Hello - I'm a Newbie

[Hoosierguy 0]

Hi! First post here! I'm thinking about skydiving for the first time. Before I do I want to ask lots of questions that newbies ask. I live in Indiana and I'm in my mid 30's. I can't think of anything more scary than jumping out of an airplane and at this point in my life - that is why I want to jump out of an airplane.

I want to do a tandem jump and maybe more.

Which board can I go to to ask all my newbie questions?

Thanks and happy to meet you!

[mrbiceps 0]

do a search first and then fire away with your questions. i am pretty sure that this is the correct forum

[Hoosierguy 0]

Oh man, I just watched a video of jump. It goes from showing the plane taking off and then
all of a sudden a guy jumping out of the plane. It made me shiver and made my stomach a little tight. lol. Have people with a fear of heights become good skydivers? Can some one who is scared of rollercoaster's and have never been on one in his life do a tandem and maybe more?
Crazy. lol.

[cjsgrlsx3 0]

I started jumping in June of '06. My husband gets a huge laugh out of watching me go up an escalator! I am terrified of heights! With that being said, nothing beats jumping out of a plane after a long week of "whatever"! This is my 100th.

http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=7352

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

Quote

Oh man, I just watched a video of jump. It goes from showing the plane taking off and then
all of a sudden a guy jumping out of the plane. It made me shiver and made my stomach a little tight. lol. Have people with a fear of heights become good skydivers? Can some one who is scared of rollercoaster's and have never been on one in his life do a tandem and maybe more?
Crazy. lol.

I'm not sure if this is the right forum or not. Until the mods move it, it'll do.

The fear of heights isn't all that big a deal. I'm afraid of heights (you'd laugh your ass off watching me get on and off a roof from a ladder). I can't really explain it other than to say it's not height it's altitude. I'm a pilot too, and that doesn't bother me either.
Don't worry about the rollercoaster thing. There is no "stomach drop" going out of a plane. You are already moving 80-90 mph going out the door and it takes 5 sec or so to get to terminal -120 or so. The only real comparison for me is that the plane ride is like going up the first hill. It seems to take forever, with the tension building the whole time

Can you do it? Only you can answer that question.
The real question is how bad you want to. A tandem doesn't require any skill or all that much effort on your part, so it would probably be a good way to start.
My best suggestion would be to go to the DZ closest to you, hang out for a while, watch and ask questions.
I will say it's like nothing else, it is the coolest thing in the whole world, and be careful what you wish for. Because once you jump, you may well not be able to think of anything else for a while.

At which point, you are as screwed as the rest of us

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[skymama 37]

Welcome to the forums! to make a skydive. It is very empowering to face your fears. Just do it!

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

[Hoosierguy 0]

I read on wiki that divers do not get the feeling that they are dropping. It's like wind in the face. Is that true? I was thinking that feeling, always falling and helpless, is the number one reason why I have this fear of skydiving and heights in general.

For instance, if I go over a hill in a car and go down a quick hill, my stomach may still be going forward when the rest of my body is going down. It gives me an odd feeling, like I'm falling. There is none of that in skydiving?

[Hoosierguy 0]

Do any of you know where I can get the book Jump - Skydiving made fun and easy? Amazon has it but it's a five to eight week wait. I can get it quicker but amazon sellers want $70 or more for it. Amazon just wants $11.00.

I want a good book for beginners. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

[jvanauken 0]

My first two tandems I did not feel the "stomach drop", but my third time I definitely felt it. I was actually relaxed upon exit for once... IMO most people don't notice the drop because they are so tense when they exit. Once you reach terminal, to put it in your words, all of your organs are going at the same speed or whatever, and you don't feel it anymore. And I'm terrified of heights but it is more than worth overcoming the fear for such an amazing experience...

Welcome to the forums!

- james

"i want it all and more."

[jvanauken 0]

The best book for beginners is the Skydiver's Information Manual (SIM). Your SIM will have all the necessary information to answer most of your skydiving questions. Other than that the best way to get more information is to get out to your local DZ and ask questions to real people!!! Have fun and learn all you can.

Blue Skies!

- james

"i want it all and more."

[skymama 37]

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IMO most people don't notice the drop because they are so tense when they exit.

A skydiver doesn't notice the stomach drop because the plane is moving while he/she jumps out of it. It's all about physics. There are a few seconds upon exit that skydivers refer to as "the hill", where your vertical speed catches up with your horizontal speed, but it certainly doesn't feel like a roller coaster ride. To me, it just feels like a hesitation, like if you're testing your wings. If you jump from a stationary object, you'll definitely feel the drop!

