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ever go skydiving?

Les Kern said:
Yes. I went with my father a long time ago, before most of my brain cells formed. I got a concussion, dad broke his ankle in 4 places.
The only way I'd recommend this idiotic endevour is if you have but minutes to live anyway. Near where I live is a jump school that leads the nation in deaths... I was going to change their billboard to "Just call 1-800-KER-PLOP" but never got up the balls.
Skydiving belongs in the same catagory as swimming with great white sharks, climbing K2 without oxygen, and bungee jumping off a bridge. You know, the "Imbecilic" catagory.
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Thanks for considering me an imbecile, Les Kern. :rolleyes: I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I've had 16 great ones that changed my life for the good in ways I couldn't have imagined. Skydiving gave me courage I wouldn't have found otherwise.

If this school is as bad as you say, then I guess people shouldn't go to that school, yes? The one I attended has an excellent safety record. I always felt I was in good hands.
 
leekohler said:
Thanks for considering me an imbecile, Les Kern. :rolleyes: I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I've had 16 great ones that changed my life for the good in ways I couldn't have imagined. Skydiving gave me courage I wouldn't have found otherwise.

If this school is as bad as you say, then I guess people shouldn't go to that school, yes? The one I attended has an excellent safety record. I always fely I was in good hands.
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Actually my instruction was top-rate, as far as I could tell. It wasn't the place I mentioned that has the high death rate. And that's the rub. If an individual needs to cheat the odds to gain courage, then fine. But don't pretend that it's safer than say, drinking battery acid. Look up the odds of skydiving compared to a lot of other "real" sports. Who in their right mind would put the LIVES at risk like this? It's just a dumb "sport". I always thought hang gliding would be fun, until I watched a guy DIE in Western Maryland. Tell me what he died for and maybe I'd have some better understanding on why people insist on crap like this?
 
Les Kern said:
Actually my instruction was top-rate, as far as I could tell. It wasn't the place I mentioned that has the high death rate. And that's the rub. If an individual needs to cheat the odds to gain courage, then fine. But don't pretend that it's safer than say, drinking battery acid. Look up the odds of skydiving compared to a lot of other "real" sports. Who in their right mind would put the LIVES at risk like this? It's just a dumb "sport". I always thought hang gliding would be fun, until I watched a guy DIE in Western Maryland. Tell me what he died for and maybe I'd have some better understanding on why people insist on crap like this?
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Well, I could sit in my house and lock the door, never leave and be safe forever. Or I could go out and live my life. Risk is part of what makes life worth living! You risk your life every day doing all sorts of things. If you were hit by a car on your way to work or the store (which happens to people a lot!), what did you die for? A crappy(or good) job or some junk food?

And what does it matter to you how people choose to live their lives? Honestly, it's none of your business.
 
leekohler said:
If you were hit by a car on your way to work or the store (which happens to people a lot!), what did you die for? A crappy(or good) job or some junk food?
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Well said - I was thinking the same thing. People die every day doing supposedly "mundane" things like jogging, driving to school, walking the dog, whatever.

Skydiving isn't even a particularly accident-prone sport - it just makes for sensational news when something happens. I'd be willing to bet more people (proportionally) die skiing than die skydiving.

I've been skydiving once - and really enjoyed it. I don't know that I'd do it again simply because of the expense. It was a great experience, and I'm glad I did it.
 
emw said:
Well said - I was thinking the same thing. People die every day doing supposedly "mundane" things like jogging, driving to school, walking the dog, whatever.
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So you don't mind increasing your chances of an untimely death for a thrill? By that logic, skydive to work every day.

I really don't want to appear disrespectful, and there is another point I need to make.. a disclaimer. I'm middle aged, and I doubt any of you have done the stupid things I have done in my life... like skydiving. Hell, that's the LEAST dangerous thing I've done. When you get older the world looks different. Maybe it's the inevitable end in sight, but maybe it's just getting all growed up. My thrill seeking days are over. Had a good run (still alive). And if you want to do those things that's just great. Have a ball.
This old man: Signing off.
 
i would **** myself if i were to go skydiving.

add that to the already dampened trousers and you'd have quite a mess. i figure that's not fair on whatever professional skydiver i'm strapped to that day.
 
Les Kern said:
So you don't mind increasing your chances of an untimely death for a thrill?
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So you don't mind sitting around in your house afraid to do anything?

Les Kern said:
When you get older the world looks different.
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I'd agree - I'm 37 and have 2 kids with a third on the way, and I don't go out of my way to do stupid things. But I wouldn't discourage people, even my children, from taking calculated risks.
 
Les Kern said:
So you don't mind increasing your chances of an untimely death for a thrill? By that logic, skydive to work every day.

