travelingmack 0 #26 February 13, 2009 some years ago i logged into dz.com and read all the stuff about "throwing one self out off a perfectly good airplane"...then i wanted to try it out myself so i could write about "throwing myself out off this perfectly good airplane",though i haven`t wrote about that yet...just a bunch of other nonsense post like this oneedit to add: oh, i also like the beer stuff........ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chubba 0 #27 February 13, 2009 I'm a uni student, I worked and saved for the entire 4 month break so I could afford a kitesurfing setup. Ending up costing me $3000, was very happy with it. Had $400 left over when I went back to uni (I live in poverty during the semester). I was searching around to buy an RC helicopter , I spent lots of time at hobby stores trying to find the right chopper. I recently moved to the beach, one fine Saturdayjust before I was heading out to do the final deal on an awesome Apache, I saw all these beach tandems come down, I thought "what the hell" and rang up and booked a tandem with my last remaining dollars. Started searching for a bit of stuff on the internet about skydiving, then I saw something called "AFF". Google found me a local DZ, AFF, $400!!! Same price as tandem... what am I crazy? Why would I pay the same money to go tandem when I could go solo! Called up/cancelled my tandem/booked my AFF. Rest is history, that $400 left that I decided to spend on a whim has caused me to spend 99.9% of my income on skydiving in the last year. I'm glad I did it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fossg 0 #28 February 13, 2009 When I was a kid I used to watch "Ripcord". That planted the seed. Over the years I have got to meet a few of the "old timers", but meeting Bob Sinclair when he was out at Cal City(I know that was a loooong time ago in itself) was one of the coolest things... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iluvtofly 0 #29 February 13, 2009 When I was about 13 I saw my brother make a few jumps. After seeing that I decided I wanted to do it. To this day I don't think my parents have forgiven my brother for that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
countzero 7 #30 February 13, 2009 after going on the barnstormer at Astroworld (it's like the skycoaster at the Royal Gorge): i decided i just had to experience skydiving at least once. i continued because of how addicting the fun is. the fact that i've gained some awesome friends is an extra bonus. blue skies!!diamonds are a dawgs best friend Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grannyinthesky 0 #31 February 14, 2009 Going and doing a tandem was an extra credit field trip for a physics class I was taking. I had heard of people making tandem jumps from time to time, but it never occured to me that people jumped out of airplanes for fun on a regular basis. One tandem and the rest is history. 16 months later, 225 jumps and my C license. Thinking back to much younger years, I realize now that I had always been fascinated with flight and with climbing up on high things, jumping out of swings, riding my bike down hills fast, I don't know why or when all those youthful delights fell out of my life, but when I fell out of that airplane that day, my delight in speed, adventure and fun sure came bubbling up again. I wish I had discovered the sport years ago, but since I can't go back in time and change things, I'll settle for being very, very glad I decided I wanted to learn a bit of physics. :)"safety first... and What the hell..... safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy POPS #10490 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kimemerson 7 #32 February 14, 2009 I always figured humans did something wrong that the birds got the wings and we were grounded. So I started jumping off everything I could climb; garage roof, grandmother's back porch, trees, anything. Then my father taught me how to do a PLF even though he had no reason to know. I practiced everyday for a week. This let me know that a human could leave an airplane and land safely in order to do it again. That was about 1957 or so, around the time the word "skydive" was coined. But as far as I knew it was only for the military. It took me till 1973 to learn a civilian could, then 10 years of marriage plus three more after the divorce before making my first jump, twenty years after that and I'm still here trying to set right what the birds got and I didn't. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jrcolo 0 #33 February 14, 2009 My mom used to skydive back in the day which got me curious. Then I started dating a BADASS BASEJUMPING/SKYDIVING photographer's daughter, and Ive been hooked since Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #34 February 14, 2009 I am afraid of heights....THen as part of a training program I was doing.. I had to parasail twice{kinda like a paracommander with no toggles}.... release from the tow rope..and float down 700' into the water. I was hooked...I was out at the local DZ that weekend doing my FJC Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pontiacgtp00 0 #35 February 14, 2009 Always wondered what it was like to skydive. Decided I'd just go and find out for myself, hooked after 1 tandem. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyJeaux 0 #36 February 14, 2009 Wife bought me a tandem as a "bucket list" thing. When my feet touched the ground again, the first thing i asked for was my credit card. :) Haven't jumped as much as I want so far, but damn it's great. My kid just turned 18 and did his first tandem, so looks like we might be "jumpin generations". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zoobrothertom 5 #37 February 14, 2009 Quote Quote You left out a very important reason: "I always wanted to". For those of us who grew up jumping off the garage roof, out of trees, and off of swingsets while visions of "Ripcord" danced in our heads. Bingo! ------------------------------------------------------------ Nailed that one! I just didn't know about freefall until a freefall demo during jump school at Ft. Benning. I looked up and said to myself, "That shit's for me!" I voted "Other" but I always stay around for the beer!