Wife's 1st jump

[Mike1]

I'm still not convinced of there being any reason to step out of a perfectly-running airplane. At least until the pilot has turned out the seat belt light at the gate.

[MysticMead]

I'm still not convinced of there being any reason to step out of a perfectly-running airplane. At least until the pilot has turned out the seat belt light at the gate.

how do you know that the plane is running perfectly?? after all... there are thousands (or millions) of tiny explosions taking place in that engine... one of those might decide to not be tiny....

and for those that say the same about a perfectly good airplane... the one I jump out of has a big hole in the side where a door should be... thus making it not perfect anymore..


in all seriousness... the plane and pilot were on the ground before I was... and I was taking a short cut.. in the video of my first jump you could see the plane wing over and dive straight down...not so sure I'd want to ride with him...

my favorite saying is.... if riding in a plane is flying.. then riding in a boat is swimming, to experience the element get out of the vehicle!

50-60 seconds of a roaring wind...followed by complete silence (once the chute opens).... I love it

[starbkjrus]

Beat me to it, Mike1...

Ditto!

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

No no no no no no.

[acstoon]

and for those that say the same about a perfectly good airplane... the one I jump out of has a big hole in the side where a door should be... thus making it not perfect anymore..

HaHa... I'll have to remember that one...so true.

in all seriousness... the plane and pilot were on the ground before I was... and I was taking a short cut.. in the video of my first jump you could see the plane wing over and dive straight down...not so sure I'd want to ride with him...

I managed to get a ride back down with the jump pilot a year ago... trust me... jumping out of the aircraft at 14000' is FAR less exciting!
My last jump, while freefalling, the pilot did his wingover and redline zoom... he passed about 1000' below us, slightly to the right. Yowzers... quite a sight.

[Abax]

I stopped jumping shortly after college . . . it didn't turn out to be familially (that's probably a word) responsible. But anyway, in 500 jumps, I had to jump out of imperfectly working airplanes a number of times. A DC-3 had an engine fire a couple of times, a C-185 ran out of gas and the engine was not running anymore (twice). One time over Denver, an occupant had such a case of gastrointestinal distress that the pilot went on oxygen for comfort and we all jumped out early for the same benefit.

Skydiving memories recall some of the best times in my life.

Abax

[Frank McGrath]

I'm still not convinced of there being any reason to step out of a perfectly-running airplane. At least until the pilot has turned out the seat belt light at the gate.

Amen. Frank