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

[skymama 37]

The author of Jump! is Tom Buchanan and he's a dz.commer. Send him a pm, maybe he has a copy laying around that he could sell to you.

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

[NotBond 0]

Quote

I read on wiki that divers do not get the feeling that they are dropping. It's like wind in the face. Is that true? I was thinking that feeling, always falling and helpless, is the number one reason why I have this fear of skydiving and heights in general.

For instance, if I go over a hill in a car and go down a quick hill, my stomach may still be going forward when the rest of my body is going down. It gives me an odd feeling, like I'm falling. There is none of that in skydiving?

Hi! And welcome!

I too have a fear of heights, but once you are out the door, it's gone. There is no real feel of falling, you're supported by the airstream.

Overcoming your fear by jumping out of a plane at 13000 feet will give you a) such a rush, and b) such a shot of confidence that it truly can be a life changing experience.

When are you doing your first jump? There are a few tips that people can give you to make the experience a bit less scary and a bit more fun!

Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyways... - John Wayne

[Hoosierguy 0]

I e-mailed a drop zone Sunday but have not received a reply yet. I live in Indiana. I have never visited a drop zone before. This is all knew to me. That's why I want to read a book on this subject.

[NotBond 0]

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I e-mailed a drop zone Sunday but have not received a reply yet. I live in Indiana. I have never visited a drop zone before. This is all knew to me. That's why I want to read a book on this subject.

I got my copy of Jump! from Amazon in about a week. The SIM is available online.

Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyways... - John Wayne

[Hoosierguy 0]

Where can I get the SIM from?

Thanks

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

Quote

I e-mailed a drop zone Sunday but have not received a reply yet. I live in Indiana. I have never visited a drop zone before. This is all knew to me. That's why I want to read a book on this subject.

Fill out your profile! Chances are someone from a DZ close to you posts here and will tell you where to go.
Unfortunately, a lot of DZs are now closing for the winter. (got what are probably my last 2 jumps of the season in last weekend) So there might not be anybody to answer your e-mail for a while.
Most DZs are friendly places and will be willing to show you what's up and answer your questions.
Books are great, even if the SIM does read like stereo instructions, but nothing takes the place of seeing what jumping is really like, and seeing how excited the 1st timers are.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

Quote

Where can I get the SIM from?

Thanks

downloadable as a pdf from USPA.org or from the online store as a hardcopy.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[Hoosierguy 0]

Well, I ordered the Jump book! I Look forward to reading it. If all the local skydiving schools are closed for the winter maybe this would be the perfect time to read up and study up on this.

[djta0707 0]

I have been in construction for 7 years and i hate when i have to get on a roof or work off a extesion ladder. My legs go straight to jello and I hate it. When I did my pre second tandem I was so scared that the heights problem I have was going to get the best of me but I did it anyway and I am very glad I did because now I am hooked. I have no problem at all getting on the plane or even the ride up. The people at work tell me that something is wrong with me if I can jump from 14,500 but cant go to the top of a 30 foot ladder. Just relax and have fun with your new found friends.

[jvanauken 0]

I definitely feel it, but you seem to know better than I do...

- james

"i want it all and more."

[gearless_chris 1]

As you may have noticed there are a lot of us that are scared of heights, it's mostly ladders and roofs. Someone told me it's because you'll probably be okay when you skydive, but if you fall off a roof you will definitely get hurt. I don't know if I believe that's the reason but it sounds good. Most of the dz's around here are already closed for the winter and for a good reason, it's too cold. You really want to enjoy jumping so you're better off waiting till spring anyway. I don't know which dz is closest to you way down in the corner, I've only passed through Terre Haute, it smells funny for some reason. I would pick Air Indiana Skydiving in Flora over Greensburg. Archway skydiving in Vandalia IL is a good place also , but that may be even farther.

"If it wasn't easy stupid people couldn't do it", Duane.

My momma said I could be anything I wanted when I grew up, so I became an a$$hole.

[Hoosierguy 0]

I don't live right in Terre Haute. I live in another county but I'm 12 minutes from it.

I was going to try this place. I sent an e-mail but no reply yet.

http://www.illinoisskydivingcenter.com/

[SuperNerd1988 0]

I looked at the website for the place you are going to try and I noticed that their first AFF jump is a tandem and is the same price as a regular tandem. If you specify you want to do the AFF jump, you will get the training you need to take the first step toward a license. Then if you decide to keep with skydiving you will have the first step done and you will be ready to take the next one.

There's a risk to skydiving that is not always mentioned; the risk of becoming addicted to it.

[Hoosierguy 0]

I e-mailed this place also and got a reply -

skycircus.com