I had mine filmed and they offered to set it to music afterwards. I chose Hendrix’s Purple Haze and somehow, unintentionally, right when the chute opens is when Jimi sings “Excuse me while I kiss the sky.”
Beauty.
Did she whistle during freefall?
Aye, 'twas a happy tune.
T’wat was it?
Like Bumbershoot I used to be an active skydiver (200 something jumps) and helped run a college club.
It feels like flying - there’s no “stomach rising” feeling like you get in an elevator or an an amusement park ride, probably because airspeed of the planes that you jump from is pretty close to terminal velocity that you’ll reach while falling; so your overall speed doesn’t change much, just the direction (from forward to downward if you see what I mean). If you happen to fall by clouds or some other fixed object then you become aware of the sensation of moving very quickly since you’ve got a reference point.
I have felt like I was falling when I jumped from hot air balloons and from helicopters, since you’re starting with zero velocity. That gives you about 3 seconds of the falling sensation you’re thinking of and if you’re used to jumping from airplanes it can come as a bit of a surprise; I remember jumping with three other guys from a helicopter at the World Freefall Convention years ago. We were all standing on the skids and none of them had jumped from a copter before…I gave a “1,2,3,Go!” and then giggled as they all started whooping and flailing in the lowspeed air.
Skydiving is more fun than you can imagine.
This is what I chose to do for my Bachelor Party, but since I was only going to do it once, I didn’t want tandem or static line, but a full-on freefall (which I haven’t seen described here yet).
Like Machine Elf described, there were hours of training beforehand–but it actually wasn’t a lot of different things, but a small handful that you did over and over and over and over. Routine is a key aspect, since when you’re falling, routine gives you something to do while you’re waiting to pull your chute (and to take your mind off of plummeting to the ground). And in an Emergency, routine is ingrained into you with just a few simply instructions that you practiced on the ground ad nauseum.
There was also a metal frame on the ground that was made to emulate the doorway of the plane, so you would also practice stepping out and jumping. The plane height is not tall, so when you’re standing on the step before you fall back (rather than jump-jump, at least for your first time), you can see across the top of the plane as it’s flying.
When I jumped, the plane was full of experienced people so they all jumped first and we were the last. When I say we, I was with 3 other guys–two spotters who jumped with me and the videographer. The spotters step out onto the tiny step with you and hold onto a little ring on your suit near the torso, but are not otherwise connected in any way.
When you step out on the plane, you check in with each one–turning your head to the right and yelling “OK!” and they respond back “OK”, and then repeating to the left. Once the check-in was done, you just fall back with them holding on and you stabilize in a facedown position.
Then the routine kicks in. Unlike tandem or static line, you are the one to pull the cord yourself, so you have to check the altometer yourself (which is on your chest, facing up) and wait until you’re at the currect height for chute release.
So the routine was (a) head up, scan the horizon, (b) chin down, check altometer, © check-in Right “OK!”, (d) check-in Left “OK!”, (e) reach to your hip to feel the ripcord handle. You repeat this until your altometer gives the correct height (about 3 or 4 repetitions). So while you’re falling, you are aware of the ground, but at that height, it still feels very abstract and surreal.
So, when you reach the proper release height, you do one final check-in “OK!” and then give a little knock on your helmet. This was the signal for them to let go and then you’re really on your own. You pull the rip cord and the chute is released. The key is not to lose the rip cord handle (a little plastic nub about the size of a shotgun cartridge), because they charge you if you lose it (not much; maybe $15). When you’re jerked up, the instinct is to grab the toggles so I didn’t hold onto mine.
Your spotters disappear below and pull their chutes much later (same with the videographer, who’s been shadowing you the whole time, mostly from underneath so they can see your face on camera). That means they land first, of course, and it was one of my spotters who raidioed me in once he landed. We were told not to wander but just to make sweeping circles around the landing area, making the circles tighter and tighter as you got closer to the ground. And then “Flare!” and land.
We trained all day on a Saturday, but by the end of the day, the wind was not conducive for jumping so the jump was postponed to Sunday morning. I have to admit I was really nervous that Sat. morning, but by the next day, it all seemed like No Big Deal. You’d been trained so much on just a few simple things (including the back-up chute) that it really felt like there was nothing to worry about.
It was cool. I wouldn’t hesitate doing it again if I needed to, but I did it once “solo” (so to speak) and that’s enough for me (because it is pricey and time-consuming as a regular hobby). In contrast, I would never ever bungee jump. That height feels real and scary and immediate. It never did from the plane.
What is a typical jump fee?
Exactly!
ArchiveGuy, I bet the wedding day wasn’t a bit scary after that!
A tandem jump will set you back around $225 to $275. Video is another $50 or so on top of that. A training jump like ArchiveGuy described will cost a minimum of $150, probably closer to $200. A static-line first jump like several others have described is probably around $100. Not many skydiving centers use the static-line method these days. An experienced jumper with his/her own gear pays around $20 to $25 per jump.
I did a tandem jump about 15 years ago. It was good fun. Scary too. Having done it once though, I don’t feel the need to do it again.
Valgard, you reminded me how much fun it is to go through a cloud. Wow, they come at you fast! And the sudden drop in temperature feels so good on a hot summer day. Balloons and helicopters are a blast, too. Arms & legs windmilling- “Where’s my air? Where’s my air?” Did you get the chopper pilot at Quincy who gave the awesome rides 2 feet over the cornfields, then up over the treeline, then back down, then back into a steep climb? Better than any rollercoaster!
