anyone here tried it?

I tried it 20 odd years ago and found it boring. Way too much waiting around doing not much of anything.

A mate got into it recently and had the money to get all the training and gear happening quickly. He jumps a wingsuit now. I think you need a 200 jumps before you can us a wingsuit.

saltiest1 said...

anyone here tried it?

I did a couple of jumps about 15 years ago, just to see what it was like.
I've done a lot of flying over the last 50 years and when looking out over the landscape I sometimes wondered what it would be like to just open the door and jump out. Not that you could because at the speed you go it is impossible to open the door more than an inch or two.
Anyways, I finally thought I should scratch that particular itch and give it a try.
I didn't want any of that tandem jump stuff because that wasn't the same as just jumping out unattended, so I did a short training course (1 day) and then did a solo jump from 4000 feet.
I found it extremely exciting!
The unbelievably difficult bit was climbing out onto the undercarriage of the plane and then as the plane went over the drop zone, the instructor says GO! and you have to let go and faaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllll !
I found the letting go bit almost impossible.
The instructor said "go", my mind said "let go" but my fingers said "no way!"
After a few seconds I managed to let go and the rest happened all by itself.
I think it's due to gravity.
It was a static line jump so the small drogue chute is deployed by a bit of string tied back to the plane. The small chute then pulls out the main canopy within about 3 or 4 hundred feet and you can fly off to the landing zone.
The parachute was one of the paraglider types so it was steerable via a brake string on either side.

The descent part was pretty much as I imagined it would be, just sort of hanging around in the sky looking around over the countryside, with no visible means of support. There was not really any sense of descent until the final few hundred feet when the ground started coming up fairly fast.
The final flare and touchdown is done into wind by pulling on both brakes together from about 50 feet down.
I'm pleased to say the landing was pretty much perfect.

When I thought about it afterwards I realised that the climbing out and jumping bit was such a mental overload that I didn't really take it all in so I went back a few weeks later and did another jump.
The second jump was still a mental overload but not quite as much as the first so I think I took more of it in.
Having scratched that itch I didn't have any great urge to do any more.

Was it worth it?
Yes.
Amongst other things it's sort of a confidence building thing.
Even if you have no intention of taking it up as a hobby, it's still worthwhile to do it just for the experience.
It's not that expensive when compared to a holiday somewhere and you certainly will remember it for the rest of your life.

Sailhack said...

"Why would you want to jump out of a perfectly good plane?"

(sorry hack can't help myself)
whuffo
(look it up)
Who would ever of thought of inventing a parachute ?


kiting equivalent "gee you must be strong to hang onto that kite all the time"
or "how do you get down when you go up so high"

saltiest1 said...

anyone here tried it?

NO !!


I have seen an egg land without a parachute,


not pretty,



definitely not fot me




But an ultra light ooohh yea

lao shi said...

Did the accelerated free fall course some years back. www.waskydiving.com.au/aff.html

9hrs(I think) of training followed by a jump with two instructors holding you stable for 20 secs of free fall then you pull the cord and fly the parachute to ground.
Did it at Pinjarra and the view from the chute as you circled was cool.
The free fall was all over very quickly and I was concentrating so hard it didn't really give me as much of a buzz as a good day's windsurfing. Considered the cost of continuing and decided to call it a day.
I would recommend the tandem to see if it is your thing. Less of the hard training more of the experience. Enjoy.

Did the same about 12 yrs ago. Only about 4-5hrs training back then though I think? There have been a couple of BIG SPLATTS since so not surprised.

Was a hell of a buzz. Scariest thing was leaning out of the cr@ppy old Cesna and having to lean past the point of no return to grab the wing strutt. After that it was all adrenalin.

Talk about a huge rush of relief when my chute snapped open and I got those handles in my mits! Was cruising a few turns then went for a couple of BIG ones! KnHELL!! Just about soiled my dacks swinging out to about 60-70 degrees on a couple turns! Steady as she went after that.

Got a perfect landing, both feet down (lucky) but saw some faceplants and @rse draggs from other punters! LOL.

Hell of a rush for at least couple of days. Would have done again if my student income had allowed.


Tandem is still a good option. Cheaper and more time to take in the buzz I reckon. For me half of it was a bit of 'adrenalin overload'


BTW - as my plane was climbing for my jump the previous plane had just had their passengers jump. I saw their primary chute from that jump floating past below our plane.
A malfunction - go to emergency chute situation. Luckily a tandem jump but shows it can and does happen.
He he - talk about get the adrenalin and sphinny clench going after that! Went over my procedures about 20 times more whilst climbing!!

thanks all. ive booked in for it for late july at pinjarra. wanted it sooner but could not get it. cant wait now.
did the tandem from 14000 ft in boardshorts and no drogue about 12 years ago and have been wanting to do it since.

was in port maquarie for the aussie sky dive titles and got to meet a few of the guys there. got talking and they said i could do what ever i like so no drogue and boardshorts. the guy i jumped with was hung over and fell asleep on the flight up.
watched the mrs drop out of the back of the plane 1st which was strange, then my turn. loved it.

Yeah but not for 15 years, did just over 500 jumps, jumped out of some awesome aircraft, Boeing 727 being the highlight. Great fun and good times.

Was that at the Free fall Convention in Quincy??

davo4772 said...





Was that at the Free fall Convention in Quincy??

Yep and this was the bird

davo4772 said...

Nice one. I was there in 95. Did 100 jumps in 4 weeks.

The jet was a blast literally, my goggles came off, riser covers. Lost my mate even though I was right out the door after him but found some dude in a Santa suit. Fun days.

I was there in 96, your not wrong about the blast, strange sensation listening to the noise of people dropping through the stairwell. I went out feet first, legs and arms crossed, main concern was risers and reserve flap, it was all good and I even land back on the DZ. What else did you jump out of there?

Yer man 3000+ lobes.3 bass jumps.A load of free flying and wingsuit jumps.But like anything else it gets old real quick.

davo4772 said...

Other than the jet, the Super Constellation, DC-3 with massive prop blast, the chopper, a king air that went to 24000ft.

I didn't do the biplane as I thought it was too expensive which of course I regret now.

Also did alot of walking through corn fields.

The biplane was great, missed out on the Dak, an engine caught fire while taxiing.

Haircut said...

inverted chopper jumps

man that cost an arm and a leg