Would you jump out a perfectly good aeroplane?

[callmedave]

Ive always wanted to do a parachute jump but its one of those things I've never got round to, I would like to do it sponsored (pay for myself so 100% to charity, I'm not a freeloader!) but life gets in the way, and there is always something else that needs to be done first.

Has anyone else done it, if so would you go again?

Is anyone in the same boat, wants to but hasn't if so why?

Would love to hear your stories!

[Halmyre]

Go for it. I did it some years ago - static line jump. The instructors drill the whole process into you so that when you do it for real you don't have time to think about how you're jumping out of an aeroplane. I did well on my first jump so I went for a second and nearly landed in a tree. At which point I quit while I was ahead.

The instructors included a few ex-paras, who said that jumping out of a plane was preferable to trusting the pilot to landing it safely.

[thebraketester]

I did my first one last year for charity.

Got a video of it somewhere if you want a look at what happens?

Incredible experience. Do it!!

[callmedave]

thebraketester said:

I did my first one last year for charity.

Got a video of it somewhere if you want a look at what happens?

Incredible experience. Do it!!

Please!


Thanks guys, I will do it albeit eventually.

[Phud]

Do it, static line is fun, accelerated free fall is better.

Depends what you want, watching a friend land on a chicken hut was fun, best part was looking up and seeing the chute fully open.

[thebraketester]

callmedave said:

Please!


Thanks guys, I will do it albeit eventually.

Sorry... its a bit cheesy..


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tKrRfNLw3o

The most dangerous bit apparently is the accent to 1000ft.... up until that point the parachute is useless...

[wiggy001]

I'm terrified of heights. I'm ok in a plane or tall building, but any height where I could fall (eg up a ladder) and I hate it. But something is telling me that a parachute jump is something I must do or live to regret it so it's something I'm toying with asking for as a 40th birthday present (just under 2 years away). My thinking is that if it's a present I will feel compelled not to waste it, so it, love it and wish I'd done it sooner. If I paid for it myself I'd be more inclined to bottle it. Might raise some funds for charity at the same time as further incentive not to pull out.

Pretty sure I'll be fine with it once I'm out of the plane...

[callmedave]

wiggy001 said:

I'm terrified of heights....

...Pretty sure I'll be fine with it once I'm out of the plane...

You won't have much choice!

[thebraketester]

I hate heights too.... tall building... Nope.... do not like at all. Bricked myself at the top of the world trade centre. Planes are fine though.

The skydive was different... at no point did I get the fear of heights. Even during the parachute descent... absolutely fine

[sc0tt]

Me somewhere in western australia

IMG_4066 by Sophie Freethy, on Flickr

GOPR1044 by Sophie Freethy, on Flickr

[Speed 3]

Done a tandem freefall - great fun but it was over way too quickly (in part because we were altitude limited due some royal or other flying in the area at my departure time). Would love to do a solo. At those altitudes its nothing like peering off a moderately tall building, just like throwing yourself at a landscape.