Today I jumped out of a plane at 14,000 feet for the first time. They were running late so had to hang around the base, which made good people watching. Very much had a "ski lodge" kinda feel to it, or rock climber kinda vibe, like it's a tribe and I was not part of it. Which was fine, really. I was more nervous about being crammed into a very small plane than I was about jumping out of it. I guess the freefall was about 9,000 feet, which means around 45 seconds long. It was not long enough.

Does that mean you're going to do it again, or it was too much?

I'd do it again if I felt the need/desire. Would be more fun to do myself, but it's about $3500 to get to that point, to be certified. I think I'd rather spend that elsewhere.

My son paid for his to be recorded to video, he screamed the whole freefall, ha. I did not have mine recorded.

The guy I was strapped to was pretty quiet, which I appreciated. Other tandem instructors were trying to hype it up while in the sky, as I saw on video after. "You're flying bro!" I have a feeling I was more silent than most, as I didn't make a sound. Maybe I just blocked my dude out though, I dunno. I forgot he was there if he didn't tap my shoulder.

I think if I spend money on falling from the sky again it'd be in a glider. Always wanted to do that.

I'll never have the balls to jump from that height (ANY height actually) but I assume the feeling must be beyond awesome. One of those "No words" experiences. So I'm kinda jelous.

One of the reasons, apart from pure fear, it's that I can think of a more stupider way to die. Not saying by any means jumpers are stupid. In fact rarely do that jumps go wrong as far as I know.

Lots of my fellow countrymen like to run towards angry bulls, that is way more stupider and potentially lethal and painful. (I know it's not an accurate comparison, no innocent animals are abused when jumping)

Vibracobra wrote: Sun Jun 04, 2023 3:37 amOne of the reasons, apart from pure fear, it's that I can think of a more stupider way to die.

A stupid way to die would be having a floor tile fall on your head while you're out walking, or choking on a piece of food. Dying from a 10.000m free fall would be one of the better ways.

I'm afraid of heights, but that fear is of being at a high altitude. Say, if I'm just standing there, looking out of an open airplane, that would be tough. Jumping would be the easy part.

kokorodoko wrote: Sun Jun 04, 2023 4:45 am

Vibracobra wrote: Sun Jun 04, 2023 3:37 amOne of the reasons, apart from pure fear, it's that I can think of a more stupider way to die.

A stupid way to die would be having a floor tile fall on your head while you're out walking, or choking on a piece of food. Dying from a 10.000m free fall would be one of the better ways.

Sure you would feel no pain. You may even die from a heartattack before you hit the ground.

But See, you have to eat. You have to walk to get to places. Dying because of Choking or stumbling it's probably more tragic than stupid.

But getting in a plane, ascending 3 km and then jumping with a parachute, kinda defying natural laws (you're not a bird) for fun and enjoyment and, in the worst cade scenario ending dead... stupid. Probably not the right word but close.

Yeah and you might also die if you're deep sea diving and your equipment fails. Or you screw something up on a survival trip. Or you crash with your motorcycle. But you were having fun until then. Stupid is dying of a heartattack because you overwork or eat too much junk food. On the other occasions you know what you're getting into.


My day:
Walked through the forest and looked at a waterfall. A beaver lives there somewhere.

Vibracobra wrote: Sun Jun 04, 2023 3:37 am I'll never have the balls to jump from that height (ANY height actually) but I assume the feeling must be beyond awesome. One of those "No words" experiences. So I'm kinda jelous.

One of the reasons, apart from pure fear, it's that I can think of a more stupider way to die. Not saying by any means jumpers are stupid. In fact rarely do that jumps go wrong as far as I know.

Lots of my fellow countrymen like to run towards angry bulls, that is way more stupider and potentially lethal and painful. (I know it's not an accurate comparison, no innocent animals are abused when jumping)

Chance of fatality skydiving tandem: 1 in 500,000
Of solo skydiving: 1 in 220,000
Chances of a fatal car crash over a lifetime: statistics vary but all say between 1:98 and 1:110 or so

enframed wrote: Sat Jun 03, 2023 5:50 pm Very much had a "ski lodge" kinda feel to it, or rock climber kinda vibe, like it's a tribe and I was not part of it. Which was fine, really.

My sister and brother-in-law were skydiving regulars for 10-15 years and had a trailer at the drop zone where they'd stay on weekends. They would jump in groups and do formations in freefall. My wife and I visited them a couple of times there to watch them jump. I have not myself.

I can 100% attest to the atmosphere there. It very much turns into a party in the evenings.

Holy fuck, that was one bad fucking dream.