apenny4yothawts 0 #1 July 19, 2016 I am a quadriplegic and I know there have a number of quads who have skydived. There are no skydiving businesses near me who have ever taken someone with my level of disability. What I need to know are things that have helped you skydive if a quad or if you have experience tandem diving with a quad. Things like: what kind of plane works best, how to get in and then out of the plane easiest, how did your landing work, what weight were you when you jumped, did you have any physical repercussions afterwards, etc. Thank you for any help offered! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfriverjoe 1,523 #2 July 20, 2016 Where are you? There are a few places that will take a quad, but not a whole lot. It's a pretty special jump. I was at a DZ that took a bunch of paraplegics (no use of legs, right?) up a couple of weeks ago. I had never seen it done in person before. It's not a trivial task."There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,452 #3 July 20, 2016 Your best bet is to go to a DZ where this has already been done. Much safer, and also more relaxed because the instructor won't be as worried. Wendy P.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
councilman24 37 #4 July 20, 2016 Tell us where you are, how much you weigh and lf you have any use of your arms. My dz routinely takes paras and others with limited arm use. If your driving a wheel chair with a joy stick and weigh less than 200 lbs you can probably be accommodated. If your driving a chair with something other than your arms that's tougher but maybe. Ventilator is, as far as I know, out if the question. Don't worry about the plane how to get in etc. That's our job.I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimjumper 25 #5 July 20, 2016 The best answers for these questions are going to come from the Instructors that have done a lot of them. Most of these are very specific questions and the answers are in a discussion with the instructor taking you. I've taken 2 Paraplegic's and they are a bit nerve-racking. One of my groomsmen was a quad and he had done 2 jumps. For specifics, I would contact Jay Stokes at USPA or Jim Wallace at Tsunami Skydiving. They've both taken a number of severely handicapped jumpers and they will know the best techniques for doing such a jump. The important thing is to be totally upfront and frank about both your abilities and disabilities. This is for your safety! There is nothing harder on the student or the Instructor when the student shows up and isn't able to go due to fudging details about his physical condition. I know when the school I worked for got phone calls like these we usually required an in-person interview before we would commit to taking them. Good luck in your endeavor! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tkhayes 348 #6 July 20, 2016 We have extensive experience with para and quad tandem at Skydive City in Zephyrhills, Florida. Not everyone is a good candidate for making a jump and there are a lot of questions to ask, everything from type of injury to metal and surgeries to length of your disability, height, weight, catheters, rods, colostomy, body temp regulation, breathing etc etc Too much to cover in a forum like this. If Florida works for you, then feel free to call me directly 813-783-9399 TK Hayes, Skydive City Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
apenny4yothawts 0 #7 August 1, 2016 I am located in central Arkansas. I am 5’ 11” and weigh 198 lbs, down from 222 lbs. I use in and out catheters and don’t use a colostomy bag, so there are no tubes, bags or other medical equipment issues to worry about. I am a C6-C7 quad, my injury was July 28, 2008. I believe I have 6 screws and 3 plates, I have never had any follow-up surgeries or issues with the hardware inside. I use a manual chair to keep up my arm strength, but I own a power chair that I can bring if necessary. I have some arm use, but I can’t use my fingers. I haven't seen anything that would suggest any places near here have done it before. Where are you? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
angryelf 0 #8 August 2, 2016 PM sent."Sometimes you eat the bar, and well-sometimes the bar eats you..." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
