to me that I could be shitting my pants (so to speak) on one dive then half an hour later all of that be gone. - Not to say my breathing and heart rate doesnt increase when the door opens... Anyway is this normal? do the exp jumpers here treat it like another day at the office? Is this bad?

Millions of my potential children died on your daughters' face last night.

[councilman24 36]

Not bad, but a lot sooner than I got comfortable. It took me about 100 jumps to stop questioning each dive and a lot more to get real comfortable.

Now, I might go without jumping 6 months or more in the winter. First jump in the spring, about the same as the last jump of the fall.

Just don't get complacent about your gear, your gear checks, your learning etc.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[pontiacgtp00 0]

I think I can kindof relate to this. When I first started jumping (not very long ago) I remember the ride to altitude being much "faster" than it is now. Thinking to myself I hope clouds come in so I won't have to jump....oh no we're at 8,000 feet we're almost there, what the heck am I doing??

Now the ride to altitude feels way slower and I'm thinking are we there yet? are we there yet? Come on this thing can climb faster than this!! But I still get butterflies when I'm putting my goggles and helmet on, checking handles, etc...Knowing that I'm only a couple minutes away from jumping.

[Tuna-Salad 0]

same way here.. i still think about that.. in the next 30 seconds i will be falling out of the sky..

"Thinking to myself I hope clouds come in so I won't have to jump...." i did that exact thing.. now i tell others who are in aff or whatnot to be like a ragdoll going out the door.. just look up and the plane will be there.. by no means an instructor but i feel ive gained enough to pass on what i know to someone with lesser experience. (i farted in free fall a few wks ago so i know im relaxed now)

Millions of my potential children died on your daughters' face last night.

[chrismgtis 0]

I wouldn't say it is a bad thing, as long as there is a certain net of fear there in your mind to prevent you from getting so complacent that you just don't do things you know you should be doing endangering yourself and others. That's when you should question yourself. A lot of us are scared out of our mind when we start jumping, but later on we just get used to it. No matter what you do, even if you are a new rock star with 3 million fans, sooner or later that thrill and "newness" becomes just like everything else.

I remember when I started jumping I could even smell the air in free fall. I remember how clean it smelled and how nice it was to breathe that air. Now I don't even notice it anymore. It's business as usual, but that comes with anything that you will do in life after a time. I still absolutely love it though and that's what matters, secondary to being safe.

Also people deal with fear differently and humans are weird. I might be scared to death of doing one thing, but it may not bother you at all. And vice versa, you may be scared to death of something else that I can easily do. It's not like people say. The toughest guy you know might actually pee himself on the plane ride to altitude. So if you are or aren't scared, don't worry about it, just remember your training and continue trying to learn more. You can never be a master of this sport so you always have something to learn.

Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

[grimmie 173]

Don't worry. You or someone you jump with will do something really fucking dumb and the fear will return.

[danielcroft 2]

I usually "dump out" as my friend calls it before the first jump of the day. After the first jump I'm usually down to business and a lot more calm.

[The_Don 0]

Quote

Don't worry. You or someone you jump with will do something really fucking dumb and the fear will return.

True.

I am NOT being loud.
I'm being enthusiastic!

[Tuna-Salad 0]

I guess i should add that doing new stuff brings back the.. its not the "what the fuck am i doing" its "ok this is the plan we are gonna do X" over and over.. sort of like the AFF when all you can think of is.. ok all i gotta do is a 360 turn (oh god hope i dont forget) Anticipation i guess is the word im looking for..

Millions of my potential children died on your daughters' face last night.

[Andy9o8 0]

Yes, it's normal. But it's only bad if you let "comfort" (which is normal) become complacency (which is bad).
Just as pre-jump fear is normal, so, too, is loss of it at about your jump numbers, especially if you're jumping pretty frequently. For many people (me, for example), the more frequently they jump, the less pre-jump fear they tend to feel, and vice-versa.

It's good you're openly questioning the issue of complacency, as right now you're at a kind of dangerous phase of your skydiving career - the "B-license phase", one might call it - and it's very similar to the phase that a teen driver who's had his license for about 6 months is at: experienced enough to have lost the fear, grown comfortable in the environment and be willing to take extra risks, but not (nearly!) experienced enough to recognize, much less capably handle, as many risks as he thinks he can.

From time to time, you'll hear about a teen driver who wipes out because he took the curve just a little bit too fast - clearly faster than a more experienced driver would have. Well, that can happen in skydiving, too. Be very careful, and grow to pass the lesson on to the next group of newer jumpers.

[mdrejhon 8]

Lots of fears go away after about 50 jumps, but now I'm slightly more scared now at 300 jumps than I was at 200 jumps.

The 100-jump wonder in me still exists, but it's somewhat humbled -- a little.

[padu 0]

you need a challenge. Think about competitive RW

Una volta che avrete imparato a Volare, camminerete sulla terra guardando il cielo perchè è là che siete stati ed è là che vorrete tornare.

[Tuna-Salad 0]

Thanks guys for all the great replies :)

Millions of my potential children died on your daughters' face last night.

[chrismgtis 0]

Quote

Lots of fears go away after about 50 jumps, but now I'm slightly more scared now at 300 jumps than I was at 200 jumps.

The fear went away for me after about 7 to 10 jumps. I know in AFF it just seemed to get worse. At first it wasn't bad at all. By jump 6 or so I was like WTF am I doing?

I guess I was just finally like why fear this when I'm going to do it no matter what. Not that I don't still get scared. I definitely do, but it's a very calm fear. I trust my gear and my abilities now.

Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

[ElJosh 0]

I hate take off and I hate jump run. We are a 182 DZ so it's small and I want to get the hell out of that plane. The door opening still bugs me. Not really sure why on that. I hate, hate, hate final adjustments on jump run. I could care less I just want to get outside. Once I'm in the door, v, or on the strut I am completly cool and calm.

It was kinda the same way when I did my snow/naked jump. When we opend the door I was freezing. Once out on the strut I didn't notice the cold. It was just another skydive.

DS #149
Yes I only have 3 jumps...it's the magic number dude.

[chrismgtis 0]

Quote

I hate take off and I hate jump run. We are a 182 DZ so it's small and I want to get the hell out of that plane.

I've jumped a Cessna twice for my two low altitude jumps. You're not alone. I hated it too. If I was asked to jump a Cessna, I'd do it no problem, but I don't like it.

Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

[ElJosh 0]

Yeah I saw your thread on opening doors. I always turn away from the door when I open it. Hell I do the same if anyone opens it.

DS #149
Yes I only have 3 jumps...it's the magic number dude.

[Skyhighbird 0]

I had alot of fear, when i was going through my static line progression, but once i hit freefall and started doing turns, i lost most of my fear only because everything i was doing was effin fun, i kept it fun and didn't worried about the task i had to do, if i failed i failed, if i passed i passed!! Though once i did my transition to BOC i was shitting brick like no tomorrow...... Now, my only worry is on opening time, i've have one PC in tow, it's scared the living shit out of me but at the same time it was some what fun!

Wanna Hug It Out, Lets Hug It Out..Bitch!