Uncle Sam paid me to do it for a bit and I have done a few civy jumps.....much prefer military, civvy chutes are better and the people are nicer but the planes suck....

4 dudes stuffed in a Cessna is not fun but it is cool to climb out on the wing and let go.

Really would like to get FF certified but my misses frowns on it and the cost has risen greatly.

Maybe for my 50th birthday

Good for you, you got to experience a rush few will ever have the balls to experience.

Oh and even after 27 jumps my PLF still looks like a drucken do do bird.....

You guys who do this -- more power to you. I'm not sure whether you're brave, certifiably insane, or both.

For me, the airplane would have to be on fire and missing at least half a wing before I would even consider it, and even then I would be evaluating alternatives.

I’d love to do it, I think it would be great, but I don’t think they could get enough people in the plane to push me out.

A woman that is a friend of ours did a tandem jump on her 90th birthday. She said it was on her bucket list. She didn’t tell anyone about it until afterwards.

what does something like this cost ?
I would love to do it, but am wondering about the cost for 10-15 seconds of freefall...

quote:

Originally posted by SBrooks:
what does something like this cost ?
I would love to do it, but am wondering about the cost for 10-15 seconds of freefall...

One of the big outfits here in Houston shows $200-220 (weekday/weekend) for your first jump.
2nd jump is $100.

Add in $140-160 for picture/video.

Nice ! Glad you enjoyed it safely!

------------------------------

How many jumps does a soldier have to do in jump school? I’ve always heard it was only a couple.

quote:

Originally posted by ador:
So, the most I fear most is the jumping out of the plane part? How does it feel? Is it like being strapped on a roller coaster ride? I hate roller coasters. Or is it pretty much all about the hard time breathing part that is bad?

There are a number of different aircraft used for jumps; the exit from the aircraft is different with each aircraft. In nearly all cases, however, when you go out the door, the airspeed is approximately the same as your freefall terminal velocity; the air pressure you feel against your chest as you exit doesn't change appreciably, and there is no sense of falling. The sense of being held up against a column of air. You feel as though you're floating. The only difference on exit is that at first you're moving forward against the air, then down, but there's no sense of either.

The only two times that I can recall having a sense of actually falling was in freefall next to a column of cloud, and another time when a formation of jumpers collapsed ("funneled"). In that case, one jumper spills air against another and it's a bit like drafting a semi-truck on a motorcycle. The whole group can fall into an aerodynamic funnel or lack of drag...but that doesn't happen often and it's usually preventable. For a student or tandem ride, it doesn't happen at all.

In the case of a tandem, the freefall rate is higher; tandems deploy a stabilizing drogue to both control freefall rate and to stabilize the tandem master and student. You also have the option on your first jump of doing a jump course and an assisted freefall; one or two jumpmasters holding onto you while you freefall with your own parachute rig and parachutes.

There's no roller coaster sense of rising and falling. There's noise from the wind, but this thread is the first time I've ever heard anyone suggest they've had difficulty breathing. Some say it takes their breath away, but figuratively. Breathing isn't an issue; you have ram air ensuring you get breath. It may be a perception issue, but there is no difficulty breathing. Nor sense of falling.

There is a psychological effect of exiting the airplane, into the open freedom of freefall (typically 45-60 seconds of freefall). Because of ram air pressure as one exits the door into the free slipstream and then transitions to vertical, there is no sense of acceleration, either. Just loud, rushing air.

I've never found skydiving to be about adrenaline, either. For me it's relaxing; it's about freedom. There is a real sense of freedom, most akin to flying without an aircraft. Indeed, jumpers control themselves very precisely using their body as the airfoil and aerodynamic surfaces enough that jumpers refer to it as "body pilot;" the jumper is flying in the vertical plane rather than the horizontal. Otherwise, when in freefall with another jumper, each is plainly fully controllable and able to fly precise to one another.

Plenty of video out there.

Did it, loved it. I don’t like heights and for some reason had no issues with it.

It was terrifying and thrilling at the same time.

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
How many jumps does a soldier have to do in jump school? I’ve always heard it was only a couple.

Only 5.

I took a class and then at the end of the class you get to do a solo jump with a static line opening your chute. I loved every bit of it. Probably the most fun was guiding the parachute down. Almost like a rollercoaster but you are in control of everything.

I did it a few times after that but it was a long ways from my house so it kinda fell by the wayside.

For those who want to do it without the plane ride, try iFly. Indoor Skydiving. Its a blast.

I jumped static line in the Army. Its way more fun in a square chute.

quote:

Originally posted by ador:
So, the most I fear most is the jumping out of the plane part? How does it feel? Is it like being strapped on a roller coaster ride? I hate roller coasters. Or is it pretty much all about the hard time breathing part that is bad?

sns3guppy has characterized the feeling quite well. I'll add that I liken a stable freefall as feeling like you're laying on a waterbed. It's firm, but you can push back into it. Like guppy, I always found freefall incredibly relaxing. The most anxious moments were upon exit from the airplane and just before opening the parachute. I never experienced any difficulty breathing, but I've heard first time jumpers describe the trouble several times.

I jumped for 6 years and made 600 jumps. This year will mark 20 years since my last jump and I still miss it desperately. I've even got my last USPA membership card in a drawer (D-15682). I occasionally talk about taking it up again after the kids are off on their own. If my fitness is still there, we'll see.

You've got me feeling all nostalgic now Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
Jumping out of a perfectly functional airplane just seems insane.

Spoken by someone who has never had a good look at jump planes.

quote:

Originally posted by WildSig:
There was a guy that burned in two weeks prior to me jumping because his main failed and he wasn't jumping with a backup. Made me hesitate for a moment about going but then I figured I had fresh odds.

Jumping with no reserve? That’s nucking futs!
On my first aerobatic lesson the instructor showed me how to preflight the chute, explained that while jump schools want you to hold onto the ripcord, if you use this one you are to throw that SOB as far away as you can, etc. When he got done, I asked where the reserve was. His reply? “This IS your reserve. If you pull the ripcord and this chute doesn’t open, it wasn’t your day.” I was careful to bring the airplane back in one piece.

quote:

Originally posted by 1gkek:

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
How many jumps does a soldier have to do in jump school? I’ve always heard it was only a couple.

Only 5.

Becoming "5 jump chumps".

Guy is going skydiving for the first time, and he's very nervous.

"Don't worry," says his Jumpmaster. "Just jump out, count to three and pull the ripcord. If there's a problem with the main parachute, pull the ripcord on your reserve parachute. And when you land, a truck will be waiting to take you back to the drop zone."

Guy takes a deep breath, jumps out of the plane, and pulls the ripcord. Nothing happens.

He pulls the reserve ripcord. Dirty laundry comes out of his container.

He's falling faster and faster, and he looks at the ground and says bitterly, "Great. Just great. I bet the damned truck won't be there, either."

I've only done static line jumps on Uncle Sam's dime (Army). First jump was on a hot June day over a field at Fort Benning. Aircraft was an old Vietnam-era C-123. I was glad to get out of that airplane.

117 was enough for me and my knees.