Why did you start skydiving?

[timbarrett 0]

In retrospect it seems inevitable...

First I began scuba-diving. Beautiful but a bit too "Type B" ultimately..(below sea level)

Followed by 8 years of semi-professional offshore yacht racing but ultimately that was about your ability to raise/spend money...(sea level)

Took up flying and quickly got hooked on aerobatics. Awesome but then my instructor told me that, given I had to wear a bail-out rig in case I pulled the wings off, I should make a parachute jump just to make the decision easier if I ever had to get the hell out..(5000 AGL)..

AFF and tunnel time...never had the air been fresher, the grass smelled better or the colors been brighter...I haven't landed in a small airplane, helicopter or balloon since then...(13,000+ AGL)...

Inevitable and wonderful...

Tim

"Work hard, play hard and don't whinge"

[popsjumper 2]

My brother talked me into it back in '77. It wasn't something I would have done on my own and I just did it because he was doing it.

Didn't take long to wake up and realize that I wasn't ready for it because EPs were more complicated that I thought I could handle so I quit.

Fast forward to 2004...
Went to DZ, again with 'bro, and did a Tandem for old times sake. Loved it and noticed that EPs were much less complicated nowadays so I signed up for AFF.

Felt much more confident and was able to actually feel and enjoy the rush. Totally different ballgame. Never looked back.

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

[miss3sixty 0]

We are obviously not alone!

YOURS 'I used to tie my Dad's big hankies to my Sindies and throw them out of the upstairs window...! "
MINE "Most little girls had barbie dolls, I had an action man and I made him a parachute out of a napkin and threw him out my bedroom window"

He he

Miss3sixty

Skydiving- it has its ups and downs

[JerryBaumchen 1,354]

OK Chris, you asked,

in the mid-50's (yes, I am an old fart) I was watching a tv show and this guy talked about having made a parachute jump. I thought 'I got to do that.'

Early 1960, while in basic training in Texas, I see Lew Sanborn's 'A Sport Is Born' and I know I've got to try that.

Late 1960 while stationed at Edwards AFB in southern California there was some scuttle going around the base about some guys making jumps. Soon thereafter the Daily Bulletin had a notice that anyone making a sport parachute jump would be court-martialed for endangering government property (us being the property in question). Little did I know at the time, there was a very active dz in the closest town to the airbase, in Lancaster, CA.

Late '62 while stationed in France one of the NCO's had made a jump at Orange, MA and said that it had scared the sh!t out of him. Oh, I gotta do this.

Late '63, just out of the service, ran into some guys from high school and they said and old high school buddy of mine was skydiving. WHAT!

Feb '64, I'm out for my first jump; but I know that 'skydivers' are really suicidal and I am only going to make one and go one with my life.

On the way to altitude, at about 500 ft I look out the hole in the side of the airplane where a door would normally be and see a graveyard; OMG, I'm gonna die.

Well, as they say; the rest is history.

Jerry

[Meux 0]

I wasted my youth about three blocks from a pretty active DZ and spent a lot of time watching the parachutes come down. In the beginning I was a distant whuffo. Part of a different story, but I started taking flying lessons which got me closer to the operation. It just looked like so darn much fun.

A couple days before Christmas my step dad gave me 50$ for my Christmas present. That was how much the first jump course cost at that time (1975). I zoomed down to the airport signed up for the course and by the end of the day had made my first static line jump.

Then reality hit me. I could continue with flying lessons or learn to skydive. I didn't know anyone making a living jumping from planes, but I thought I had a chance to get by as a pilot, so I focused my time and money on flying lessons.

I did make a total of 8 static line jumps spread out over a couple years and two assignments in the Air Force. My last static line jump was probably about 1977 or so.

Fast forward to 2004, been flying professionally for about 25 years, approaching my 50th birthday, I go back to that same DZ thinking that I'll just do the AFF program, maybe a total of 10 jumps. Just to fill that square and get that bug dealt with.

Now I've got just over 100 jumps and find that the more I jump, the more I like it.

To answer the original question, I started jumping out of curiosity. I keep jumping out of curiosity. In the beginning it was, "can I do it". Now it is, "can I do it better?"

Its been fun reading other peoples stories.

Thanks for asking.

MH

[Ragnarok 0]

Here is the sob story part:

Was in Iraq, Baghdad, for a year. Saw shit I NEVER want to see again. Came back, found out the wife had a Jody (started messing around on my 3 months after I left). I would rather get shot at than deal with that again.

Always wanted to skydive. Another fear to face - and conquor. 5 months out of the desert, 6 weeks after kicking the wife out I am making my first skydive.

