Any skydivers, parachutist's on the forum?

[hemi71x]

Before joining the Air Force back in 1973, when i was 20 years old, i had 10 parachute jumps at the Orange, Massachusetts parachuting center.
Never did any during my Air Force years, and looking back on it, i really don't know why i didn't.
And then never in civilian life, all these years.
Driving down the Highway 99, here in Northern California, where i live, drove by the Lodi, CA, airport, skydiving center.
The thought came to mind, about jumping all over again.
But back when i was 20, i was young and defiant, now at 70 i'm old and stubborn.
There is no age limit, on skydiving.
Anyone jump, for sport?
Jim V.
hemi71x

 

[72bluNblu]

I've made a couple of tandem jumps at SkyDance Northern California's Premier Skydiving Center - SkyDance SkyDiving , probably closer to you than Lodi. My wife got her license there and did around 120 jumps or so. She was really into it for awhile, I just went a couple times to check it out/say I did it kind of thing. Was definitely fun but I wasn't so interested that I wanted to keep doing it. Plus I already have enough expensive hobbies!

SkyDance has really awesome instructors, great place to go with a really good safety record. They even do a 30,000 ft Halo tandem if you really want to maximize your free fall time, only drop zone in the country approved to jump over 28,000 ft.

 

[diymirage]

As much as i hate flying, there is only one part i enjoy and thats the landing

I see no reason to jump out of a perfectly good plane

 

[hemi71x]

As much as i hate flying, there is only one part i enjoy and thats the landing

I see no reason to jump out of a perfectly good plane

Ya, i know lots of folks think as you.
Perfectly ok with that.
But it's fun, an exhilarating sport, for us doing it.

 

[krazykuda]

I saw an ad on craigslist recently for an estate sale listing a second hand parachute...

One owner, only used once, never opened, slight stain...

 

[hemi71x]

I saw an ad on craigslist recently for an estate sale listing a second hand parachute...

One owner, only used once, never opened, slight stain...

I like it.
My morning laugh for the day.

 

[H22A4]

I saw an ad on craigslist recently for an estate sale listing a second hand parachute...

One owner, only used once, never opened, slight stain...

Following that train of thought….. if at first you don’t succeed skydiving, then you know it wasn’t for you.

 

[67Dart273]

I've always wanted to jump from a 747. That is the only airplane that can hold enough people TO THROW ME OUT OF A PERFECTLY GOOD AIRPLANE!!

 

[72bluNblu]

LOL at the people that think there's such a thing as a "perfectly good" airplane. Just shows that you don't know enough about airplanes.

A parachute uses the same exact physics that an airplane uses. Trusting one and not the other is just silly.

Skydiving isn't really any more dangerous than any of the motorsports hobbies that most people here participate in. Lots of people are injured/killed drag racing, many more so than skydiving. Skydiving is a calculated risk just like everything, if you understand your equipment and practice the process it's not any more dangerous than things that most of us consider "routine".

 

[hemi71x]

My 10 jumps were whats known as a "static line" jump, meaning your parachute "rip cord" is attached to the top open door area of the aircraft.
Then when you jump out, your parachute opens up for you without you having to pull the rip cord on your own.
If i continued to jump at that parachute center i was then going to jump, pull the rip cord, all on my own.
But i joined the Air Force.

 

[krazykuda]

My 10 jumps were whats known as a "static line" jump, meaning your parachute "rip cord" is attached to the top open door area of the aircraft.
Then when you jump out, your parachute opens up for you without you having to pull the rip cord on your own.
If i continued to jump at that parachute center i was then going to jump, pull the rip cord, all on my own.
But i joined the Air Force.

"Rip cord"...

That reminds me of an old story when a coworker and I went to a strip club after work:


At the end of the work day, Daryll says to me, "Players has all you can eat buffet for happy hour between 4 and 6 PM, lets go get some free food"... So we went and they had some 'finger food' if I may call it that, wings etc... About 6 different items...

So here we are, seated next to the stage and one of the strippers is in a purple g-string and top dancing on the pole, crouching down and spreading her legs wide for us... I look up and see a white string hanging out of the bottom of her g-string...

So I point it out to Daryll and ask him, "How do we approach this gently and tell her that her tampon string is showing without embarrasing her"???

"Uhm... Excuse me ma'am, but your rip cord is showing", was the best we could come up with...

But we didn't want her to get embarrassed, so we did not say anything and just let it 'hang' so to speak...

 

[66fyssh]

I did one tandem for my 50th birthday. Mine was from 13,500 feet. It sure is exhilarating!!! A rush beyond all rushes. Haven't done it since, but I would if anyone ever asked me to go with them.