Just a few questions from a newb...

[Zvakin 0]

Hey everyone, I'm a youngin' from MN who's writing a paper on skydiving... I've got some fairly open-ended questions below that, if answered , could help me out. Any response to any of these would rock, and if possible, could you e-mail me (azj10@hotmail.com or here at Zvakin@dropzone.com) your contact information (name/email and/or phone #)? It seems that over recent years, instructors have just lost their trust in sources. Your responses won't really convince me to start skydiving, 'cause I've already decided that when I'm of age and of money I'll be getting to ever DZ that I can... Thanks for any of your time .

(Plz don't haze the newb )



1) Tell me about your first skydiving experience.

2) What is the one thing that counts most in order to succeed at what you do?

3) How did you personally get started in skydiving?

4) What kind of failures have you faced over your career?

5) How busy is the skydiving “industry”?

6) What emotions are typically present at a dive?

7) What interests should a person have in order to become a skydive expert/instructor?

8) How has skydiving changed in specific areas since you have been involved with it?

9) Of the first-time jumpers that you have met, how many have been dissatisfied or disappointed with the experience?

10) To whom would you recommend the sport of skydiving?

11) Have you ever had fears about skydiving?

12) How is teamwork utilized in skydiving?

13) Tell me a “wild” skydiving story!

14) Can you teach me some skydiving “lingo”?

[kitof1976 0]

You should do a search of the forums for answers to your questions... I believe almost all of them have been cover in some thread at one point or the other... Then if you still have some unanwered questions come back with a shorter list

"We see the world just the way we are...

[Nightingale 0]

1) Tell me about your first skydiving experience.

www.nightingalesnest.net you can read all about it, and all about the next 20 or so jumps too.

2) What is the one thing that counts most in order to succeed at what you do?

um...
1. Pull (the ripcord or pilot chute to open the parachute)

3) How did you personally get started in skydiving?

that's on my website too, but the short of it was, someone told a great skydiving story, I looked at my friend who I was with and said "wanna go jump out of a plane?" and he said "SURE!" so we did.

4) What kind of failures have you faced over your career?

Skydiving failures? um... well, I'm still learning how to land, so I land on my ass and face a lot. I haven't had any parachute malfunctions (yet)

5) How busy is the skydiving “industry”?

Depends on the dropzone. Some, like Perris, are very busy, and others are much smaller.

6) What emotions are typically present at a dive?

in plane: ohmygod, why the hell am I doing this.
in freefall: WHEE!!!!
under canopy: uh oh. I gotta land this thing.

7) What interests should a person have in order to become a skydive expert/instructor?

1. an interest in skydiving, obviously.
2. lots of patience. students ask stupid questions like "what if we hit a cloud?" (you fall right through it!) or, when moving near the door for exit "what if I fall out?" (you're wearing a parachute. you're planning on falling out. if you fall out, just act normally)


8) How has skydiving changed in specific areas since you have been involved with it?

I've only been involved in it since september, so not much. Bill Booth would be a good one to ask about this, though.

9) Of the first-time jumpers that you have met, how many have been dissatisfied or disappointed with the experience?

Honestly, none. Every one of them was jumping up and down and hugging their friends and jumpmasters. Adrenaline does that to people. Most enjoy it. Most also just want to say they did it, and don't feel a need to experience it again.


10) To whom would you recommend the sport of skydiving?

Friends and fellow adrenaline junkies.

11) Have you ever had fears about skydiving?

every time I jump. for me, a big part of skydiving is conquering fear.


12) How is teamwork utilized in skydiving?

In EVERYTHING you do. you and your instructors are a team when you learn. you and your fellow jumpers are a team in the plane and in the sky so no one gets hurt. everyone has to be aware of everyone else, and follow the same rules, or someone gets hurt or worse.

13) Tell me a “wild” skydiving story!

do a search for "Lutz"

14) Can you teach me some skydiving “lingo”?

ok.

Canopy - Parachute

Canopy Pilot - the person flying the canopy.

CYPRES - automatic device that will deploy a reserve parachute if you fail to activate your main or reserve by an appropriate altitude

Container - the backpack like thing that the canopies go in

Rig - the container and canopies all put together.

