eyeinthesky 0 #1 March 4, 2003 tell me if this is typical or rare....i took up skydiving last fall, and am still a student. i go up to 8500 feet, they open the door, and although a bit nervous, i go ahead and make my jump and dont think anything of it or feel quesy about the heights....i just bought my house and was on the roof the other day clearing some limbs away. i go up the ladder, bet on the roof ( a two story ), and notice i have an uneasiness about heights that i didnt know i had before. i thought it was kinda funny that 8000 doesnt bother me but 25 or 30 did. i've heard about the army research and the 34 foot rule, but still.....is this totally typical among jumpers, or is it something odd? thanks! doughey, i was stupid before stupid was cool! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dumpster 0 #2 March 4, 2003 Nothing to worry about- In my line of work I'm routinely on ladders and scissors lifts, stuff like that, and I still get the willies from time to time. But stepping off at 14 grand is like stepping off the escalator for me- No biggie- Don't lose any sleep - it's natural- Easy Does It Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weirdchris 0 #3 March 4, 2003 yep beleive it or not, It bothers me too. It could be the fact that if you fall then there is the ground, not margin for a reserve. altitude is your friend. > 30 feet means 3 months of casts. or worse. 8000 feet, two parachutes. and adrenaline. nice combo. blue skyz Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
payback462 0 #4 March 4, 2003 i used to think i was scared of heights until i started skydiving, now i know im just deathly afraid of ladders, and not like solid ladders that are built into the wall, just moveable ladders. i was getting a box out of our garage last week and i had to climb a ladder to get to it, and everybody thought it was soooooo funny that i was litterally shaking by the time i got to the top.im such a wuss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JumpCrazy 0 #5 March 4, 2003 I can't make myself jump off of a 25ft cliff into water but I sure can jump out of a plane at 11 grand!Flying Hellfish #470 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydiveMonkey 0 #6 March 4, 2003 You're a lot closer to the ground where a fall could hurt you. Ain't no rig gonna save you from 30 feet. ____________________ Say no to subliminal messages Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dkpbxman 0 #7 March 4, 2003 It's typical-I think it has something to do with the fact that you're brain can't quite comprehend a fall from 8,500 ft but it can certainly wrap itself around falling off the roof. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sarge 0 #8 March 4, 2003 I don't know if its typical or rare or even something odd? I'd like to know too. I still remember as vividly as any memory that feeling of, "whoops! I almost fell outta this plane," on my first tandem jump when I lost my balance at the door! Weird... Never was, never have been afraid of heights. I was always and still am conscious, of how high up I am. But it is kinda weird again, that now, with several hundred jumps behind me, I visualize height in a static sense when I'm on a roof or something? Sometimes I see it as, "I'd start my flare here, or maybe just a bit lower? or my reserve could get out from here? Jumping is three dimensional though? Flying Falling is one dimesional, straight down .-- I'm done with the personally meaningful and philosophical sigs!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Islandcool 0 #9 March 4, 2003 Quotememory that feeling of, "whoops! I almost fell outta this plane lol..me too. It wasn't a tandem but I remember being close to the door on one of the early AFF jumps and I got real sketchy about it. I remember kinda holding on to the bench and saying to myself man I hope I don't get sucked out. LOL I crack up everytime I think about it. Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f1freak 0 #10 March 4, 2003 man i'm so not good with hights..... i guess it's cuz i'm not the most gracefull person in the world.... shit i'll fall..... but i can fall from the plane with no worrys...... HAVE FUN... ...JUST DONT DIE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #11 March 4, 2003 I'm fine once I'm above 1k in a plane with a rig on my back, but I'm scared shitless when I'm on a roof or a ladder. It's fun to feed that line to whuffo's when they say they won't jump cuz they're afraid of heights. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #12 March 4, 2003 QuoteI'd start my flare here, or maybe just a bit lower? or my reserve could get out from here? I do that too. Especially when looking at really tall buildings, I tend to think "Yeah, I'd start my hook right about there..." or stuff like that. Makes me laugh. I still get freaked out if I'm looking off the roof of something like that, heights really really really fuck with me.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skygod7777 0 #13 March 4, 2003 hell, don't worry about it. getting up on that latter is dangerous. that's why i don't like it. much safer to get out at 13,500 (really) later Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
