The Golden Age of Skydiving - is *now*

[shall555 0]

I've just been thinking about the sport a lot, lately and have come to the conclusion that we're living in the "Golden Age" of skydiving.

Think of it: the gear's fantastic, airplane rides are dirt cheap, knowledge is being shared like never before, boogies happen *somewhere* every other weekend.

There are AFF, free-flying, incredible canopy-piloting, CRW, freestyle, BASE and multi-point RW disciplines to choose from.

Look, short of some future invention of levitator beams to climb to altitude and magic shields to protect us from ill-timed swoops, we have nearly-perfect gear -- folks just don't frap because gear unravels at opening time.

Ok, so I'm watching the Rantoul '02 video tonight and marvelling at the incredible skills demonstrated by the *typical jumper* today. The folks in that video aren't necessarily the Jerry Birds / B.J. Worths of their day. They're typical of the contemporary skydiver.

If you haven't seen that video, I'd recommend that you watch it. You'll see remarkable control of fall-rate and position relative to the cameraman and formation that simply could not have been achieved when I started jumping.

In that video, folks jump from Twin Otters, Pitts Specials, a B-17 bomber, a C-130, Skyvans (amazing) and King Airs.

So, I guess my point is: jump. Enjoy this wonderful time. The sky may not always be so accessible to us.
For some reason we are blessed with the ability to jump from 13,500 feet for a mere, oh, $ 16.00 US or so. It will not always be so. Jump. Smile. Geek the camera. Push yourself to the limit of your skills.

Savor every moment in freefall, every sunset dive, every grin from a pal just before break-off.

We live in the Golden Age.

Yer pal,

shall

[skybytch 273]

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If you haven't seen that video, I'd recommend that you watch it.

Me too. But not for the skydiving. Watch it cuz I have a speaking part.

[AggieDave 6]

Good call!

I talk about being able to be apart of the beginnings of the sport with FFing and Swooping being in their infancy and getting to be apart of them, but I hadn't looked at it in the same light you do. After reading that I would tend to agree with you.

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

[shall555 0]

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If you haven't seen that video, I'd recommend that you watch it.

Me too. But not for the skydiving. Watch it cuz I have a speaking part.

Yeah, but you're a girl. Everybody watches the girls in those videos. Sheesh.

shall

[Lindsey 0]

Yeah, but you're a girl.

She's a WOMAN. heh.

linz

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[shall555 0]

[reply
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I talk about being able to be apart of the beginnings of the sport with FFing and Swooping being in their infancy and getting to be apart of them, but I hadn't looked at it in the same light you do. After reading that I would tend to agree with you.

[shall555 0]

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Yeah, but you're a girl.

She's a WOMAN. heh.

linz

Girl ? Woman ? It's all good.

shall

[AggieDave 6]

Trust me, I know what those planes cost. I know what the insurance costs for them as well...and the cost for phase inspections on the turbines, fuel burn per load on some of them. I have a very firm grasp on the cost of just the plane.

Like a bumper sticker I saw once: "If it float, flies or f**ks...its cheaper to rent!"

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

[airtwardo 7]

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...and have come to the conclusion that we're living in the "Golden Age" of skydiving.

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Throughout the past 30 years that I've been jumping, I've had that same though several times!

I've now come to believe that my entire career thus far is the 'golden' age...

The sport is always in a constant transition, who knows what the future holds...but I don't think it's going to be 'better' or worse...just different and just as exciting!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

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Look, short of some future invention of levitator beams to climb to altitude and magic shields to protect us from ill-timed swoops, we have nearly-perfect gear -- folks just don't frap because gear unravels at opening time.

If they eliminated the need to climb to altitude, I think my enjoyment of the activity of skydiving would diminish. I like the airplane ride to altitude. I like the comraderie of cramming into an airplane for better or for worse and waiting while it chugs up into the sky. I like the fact that each jump is spaced out from each other jump by the time it takes to pack and get back up there. This is part of the magic of skydiving for me.

I hope I'm not alone in this regard.


