The smell of the sky: What's the cause?

[grue 1]

Soo... anyone know what causes that distinctive scent our gear takes on after a day of jumping, especially jumpsuits and canopies? I miss that smell

cavete terrae.

[ACMESkydiver 0]

It's because you're sweating in it and you're making it stinky, Grue!

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

[grue 1]

It's not stinkysmell™, it's goodsmell™

cavete terrae.

[Lindercles 0]

It's the smell given off by billions of horny midichlorians when badass shit gets them all moist.

[ACMESkydiver 0]

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It's not stinkysmell™, it's goodsmell™

-ohhh, that's AvGas.

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

[pincheck 0]

pollution, nah smell off fuel traveling home from a days jumping you can still smell it

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[matt1215 0]

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It's not stinkysmell™, it's goodsmell™

I like skysmell too. What's up with the ™'s? Did you put those there?

I think packers in general hold a trademark for stinkysmell. Rigs after a day of jumping and clean pussy definitely have goodsmell.

[mangledspoon 0]

Hmm, for me I just thought it smelled like cow poo, because I use student gear and the jumpsuit / rig always ends up landing in cow poo...whether from me or someone else
Can we swear in this forum?

[apollard24 0]

I so know what your talking about. I asked my SO the same question "Where does that smell come from"

Its not stinky just a very destinctive smell...doesnt really smell like anything else to describe..

Breathe out so I can breathe you in...

[Skyrad 0]

I know that smell, you're right its not sweat. I don't know what it is but its very distinct. I wonder if a sudden surge in adrenaline could effect the receptors in our olfactory bulb somehow? Maybe only jumpers can smell it, maybe it is a phantom smell.

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[brianemerson 0]

I think it is the exhaust from the Jet fuel.

[brianfry713 0]

Skydiving smells like nylon.

BASE 1224, Senior Parachute Rigger, CPL ASEL IA, AGI, IGI
USPA Coach & UPT Tandem Instructor, PRO, Altimaster Field Support Representative

[shropshire 0]

Fear....

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[LisaM 0]

And rubberbands.

~ Lisa
~ Do you Rigminder?

[Hambone 0]

Nylon, Jet Fuel, and Rubberbands all of them together.

Yeah...You need to grow up. -Skymama

[LisaM 0]

AAh...... yummy!

~ Lisa
~ Do you Rigminder?

[popsjumper 2]

Pittsburgh?

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Lindercles 0]

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Nylon, Jet Fuel, and Rubberbands all of them together.

Sounds sorta like my last date.

[AggieDave 6]

Certain parts of the year during certain years you can smell the field fires from Mexico as they burn off their crop waste in the fields. Expecially at 11-13k, kinda strange that you can smell it from so far away, but kinda cool too.


As for the skydiving smell, its the smell of sweat, Jet-A/Av-Gas, nylon, rubberbands and airplane interior (different planes smell different, 182s smell different then Otters, etc). That's more of a function of the exhaust as well, though.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[sparksPNT 0]

...and the last few jumpers contribute to that smell in the plane!!!

Weather forecast for tonight: dark

[StreetScooby 5]

Industrial Haze?

We are all engines of karma

[jtval 0]

your nose.


that's what makes it smell. If you don't believe me, hold your breath and that smell will dissapear.

Proof enough for you?

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[Amazon 7]

Up here its the smell of the VAST Pacific Ocean and the clear BULE SKY.....ahhhhhhhh


Down in Southern Cal... or In Houston it might be from falling thru those brown layers of sky.....

[guppie01 0]

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Down in Southern Cal... or In Houston it might be from falling thru those brown layers of sky.....

Right now it'd smell like bonfire!

g

"Let's do something romantic this Saturday... how bout we bust out the restraints?"
Raddest Ho this side of Jersey #1 - MISS YOU
OMG, is she okay?

[moodyskydiver 0]

I know the smell.But what about taste...

I remember on one of my first AFP jumps my JM and I went through a little "industrial haze" and ofcourse I'd had a big smile on my face the whole time so my mouth was partly open.So when we got down I made the remark that the sky tasted nasty.

Ofcourse everyone laughed.

Remember that Dave?

"...just an earthbound misfit, I."