Let me at least preface this by saying, I have a few friends who jump, and most of my family have done tandems. I pretty much thought they were crazy, which is odd because that's usually what people think of me. I don't know why, I tend to do things pretty conservatively, like jumping off bridges (over water, not freeways) feet first or just diving when everyone else is backflipping or doing gainers... though I do tend to grab wild snakes at every chance (hey, I love reptiles). As a child I did do a roof drop with an umbrella. Hid the remains of the umbrella and tried it with a bedsheet, didn't have enough altitude for it to open, but enough brains not to go to 2 stories. Anyways.... A coworker just did his AFF, and I catch him grinning occasionally, when he doesn't realize he's even doing it (I suspect he's remembering freefall). Still didn't really have the urge, we discussed it, something about falling straight down didn't super appeal to me. Then he said, you can always get a wingsuit....now that appeals to me. Has ever since the first time I saw my hero, Wile E. Coyote, take his Acme brand Batsuit for a test flight. Except I didn't know these things actually existed, save for some European in a home made thing being a daredevil to get on TV. Then he showed me that Need for Speed 4 video on YouTube. Holy #^%!!! Those things actually exist?! And they work?! What? Maybe I SHOULD watch TV or YouTube! Now I know what you're thinking...and I know how that video, or any like it, affect a viewer. Who wouldn't want to do that, besides Superman, and then only because there's no cape and you can't put your arms in front of you. Heck, every comment is "I'm gonna do that!" I commented about it to a friend who BASE jumps, whose opinion I respect. He wouldn't even mention it, just said, "Go get your AFF, make a few thousand jumps, learn to fly a canopy. Then you might be ready to consider BASE." Now, he didn't say consider wingsuit BASE, and I know what that means. And I'm not delusional either, but again, who wouldn't want to? Man this is going to be a long post. Sorry. One of the reasons I've never skydived (Skydove?), to be honest, is that I have imagined it. Frequently. And in every one of my daydreams, I deploy the chute, and at that moment it snaps open, the harness slows down real quick. I don't. I slip through it like sand through open fingers. I usually stop the daydream there, you know, not being suicidal and all. So I start my research at "harness failure", and find my daydream hasn't manifest itself once in reality. I was surprised to learn the main cause of accidents are low turns, I have a friend who was cut off low to the ground, turned to avoid, and shattered his leg, injured his back, and can't jump anymore. Then I see the stats, the numbers of fatalities to jumps is staggeringly low. Not so much with BASE. But, with regards to skydiving, the fear is alleviating as I read more about it. It seems to me, that even as low as that number is, it could be lower, that, as is the case with so many things, operator error is more common than equipment failure. So I quit watching wingsuit videos, started watching skydive videos, particularly AFF jumps. It looks like a lot more fun than I had thought, and watching freefliers, honestly it doesn't look at all like dropping straight down. It looks like freedom. And when I saw canopy flight, again, freedom. I almost can't believe "they" just let you fly around in the air under a canopy, with no control tower directing you, or altitude requirements, it seems even more free than piloting a small plane. And cheaper on gas. I haven't made that first jump, but now it's "yet". And I'd still like to put on a wingsuit, but I feel like to even think about doing it within 5 years of starting jumping at all would be rushing it. But, I'd like general advice. I've been reading on this forum for a bit, and the one thing I've taken away from it so far is that there is a LOT more to it than it seems, I feel I have a good understanding of how something seemingly simple can be complex. I'm a tattooer, and the machines I use were designed over a hundred years ago, they are exceptionally simple devices, just an oscillating relay, technically there aren't even any moving parts. I spent 3 years learning how to tune one, with guidance from some of the best in my industry. I'm not a slow learner, just a very thorough one. I don't even want to jump until I know EXACTLY how the main and reserve both work, not just my canopy, but that hotrod swooper too. I want to know why it's even a hotrod. I need to know about aspect ratios, even though I aspire to own a slow opening, gently landing rig. I drive a 4 cyl. Camry, if that's any help. I consider it high performance, not because it is, but because I can make perform the way I want. That's what I want in a rig. I want to be safe, healthy, walking and breathing. And grinning. Sorry about the long post, but I want to be honest about my motivations, fears, abilities, and attitude. Always open to any suggestions, criticisms, insults, whatever someone with more experience deems necessary. Thanks in advance, be safe!
