Skydiving is scary

[gimpboogie 0]

this tells me I'm definitely 'odd'.

I didnt yet ever have fear, sweaty hands etc. tec.

but the only time i feel 'uncertain' and vigilant is watching my altimeter while we are climbing and after 3,000f I start to relax with the feeling 'if all goes sh*t for sideways durng the plane ride, i'm safe t get out of this plane'.


what is wrong with me that i do not have these other nornal fears?

To become active member in the Bonus Days Club you must very narrowly escape eternal freefall ... one exciting time.)-Pat Works

[happythoughts 0]

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this tells me I'm definitely 'odd'.

I didnt yet ever have fear, sweaty hands etc. tec.

but the only time i feel 'uncertain' and vigilant is watching my altimeter while we are climbing and after 3,000f I start to relax with the feeling 'if all goes sh*t for sideways durng the plane ride, i'm safe t get out of this plane'.


what is wrong with me that i do not have these other nornal fears?

One of the common elements of skydivers is the ability to intellectualize the process.

They learn the gear, the process, and the techniques.
They learn the issues and the solutions.
They believe (incorrectly) that their skills can overcome the danger, or at least minimize it.

Skydivers are risk-managers.

A person who has successfully executed these skills previously may have little fear. It is a switch in your brain that you flip.

[Chubba 0]

Skydiving feels exactly like public speaking to me.

I'm not going to shit my pants or faint, but I feel very nervous and uncomfortable, pretty much like I don't want to be doing it.

Why do I force myself to do something that makes me feel this way? No idea... but I keep coming back.

It's getting easier now though (done AFF6) and hoping it gradually dissapears.

[Orange1 0]

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That's exactly how I feel - I am nervous as hell until the plane climbs to 1k, then I'm ok. I'm sure it's because I'm more confident in my ability to save myself than I am in the plane's ability to stay aloft.

As you said, it's an odd friggin' thought.

I usually relax a lot more after 1K as well. But it's not an odd thought at all - read the incidents forum.

Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

[Chubba 0]

You people got it backwards... as the altitude climbs so does my anxiety.

When they open that door on the little Cessna 182 and that wind is sounding like a hurricane my heart goes into overdrive.

[MomDaBomb 0]

LOL! Sh*t your pants.... I know it's an expression but I wonder if it's ever actually happened to anyone while skydiving before.

[iluvtofly 0]

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LOL! Sh*t your pants.... I know it's an expression but I wonder if it's ever actually happened to anyone while skydiving before.

Last year at our dz there was a girl doing a tandem. She made the mistake of wearing white pants. Well, she litterally shit her pants during the jump and she had a giant brown stain on her white pants. She had to sit around the dz in her pants for 3 hours waiting for the rest of her friends to make tandems.

[Orange1 0]

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You people got it backwards... as the altitude climbs so does my anxiety.

When they open that door on the little Cessna 182 and that wind is sounding like a hurricane my heart goes into overdrive.

That won't last very long! You'll come to the day when the door opening is 'normal'.. and very soon after that you'll find yourself impatient for the door to open and the sound of that wind and the rush of cold air that fills the plane

Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

[JohnMitchell 14]

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A person who has successfully executed these skills previously may have little fear. It is a switch in your brain that you flip.

/reply]That is it exactly. Before it happens, you can't believe you'll ever relax. After it happens, you can't believe it ever bothered you. I'm still a conservative jumper, and safety oriented. Also survival oriented, which is what you need when the safety runs out.

[airtwardo 6]

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LOL! Sh*t your pants.... I know it's an expression but I wonder if it's ever actually happened to anyone while skydiving before.

Ever heard the term~ Dumped High?

...Bet you thought they were talking about deploying to fast huh?!

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

[climboutandhang 0]

Man, that is so true!!
i cant wait to get out the door!

Labels are limits!

[climboutandhang 0]

i had more of an anxiety problem than a fear problem.
but after a bad exit or two, i got over gear fear quick. i realized i could deploy sideways, and on my back, and the chute still opened and worked fine.
i still have a problem relaxing, but im working on it.

if i get scared, i realize how alive i am, and it makes me smile.
best of luck.

Labels are limits!

[sd-slider 0]

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LOL! Sh*t your pants.... I know it's an expression but I wonder if it's ever actually happened to anyone while skydiving before.

Ever heard the term~ Dumped High?

...Bet you thought they were talking about deploying to fast huh?!

Did you ever get your jumpsuit back from that dude?

Anvil Brother #69

Sidelined with a 5mm C5-C6 herniated disk...
Back2Back slammers and 40yr old fat guys don't mix!

[chrismgtis 0]

The one time I really remember going "Oh shittt" was ironically above a big blanket cloud formation. I couldn't see the ground and I got ground rush going towards the clouds. Then when I got through the sky opened up and I saw the ground.

That was awesome.

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

[shermanator 3]

you'll become more comfortable under the canopy when you fly it more and learn what it is capable of.

I always enjoy doing a hop and pop from 12,500 and just learning the canopy charactoristics. up that high, there is less fear of what if this or that happens. I believe the SIM has some good canopy control suggestions to try out and learn. there are all kinds of stuff to do, half brake turns, full breaks, let up, then pull one riser down, full breaks, let up, right back to full breaks. can play with the risers.

my personal fear inducing favorite is intentionally collapsing the canopy. on larger canopies, it is harder. with low jump numbers, consult an instructr before doing this, but up high, pull breaks alllll the way down, it may not do anything.. if nothing, you can wrap the brake lines around your hands 3 or 4 times, then pull the breaks down. *look up at the canopy when you do this, so you can see what it does, and what a collapse looks like* you'll most likely see the bail of the canopy come in, meeting in the middle, as you start to drop fast. slowly bring the brakes back up to reinflate the canopy.. you don't want to just drop the brakes.

some manouvers can induce line twists, so be ready to kick out. but after learning what your canopy is capable of, and what it takes for it to collapse, your confidence in the gear will be gained.

CLICK HERE! new blog posted 9/21/08
CSA #720

[Tuna-Salad 0]

Thanks (: I've been getting better with the fear.. I'm glad when the door opens, and the ride up doesn't feel as intense now. Now I find myself going to the door much faster and more eager and once the person ahead of me goes out I really have no second thoughts. Thanks for the support. I also sort of got the mentality about me under canopy when I start getting knocked around that, "i'm flying this thing, it isn't flying me" Usually I feel better after that.

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

[marcandalysse 0]

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Do some CRW. It will get you back to "scared shitless" in a hurry.

The only thing scarier looking than a crw dog is the rig he's wearing!!!

mp

"The reason angels can fly is that they take themselves so lightly." --GK Chesterton

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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Hello. I'm new with only 21 jumps and so far and since I've started I have been scared at some point or another. At first it was the time leading up to the jump, sweatty palms, dry mouth, all the usual stuff. Until about jump 13 or 14 I used to say to myself.. "what the hell are you doing" "you dont have to jump" "oh good clouds maybe we don't have to go" I was told that was the 'door monster'. Now I don't give it a second thought, it's my turn, spot check for traffic count to 7 or 8 and go. Now the fear starts when under canopy and I'm getting blown around by turbulence or something waiting on my canopy to collapse. My last jump I did not make any turns or movements if I did not need to but sometimes I will fly somewhat agressive. Is it odd that the fear comes and goes or that I am exp it at different times? Almost like different stages. Should't I be past this by now?

Fixed wing pilots may have over 100 landings and 15 hours flying around before they're allowed to go solo.

You have 21 landings, less than two hours in the air, and can't add more power to go around if you don't like how things are going. Some fear in that situation seems pretty reasonable.