-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[shall555 0]

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If they eliminated the need to climb to altitude, I think my enjoyment of the activity of skydiving would diminish. I like the airplane ride to altitude. I like the comraderie of cramming into an airplane for better or for worse and waiting while it chugs up into the sky.
I hope I'm not alone in this regard.
-Jeffrey

Heck yeah. I get it. It wouldn't be the same without watching folks practice their grips, closed-eyed in the plane and sharing that arcane, sliding-grip handshake just before exit. I'm with ya. I'm just thinking that someday, Jet-A fuel will be $ 145.00/gallon.

That's when they'll invent the levitator beams. Then we can chat and talk trash all the way to altitude, surrounded by only air and clouds.

shall

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

Would a levitator beam be usable to catch and suspend, and gently lower, a skydiver who was experiencing a malfunction?

Forgive me, I realize that many people have lost their lives to skydiving accidents, but do we really want there to be no risk in our sport?

That's a razor edge to walk, now, isn't it?

We don't like people dying at it, but we wouldn't want it to be like the aviation version of those scissors they give the slow kids...


-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[Girlfalldown 0]

That's a real nice post. It made me smile and realize how lucky I am. Thanks!

[Zenister 0]

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I hope I'm not alone in this regard.

you are, or at least lonelier.. i'd gladly get rid of the aircraft as the way to altitude if there were a cheaper/faster method..... the aircraft cost etc is the only real barrier to actual independance as a skydiver in the sport.. you are at the mercy of the aircraft owners and the FAA regulators...

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[chuteless 1]

I think you are wrong...but maybe Im prejudiced.

The best time was the $50. cheapos, hard plf s, learning to do things that hadnt been done before,

pushing the envelope, when there was one

bending ( not necessarily breaking ) the rules

bringing skydiving to the attention of the general public

and many many more things that hurt sometimes, and broke the occassional bone....and that still happens today, but we taught you how to break them cleanly. LOL

Oh man, those were the golden days.


Bill Cole D-41

[PhreeZone 20]

Where is a $16 jump other then Lodi?

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[skybytch 273]

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pushing the envelope, when there was one

The envelope is still there and it's still being pushed. It's just bigger than it used to be.

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bending ( not necessarily breaking ) the rules

Still happens, every weekend on every dz.

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bringing skydiving to the attention of the general public

For good or bad, still happening.

It comes down to perspective. For those who no longer jump, the days when they did are their glory days. For those jumping now the glory days could be anytime from when they did their first jump to next weekend.

[Elisha 1]

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Where is a $16 jump other then Lodi?

Eloy Holiday Boogie (yes, $30 Reg fee), Mesquite boogie coming up, maybe more

[Hambone 0]

I too am a fan of the ride to altitude. I know i am new at this, but if there were not planes than you wouldn't be able to say that you jump out of them and part of the fun is hanging off of/jumping out of the plane. Thats my opinion atleast, plus the ride up there is lots of fun if you are a plane with the right people. Nice view too. But i understand the cost issue.

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

[Zenister 0]

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Where is a $16 jump other then Lodi?

Eloy Holiday Boogie (yes, $30 Reg fee)

still wondering where the 'specialty aircraft' were at since we had to pay the fee this year.....

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[LouDiamond 1]

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Where is a $16 jump other then Lodi?

Eloy Holiday Boogie (yes, $30 Reg fee)

still wondering where the 'specialty aircraft' were at since we had to pay the fee this year.....

If you really want an answer to that question I think you know who to ask.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[JohnRich 4]

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It would have been inconceivable to think of jumping *regularly* out of million-dollar + airplanes when I started. Check out Trade-A-Plane for the prices on Twin Otters, Skyvans and King Airs. Heck, it was a big deal to jump out of a clapped-out DC-3 or Lodestar in 1979. I'm tellin' ya, today, 2006, is *it*.

In retrospect, yes, this is the golden age.

But while we were there in the old days, those were golden days too. Just in a different way.

I still like the roar of twin radial engines better than the hum of turbines...

[sky-pimp 0]

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airplane rides are dirt cheap,

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we are blessed with the ability to jump from 13,500 feet for a mere, oh, $ 16.00 US or so

i need to move to the States our jump tickets just went to £20 each thats about $35+ i think .

i'm pretty new to the sport and feel privalijed to be part of it , and hope to see it develop more .....

---

YeHaaaaaaaaaaa

[jsaxton 0]

Did Lodi go up to $16?

[Elisha 1]

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Did Lodi go up to $16?

No that I know of, but we have to be pretty whiny to actually complain if it does/did.