____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #38 February 14, 2009 Just like a couple others up-thread, I simply always wanted to skydive; and as soon as I turned 18, I did. My post from a similar thread in 2007. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airborne31582 0 #39 February 15, 2009 Grew up loving watching airshows and the Army Golden Knights. In college had an instructor who was a pilot at a DZ, the rest is history Chris I thought of the odds of me succeeding, versus the odds I was doing something incredibly stupid, and I went ahead anyway. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The_Don 0 #40 February 15, 2009 Answered this many times, in many posts. Chris Spence.I am NOT being loud. I'm being enthusiastic! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kami-kaze 0 #41 February 15, 2009 I have flying dreams. I like high places. I thought this was the way to do it. I think it is one of the best things that happened to me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 16 #42 February 15, 2009 I made my first jump in high school when some friends asked me to go, kind of a mutual dare. Thirty four years later, I guess I liked it. I had a lot of those flying dreams too. Went with a couple of other jumpers and took the air traffic controller test a few years later, just for grins. Twenty five years in with the FAA, must have been a good move.Sometimes my life reminds me of a Pachinko ball, bouncing down from peg to peg. I could have never planned ahead to have this much fun, and to meet the woman I married. So far, so good. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
upndownshop 0 #43 February 15, 2009 Because my mother did not stop jumping when she was pregnant, that's when my first 24 jumps happened. Had to wait another 16 years to get my second 24 jumps in. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
half-a-greek 0 #44 February 15, 2009 I am addicted to anything that makes me "weightless" 10 years of swim team, and a scuba license in hand as a testament to that. To add to that, my parents had friends who were skydivers... I remember being about 4 years old and watching a hot air balloon go up at couch freaks... 14 years later I did a tandem 3 weeks after my 18th birthday, four months later I became a licensed skydiver. I know for the rest of my life, whether I stick to skydiving or not, that I have done something with my life. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr_music11 0 #45 February 15, 2009 I originally did it because it was on my "bucket list". But after my tandem.. it was on! I had always wanted to fly and had started to pursue a private pilots license in my late teens and early 20's. Money ran out and I was unable to complete my training. Fast forward 25 years and my desire to fly was still there, so my beautiful wife got me a gift cert to go towards flying lessons. Time and weather never permitted those, and boy was I glad. I ended up exchanging that gift cert for my AFF instead. Soo, now I truly KNOW what it is to fly. To be a part of the sky in a way that only birds and skydivers can know. It has changed my life and the way that I look at everything. I now have a confidence that I didnt know before. I now have a sport that empowers me to do more with life that just what is doled out to me. Thank you to the community which so readily embraces so many and changes lives. Blue skiesIf flying is piloting a plane.. then swimming is driving a boat. I know why birds sing.. I skydive. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airathanas 0 #46 February 17, 2009 Bump! I started partly because I wanted to do something crazy and partly because I had a boyfriend at the time who had 500 jumps and lots of $$. Needless to say I got rid of him and stuck to skydiving. It was never a decision of whether or not to become a skydiver. I was going to be a certified skydiver. Period.http://3ringnecklace.com/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FTP_07 0 #47 February 19, 2009 My dad use to jump when he was younger and he would tell me about it when I was a little kid. It use to just blow my mind everytime and I couldn't for the life of me figure out WHY someone would do such a thing! When I got to my teens I decided I would eventually do it - add it to my 'to do list' ( I still have to snow ski and other things too). I had my career take off which required me to travel and the area I was in happened to have a skydive radio commercial. I heard parts of it and finally one day I caught the entire ad and it was on after that! I made plans for it and my first jump happened in Apr/May of 2006. I would tell people when they asked me about it that I was still trying to decide if I liked it or not. lol. This past weekend I decided I LOVE this sport! LOL! Been hooked since and like my having my 'A'. Considering going to a 'B' since noone is jumping with me and I'm getting bored with jumping by myself. Noone better to go with than an instructor. lol. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skinnay 0 #48 February 19, 2009 perpetual existential crisis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
micduran 0 #49 February 19, 2009 Ex boyfriend jumped. It started out as a "if you can't beat 'em join 'em" things since I got tired of spending all of my weekends alone.Be patient with the faults of others; they have to be patient with yours. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airdvr 210 #50 February 19, 2009 CBS covered the World Meet back in the mid 60's I think. Remember watching it as a kid and thinking it would be amazing. Fast forward to 1981. Many beers and losing hands at poker and my friend (1 of 4 brothers) suggested it. Not wanting to be the one who was labeled 'chicken' I agreed. Picture of the brothers circa 1983?Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
