Hello! New to the Sport........Just a Fledgling!

[LGreg34 0]

Hello All,
This is my first post. I've been watching it for awhile and decided to go ahead. I'm new to the sport to a certain extent. Made 9 jumps 20 years ago, (my ex was 82nd Airborne which allowed me to jump one of the jump clubs on base.) Made it to a 10 sec delay. My 9th jump I was pregnant and didn't know it yet. Found out and that was the end of that until this past summer. I made a couple of tandems and 3 AFF jumps.......have to wait until spring now. What I'm hoping for some help with is this: getting over the major pre jump anxiety! Any tips anyone can give me? The problem is, I'm not 20 any more and think I'm invinsible. I'm 41 and know that I am a mere mortal. My desire has out weighed my fear so far but would like to get over as much of it as possible as quickly as possible so I can get down to the business of learning to fly! Any tips?

[skymama 37]

Welcome to the forums!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[LGreg34 0]

Thank You Skymama! I appreciate that. I'm very lucky to find the instructor that I have. Gene has over 10,000 jumps and I won't go up without him while still in "student status"., jump, meditate, jump again, and again, and again!

[mvarbero 0]

Hi there,
This is my first post also and like you have been just reading. I just got my A license last week. I have 26 jumps so far. I'm 42. Its taken me almost 1 year to get my license. Between making time for the family and crappy weather, it took a little while. OK, with that said, I am NO expert by any means, but I found getting to the DZ as frequent as possible and making at least a couple jumps that day helped build my confidence. Once I was on the plane I felt more comfortable and a little more at ease. My instructors were great and helped with this by joking and being very supportive. Good luck and stick with it. It will get easier and be well worth it!
Mike

[LGreg34 0]

Thanks Mike
I'm going to attach a description that I wrote of my AFF Catagory C dive. Most people here will be able to appreciate it rather than shake their heads and look at me like I'm totally crazy!

[skyyhi 0]

I am a fledgling also. . .I now have 7 jumps. . .I still get anxiety. . .in fact, I am VERY NERVOUS about my next AFF because I am having to take 3 weeks off before jumping again. . .(personal, not physical).

The door anxiety is HUGE. . .but once in the door, I cannot wait to get out, so. . .I will meditate and jump again. . .by the way, I am 42 and just started jumping a month ago. . .so I know EXACTLY how you feel. . .good luck to you and blue skies. . .

________________________________________
Take risks not to escape life… but to prevent life from escaping. ~ A bumper sticker at the DZ
FGF #6
Darcy

[ACMESkydiver 0]

The only advice I have to give you about getting over anxiety is how I did it myself...and that's simply keep jumping!! I didn't know if I'd ever get over the fear, until my 7th jump...then suddenly it was excitement instead of fear.

Another thing that helped me is to jump as many times as possible on the same day...this helped me tremendously. I could get my briefing from my instructor, and immediately correct it on my next jump. By the second or third jump of the day, I'm totally at ease in the air.

The last thing that helped me (and still does) with anxiety is being prepared. I read a bunch, I ask questions a TON, and I go over emergency procedures constantly in my mind. It's much easier to jump out of a plane when you are confident with your abilities to act and react to any possible situation that could occur. It's one reason why I had an incredibly smooth, not rushed, absolutely-no-panic cut away when I needed to. It was simply a scenario that I had practiced before, and it was simple to analyze the situation and take action immediately...it was actually kinda fun!

..those are just a few things that I did myself. Maybe it will help you! Welcome to skydiving!

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[billymotox 0]

Welcome! never give up.

billy d------------------------- "Escape may be checked by water and land, but the air and the sky are free." (from the story of Daedalus and Icarus)

[LGreg34 0]

Thank You Darcy
I've found that once in the plane I'm reasonably okay. I know that I'm totally committed at that point. It's the wait on the ground that gets to me. I can't swallow (no pun intended, guys) my throat gets so dry from the moment I turn in my manifest ticket til the lift goes up. THAT'S the part I need to get over.

[LGreg34 0]

Thank You Jaye,

You know, I guess I know all of these things. It's just hard to talk about with people who haven't tried it and don't really understand so it's nice to hear from people like you that do it on a regular basis. The wuffos are like, "then maybe you shouldn't do it," and I'm thinking, noooo, that's not an option, you don't understand, I HAVE to do it! I refuse to cop out to fear.

I have done exactly what you said, going down to the DZ as often as possible, even if I didn't plan to jump for whatever reason. If my instructor had a demo and wasn't there to jump with me, I'd use the wind tunnel, which is a lot harder than it looks by the way! No matter what, I've felt the need to just be there and feel the positive energy around the hanger. I WILL get over this, I'm determined, I guess it's just a matter of time and experience.

[LGreg34 0]

Thank You Billy,

I plan to be around for awhile.......no intentions of giving up . Hope to hear from you again sometime!

