groff@lynx.osf.org (Paul Groff) (06/05/91)
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Hi all you sky gods... Since you have been so helpful and encouraging
in the past, I'm seeking more.
Some of you may recall my post from last September when I did AFF 1 and
thought someone had shot me full of heroin. What a great jump that was!!
I then asked where I could go and get a real good dose of it and most of
you said Deland. I went there and finished AFF in a day and a half and
got a few more jumps in besides.
They told me when I left Deland to *stay current*. But cold New England,
and other factors discouraged me. (Among other things my money went to
buy a house.) But here it is June and I haven't jumped again yet!!
We have had beautiful weather on weekends. I even took a friend out
to do his AFF 1, and *I stayed on the ground*!
I got some serious blue sky blues... I'm afraid of the plane ride up...
I don't really have the money to buy my own gear... I think about my
wife and kids and wonder whether I should be in this sport...
I've got 14 jumps, off student status, done a couple of throw-outs.
Would really like to learn something about RW and get my A license.
What is this damn glue on my feet? Have any of you gone through this
turmoil? Am I really a whuffo at heart?
Blue skies all,
- Paul G.joep@Stardent.COM (Joe Peterson) (06/06/91)
> What is this damn glue on my feet? Have any of you gone through this > turmoil? Am I really a whuffo at heart? Well, first of all, don't jump to these conclusions (no pun intended)! You only have 14 jumps, and it is too early to totally understand your feelings about the sport. There is also the fact that you are not current. I feel a little strange when I have not jumped for a while -- but that first jump after time off feels very good! I have heard of people having lots of dreams (some not so good) after not jumping for a while. It took me more than 50 jumps to feel really comfortable on the plane ride up. I assume that it is the pre-jump anxiety, and not the fear of the plane ride, that you are feeling. The bottom line is: Give it a chance! It sounds like you enjoy the skydives, so you just have to work through that period that is tough for most people. Go and get those cobwebs out! I live in New England too, and we HAVE had beautiful weather! Joe Peterson C-20351
yzarn@lhdsy1.chevron.com (Philip Yzarn de Louraille) (06/06/91)
In article <22538@paperboy.OSF.ORG> groff@lynx.osf.org (Paul Groff) writes: >...deleted text... >I got some serious blue sky blues... I'm afraid of the plane ride up... >I don't really have the money to buy my own gear... I think about my >wife and kids and wonder whether I should be in this sport... >...deleted text... >What is this damn glue on my feet? Have any of you gone through this >turmoil? Am I really a whuffo at heart? It is called *fear of dying*. Skydiving is not for everyone, and that's OK. You have a few jumps so you proved to yourself you could do it. Now you are wondering if you have to prove something else. It is up to you. Skydiving is not *that* dangerous, but everyone has a different interpretation of what *that* is. Wife, kids, money, etc.. all of these are excuses. Just accept it. You do not have to be a skydiver to be a "man" (with apologies to women). I know lots of skydivers who barely get to be "humans" ;-). Skydive because you feel like it, not because others are doing it. -- Philip Yzarn de Louraille Internet: yzarn@chevron.com Research Support Division Unix & Open Systems Chevron Information & Technology Co. Tel: (213) 694-9232 P.O. Box 446, La Habra, CA 90633-0446 Fax: (213) 694-7709
toad@athena.mit.edu (John P. Jackson) (06/07/91)
In article <935@lhdsy1.chevron.com> yzarn@lhdsy1.chevron.com (Philip Yzarn de Louraille) writes: >In article <22538@paperboy.OSF.ORG> groff@lynx.osf.org (Paul Groff) writes: >>...deleted text... >>I got some serious blue sky blues... I'm afraid of the plane ride up... >>I don't really have the money to buy my own gear... I think about my >>wife and kids and wonder whether I should be in this sport... >>...deleted text... >>What is this damn glue on my feet? Have any of you gone through this >>turmoil? Am I really a whuffo at heart? >It is called *fear of dying*. Skydiving is not for everyone, and that's >OK. You have a few jumps so you proved to yourself you could do it. Now ....deleted text.... >Skydive because you feel like it, not because others are doing it. > > Philip Yzarn de Louraille Internet: yzarn@chevron.com I think I know what you're feeling. The same feelings always started to creep up on me even a day or two after the weekend when I first started jumping. I can imagine what you feel like after laying off for the whole winter at your stage in your jumping activity. From everything you said, it sounds to me that you wish you were jumping again simply because you liked it so much when you were doing it. One thing that I found and many jumpers that I know have also said goes right back to the advice that the Deland people gave you - STAY CURRENT. To me, part of being current is the state of mind that I get from having jumped recently. Part of that state of mind is that recent feeling of pleasure and confidence that I get out of making a successful jump, ie, I had fun, and I lived. Now, if you're not current, and you don't have hundreds or thousands of jumps to reminisce about, I found that it was very easy to get butterflies. Basically, there was a time when, current or not, I was scared shitless. However, I can sum it all up by saying that I stuck with it because I saw all of the experienced jumpers at the DZ having a blast every time they jumped. I didn't think that I was any different from them, so I kept at it even though I was scared, hoping that someday I too could have as much fun as they. Looking back now, the nerve racking fear was well over by my first 20-30 jumps. Sorry I bantered so much, but I hope that this strikes a common note out there in anyone who is having beginner jumper trepidations. If you can get yourself through the 'being really nervous/apprehensive' stage, you WILL get to the point where just thinking about jumping out the door of an inflight aircraft makes your heart race with almost uncontrollable anticipation!!!! John Jackson D-12027, I '91 toad@athena.mit.edu Cuervo? :-)!!!!
karenk@hpgrla.gr.hp.com (Karen Klemm) (06/10/91)
John Jackson writes: > > Sorry I bantered so much, but I hope that this strikes a common note out there > in anyone who is having beginner jumper trepidations. If you can get yourself > through the 'being really nervous/apprehensive' stage, you WILL get to the > point where just thinking about jumping out the door of an inflight > aircraft makes your heart race with almost uncontrollable anticipation!!!! I agree. When I was at about the 15-jump-stage, I felt kind of nervous and afraid, despite doing well in my student progression. I asked my instructors, and they recommended that I jump as often as possible, and I should overcome the fears quickly. Sure enough, somewhere around 30 jumps I began to LOOK FORWARD to getting out of the plane! If you want to skydive AND your lifestyle will permit it, hang in there. But I respect someone else's response that said you don't HAVE to skydive just because everyone else is doing it. But you are REQUIRED to have FUN, whatever you choose to do! :-) > > John Jackson > D-12027, I '91 > toad@athena.mit.edu > > Cuervo? > :-)!!!! Cuervo! :-)!!!! Karen Klemm D-11813