I always tensed up when I did a cloud punch - you see this apparently solid mass approaching at 120mph and then smack into it and…nothing happens, it’s just like walking through fog, that nice cool damp feeling.
Yeah, my first time in a helicopter was a smallish chopper, the next year they had a big Bell Jet Ranger (I think it was) - that one held something like 12 people and I was sitting right in the door, legs on the skids as he skimmed the corn and then went zooming up. Tons of fun. Last time I went was back in about 1995 or 1996. I was amused when they moved the whole festival to the old Chanute AFB which is right down the road from Champaign IL where I went to college and helped run the skydiving club.
My first balloon jump was from the promo balloon that a local pizza place flew around campus, a giant red tomato. I was not expecting the lack of control so those first couple of seconds out the basket were pretty freaky.
Static line jump, round chute (military surplus IIRC; it was a fairly low-budget place in upstate PA–you got a nice view of Three Mile Island on the way down), from 3000 feet, back in 1988 I think. Leaving the plane was terrifying. Drifting down, once the chute was safely open (and I’d put my glasses back on–thank heaven for retaining straps; the specs blew off my face but stayed around my neck), was extremely cool. If you could have that floating feeling without having to jump out of a plane first, I’d probably be in line every weekend. As it is, I’ve never been tempted to try it again.
One strange effect: I wasn’t particularly afraid of heights before the jump. Afterwards I was, and still am. Sometimes just watching skydivers on TV makes me cringe.
I learned how to jump back in the 1970’s. I had read a piece in the old LA Free Press about the sensation of free-fall and how cool it was, and I thought it would help me get over the vertigo I get. I’m not afraid of heights, per say, I love the mountains, but I get this dizziness that over comes me, and I feel like I’m going to just fly off a precipice.
The group I learned with had this fixed wheel, over-wing Cessna with the passenger door hinged to fold up against the wing. You jumped one at a time. The first victim chosen to go, me in this case, would ride sitting on the floor of the cabin with your back to the windshield. (All the seats were gone except the pilot’s.) The instructor was facing me and opened the door when we were set to go. That was pretty crazy, getting the blast of air from the prop and all. And then…
I had to reach out with my left hand, grab the wing strut, pivot around and put my foot on the wheel. And then…
Put my right hand on the strut, and then…
So I wouldn’t get tangled up with the plane, pull myself hand over hand to the edge of the fucking wing…
and then let go. (That was the easy part. I really didn’t want to be there anymore.)
Apparently the crew on the ground were able to hear me screaming ONE-ONE THOUSAND…TWO-ONE THOUSAND…THREE-ONE THOUSAND… before I pulled my rip-cord.
The chute opened, the airplane noise was gone, it was as quiet and beautiful as could be. I had no height sensation as i drifted down, and I was able to concentrate on my way down to remember how to land without breaking my ankles.
I did it three times. It did not cure me of my height issues - they got worse.
I jumped five times–all dope rope.
Only one malfunction. A streamer. I was about to cut it away when it inflated. Now, I was way too low to make the DZ. Fortunately, I just landed in the saplings at the edge of the forest and didn’t get impaled as I crashed through.
Oh, yeah…this was back in the mid-70’s jumping 7TU’s (round parachutes). Not a lot of control there.
I used to do a little bit of skydiving many years ago. I think I had about 70 jumps IIRC. I didn’t really get much adrenaline rush after the first dozen jumps or so, and I actually found it to be very relaxing. The canopy ride was also awesome. I think it was quite enjoyable, but I don’t really love it enough to justify the time, money and risks to keep doing it.
The most memorable incident was probably the one time we jumped through rain at altitude. That frigging HURT! Another incident was when one of my contact lens popped out during free fall. I was wearing a full-face helmet, but apparently enough wind leaked in at just the right place to pop my contact out. Fortunately, only one popped out, and I could still see fine with my other eye. Otherwise, I would be practically blind, I’m not sure I could see well enough to return to the airport.
My post in an old thread: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=1381815
I did a static line jump with a round chute when I was 25 in 1991. I was excited to do it and had fun. My bowels let me know that I was nervous about an hour before we jumped. Fortunately they were nervous enough to empty themselves in a controlled manner in an appropriate location.
Loading the plane, I was the last one on and the first out. It was a small Cessna with the seats out so we were sitting on the floor. I was immediately beside the missing door. I didn’t mind the trip up since I had a great view. I started to lose it when the instructor told me to sit on the edge of the plane with my feet out. “GO!” With no hesitation I jumped and assumed the ‘starfish’ pose with my head back looking back up at the plane.
I’m not sure what exactly I was thinking, but it must have been something along the lines of “I don’t want to miss this, I think I’ll take a look down.” Unfortunately that thought occurred just 10 feet from the plane before the static cord started to pull my chute. The act of trying to climb back to the plane forced me to start to tumble and as the chute pulled out, I could feel my arm get wrapped in the bundle of line. When the chute caught the air my arm was thrown from the suddenly straight lines and hurt my shoulder, enough that I could barely reach the steering toggles.
The ride down with the chute open was fantastic. It was calm and the view was spectacular. I had trouble steering and missed the fence, but the landing was fine. I couldn’t wait to undo the straps, though, as they were too tight. (I didn’t want to loosen them until I got back to the ground)
I have mixed feelings about doing it again. I would love to, but the fact that I started trembling as I type this sentence suggests that I won’t.
Heh. 
It is kind of funny to watch newbie skydivers attempt airborne ambulation. (I did the same thing on my first jump.) It sort of looks like they’re trying to run at the ground.
Then the static line pulls their 'chute, and no rebel ever loosed a greater yell.