[skylord 1]

Hi Lori,

I know what you mean, I'm headed out to Elsinore this morning for AFF 2 and hopefully 3. Nothing like the sound of that door actually opening. To me, that's the toughest part of the jump.

You might as well be aggressive on the exit, because if you're like me, once in the door you're going out.

Everyone deals with it, so I just take it one jump at a time. I promised to keep everyone posted in the Safety and Training forum. Hang in there!!

Bob

Bob Marks

"-when you leave the airplane its all wrong til it goes right, its a whole different mindset, this is why you have system redundancy." Mattaman

[LGreg34 0]

Hi Bob,

I'll be looking for your post in the safety, training forum! I'll be interested to keep up on your training.
Wishing you beautiful blue skies........

[msmithd8769 0]

Yes, currency will be your best ally in gaining control of your fear. The more active you are and the more frequently your are around something, the more comfortable you will become with it. I would often be asked similar questions by my students and I would stress that and also explain that as a side-benefit of currency comes confidence in your training and confidence in your abilities as you begin to realize that you are able to handle yourself in the skydiving environment. But that said, there will be (or I should say, there SHOULD be) always a bit of apprehension on every jump for everyone. And it's that apprehension that helps keep us sharp and focused, helps keep us thinking, and helps keep us safe. Welcome back and best of luck to you.....

_____________________________
"And when the prophet shall arise who appeareth as a bird then the time of the Lord draweth nigh and the flock shall rule the earth."

[Raefordite 0]

Quote

The problem is, I'm not 20 any more and think I'm invinsible. I'm 41 and know that I am a mere mortal.

www.thepops.org

Quote

The Parachutists Over Phorty Society or POPS is a club for skydivers over the age of forty. The first POPS was founded in 1966 in the USA and has spread to many countries around the world. POPS clubs hold regular meets in their own countries, and every two years hold a World meet. World meets have taken place in Australia, USA, Spain, Jordan, Canada and New Zealand and the next one is due in 2004 in Switzerland. Competitions at meets include accuracy, formation skydiving and the special POPS competition the Hit and Rock.

Cool! I hope you join and enjoy the sport.

[Jarcie 0]

Hey, Lori, just wanted to send you serious props for what you're doing! Lots of support coming your way from NorCal...

[thermosnight 0]

Hi Lori,

I was convinced my fear and anxiety would either stop me from becoming experienced or at the least contain a small amount of discomfort each time I did a skydive. Yet, as my jumps and confidence have increased, the feelings have subsided quite a lot. I also put this down to training, coaching, support from your home DZ (if you have one) and a positive mental attitude. And definitely being safe and staying safe.

I often asked skydivers about anxiety when I started jumping and still believe it is a state of mind, fuelled by what you really think about your own abilities. I just kept jumping in the hope it would get better and then it finally clicked, even if it did take a while. I just accept the anxiety for what it is nowadays and don't allow it to get in the way of the dive itself.

So, it does get better and you will know what I mean when you get there.
Dave.

My favourite saying is under construction...

[LGreg34 0]

Hi Dave,

Thank you so much for your reply to my post. I think that you are exactly right about a lot of the anxiety being fueled by what you think of your own abilities. I'm a pretty confident person in general or I don't think I'd be doing this at all. I trust in myself and my abilities, but also know that I am human, completely capable of making mistakes. In this arena, that can be fatal. I am a combination of an optimist and realist. I am convinced that I will get through this though. I trust in myself enough that I believe that I have the ability to save my own life if the situation came to that so..........on I go. I just wish I didn't have to wait another few months (winter in Indiana). I'm reading everything I can get my hands on. I'm going over the SIMS and lay in bed at night going over things in my mind. Knowledge is power.
Thanks again for the support.

[hotpinksky 0]

Hello! Newbie here, reading up on the anxiety information. It's comforting to see your response! I thought it was odd for me to feel nervous on my second tandem!!?? Guess it is perfectly normal, especially considering my first was nearly four months ago. This isn't the cheapest hobby, so my jumps are just going to have to be very sporadic. I am really nervous for my next jump, since I plan to finally do my AFF. I am not even sure when that will be, but it will definitely be in a few months since I want to do it in a different state when I am on vacation, just a little to add to the money situation. Do you think as long as my jumps aren't very close together in time, that I will ever loose that nervous feeling?! It just kills my stomach! I really look forward to the time when I can do it so often, and that nervous feeling turns into excitement. Either way, I am so into it, and cannot wait to do it again, I will never lose the urge. Once you drop, you can't stop!!! Lisa

LISA-HOTPINKSKY
____________________
"...Can't keep my eyes from the circling skiesTongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit..." -Pink Floyd

[ChileRelleno 0]

Hi!

ChileRelleno-Rodriguez Bro#414
Hellfish#511,MuffBro#3532,AnvilBro#9, D24868