SKIandSKY

I've seen some pretty fake stuff on dating sites, but when they try to get money I just tell them off. After reading THAT link though....OMG....that looks so fun! S&S

Well that's it man....these guys tell you right. So far I've seen one guy kicked off the step, heard one girl freak out in the door, I myself have hesitated a second or two, and heard a friend of mine totally freaked and refused to jump but was "helped" to the door by the JM. That's part of the thrill though....I actuallly want to be scared since overcoming that adds to the excitement. Keep after it....you'll get there.

Definately on my last jump when I really screwed up and landed on a highway. I was pretty calm the ride in despite the crazy turbulence but nearly getting hit by a car 2 seconds after touch down really got me out of the road quick!

My instructor said I could wear one after jump #100. I think that's fair. I really want one though for ski season to film all the insane crashes I winess! I am fearful of a cam due to a possible horseshoe hangup.

Well now, I am in the majority here. Ladders and roofs I am terrified of and I mean TERRIFIED of. Jumping and skiing steep terrain...not so much. I think it was more skiing that helped with changing light bulbs though.

I don't know what to say...I get really nervous on some jumps and not nervous at all on others. Maybe chill a bit, watch some youtube jumps and see how you feel (I get excited) and then decide. It is a dangerous sport but that is part of the attraction...living on the edge and doing things others run from. I hope you jump again but if you do not, none of us will think badly of you. It takes a big man to back out of a jump. Good luck and God bless you.

Norway has strict guns laws. One must belong to a gun club in order to own any and I think it is illegal to have any at home that are assembled. To bad no one was armed among the victims. Whatever guns were used will likely be banned now. Glad I don't live there.

Power freaks like this cop are scary. Never been a police officer but was a strong candidate for deputy in 2002 but decided to finish my teaching degree. Have however been on several ride alongs but I degress. If cops are so terrified each and every time they do a stop a new line of work is in order. Unfortunately a lot of police feel that there are two types of people with guns: cops and criminals. There was no excuse for this behavior and hopefully the victim sues the department resulting in at least this man never wearing a badge again. OMG he was talking to a hooker? That isn't a crime. If talking to hookers was a crime then when cops do a sting they wouldn't have to do more than say "hello" to make a bust. All charges against the victim will most likely be dropped and that department will be more careful in hiring Mr. Small Penis's replacement. Whether pro gu or not, all Americans should rally around the victim.

Well man, you make me feel better. I'm at 30 solo's and if I hadn't gotten food poison last week I would have gone for my check dive yesterday. Hopefully next week or next weekend I can get the time to get it in. After that all I'll need is the packing class (got some good experience in last weekend THANKS CHRIS!) and the oral exam, which I am studying for.

THANKS FOR THE POST! I am at 29 solos (not counting the 3 tandems) and don't have my A yet. Of course I stopped at jump 12 due to last winter coming and only started back at 13 (back to PTO's too) this past June. I've gone more than 30 days since a jump at least twice, and had to go back to PTO's after being in freefall. Right now the only thing screwing me up is overshooting my landing target. I did it again about 6 hours ago. I didn't used to overshoot. Thanks for the message.....makes me feel a lot better. S&S

I'm a student yet and I myself would be terrified at having to jump low to the ground if the engine quit. Could I get stable in time? Would my chute inflate fully? Could I land in a clearing? Gotta keep those planes serviced.....period. S&S

I am so glad I am responsible for so many hilarious replies! Thanks guys! My mom is 70, my dad 68. My mom's health is very frail.....I honestly don't think she could handle the stress of knowing. I USED to have them as the emergency contact! Then a friend suggested I put him down instead, since then a stranger wouldn't be the one to call them. New people at the DZ today (due to Bridge Day yesterday) and when they found out how many jumps I have and my parents are still in the dark, it got a bit of a laugh. *Still laughing after reading those replies, that stuff is classic.

OMGosh! My mom borrowed my car today and I had left my log book laying in the passenger floor...thank goodness she doesn't notice much. (Yep, 28 jumps and they still don't know)! S&S

About the only crazy thing I've come across so far is about a water landing. I think the manual says to inflate your life preserver BEFORE attempting to swim deep to escape a canopy on your head. I wonder exactly, how one can easy swim down if a life preserver is already open. I do have a 2008 manua; maybe that's since been corrected. S&S

My heartrate was likely a little higher on Sunday's jump when I found the brakes to have been stowed differently from the other 27 previous jumps....they were harder to get lose. S&S

