A phone call I received about skydiving - what was he thinking?!

[peek 21]

My name, email address and phone number are on a few skydiving related web sites, so around this time of year I get a number of phone calls from people in my area asking about skydiving, and sometimes about gear.

I got a call this morning from a young man who said he did an AFF jump in California a few years ago. He referred to the first jump course as a "boring-ass 8 hour course".

It seemed to me that his attitude was that skydiving should not cost nearly as much as it did. I told him that unfortunately that it is, but that you get a lot for your money, considering liability, gear, etc..

He was thinking of jumping again, and to try to make jumping more affordable he was looking at gear. He found a parachute on Craig's List for $200 and was talking at me like he was expecting me to say, "Yeah, buy that thing and take it out for your next jump". (He made no mention of a reserve or a harness/container.

I told him that he would not be able to jump his own gear until he was licensed, but that if he knew the manufacturer or model number of the components that I could tell him right away if it was even close to something a drop zone might let him jump after he was licensed.

The answer was "Pioneer conical". Duh-oh!

I think he has been discouraged from continuing to skydive because of the cost, but maybe that is a good thing.

[ChrisL 2]

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My name, email address and phone number are on a few skydiving related web sites, so around this time of year I get a number of phone calls from people in my area asking about skydiving, and sometimes about gear.

I got a call this morning from a young man who said he did an AFF jump in California a few years ago. He referred to the first jump course as a "boring-ass 8 hour course".

It seemed to me that his attitude was that skydiving should not cost nearly as much as it did. I told him that unfortunately that it is, but that you get a lot for your money, considering liability, gear, etc..

He was thinking of jumping again, and to try to make jumping more affordable he was looking at gear. He found a parachute on Craig's List for $200 and was talking at me like he was expecting me to say, "Yeah, buy that thing and take it out for your next jump". (He made no mention of a reserve or a harness/container.

I told him that he would not be able to jump his own gear until he was licensed, but that if he knew the manufacturer or model number of the components that I could tell him right away if it was even close to something a drop zone might let him jump after he was licensed.

The answer was "Pioneer conical". Duh-oh!

I think he has been discouraged from continuing to skydive because of the cost, but maybe that is a good thing.

Couldnt he just whip one up using bed sheets and twine?

__

My mighty steed

[quesera 0]

I was at my DZ, lingering around the front desk, one day when someone called and asked how much the licensing program cost. When they heard, they said they were just going to buy gear and get a friend with a plane to take them up.

His plan was literally to teach himself to skydive with ZERO instruction; just jump and figure it out on the way down.

Darwin for the win!

[Scrumpot 1]

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he answer was "Pioneer conical". Duh-oh!

So you're the one that shot down my "done-deal" sale to this kid? Thanks alot Gary! Back to the drawing boards it seems I goes.

J/K!

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[Airman1270 0]

Several years ago I had a brief on-air conversation on my small-town market radio show. The caller knew I jumped and was expressing his enthusiasm, explaining how he intended to find a pilot who'd take him up w/out any training. He thought I'd be happy for him; Instead I said that if I had any knowledge about this I'd make a phone call and do what I could to prevent it from happening. I encouraged him to vist a local DZ, but don't believe he ever showed up.

Cheers,
Jon S.

[popsjumper 2]

We had a guy come in and ask about jumping. Manifest asked if he was experienced or wanting a tandem.

He said he had a few jumps and just wanted to rent a parachute.

Manifest asked what size he needed.

He said, "Medium."

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

[kallend 2,026]

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We had a guy come in and ask about jumping. Manifest asked if he was experienced or wanting a tandem.

He said he had a few jumps and just wanted to rent a parachute.

Manifest asked what size he needed.

He said, "Medium."

Always a safe choice. I have my steaks that way.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[tdog 0]

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We had a guy come in and ask about jumping. Manifest asked if he was experienced or wanting a tandem.

He said he had a few jumps and just wanted to rent a parachute.

Manifest asked what size he needed.

He said, "Medium."

I would have run with that one... Our DZ has instructors give a DZ orientation to all visitors. I would have loved to give that orientation. Ever see the BASE video where a rather famous BASE jumper teaches a guy to jump with all wrong vocabulary... "You Shlare the Tarp with the Yonkles to land"... It could have been priceless as the jumper put on his medium sized rig...

[tdog 0]

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I told him that he would not be able to jump his own gear until he was licensed, but that if he knew the manufacturer or model number of the components that I could tell him right away if it was even close to something a drop zone might let him jump after he was licensed.

Does you DZ have a rule that says students must rent gear until they get their "A"? Our DZ only requires AFF students to use AFF rigs as they have special configurations (additional handles for instructors, etc)... But many students have borrowed rigs or used their own rigs before they got their A... And I have seen this happen at multiple DZs.

[jimmytavino 16]

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We had a guy come in and ask about jumping. Manifest asked if he was experienced or wanting a tandem.

He said he had a few jumps and just wanted to rent a parachute.

Manifest asked what size he needed.

He said, "Medium."

