Skydiving with Music

[Monkeyb 0]

I know this thread has been made a bunch of times before, and I'm not trying to rehash the same topic, but I'm going to purchase an MP3 player this week and really want to try skydiving to some music.

I don't have many jumps under my belt, and don't intend on making it a habit to skydive with music, but I do want to try it and see what it's like at least once.

I know music can detract from important things such as altitude awareness and what not, but I don't intend on doing this often, so I figure I'll be safe if I try it once or twice.

Do I need special earphones or anything? These mp3 players blast pretty damn loud so I can't imagine the noise of the air causing much trouble.

Also, do I need to ask for permission before doing this? I don't want an instructor to see me with earphones in my ear and flip out.

And for my last dumb question: will my ears explode from the pressure change if I have earphones in them? :P

[AggieDave 6]

Besides the obvious disctractions you've brought up, I want to mention that you have to have the music so loud that you are damaging your ears. That's why I only did it a few times then decided not to do it anymore just to save my hearing.

I was using in the ear buds for earphones.

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

[Monkeyb 0]

Yea, I figured it has to be pretty damn loud, and I only intend on trying it a couple of times so I won't damage my ears too much (hopefully).

But yea.. I'm only gonne do this a few times. The thought of having to deal with a malfunction while music is blasting in my ears isn't very comforting.

[dragon2 2]

I´ve always felt music to be too much of a distraction, esp. with low jumpnumbers.

I know people who´ve done it a couple times, for the heck of it. If I were to do it today (don´t see any reason to though) I´d do solo a hopnpop from 12k and fly around. This way I could LISTEN to the music, and the least amount of stuff can go wrong (just pay attention where you´re going).

Of course you should ask permission from your instructors. They may not let you do it at all (I wouldn´t but I´m no instructor) or maybe they have some tips. Like how to make sure you secure the player properly so you won´t drop it on somebody´s head.

If the player´s memory isn´t solid state you can forget it anyway since it´ll break.

Anyway, don´t try this without approval of your instructor!

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[Monkeyb 0]

I will be sure to ask an instructor. I hope they let me :(

[Vertifly 0]

there are a lot more things you could be thinking about in the plane or in the air at your numbers...

imho

• Quote

[Darius11 12]

Dude it is awesome to do on a full alt. hop & pop.

but in free fall it kind of sucks.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[mattsplat 0]

Did someone say AAD?

[dterrick 0]

Hey Ara,

Welcome to the concept of "inflight entertainment". As others have said, it's pointless to attempt listening in freefall. There's little reason to 'tune in' at normal canopy opening height (time, traffic, landing distractions). On the ride up and a high hop n pop in CLEAR airspace nothing beats it.

I have a (fairly vintage) MP3 player I use - I can zip it into my jumpsuit and still work the buttons from the outside. It's surprising how loud it needs to be on the ride up in a C-182 (yet another arguement for hearing protection). Under canopy you'll also find a fair amount of wind noise unless you're wearing a fullface or a ski-style helmet. My next purchase will be a set of Shure E-3 "noise isolating" earbuds (expensive but worth it) for the noise issue. Well, for that reason and because I'm a bit of a techno-dweeb when it comes to electronic gadgetry .

Suggestions / Cautions:

1. As others have said, seek your STA / DZO permission first and keep the audio jumps at the "sightseeing" level of difficulty to start with.

2. Turn off before the pattern (just like they ask you to do on a commerical airliner ...but YOU are the pilot)

3. Concern yourself with the routing of the headphone wires. If it gets snagged - for any reason at any time - your ears are gonna hurt! Try taping the wire to your chin strap (scotch tape will do) so that the free length is only between your zipper and chin .. there's "not much" danger in that. You should also tape up the excess near the player (again with scotch tape) to the point of having minimal slack in the system at your full arch.

4. Tunes should be off for takeoff and before jumprun (you never know if someone might need to get your attention) "turn on" once you're under a good canopy in clear airspace.


5. Avoid punk and classical music. Punk will cause aggresive flying and classical may put you to sleep at an inopportune time. Try some vintage jazz... you might even like it .


Dave

PS: ...tune in next week for a detailed description of how to make your own inflight 'Champagne bubble machine' create an authentic Airborne Lawrence Welk Experience (a one anna 2 anna ...)

Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

[Frenchy68 0]

I could think of a couple reasons not to do it (just my personal view, of course):
- being at the door, ready to go, music blasting in the helmet, while the rest of the load is screaming at that thingy hanging out of my container...
- I would want to make sure I can hear the sweet sound of my pro-track should the need arise

I have the bad habit of assuming that the worse can happen, but that's me...