I was just on the phone with this new girl I met and once again the topic of skydiving came up...she mentioned it this time. I guess it's just so unusual people can't help but mention it. Doubtless I am the only skydiver she knows and likely the only one she's ever spoken to. I ended up saying that "skydivers are born. Although anyone could do it, it's that special person that sees it and says 'I wanna do that.' Most everyone else sees it and thinks 'it's crazy.' Maybe those are the smart ones. Maybe not." I did tell her that I've had an uneventful skydiving experience so far....the two line twists were easy to fix, the one time I hit my elbow on the landing gear I didn't feel it till hours later and that was slight, my one scuffed elbow and dirty pants from a bad landing were minor things. I've done some REALLY dangerous and dumb things in my life, totally unrelated to skydiving. The closest I ever came to death though was when I was alone in an office, long after hours, and nearly choked to death on a piece of Big Mac. I honestly thought my number was up that time! Doing anything can get you killed, including doing nothing. *Murphy's Law S&S

Lesson Learned: If you really care about your stuff you won't leave it laying about. I see kids and even adults leaving their cell and i-phones laying all over the place, even on the floor and they seem oblivious....maybe they all have good insurance. A friend had his Go Pro stolen OFF his helmet at a DZ a few weeks ago....too bad too....the one jump we did together was great...I'd have loved to have that on video. I myself have a cell phone so old and battered I don't think anyone would want it, yet I stuff it deep into my duffle bag I put out-of-sight at the DZ. I leave my wallet in my car until after the jump....only then do I retrieve it to pay for things. S&S

I've had a mix of reactions. When I taught high school and the word spread that I had done a tandem....I had at least one student do two tandems (she vomitted on the first) and a couple of other students went from 0.0's to 4.0's in my classes, each of them begging me to take them next time (I said I would after they graduated). Adults tend to react in one of the following ways: "you are crazy!" "you are tempting God!" "you are suicidal (gotten that one twice)" "you are stupid" "wow you are brave." Many people get all excited and SAY they want to go, yet most are busy that day for some reason. A supervisor who often spoke of his absolute amazingness in all areas had been a paratrooper in Vietnam with a grand total of 5 jumps. He was quick to point out that "only two things fall from the air: bird shit and fools." I SHOULD have replied that only one kind of person smokes cigarettes......but decided to hold my tongue. I do think that being a skydiver intimidates certain people.....I have no understanding why but it does seem so. Other people seem to think that we "have no fear whatsoever" about anything....although there are many things I am afraid of and I never hesitate to point those out. I wouldn't recommend letting others know you are a jumper but if it comes up and you get asked about it, just say something like "ya I'm crazy" and let it go....you can try to explain WHY you jump but most just don't/can't get it. There is a discussion I started after reading this thread about "talking friends into a jump"---the replies were pretty good. S&S

Either I suck at this or my friends are mostly wussies. I've been jumping since April of 2009 and only talked three friends into a jump. Well, I did a tandem back in 2003 and had a student of mine get so excited she did two when she got old enough. Other people at the DZ seem to get friends to jump.....how do you do it? S&S

Stark or is it "Start" DZ is wanting to put one of those thingie's on it's C 206.... Would be more relaxing than just flying with the door off.....maybe it's just me but I hang onto the pilot's seat if I'm jumper number 1.....LOL.....yes that's after I unhook my seat belt. S&S

Congrats! AND thanks for doing it in more than 25....I'll do my 25th jump tomorrow and I don't know when the "check dive" is! But I'm on the right path now....jumping at 11K alone and can do everything except front flips and track.....those two I may try tomorrow. S&S

I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE TO WONDER THIS! My first tandem I was afraid I'd die and go to hell since I hadn't been to church in a while. My first IAD I was fine...manly because I kept a huge fake smile on my face. My first clear and pull I was so scared I had an out-of-body experience, yet it was a perfect jump. After jump 12 things changed: I began to marvel at what I was doing and how beautiful the sight outside the plane was. About jump 20 I started just being calmer. Jump 22 I started concentrating on what I had to do and that made things a lot easier. I've heard everyone is at least somewhat afraid and it really is a good thing: makes you think twice about gear checks and keeps one alert. DO NOT PRAY MORE THAN ONCE: over-prayer causes stress and shows a lack of faith. S&S

My parents don't even know...no way I can tell them....they'd FREAK. So I just keep quiet on the subject. My parents aren't "sue happy" so I doubt there would be an issue. On jump days I post a letter on my fridg (I live alone) explaining what I'm up to and why. My best friends all know....so does all of facebook for that matter so I doubt a suite would be successful anyway.

I'm still flip flopping when I exit the plane (now jumping from 7,500 ft, well I guess since I passed that I'll go on up to 10K feet next time but anyway), I think I might hit up the wind tunnel to practice being more stable. Be nice to turn on purpose and not because my feet were out-of-balance. Thanks for starting this string!