Skydiving......
 

I have let myself get talked into doing a tandem 10K foot jump for the RNIB

Serious question, has anybody done it? Whats it like? Am I right in thinking "oh my God, what was I thinking saying yes"?

TIA :)

Please visit http://www.justgiving.com/sjskyline if you want to sponsor me. Remember - the government has to pay 28% tax back on any donations so make them pay!! :D

Which drop zone will you use?

Tandem jumps are a piece of cake, you should enjoy it.

Cheers for the reassurance John! :)

I'm not sure which drop zone at the moment, its most likely either Bicester or Cambridge.

Good luck with it mate:)

I really want to do it myself:D:D:D

No Problem, Langer Drop Zone near Nottingham is very good. http://www.bpslangar.co.uk/index.html

I did a single jump at Strathallan for charity. Was good to see if I had the bottle to jump out the plane. Really enjoyed it though. Not done a tandem jump but you should just be able to look around and not have instructions shouted at you by radio as I did. Probably in case I landed in another county.:D
Our instructor wore a great t-shirt when taking us up in the plane.
Simply said "PULL OR DIE" Says it all really.
Alas:D

Did one in Switzerland a couple of years ago from 13k feet... they are amazing, I want to do another desperately :D:D:D

As you fall at 130mph towards the earth, its the most amazing feeling of floating not falling.. bungy jumping feels like falling..

Just relax, take a deep breath just before leaving the plane and enjoy... if you have a video option do it.. I can sit watch my jump time after time all day long and not get bored :D:D:D

:cool:

I've done a few. Most nervous thing about it is the wait. There's a very brief feeling in your stomach just at the moment you jump. Literally lasts a split second and is nothing like a roller coaster.

Once you're into freefall, it's a gradual (but quick) acceleration and other than wind roaring in your face you feel no real sensation. Helps to shout a few words if you find it difficult to breath - imagine sticking your head out the car windows at 150mph :D

As John says, Tandem jumps are a piece of pi$$.

http://www.stefanostadal.homedns.org/images/oz2004.jpg

you'll love it - guaranteed :D:D:D

Stefan

Cool, cheers guys! :) Now all I have to do is raise £350 for the RNIB! :)

I think I'll wait til just after pay day before I go around with pen and paper at work! ;)

Make sure your instructor isnt stinking of booze before you jump :)

:lol: Jamie! The thought had crossed my mind, along with keeping an eye on him to make sure he doesn't write any notes with "goodbye cruel world" on them! ;)

You won't regret it, and you are in safe hands on a Tandem dive.

Fantastic feeling - do not realise you are falling for quite some time (until the ground starts getting closer!!)

I agree too, I did mine at Langar, spent 4 days there in the end :)

was fantastic and a piece of pi55, mine was also the first time i had ever been in a plane too

Well I say plane, dodgy transit van with wings was a more appropriate description, flown by a former russian mig fighter pilot, who was discharged for destroying a mig, after getting into a flat spin :D

Things you don't want to hear on the way down....

"Your first jump? Hey, what a coincidence"
"Did you bring your parachute?"
"My wife/girlfriend left me last night"
"That ground's coming up a bit quick"
"Uh oh..."

My face went all wonky when I did skydiving. Made my mouth go crooked for weeks afterwards!!

for me the scariest part is having some big hairy bloke strapped to your back :eek:

oh, and look down. the ground rush isn't that big a deal and you'll still be 4000ft above the deck when the canopy opens anyway. I actually really enjoyed the 5 mins or so on the canopy as you get a better idea of the height and some speed if they do some tight turns.

It's great fun :D:D

m8, do the RNIB have an online sponsor facility (or can you use another one)?

I'm sure loads of folk on here would sponsor you - I would for starters.

key is not to land on your face though :D

it's a good exfoliator :D

The best jump is the first jump. The worst is the second, so make the most of your first. :D

Also, see if the instructor will let you have the control toggles for a bit - you can get a nice spin going if you hold one of them all the way down. :D

LOL; then it does become a roller coaster ride :D

Great idea Ozzy! I had been meaning to set one up myself but the RNIB have a preferred one themselves so I have set up a quick page:



Please visit http://www.justgiving.com/sjskyline if you want to sponsor me. Remember - the government has to pay 28% tax back on any donations so make them pay!! :)

Thanks in advance guys :)

Do you think it would be suspicious if I sponsored him loads and then took out another life insurance policy on him ;) :D

They certainly are as your instructor does all the hard work!

When you do and if you really like it why not think about taking it up yourself, rather than just keep doing tandems.

It's quite a challenge and alot more fun! Being doing it now for a few years a have clocked up over 160 jumps ( would be more apart form the crap weather over the last year :( )


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...creenshot2.jpg

Alas, was your instructor Eddie Jones by any chance?

Yep, my old man didnt start skydiving till his late 40's, he was adicted after his first jump he did for charity. He now holds British and European formation records. This is him breaking the record for largest formation of over 40's back in 2002.

http://www.johnfelstead.co.uk/images/oldman.jpg

I used to like Skydiving, but I preferred to stay in the 'plane while I was doing it.

Les :)

So he's a fully paid up member of 'POPS' then?:)

Ask him if he has ever jumped with Harry 'The Organ' Morgan......

yep. :D I'll ask him at weekend. Not sure i want to know where the nickname comes from. LOL

Quick thankyou to everyone that has encouraged me and sponsored me, So far we've raised £217.95!! :D

Good luck mate - I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

I've never tried sky diving myself, but both my brother and mother (on seperate trips abroad) have done tandem dives.

Both were videoed and both had exactly the same reaction when they touched down: "That was FANTASTIC - can we go up and do it again?"


It's on my list of things to do before I die.......

(LOL - hopefully not immediately before I die! ;))