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[Belgian_Skygirl 0]

I think it is a good habbit...

-------------------------------------------------

No dive, like skydive... wanna bet on it?

[ChrisL 2]

You said it Frenchy :-)

I second that.

Ara, you say you only want to do it a few times, so I have to assume that you already know that its not a particularly good idea.

Why not just listen to your common sense rather than your mp3 player. Its obviously talking to you.
So listen to it.

Distraction only requires one clean shot at you to turn you into a smear on the pavement.

How many shots do you plan to let it have at you?

For myself, one is too many.

__

My mighty steed

[veter_ 0]

I made about 10 jumps with music at the Holiday Boogie in Eloy and enjoyed it very much. My favorites tunes were "Adelante" by Sash! and "Masters of the Universe" by Juno Reactor. It's so much fun! The feeling is wonderful. The music makes you REALLY fly

My altitude awareness didn't get distracted at all. I used iRiver HP-120 player and earbud headphones with Paratec FreeZR helmet. Now I'm thinking about buying a small solid-state player and mounting it on the helmet, with open-air headphones built in the helmet.

PS. Don't try to outloud the Skyvan though or you'll be deaf in no time

[JeepDiver 0]

Check this out.

[URL]http://oakley.com/catalog/eyewear/thump/?cm_re=V45*FeaturedImage*ThumpTannerHall[/URL]

[PsychoBob 0]

Those are choice but $395.00 is a chunk for tunes and shades.

"I'm not a gynecologist but I will take a look at it"
RB #1295, Smokey Sister #1, HellFish #658, Dirty Sanchez #194, Muff Brothers #3834, POPS #9614, Orfun Foster-Parent?"

[judedre 0]

i have the oakley thumps they are awesome ive jumped with em a few times with a pair of sorz goggles over the top and then my helmet on WOW jumpin with music is just too bizzare it was weird but fun under canopy it was real loud i was like wow anyway there way cool but worked much better snowboardin on the mountain..

[kimemerson 7]

"...I don't intend on doing this often, so I figure I'll be safe if I try it once or twice." Now that's an epitaph waiting to be chiseled. Are those famous last words or what? The amazing thing about odds and probabilities and skydiving is that often all you need is once.

[JeepDiver 0]

Quote

i have the oakley thumps

Hey Dude, your the guy I saw with them, you let me wear them for a couple minutes. We've been on a couple loads before, in fact you were on the load when I did my 1st tandem jump. They have a great sound, you mentioned you had close to 800 songs on them?

I wouldn't jump with them but hanging out on the ground is where I'd enjoy wearing them.

See Yaa around.

[pope 0]

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And for my last dumb question: will my ears explode

Only if you listen to Country.

[pope 0]

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3. Concern yourself with the routing of the headphone wires. If it gets snagged - for any reason at any time - your ears are gonna hurt! Try taping the wire to your chin strap (scotch tape will do) so that the free length is only between your zipper and chin .. there's "not much" danger in that. You should also tape up the excess near the player (again with scotch tape) to the point of having minimal slack in the system at your full arch.

I'd most likely get one of those super low profile digital FM radios and mount it to your helmet, then transmit to it wirelessly from my iPod with an iTrip or similar device. No Wires, Make a clear pocket on your thigh for the iPod so you can access the controls, and you're set. I've carved out places in my helmet foam for earphones before--works well, especially in a Nvertigo or a hurricane.

[Paige 0]

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I will be sure to ask an instructor. I hope they let me :(

You should hope that they keep you safe first and foremost.

Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

[skyblu3 0]

After you open the music will deafen you. Your mp3 player will probably be stashed somwhere in your jumpsuit and you will find yourself frantically trying to get at it to turn it off.
Make sure you can put up with screaming loud music and at the same time check for canopy traffic, etc..

[Superfletch 1]

Maybe you should just listen to music after you get on the ground...

Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher
D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I
Videographer/Photographer

[tdog 0]

Quote

Maybe you should just listen to music after you get on the ground...

But what ever you do... Don't get a crappy song stuck in your head and make your own music. This sport is just too dangerous for crappy music stuck in your mind.

Someone once sung "Madonna - Like a Virgin Touched for the Very First Time" as they walked to the door... It took me just about the entire freefall to find something I could sing that would clear my mind of the previous song.

[billvon 3,063]

This would be a good thread to continue the discussion.