Haven't looked back since...........


and it just keeps getting better

_________________________________________
Twin Otter N203-Echo,29 July 2006
Cessna P206 N2537X, 19 April 2008
Blue Skies Forever

[airtwardo 7]

...so instead you attach fire to yourself as you pilot something that is highly combustable. WTG


***

At least I'm not BORED!

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

[brabzzz 0]

Left engine spluttering, right engine on fire...and there my skydiving career began... Well, no. But it would make a cool 'first jump story'.

Tried to find the paragliding club at uni as that's what i really 'wanted' to do - Upon discovering there wasn't one, the skydiving club talked me out of paragliding and into skydiving - within the hour i'd signed up for a fjc. Happy days.

---------------------------------------
Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club
www.skydivebristoluni.com

[Lastchance 0]

My dad bought me my first parachute toy when I was about 6. I wore it out in no time flat. Then started jumping off the porch roof with a sheet untill mom put a halt to that. In 1973 I seen the Golden Knights jump at the National Scout Jamboree in Idaho. I always knew I would do it someday. In 2002 Myself, my wife and 10 other friends did our !st tandem jumps At Skydive Montana in Stevensville. Out of the 12 I'm the only one who continued. I've been completley addicted ever since. I will continue till the day I die if possible. Or untill I'm dangerous to other jumpers.

I may be getting old but I got to see all the cool bands.

[SkyNerd87 0]

I guess like any second gen. jumper it all started by watchin the parentals on their jumps
I think theres a picture somewhere of me wearin diapers and practicnin my arch while watchin video of my dad

aka Wag-Tail, ChangoEnLosPantalones Rodriguez, Sonic Skyjew
"Just remember... don't fuck up."
Shake 'n Bake!

[Eule 0]

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I'm curious to find out why everyone started skydiving.

Here's my post on this from an earlier thread.

Eule

PLF does not stand for Please Land on Face.

[Dolph 0]

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Hey Everyone,

I'm curious to find out why everyone started skydiving.

It seemed like a reasonable thing to do.

[simulacra 0]

It seemed like a good idea at the time :p

I dont think I've started skydiving yet, right now I'm only training to start.

But http://www.skydiving-galleries.com/pages/ViewPhoto.aspx?PhotoID=255 is why I wanna start, dunno if I'll ever see views like that, but I'm willig to find out...

[wildfan75 1]

2/25/05--Drunk in a bar with my aunt in Orlando, Fl. Decided we needed to do something cool in September for her 45th and my 30th. I blurt out "Skydiving!" and she said "We're there!". I regreted opening my mouth until 9/17/05. I hate airplanes!?!? What was I thinking!?!?

9/17/05, 12pm--1st tandem. Landed and thought, definitely have to do that again sometime. I was the person that was pacing waiting for my load and asking if anyone's ever done the three P's. Did I mention I hate airplanes?!?!

9/17/05, 8pm--Totally have to do that again NOW!

10/22/05--2nd tandem (too late in the season to start to learn on my own--it gets a little cold in MN & WI during the winter so I did one more tandem to hold me through until spring.

4/22/06--Started statice line and now I've only got four more jumps until class A! Woo hoo!!!

[VectorBoy 0]

The plane was on fire.

[skydivamegan 0]

My brother wanted to do a tandem for his 19th birthday and he invited me to go with him. I went and loved it so much I just kept going back. Yay me.

This was very unlikely for me, because I HATE planes. When I did my first AFF jump as we were taking off, my jumpmaster says to me "Now you wear your seatbelt and helmet until around 1000 feet or whatever altitude you'd be willing to exit the plane." I say in return "WILLING??? I may as well not put them on at all, because I'm WILLING to exit the motherfucker right now!" I've never been one to hesitate in the door and I did leave my AFF jumpmasters once in my haste to leave the plane. I always run out like my ass or the plane or both have been set on fire. I never knew I had this strange quirk until that first tandem I did with my brother.
Live and learn.

_______________________________________________
CARPE DIEM
PMS#529

[Big_Red 0]

I lived on Air Bases till I was 12 so I was not new to Airplanes or Parachuting. I knew long before I ever did my first jump that I was going to at least try Skydiving.

Aug 2004 I did my first Tandem at Skydive Monteray from 18,000ft.
I was hooked!!!
I was ready to drop another $300 US to go again when I decided to wait. I figured I would go home, chill for the winter, and if I was still as gun-ho the following Summer I would go through my Student Progression.

Then in Dec 2005 a couple buddies that my best friend went to pilot school with found out that I lived a 5 min walk from a buddy of there's. They started inviting my best friend and I over to chill with them and there friends and we started partying together. Well...it turned out they were all Skydivers.

So I found myself with a bit of Savings (which I was planning on using towards Skydiving), a want to Skydive (especially after my Tandem), a whole new circle of friends who were Skydivers, and absolutely no reason to not do it.
:D

Now I have:
4 Tandems (had to do 3 more for my progression)
7 AFF's
27 Jumps (and counting...)