Altimeter - the neat little thingie on your wrist that is like your watch in skydiving... tells you when its time to pull.

Audible altimeter - device that measures altitude and beeps in your ear at certain heights.

swooping - a maneuver by an experienced canopy pilot where a lot of forward speed is developed and the swooper is able to skim along the ground and look really cool, sometimes dragging a foot through a pond and making a big roostertail of water.

Relative Work - formation skydiving, where the skydivers make pretty designs by holding on to each other in freefall. Also called "Belly Flying"

Freeflying - where skydivers do things like flying head down, or sitting down or do all kinds of fancy stuff... freeflyers are the acrobats of skydiving

CReW - Canopy Relative Work. where you make formations by positioning canopies close together in flight.

CReW Dawg - a CReW canopy pilot


My name's Kris Koenig, and my email address is nightingale@nightingalesnest.net my website is linked above.

[skybytch 273]

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1) Tell me about your first skydiving experience.

My first jump.

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2) What is the one thing that counts most in order to succeed at what you do?

A good attitude.

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3) How did you personally get started in skydiving?

How I got the bug (I need to update that page; I don't work there anymore )

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4) What kind of failures have you faced over your career?

Haven't failed to pull yet, that's a good thing. Everything else I don't see as failures, I see them as learning experiences.

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5) How busy is the skydiving “industry”?

Busy enough to support some skydivers, none of whom will ever get rich if they don't buy lottery tickets.

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6) What emotions are typically present at a dive?

Depends on the jumper and the dive. Everything from abject fear to total exhilaration.

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7) What interests should a person have in order to become a skydive expert/instructor?

Besides skydiving? A strong interest in cooking on a budget and living in a small space will help a lot.

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8) How has skydiving changed in specific areas since you have been involved with it?

Gear - when I started jumping it was rare for anyone to exceed a 1.0:1 wingloading on their main. Few people jumped anything other than 7 or 9 cell rectangular "F111" canopies. Velcro was an accepted method of holding main and reserve flaps and riser covers closed. Helmet choice was limited to Protecs, older "hockey helmets" or frap hats. Available audibles beeped once instead of three times and they didn't record anything. It was rare to see an experienced jumper carrying an AAD. Cameras were still bulky and heavy so only the brave (and/or thick necked) jumped them.

Disciplines - there was RW and there was CRW. A few wierdos were doing "freestyle." Some people did style and accuracy.

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9) Of the first-time jumpers that you have met, how many have been dissatisfied or disappointed with the experience?

Two. One was a static line student who said it was no fun at all. The other was a friend of mine who did a tandem; she said it wasn't like her dreams of flying.

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10) To whom would you recommend the sport of skydiving?

Anyone who is willing to take responsibility for their own life and choices in exchange for living life to the fullest... and being able to fly.

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11) Have you ever had fears about skydiving?

Everyone does.

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13) Tell me a “wild” skydiving story!

Can't. You're too young.

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14) Can you teach me some skydiving “lingo”?

There's a glossary somewhere on this website, I just can't seem to find it at the moment.... - Found it!

Good luck!
Oh, you can get my contact info on my profile.

[DJL 235]

1) Tell me about your first skydiving experience.

First of all, I was really drunk, so I can't take responsibility for my actions. But they made me sign a waiver, so they weren't responsible either.

2) What is the one thing that counts most in order to succeed at what you do?

Monetary ignorance.

3) How did you personally get started in skydiving?

Hey, it was the 60's, man...

4) What kind of failures have you faced over your career?

Line dump resulting in bag deploying out one side resulting in slamming hard opening with tangly lines that I chopped.

5) How busy is the skydiving “industry”?

We usually get busy at night...then we get REAL busy.

6) What emotions are typically present at a dive?

Boredom for 20 minutes.
Exhilaration for one minute.
Jubilation for three minutes.
Annoyance for 15 minutes.

7) What interests should a person have in order to become a skydive expert/instructor?

Interest in trying to pick up chicks with their DZ instructor shirt. "That's right....Ice..man. I AM dangerous."

8) How has skydiving changed in specific areas since you have been involved with it?

Gee, my whole three years...? Just more things I want to do.