I really don't want to appear disrespectful, and there is another point I need to make.. a disclaimer. I'm middle aged, and I doubt any of you have done the stupid things I have done in my life... like skydiving. Hell, that's the LEAST dangerous thing I've done. When you get older the world looks different. Maybe it's the inevitable end in sight, but maybe it's just getting all growed up. My thrill seeking days are over. Had a good run (still alive). And if you want to do those things that's just great. Have a ball.
This old man: Signing off.
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I'm not sure how old you are, but I'll be 40 next March. I can't be that far behind you. If I stopped doing the things I like, I'd start to wither away. I've done some stupid things too that I don't wish to repeat, but skydiving isn't one of them. I consider it one of the smartest due to the effect it had on my life.
 
I am not too afraid of heights, but sky diving is something I would never do. I think it has more to do with my dislike for airplanes (again, not necessarily height related) than anything.
 
Why would anyone want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane? ;)

(FWIW, my Dad did 99 jumps as an Air Liaison Officer in the Air Force... he'd go along with the Army Airborne guys and call in Air Force assets to support the Army guys. One more jump and he'd've had his Master wings. By my reckoning, he's used up all of my family's skydiving luck, so I'm gonna pass.)
 
Not yet, but I probably will sometime. I have a cousin who has done 6 jumps, I just found out I have a friend who really wants to go base jumping and have met a person who jumps on a regular basis. All girls too, so more motivation to go.

Only thing is, I want to be a pilot and have started training. I can't help but think it would be a conflict of interest to want to fly the plane and jump out of it at the same time. Anyone here a pilot and a sky diver, seems like you would do one or the other.
 
I really, really wanna give it a try, at least for once!. Just for the experience!

None of my friends believe me when i say that, because one time at a beach they all decided to bungie jump and i refused.
Also am afraid of planes, and not very comfortable at certain heights, but skydiving doesn't give me that kind of fear for some reason.
Unfortunately all my friends are afraid to skydive, so i got no one to go with.
 
Blue skies

If you live in warm place I would definitely recommend it. I did it here in sweden for a couple of years until I got fed up with feezing my butt of every weekend. To put it mildly, Sweden is not the ideal place for skydiving. The temp drops about 0.5 C every 100m higher. That is, temp when you get off is about 15 C lower than on ground. Add a windspeed of 50m/s and you get the idea. However, it is a totally mindblowing feeling to skydive. Still, I was quite convinced I that I would die the first 40-50 jumps. But then again, as you get more experienced the fear is gradually replaced by ... joy...pure joy... ectatic joy.
Don't deprive yourself from that experience. Learn for yourself why birds sing. :)
 
leekohler said:
Well, I could sit in my house and lock the door, never leave and be safe forever. Or I could go out and live my life. Risk is part of what makes life worth living! You risk your life every day doing all sorts of things. If you were hit by a car on your way to work or the store (which happens to people a lot!), what did you die for? A crappy(or good) job or some junk food?

And what does it matter to you how people choose to live their lives? Honestly, it's none of your business.
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Well said.

FWIW, I knew knew a young widow. She was married on a Saturday afternoon. They departed to their honeymoon hotel which was nearby. Around dinner time, her husband went out to grab something from the local 7/11. He never came back. He was hit and killed by a drunk driver. Married and a widow on the same day. Sucks!
 
yippy said:
Only thing is, I want to be a pilot and have started training. I can't help but think it would be a conflict of interest to want to fly the plane and jump out of it at the same time. Anyone here a pilot and a sky diver, seems like you would do one or the other.
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Many of us have done both. Although it's best to remember which environment you are in when an emergency occurs! :eek: :D

Good luck on the pursuit of your wings.
 
Last time I went skydiving someone told me after I landed that "only 2 things fall from the sky, bird sh*t and idiots!":)
 
i have a friend who has over 650 jumps logged.... never one accident....

i have 1 jump logged and it was the mast amazing thing i have ever done...

not saying i would do it every weekend, but it is an experience like no other...

cant compare it to anything.... if you want to do it, find a reputable jump site and have some fun....

dont forget what i said in my earlier post.... pay the extra money for the video!

maybe i will see if i can rip the vhs tape and post in on you tube so all you naysayers can see how much fun it really is :p
 
Electro Funk said:
i have a friend who has over 650 jumps logged.... never one accident....
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It's fun to go with experience guys for sure.

Although, sometimes the experience comes at a price. I one friend with around 1,200 jumps who ended up in some high power lines. Blew a bit of flesh out of his leg and arm.

BTW, he went right back to jumping.

I have also flown for jumpers on numerous occasions. On one memorable flight I was flying a Hubert and my buddy (1500+ jumps) the jumpmaster went out on the skid. At high altitudes (9,000+) the Hubert is a pig so I was busy concentrating on flying. I felt a tap on my shoulder from the side. Scared the bejesus out of me. Then I realized that my friend had walked out on the skid and had tapped my shoulder through the door window.

I almost lost it when I looked back at him. He had a spiner hat on. The little propeller was spinning out of control and the little wings were flapping wildy. He just laughed and fell off the skid backwards. It was such a funny sight. :D
 
Yeah, I went tandem sky-diving in Gananoque, Ontario. I really didn't know whether I would be able to do it until the moment I got pushed out. And I still don't know whether I will ever be able to do such a thing ever again. :confused:
 
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