My family totally supports me. In fact, they have no problems coming to the DZ to hang out and watch me jump and I totally plan to have my Sisters, Dad, and Little Brother do a Skydive.

*edit - spelling*

Derec Davies
Big_Red

[HydroGuy 0]

to BASE

Get in - Get off - Get away....repeat as neccessary

[burble 0]

i went to "watch" some friends do their tandems. i was embarrassed into going up and making a jump too. never thought i'd have any interest in jumping...i was flying planes back then. after the tandem i figured that i'd continue only up to the point that i could jump "alone". by level 3 i figured that well...i'd continue only to finish the AFF course. then i figured i'd continue only to the point of getting my A license. then i figured... i'd just continue. :)

doh!

[upndownshop 0]

Well it all started in late January early February in 1967 with my parents. The weather must have been bad during those months in Texas so they weren't jumping much...well thats not exactly true

Come Oct 1 that year I was born, mom had made about 20 jumps from Feb to Oct so I guess I was never really given a choice.
I remember my mother telling me the story about when she went into labor, of course they were at the DZ. She said she told Jerry (my father) and he asked if he had time to make another jump? She said yes, no problem, so an hour later he comes back and guess what he asked. If he had time to pack? Sherry (mom) said I think so.

So he packed they left and got to the hospital around 10:00 pm and I was born about 45 minutes later.
My first jump by choice was 12-12-84 using a static line with a square main. Interestingly enough I went straight into the fetal position my first 5 jumps. I mentioned that to someone once and they said: "of course you did, thats all you knew"! Thought that was quite funny.



good thread, great stories out there!

[Bill_K 0]

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i went to "watch" some friends do their tandems. i was embarrassed into going up and making a jump too. never thought i'd have any interest in jumping...i was flying planes back then. after the tandem i figured that i'd continue only up to the point that i could jump "alone". by level 3 i figured that well...i'd continue only to finish the AFF course. then i figured i'd continue only to the point of getting my A license. then i figured... i'd just continue. :)

Ok, that's a ditto for me right down the line!! I've just gotten the A and just finished a canopy course and have no plans of stopping now...

[Rhonda66 0]

I guess I was a closet adrenaline junkie growing up. My Uncle brought me up in a C-172 when I was about 15 and it always stuck with me even though I was scared to death. I tried to take flying lessons when I was around 19 and found out how expensive it was and quit after about 3 lessons. I grew up in a very conservative household where no one would ever have suggested I fly or skydive so skydiving was a foreign word to me still.

Fast forward a couple of years to when I met my husband. He comes home one day when we were still boyfriend/girlfriend and says he and some guys from work are going to go to Pepperell to make tandem skydives and asked if I wanted to go. I don't know why, but I immediately said yes. Then I asked my sister and she wanted to go too. My husband said he had always wanted to do it since he saw some skydivers when he was little. I don't know why I wanted to, but I did it. I thought the tandem was ok, but he immediately came down and wanted to sign up for AFF. I watched him jump for almost a year before I made another tandem and then got hooked and started AFF.

I did end up getting my pilot's license finally in 2003 after I graduated from college and could finally afford the lessons.

Rhonda
PP ASEL

[Rhonda66 0]

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I had no idea what it would bring to my life. It completely pulled me out of the depression I was in and empowered me to be someone I never imagined I could.

I can so relate to that statement! My life was so topsy turvy and my self esteem was so low when I started jumping. Then, all of a sudden after jumping I felt like there was nothing I couldn't do and my life made a complete 180!

Rhonda
PP ASEL

[kirrz 0]

...November 2005, Tuesday evening, I was in a friend's room drunk and upset. I had just split from this guy I had been seeing- a BASE jumper. Before him, I had never ever thought that the jumping world consisted of anything more than tandems. He showed me that video of Jeb Corliss' numerous times. I was fascinated and curious. That fateful Tuesday evening I decided 'stuff it, i don't need to live vicariously through him'. I called up and booked a tandem for the next day. I also looked into go karting and organized to go to a meet and speak with people on the weekend. I decided I would pursue the sport I liked better.

Day of the tandem, I'm all alone at the DZ in the midst of European couples. Hadn't really thought about it til it was time to jump. Then I started freaking out but before I knew it I was in the air. The first thing I said to the TM as soon as the parachute opened was "you have the best job in the world".

I ended up borrowing money and selling my stuff on eBay so I could take the FJC that same weekend. I then realized I had no money and was going to be overseas for 3 months. I came back in March this year with a job and a plan and here I am..

I never made it to go-karting.

[Nicolaos 0]

I'm acrophobic (fear of heights/edge) and i like pushing myself.

After first jump i fell in love with her and we've been together ever since. I respect her and she treats me well.

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