Excellent!!!.. hahahaha
manifest should have replied...
"sure thing, only there's a bit of a waiting line....
Please write us an "Extra Large" deposit check,
be patient and we'll see what we can DO " !!!!



as crazy as the world of real jumpers can be, the world of wanna-be jumpers is Crazier!!( and Oh Yeah... they will also be making B A S E jumps, ASAP,!!! as well....)
jt
o[:-)

[robinheid 0]

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We had a guy come in and ask about jumping. Manifest asked if he was experienced or wanting a tandem.

He said he had a few jumps and just wanted to rent a parachute.

Manifest asked what size he needed.

He said, "Medium."

reminds me of the whuffo in the bar telling tall tales about his skydiving exploits and when I asked him what kind of parachute he jumped (not wanting to confuse him with terms such as "rig" or "canopy," he said:

"A regular one."

SCR-6933 / SCS-3463 / D-5533 / BASE 44 / CCS-37 / 82d Airborne (Ret.)

"The beginning of wisdom is to first call things by their right names."

[npgraphicdesign 3]

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We had a guy come in and ask about jumping. Manifest asked if he was experienced or wanting a tandem.

He said he had a few jumps and just wanted to rent a parachute.

Manifest asked what size he needed.

He said, "Medium."

reminds me of the whuffo in the bar telling tall tales about his skydiving exploits and when I asked him what kind of parachute he jumped (not wanting to confuse him with terms such as "rig" or "canopy," he said:

"A regular one."

Bwahahahaha.... Should've asked him "what's an irregular parachute?"

[virgin-burner 1]

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We had a guy come in and ask about jumping. Manifest asked if he was experienced or wanting a tandem.

He said he had a few jumps and just wanted to rent a parachute.

Manifest asked what size he needed.

He said, "Medium."

reminds me of the whuffo in the bar telling tall tales about his skydiving exploits and when I asked him what kind of parachute he jumped (not wanting to confuse him with terms such as "rig" or "canopy," he said:

"A regular one."

Bwahahahaha.... Should've asked him "what's an irregular parachute?"

was that you in the bar!?

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[npgraphicdesign 3]

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We had a guy come in and ask about jumping. Manifest asked if he was experienced or wanting a tandem.

He said he had a few jumps and just wanted to rent a parachute.

Manifest asked what size he needed.

He said, "Medium."

reminds me of the whuffo in the bar telling tall tales about his skydiving exploits and when I asked him what kind of parachute he jumped (not wanting to confuse him with terms such as "rig" or "canopy," he said:

"A regular one."

Bwahahahaha.... Should've asked him "what's an irregular parachute?"

was that you in the bar!?

To quote someone I know, "FUCK YOU mate!"

[virgin-burner 1]

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We had a guy come in and ask about jumping. Manifest asked if he was experienced or wanting a tandem.

He said he had a few jumps and just wanted to rent a parachute.

Manifest asked what size he needed.

He said, "Medium."

reminds me of the whuffo in the bar telling tall tales about his skydiving exploits and when I asked him what kind of parachute he jumped (not wanting to confuse him with terms such as "rig" or "canopy," he said:

"A regular one."

Bwahahahaha.... Should've asked him "what's an irregular parachute?"

was that you in the bar!?

To quote someone I know, "FUCK YOU mate!"

must o' been someone famous, as sensible and wise those words are..

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[shropshire 0]

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We had a guy come in and ask about jumping. Manifest asked if he was experienced or wanting a tandem.

He said he had a few jumps and just wanted to rent a parachute.

Manifest asked what size he needed.

He said, "Medium."

Haaa .... his next conversation would have been through a Medium

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

[pinkfairy 0]

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He referred to the first jump course as a "boring-ass 8 hour course".

Sounds like he at least had a proper first jump course, then. It was boring, I would close my eyes after I was done and see bad canopies and the EPs.

Relax, you can die if you mess up, but it will probably not be by bullet.

I'm a BIG, TOUGH BIGWAY FORMATION SKYDIVER! What are you?

[Airman1270 0]

Several years back a co-worker said he'd made some jumps somewhere in north Georgia. I asked what DZ, expecting to hear "Rome" or "Ellijay." No, he'd made a few bandit jumps, without any training, from a friend's plane near Dalton. I asked what kind of gear. He said it was a normal parachute. Fighting increasing disbelief, I asked if the reserve was on the front or the back. He said "The front. It's always on the front." Have to admit I think he may have been giving me a line of fiction.

Cheers,
Jon

[Beachbum 0]

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Bwahahahaha.... Should've asked him "what's an irregular parachute?"

The ones sold in the outlet malls with all the other irregular goods, of course!

As long as you are happy with yourself ... who cares what the rest of the world thinks?

[JDL402 0]

Not too similar but still funny. A couple months ago I walked into a certain type of "medical clinic" to hear a customer and employee talking about making jumps. Turned out they were talking about skydiving at my local dropzone. When I asked the customer how many jumps he had he responded "too many to remember, I don't even know anymore". When I asked if he was a freeflyer he laughed and said "no way I can't do that" , then said the same to crw, fs, and wingsuiting. Turned out he had more jumps than he could remember but he only did solo belly jumps. He had a tattoo on his forearm that read born to fly. Good stuff!