Your First Jump

[maxwellman23 0]

Tell me about it.

I am ALIVE!

[FanOfFalling 0]

Staticlined out of a Cessna Caravan at 4500' on a low pass. Shit show of an arch, short lined so I didn't screw up much. Enjoyed the altitude and then landed under ground radio control.

I didn't miss a weekend at the dropzone for months afterward, and then only if I had too.

[grimmie 186]

1980-Cleveland Sport Parachute Club.
T-10 round
Belly Mount reserve
Bell motorcycle helmet
boots
coveralls for a jump suit
2,800ft
static line
182
skeered shitless
Didn't want to let go of the strut
Hit that cornfield like a ton of bricks

Went back for more

[skycamefalling 0]

I did my first tandem towards the end of last year. I loved it so damn much that I was back at the DZ 6 days later for another tandem. Needless to say, I was hooked. I did my AFF in early Feb and jump as much as possible now. I just wish I would have done it sooner.

Speedracer~I predict that Michael Jackson will rise from the dead.
And that a giant radioactive duck will emerge from the ocean and eat Baltimore.

[airtwardo 7]

Quote

Tell me about it.

One of my sister's girlfriends at a sleepover...

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

[FanOfFalling 0]

I wish I could have had one like yours, mine being only a half year ago makes it different.

[rhys 0]

April 2002, static line, C182, 3000' sensory overload, linetwists, fun.

Goliath canopy, radioassited stand up landing.

Awesome, AFF is like having trainer wheels.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[emmiwy 0]

After much soul searching, I decided to skydive, do a tandem jump on New Year's Eve 2009. I came back from a short winter break to campus where no one was around and thought now was the perfect opportunity to do this. The feeling of flying, is all I wanted to experience, to know what it'd feel like to overcome fear and all other anxiety I'd expect from skydiving was more a challenge to myself that I could overcome my own inhibitions.

Needless to say it was the best thing I've ever done. Perhaps very naive and stupid, but I wasn't afraid of the most logical thing that scares people [that the parachute doesn't open and you fall to your death]. I just wanted to fly. Didn't want to complicate the memory and experience with a videographer in front of me. Saw mountains, ocean, the islands off the coast it was beautiful, peaceful. I can never forget the quiet and calm once under canopy. It left me literally breathless and with an experience much more than I expected.

[highlee369 0]

First tandem one year ago. Didn't stop talking about it for hours that day . Couldn't stop watching youtube videos for months. Signed up for aff half a year ago and have done 70 jumps since. Hooked for life!

[FanOfFalling 0]

Quote

One of my sister's girlfriends at a sleepover...

Wish I could of had one like yours.

[ibx 2]

Static line out of a C-180. On beautiful Airfield outside of Paderborn Germany.

They forgot to turn on my Radio, there was no instructor in the Plane.

I landed 10 ft from the pees, hard on my Ass.

[format 1]

Quote

One of my sister's girlfriends at a sleepover...

Round or square?

What goes around, comes later.

[alp27 0]

This is a link to a post I did of my first experience

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3849230;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread

Everyone dies.... not everyone lives!!

[lippy 918]

Static line out of a C-206, got hooked and made my second jump later that afternoon.

That was May 7, 2000. This Friday it'll be 10 years!

I got nuthin

[councilman24 37]

Luxury equipment! I had a C-9.

Nov. 1978

Club near U. of Ill. that was kicked off one airstrip and my instructor couldn't find them for two weeks.

C-195, radial engine tail dragger, no strut, no step, no in-flight door, sat first student next to open door, first airplane ride ever!

B-4, C-9, chest mount 24' T-10 with no pilot chute, no radio or any other ground communication.

Static line 2800'

Set in the door, hop off with your butt and arch.

Long spot, ran all the way back and on purpuse put it in the ditch between the road and the airport fence.

Sprained my ankle and went back up for a second one.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[airathanas 0]

Tandem out of a 182 at Skydive Rochester. I landed and immediately thought, "I'm DOING THIS!" I got my A-license that summer. 11 years later, I'm a tandem and AFF instructor.

The cool part is, my sister did a tandem that day too, but hasn't jumped since. She's coming to visit me on my birthday in a month and (weather pending) I'm going to take her on a tandem. How cool is that???

http://3ringnecklace.com/

[likestojump 3]

2000
Tandem from a Beech 18

[guppykf 0]

Went to airborne school in the 90's and failed out, due to the sling loading trainer...that doggone apparatus was my nemosis, so i felt I left something unfinished and always wanted to skydive. In 2007 tried for my 30th birthday, but the DZO were arse's and very short with us...I didnt yet understand wind issues and they were sure not willing to explain why we couldnt jump. Felt like our existance bothered them, so we ended up leaving disappointed.

