Has anyone sky dived before?

Question

What was your experience?
Why did you do it?
Where did you do it?
Would you do it again?

If you have never done it before do you have to be attached to someone else?
or can you jump on your own first time?

Answer 1

Your question gives a wonderful excuse for some reminiscing!
A group of us were in the flying club bar (after flying had finished!) and in came a few of our resident sports parachuting club members. At various times one or two of us had flown the aircraft from which they had jumped, and after a convivial shandy or two, one of the parachuting instructors said, half jokingly,"How about you lot making a jump?" ... to which a couple of us said, also half jokingly, "No problem. When?"
Anyway, next day we started the compulsory basic training, and the following day we were at 2,500 feet over a well known airfield in the South West of England, in a Cessna 172. So that tells you why and where...
Now, how did it feel? Exhilarating and a little scarey, sums it up! You see, in those days you made your first jumps all by yourself (not strapped to an instructor like today), using a static line - i.e., a line attached between the aircraft and your main chute, which, when you fell away from the machine, pulled out the pilot and main 'chutes. (NB You also wore an emergency chest parachute). You stood with your left foot on the aircraft's starboard main wheel (the pilot held the brakes on so that it did not rotate), and swung yourself out of the door so that your right leg hung out into space, while your two hands grasped the wing support strut - a sort of 'letter X' position . On the word 'Go!' you leapt backwards and counted up to 3 secs, by which time your main chute would be (or should be!) deployed. If it was - fine; you simply settled down to enjoy the view and the silence. Of course, if it was not open fully then you had a few seconds to sort out the problem or to pull the emergency chute!
Would I (did I) do it again? Well, yes - because I made several more jumps, but in the end decided that staying in a nice warm aeroplane was preferable. :- )
Anyway, go for it - several friends of mine made it their hobby and carried out hundreds of jumps in several different countries. And as you progress to high altitude free fall you will be even more thrilled by the experience. So good luck and happy landings!

Answer 2

I did it a few years ago and when I was finished I swore I'd do it a bunch more. I remember it being around $200 and worth every penny. I still remember the whole thing vividly as I'm sure you will when you decide to take the plunge.

I did it in Illinois and was over a huge field - once you pull the cord for the chute to come out you end up sitting in mid-air.. basically just like sitting on a chair in mid air and it's very peaceful, and on a nice day you'll be able to see miles away. From where I was I could see the entire Chicago sky line --- beneath there was a race track and I could watch the cars racing - pretty cool.

Anyway, I do suggest giving it a try.. You'll have to do it tandem (with someone strapped to your back) the first time, and once you complete a few more jumps and take a test you can go alone I believe. Just hope you get a cool person tandem jumping with you and they'll have you doing flips and other cool things that you probably wouldn't try on your own the first time anyway!

Good luck!

Answer 3

i've got basically performed it two times, yet i'm going to aim. before everything-- there are 2 varieties of dives for a newbie, staticl line and tandem. Tandem is the place you're strapped to an experienced motive force and you bypass plenty greater. that did not activity me, so I went static line. Static line is the place a twine attaches area of your chute to a hook interior the airplane. once you bounce, it forces the chute open. yet you get possibly 8 seconds of unfastened-fall earlier the chute fills with air. So there you're sitting on the floor of a small airplane without door. You walk over and hook-up your line. you won't be in a position to easily bounce out the door or you ought to hit the area of the airplane. you may desire to get onto the wing. You carry the airplane which includes your left hand and positioned your desirable foot on a small step on the wing. then you relatively grab something on the wing which includes your desirable hand. there is significant wind and you get scared. yet you're 0.5 outdoors the airplane, and getting lower back in could be stressful. so which you deliver your left foot and then left hand onto the wing besides. Now you're relatively freaked, yet there is basically one ingredient you're able to do, so which you bounce. you have experienced all morning on risk-free practices and charm. you're suposed to frivolously jut your abdomen out and fake you're Superman. yet what you extremely do is kick and scream. it relatively is by utilising some distance the main stunning ingredient I definitely have ever tried. For quite a on a similar time as afterwards, I relived it in my objectives. as quickly as the chute opens, i assumed it exchange into variety of uninteresting. yet those few seconds, guy...

Answer 4

Hi, i did a tandem sky dive last year at cockermouth near Blackpool ( did it for British heart foundation ) we went up 12000 feet, at 6000 feet some people jump out on their own and my backside went (ha ha) but i just listened to what the other guy said( he said do what i say and it will be plain sailing for both of us ). when we first jumped out, it took my breath away for about 10 seconds after that it was awesome and i would defiantly do it again and I'm 41.

Answer 5

technically not skydiving, it was crawling out of a...so long ago cant remember the plane, similar to a cessna, it was a static line parachute jump, terrifying but absolutely brilliant at the same time. The ground rush sensation is weird though, it's not like you're coming down (when you're near to landing) it's more like the earth coming up to meet you. It was a small club somewhere in Andover, Hants, about 25 odd years ago. I'd do it again but one, it's expensive and two I don't think me bones can take it anymore.

Answer 6

Yes, on many occasions
Originally it was to raise money for the RNIB
I did it as a student in Plymouth, we drove up to a deserted old airfield near Padstow, in Cornwall, Fran's Ranch, the St Mirren parachute club, run by some old ex parra's

I would have done it up to a few years back, now I have mild arythtis and its brass monkeys at 10,000 feet, but its worth it, if you have the chance.

Answer 7

I went skydiving in cuba last year & it was great fun. I had done it before a few years ago, and I'll definitely do it again.

Of course it's pretty scary but once you're out of the plane it's all good all the way down

If you're thinking about doing it, you'll regret it if you don't - go for it!

Answer 8

No. I've done a skydiving simulator, but have never done the real thing. It's on my list of things to do before I die.

Answer 9

i have never sky dived but i would like too and the only kind of diving was in water and muff diving

Answer 10

No but I want to even though I have a fear of heights.