Aaron27

Last year I did my first tandem jumps and ever since it seems like I'm constantly being called back by some mysterious force. Case in point: earlier this January I headed out to Lompoc to watch SpaceX launch a rocket from the Vandenberg air base, (I'm a huge nerd lol).

Anyway, by complete random chance the hotel I stayed at just happened to be next door to skydive Santa Barbara. But what I thought was awesome is that they offer jumps from 18,000 feet. I really wanted to do a jump while I was there, but the weather sucked that day so I doubt they were even open.

I plan on going back for the next launch in July and will probably do a tandem since im not currently licensed, but eventually I'd love to be able to jump at 18k solo.

Do you need a specific license to jump from 18k? Or is it just a certain number of jumps? I know I'm getting ahead of myself being that I still need to complete AFF and get my A license long before doing of any special jumps like this, but just like doing a balloon jump it's something that I'd love to do eventually :)

Thanks for the advice from your AFF experience! I think what helped me most on my first tandem was mentally preparing for that moment for so long. I've been scouring youtube videos to watch the progress of others going through AFF. I want to be as prepared as possible before I start!

When you signed up for AFF did you do a package deal, or just pay for each jump individually? I'm not really sure if it makes a big difference, but just curious how other people pay for their AFF jumps.

I've always been terrified of heights, and I've never been much of an adrenaline junkie. I've always been the guy who gets jelly legs when going more than 3 steps up a ladder. I once worked in a warehouse and everyone would laugh when I had to use the forklift to get something from one of the top racks 30 or so feet up...thankfully this was before the camera phone era
I pretty much expected that I would freeze up in the plane, and either cower in the fetal position in the corner, or get close to the exit and need to be pushed out as I wet myself. But a weird thing happened...On the ride up I became incredibly excited. Everything from the roar of the twin engines, to the systematic removal of seat belts and equipment checks by all jumpers, to the unexpected view out of the door that seemed to be open almost the entire ride up....I was aware and living during every passing second.

We were the last jumpers out so it could have been so easy to wuss out, but that thought never even crossed my mind. I knew I was doing this. I was ready, maybe a little nervous, but I had already made my decision that I was landing back on the earth under my instructor's canopy.

Then came our turn, I made the jump, had the biggest, dorkiest smile I've had in a long time, and freakin' loved every second of it!

Before the jump I figured that any memory of the fall would mostly be a blur stored away in a distant part of my memory, but I was completely aware during the whole fall. In fact, the best way I have found to describe the experience to friends and family is that I didn't feel like I was falling at all, but rather just floating high above with 120mph wind blowing in my face. I remember looking around and being eye level with distant mountains, it was such a strange experience!

I don't know if the instructor I had was in a hurry to get down or just trying to have fun, but after opening the canopy we did some spirals downward - that was awesome! The entire canopy ride down was its own experience, not necessary better than the free fall, but more like the icing on the cake!

As soon as we landed I couldn't understand how I could have actually enjoyed what I just did. I always thought this would be the most terrifying experience, yet somehow I just had the most amazing thing ever happen. So I asked myself, "Did I really enjoy that, or was this just a fluke? Was this nothing more than a severe adrenaline rush, or something more?" I knew what I had to do; one more tandem to see if I really could do this kind of thing again. So I went back to the office, signed right back up and did another tandem the next day. The experience was just as awesome as the first.

That was 2 months ago and I haven't been able to stop thinking about going back up again. Maybe the 2nd jump should have been an AFF jump, but at least I know for sure this is something I definitely want to do. I know AFF is completely different than a tandem ride, but I'm pretty certain this is what I want need to do.


Sorry for such a long rant, but I had to get that out of my system. To summarize my overall feelings: I faced what I thought was my biggest fear only to find something I think I might love. I'm sure if I start AFF and go solo there will be things that will scare the crap out of me in ways I can't imagine, but I believe I'm ready to confront those challenges.

By the way, hello to everyone!