So when I finally graduated college, it was time again to try!
Skydive KY Memorial day weekend 2008,
Tandem out of a King Air.
My best friend decided she would try as well. Same plane, same altitude, TOTALLY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES!! I LOVED IT and she HATED IT; she could not stop kissing the ground over and over again.

I immediately signed up for AFF. Funny thing is as I was talking to my tandem instructor I found out they were the same guys that I were so disappointed with the year before; they had closed that DZ and opened this one. Crazy right?? Again, same people, but 2 totally different experiences.

Well student stataus was long and gruelly- doggone winds!!! But finally got my "A" towards the end of last year and I love every second I get to soar through the sky. I think the birth of my daughter is the only thing that tops it.

THRIVING IN MY DASH!!

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

Aug 18, 2002.

Static line out of a 182. I was supposed to be part of a group of friends that got together and took the class, but they changed the date to one I couldn't make. So I just went.

Too windy to jump on Sat, so I came back the next day.

There were 3 others from "my" group that came back to do another jump, so I wasn't alone.

Landed after the first jump, went to manifest and said "I gotta do that again!"

The group is scheduled to do the 10th annual jump in June. Some have done it more than once, but most are trying it for the first time.

There's only 2 of us that have kept at it and become "real" skydivers.

"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

[Andy9o8 2]

Quote

1980-Cleveland Sport Parachute Club.
T-10 round
Belly Mount reserve
Bell motorcycle helmet
boots
coveralls for a jump suit
2,800ft
static line
182
skeered shitless
Didn't want to let go of the strut
Hit that cornfield like a ton of bricks

Went back for more

My first in 1975 was almost identical to this.
Sensory overload: I have absolutely no memory of the 3 seconds of fall between "Go!" and open canopy. Memorable is the contrast between the noise of the airplane and wind on the step, and the almost total silence under (round) canopy a few seconds later.

[muff528 3]

Quote

Tell me about it.

Tandem from a CASA at Zhills during the Easter Boogie. The image that really stands out is standing on the tailgate and watching the surreal view of the tandem pair just before us dropping away. I can still feel the crisp, cold air and I remember Greg (my tandem pilot) tapping me on the shoulder and saying "Ready?", bringing me briefly back to awareness. I don't remember the exit. I vaguely remember seeing the camera guy (Pink) in freefall. I remember only some of the canopy ride but I do remember the landing. After the landing I didn't really get that "Yahoo!" feeling. I think I just internalized the jump and just tried to take it all in. I knew I wanted to keep doing this but I spent the next few weekends hanging out at the DZ asking questions and bugging everyone to see if these people (and the culture) were nuts or if there was some sort of discipline involved. I found out that there was a little of each and that was OK with me.

[waterboy3412 0]

check it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-mDeh90Qoo

Mike

[MBiegs 0]

My first jump was a tandem last year in April. It was a suggestion she had on a 2nd or 3rd date and I didn’t want to say no. I probably would have put it off for a while and eventually not gone, but they had a special for 130 if you booked in April.

65 jumps later, I’m glad she suggested it!!

[CobraRover 0]

Always been fascinated by parachutes and the science in objects falling from heights without being damaged since i was about 6 years old. As a little kid, I used to make parachutes every day out of bags and other materials and throw them out of my bedroom window, always trying to better the previous one. It was only after i started skydiving though that i realised that i had this demon sleeping in me ever since i was a child, waiting to be released!

May of last year me and a friend at work were talking about things we've always wanted to do, and she said SkyDive. Was the first time someone else had agreed with me that it would be a great experience, so I went straight to the laptop and got in touch with a DZ and booked a tandem for the week after - we even managed to encourage another work friend to come with us. Quite funny really, because until i actually talked with someone else about doing it id never once thought about actually DOING it. I had no idea how it all worked, or that your average joe could just book a tandem. I didnt even know what a tandem was!

Week later I was hanging out of the door of a cessna and was extremely calm. Im shit scared of heights, but I had great faith in the equipment and was mentally prepared for what was to come. I remember thinking in the door "ok, keep arms and legs crossed till we get stable". Out the door we went, and my arms were straight into a boxman like position like a fooking idiot. About 2 seconds later on my vid you can see me shaking my head thinking "shit, i shouldnt be doing this yet". I put my arms back across my chest and waited for the signal that i could open them. I remember taking in all the sights and goofing around with the camera guy infront of me. I remember quite a lot, didnt get much in the way of sensory overload. Knew as soon as I landed that I was hooked. Did AFF a couple of months later. One of my work friends wanted to do AFF too, but money issues and children prevented her.

[jim_32766 0]

A buddy of mine had been jumping for nearly 20 years and kept asking when I might give it a try. He finally got me talked into a trip to the wind tunnel. That was so much fun my wife and I both decided to try a tandem in April 2009. As you all know, there is no where to go but AFF at that point. It's been all fun ever since.

The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.