payback462 0 #14 March 4, 2003 does anybody else notice that when your with a wuffo friend and you see somthing like say a 40 story building, your friend will say something like damn thats high, and all you can think is, damn thats realllly low! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f1freak 0 #15 March 4, 2003 40 story...... i'd say hummmmmmmmm that would be a good delay..... HAVE FUN... ...JUST DONT DIE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freakyrat 1 #16 March 4, 2003 It's not weird at all. I can fly in a plane, skydive etc and it doesn't bother me. Long time ago I was on the roof of a tall building in my hometown watching a fireworks display and couldn't stand getting close to the edge. It just made me feel creepy. To sum up, It seems perfectly normal for me. Some base jumpers need to chime in on this one. Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sarge 0 #17 March 4, 2003 Quote "Yeah, I'd start my hook right about there..." 40 story...... i'd say hummmmmmmmm that would be a good delay..... *** YUP!!! Exactly! It just seems quearly like spotting. Time and space are motionless...simply distance frozen in time. Lower heights seem more real, more acute? .-- I'm done with the personally meaningful and philosophical sigs!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spidermonky 0 #18 March 4, 2003 I'm the exact same way. I think this feeling has alot to do with ground rush and having something to reference. You can judge small height changes when you're on your roof and you also know you will get hurt if you fall. In skydiving you can't see details on the ground and you don't have anything to reference (except maybe clouds) so you don't have the fear of hitting something. Just my thoughts.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KATO33 0 #19 March 4, 2003 It's because you have no fall protection if you fall from the ladder there's a good chance of getting hurt. we all would get that same feeling if we were to sit by the open door with no rig on. Blue Skies Black Death Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masher 1 #20 March 4, 2003 I get that feeling sitting next to the door with a rig on. And I was strapped in too! Mind you, the door was open from takeoff to altitude and I was sitting next to it, and we were climbing to altitude over the ocean. That probably had something to do with it...-- Arching is overrated - Marlies Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scoby 0 #21 March 4, 2003 QuoteI'm fine once I'm above 1k in a plane with a rig on my back I think that's it...for me, the time I'm most nervous on a skydive is right after takeoff. Once we get to two grand, and the seatbelt comes off, I breathe a sigh of relief. It's not the heights that scare me, it's the ground! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #22 March 4, 2003 Years ago some Army shrinks did a study... It's got something to do with perception... I don't recall the actual figures, but it goes along the lines of 'FEAR' of heights decreasing with height... somewhere around 60 feet the fear starts to diminish in most people... there was something to dowith the height of the first jump towers the millitary used in Airborne training... ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beavdog 0 #23 March 4, 2003 i agree with airtwardo....i think when you get out of the plane, you are so high that it kinda fools your brain. you dont have anything to judge distance from other than knowing that you are 8k up. when you are on a roof, you can judge how high you are. Here's to the Breezes that blows through the Trezzez..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trilete312 0 #24 March 4, 2003 Yup I have to agree. Climbing a 24 ft extension ladder that flexs as you are climbing bugs me. I also had the sitting next to the door in the Cesna willies. I didn't get over that until I was riding back from some water training. I was sitting on the tailgate of a truck going about 50MPH (the rest of the truck was full of the wet rig and old chute) and I realized that I was perfectly comfortable with my feet dangling over the edge. Why should that be different than the Cesna Door position. If I fall out of the Cesna I have 2 backups, if I fall off of the tailgate ...----------- Ready, Set, Gooooooo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
councilman24 37 #25 March 4, 2003 Fear of heights is really fear of falling. Skydiving you INTEND on falling. So there's no fear of heights. "Altitude is your friend!" But, the fear of the parachute not opening, it blowing up, forgeting to pull, etc. etc. more than makes up for the lack of fear of heights.Of course eventually, like me, you'll feel MORE comfortable once your outside the door and not depending on the airplane and pilot. No offense diverdriver. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