9) Of the first-time jumpers that you have met, how many have been dissatisfied or disappointed with the experience?

None, except one guy broke his tibia and fibia and it hurt the next day. Bummer, dude.

10) To whom would you recommend the sport of skydiving?

Anyone willing to ignore the amount of money they have to shell out to get started.

11) Have you ever had fears about skydiving?

Yeah, once I saw this guy's naked ass as he exited. I don't want to see that EVER again.

12) How is teamwork utilized in skydiving?

If they do what I think they'll to then teamwork works.

13) Tell me a “wild” skydiving story!

Once landed in a field full of horses and one cow. The wild thing was that I could tell that the cow thought it was a horse. I mean...how fucked up is THAT?

14) Can you teach me some skydiving “lingo”?

Is this the first time you've asked that?

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[Vertifly 0]

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Funny how the scenery I'd seen hundreds of times before looked different - the colors were more vibrant, trees looked more alive, and none of those people in those other cars have any idea!!

I can connect with this. Perhaps we all can.

[bkdice 0]

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Annoyance for 15 minutes.

If it's any consolation Douggie - you are always annoying.

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Yeah, once I saw this guy's naked ass as he exited. I don't want to see that EVER again.

Yet you are buying the video. Hmmmm.....

[WrongWay 0]

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1) Tell me about your first skydiving experience.

Well, it was September. (not this year, duh..) I was just another kid out there doing a tandem. We leave the plane, and at that moment (I can remember it like yesterday.....what did I do yesterday anyway??) I knew that I'd be doing it for the rest of my life.

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2) What is the one thing that counts most in order to succeed at what you do?

It's a mixture of hard work, dedication, a good attitude, and lots of coaching.

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3) How did you personally get started in skydiving?

I was in college and one of my friends asked if I wanted to jump. I said "Sure I have nothing better to do."

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4) What kind of failures have you faced over your career?

Well, for me it's not really a "career" but I personally have had my share of bad landings, funneled skydives, etc. The biggest thing for me IMHO was that many skydivers go through a short "cocky" stage where they're just starting to learn and think they're hot shit. To sum this up for me, I was a dick. A friend of mine approached me about it (thanks bro) a long while back and I was quickly humbled, as I REALLY needed it. A bad attitude can really hinder your flying, as well as make you look like an asshole to everyone else. Be positive of yourself and of everyone around you.

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5) How busy is the skydiving “industry”?

Hell if I know. My DZ gets lots of tandems during the summer, but winter time is dead. I guess it depends on the time of year.

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6) What emotions are typically present at a dive?

Peace, and a mutual understanding of the thoughts of the person on your dive.

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7) What interests should a person have in order to become a skydive expert/instructor?

We have many people in the sport who are involved in every aspect of whuffo life you can think of. We have doctors, lawyers, students, cooks, computer geeks, athletes, photographers, massage therapists, bankers, nurses, anything you can imagine. So there is no "type" of interest a person needs, just dedication.

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8) How has skydiving changed in specific areas since you have been involved with it?

Note I haven't been in the sport all that long, a few years, but I've already noticed a fast change of newbies from RW to freefly. It's definitely become the "cool" thing to do, and I see lots of newbies begging to learn to freefly.

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9) Of the first-time jumpers that you have met, how many have been dissatisfied or disappointed with the experience?

I've only met one. He said "ah, it was cool, but I don't think I could get into it."

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10) To whom would you recommend the sport of skydiving?

I think everyone should jump at least once, except for bowlers and golfers...

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11) Have you ever had fears about skydiving?

Not really. Every once in a while, everybody get's their "Oh shit" moments, but they usually pass quickly. If you're asking "Are you ever afraid to jump out of the plane?" the answer is no. I have absolute faith in my rigger, and therefore my rig. I trust my life with both, and feel safe every time I step out of the door.

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12) How is teamwork utilized in skydiving?

You can't learn everything from solos. It's all about helping each other learn, whether it be providing a solid base for the other person to fly to, or just going along shooting video to see their body position. Teamwork is a huge role in learning.

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13) Tell me a “wild” skydiving story!

This one time, at skydive camp.....



14) Can you teach me some skydiving “lingo”?