BravestDog 0 #1 January 6, 2004 Curious about people jumping from balloons. 1. How high is the typical jump 2. how many people can jump 3. how much does it cost 4. what's is like to jump from a ballon as compared to an airplane, helo... 5. is it difficult to maintain proper body position as you are falling with no wind initially 6. please add anything important that I haven't included. Thanks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ifics 0 #2 January 6, 2004 I can't comment on the above because I have never jumped from a balloon but QuoteAAD: Don't need one with flubber on my shoes made me laugh out loud! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #3 January 6, 2004 Quote1. How high is the typical jump 2. how many people can jump 3. how much does it cost 1,2 and 3 depends on the Balloon and the Balloon operator. Expect to pay $50-100 for a balloon jump. 4. Well, its different, very cool. Don't expect to launch and turn points and stuff, just fall away and have fun. There's basically no air, so its definatelly a fun/funny experience. You'll even get that "rollercoaster feeling" in your stomach. 5. Eh, yes and no. Some have problems, some don't. Hell, a friend of mine fell away from the balloon we jumped in a stand, immediately rotated to a HD, then cartwheeled back into a sit, all very very stable and then he tracked away. I have no fucking clue how he was able to do it,but he did. Don't worry about it and go have fun. I promise you they're fun. Oh, and pay attention to the safety brief you get before the jump.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BravestDog 0 #4 January 6, 2004 Quote*** 4. Well, its different, very cool. Don't expect to launch and turn points and stuff, just fall away and have fun. There's basically no air, so its definatelly a fun/funny experience. You'll even get that "rollercoaster feeling" in your stomach. cool] 1. Do you feel yourself accelerating as you are falling as compared to an airplane jump? 2. What is the feeling of acceleration like? Can you describe it a bit more please? 3. Is your body unstable or is it easy to maintain proper body position? 4. More details please. Thankyou. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #5 January 6, 2004 Yes, I most definately felt myself accelerating as I fell. Going from nearly 0 to 120, instead of 100-ish to 120. It is sort of hard to describe, I'll give it my best though... Basically you feel the excelleration, sort of like on a roller coaster, but you don't feel pulled down by a weight, you feel yourself getting faster and faster. The wind is the dead give away, since you go from nothing, to normal freefall sound. I found it fairly easy to maintain body position. When I left the balloon, I fell away backwards, I instantly rolled over to my belly then punched a really hard track. I held that position no problem, eventually excellerated and moved away.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Swanee 0 #6 January 6, 2004 I would have to say, out of nearly 1600 jumps, that my one balloon jump ranks near the top in pure enjoyability. Things that made an impression on me. The quietness--you can hear things on the ground--i.e. a train passing Falling into dead air--there is no airspeed, then you can feel it building up. I did about a 10 sec delay from 4 grand. I left stable and stayed stable. Whether that was good luck or skill I don't know. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZoneRat 0 #7 January 6, 2004 1. Do you feel yourself accelerating as you are falling as compared to an airplane jump? yep. it gets faster and louder. 2. What is the feeling of acceleration like? Can you describe it a bit more please? Pleasantly exhilerating. 3. Is your body unstable or is it easy to maintain proper body position? unstable at first. as you go faster, stability resumes accordingly 4. More details please. Only done one. 5:30am at Skyfest in Dallas. $80.00. It was worth it. The ride to altitude was wonderful. Interesting that you spot from the ground. The trailers carrying the balloons drove around searching for a launch site that would put the balloon in a good spot at 4-5K alt. We ended up launching the balloon in an empty lot between some crappy houses. The owner of one house came out onto his porch wearing only some boxers to pick up his paper and there we were. The spot from the ground gave us a perfect spot above, I landed right in the peas. A very pleasurable jump and a great way to start a boogie. go do one. odds are you'll like it. never heard of anyone that didn't.“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.” Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brains 2 #8 January 6, 2004 I just did a balloon jump in Eloy for the first time. Four way exit, has to be the most awesome thing i have ever done in skydiving(and i have jumped with sunshine) If you ever get the chance, DO IT! Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuckbrown 0 #9 January 6, 2004 When you exit you go from deafening silence to a deafening hurricane in 5 seconds. Really cool! Oh yeah, jumping into dead air for the pre-second time can be intimidating. I did the nestea plunge from 3,000 ft. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeremyneas 0 #10 January 6, 2004 Best advice: Bring a helmet and a gloved hand for your neck...that fire is fuckin hot! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunnydee123 0 #11 January 6, 2004 Just did my first in Eloy and you have to JUST GO DO IT.... You'll be high enough and it will be worth every penny you pay....FOR SURE. (I was at 5K and paid $65) And FYI - I didn't get that "lose your tummy" feeling that people mention. Perhaps there was too much else to pay attention to (THE CAMERA IN MY FACE ) It's just one of those novelties you have to do if you love skydiving....Have fun! Dreams become reality, one choice at a time... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #12 January 7, 2004 This video was just taken of 3 dz.commers (I'm on the left) by freeflyguy at Eloy last week: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=841341#841341 There were 4 of us on that jump, and we just tracked in different directions (pre-determined). We left at 5000' off the edge of the balloon basket. I didn't feel the rush in my stomach like I did on my first heli ride. The biggest difference I felt in my body position was that I had to keep my head up more in my arch, but it wasn't difficult to do.She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MichaelBess 0 #13 January 7, 2004 My most memorable balloon jump… Although not the record any more… A few years ago Burner, of "High but dry balloon co." took out his 400,000 Cubic Foot monster balloon, attached cables holding scaffolding to the outside of his gondola on three sides, a metal stair on the fourth side, and lifted 28 of us to 12,000 feet over Eloy. We were going to set two records (both unofficial because we needed judges and the folks from Guinness etc. and were not prepared). The first record was the most people lifted by a balloon, and the other was the most jumped at one time (doing a 17 way). It was during a Christmas boogie, and I would have to go through my old logbooks to find the exact date. Some of us were standing on the scaffolding, Sean Hill and myself were sitting on the stairs, and the rest were in the gondola. The funny part was he allowed 27 for the record lift, however when we got to about 7K we started counting heads only to find out we had a stowaway. I cant remember who (I think it was Coop) was wearing their top mount camera and had it melted from the heat. Consequently we lost the footage of the 17 way. It was not a very pretty launch any way... We got to 12K and Burner started descending so the balloon would not head up for the stars when we all left at the same time. When got to about 10K and tried to link arms all the way around to launch the 17 we found out that we could not reach. There was too big of a gap where the scaffolding met the stairs so we decided to freely the launch. Most everyone went a$$ over teakettle for a grand or two but we did manage a jungle rules round. What a blast! Was there anyone from DZ.com on that load? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bch7773 0 #14 January 7, 2004 sorry to get a little off topic, but do you think there is much of a benefit to doing a balloon jump from an operator whos done it before? because we usually don't get the chance to do balloon jumps in kansas, but one of my friends knows a balloon sightseeing tour lady who says she could drop us... is there anything really dangerous about doing one from a first-time dropper? MB 3528, RB 1182 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #15 January 7, 2004 Contact a balloonist thats droped jumpers before for tips. Like the rate of decent the balloon should be at before the jumpers leave, things like that. Or come to WFFC where there are 5 balloons that fly every morning and every evening. Each balloon holds 3-4 people and they do 2 hops per balloon. Thats up to 80 Balloon jumps per day. Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kyros1 0 #16 January 7, 2004 It was like jumping out of a hovering helicopter? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McG 0 #17 January 7, 2004 I love the silence(exp. the burner ofcourse) and the dead calm ride; No wind at all. Lovely>If God meant for man to fly, He´d have given him much more money. McG, DZ EFVA dictator Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrogNog 1 #18 January 7, 2004 QuoteIt was like jumping out of a hovering helicopter? But with no turbine or piston engine going, no rotating blades, and no downdraft. -=-=-=-=- Pull. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
