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Up Topic Chit-Chat & Non-Welding Discussion / Off-Topic Bar and Grill / Finally Did It!! 14k!!
- - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 05-08-2016 21:11
Finally got to do something I've been wanting to try. It was a birthday present from my better half. Now that I've done it I know this will not turn out well, she's got me hooked on another "hobby"!! LOL!!

Tandem jump from 14,000 feet, 115 feet shy of the top of Pikes Peak!! 120mph freefall!! Wicked cool but man, a little hard to breathe at those speeds!! Now, time to sign up for classes to get my license!!
Parent - By Superflux (****) Date 05-09-2016 06:17
So you have decided to abandon all sanity/rational thought and leap from a perfectly fine operating aircraft?
I looked into this awhile back after reviewing a local company's brochure.
So I called them up and asked; "I'm considering trying this for the first time, but have reservations with some bald guy strapped to my back while leaping from a plane."
Voice on other end replies: "Some of our Jump Masters have hair".
Funny guy, I liked his impromptu sense of humor. "Hmmm, we just might make a go of this", I'm thinking to myself....
Me, on this end: "How about a Female Jump Master, WITH hair and we tandem face to face???".
Irate voice on other end!!! "That would be MY WIFE(!) and she's not jumping with YOU!!!!!!!!!!".
Not quite sure of the exact conversation after that, it was brief from that point and needless to say, I did not get a booking with them and I've yet to go skydiving.
Parasailing (gliding?) off a cliff is another one of those possibilities, but those too require a tandem flight. Perhaps in the future, I'll try to work on my negotiation skills. As in just STFU John, make the booking and keep the colorful comments to yourself until afterwards. Later I returned to their online ad and noticed his wife is a very fine specimen of femininity. Maybe I'll call them back someday and hope he doesn't remember my voice......

Anyways, Happy Birthday!!! and glad you got to find a new passtime.
Parent - - By Superflux (****) Date 05-09-2016 06:30
I do like zip lines though and they just opened one up at the East Gate of Yellowstone Park.
I have to try it out when I get back home.
Attached is a foto of a 700 meter long 60mph one I did in the Andes down by Mendoza Argentina.
I had spoke to Professor Christi about a refinery we passed on the way and it turned out he was the Structural Engineer on that when it was built back in the '60s. If any of you other long term members in here remember he was always referring to that project in his posts, just never by name. I miss that man...

This was taken not too far (as the condor flies so to speak) from where the rugby team's airplane crashed back in the '70s and they resorted to cannibalism to survive.
Attachment: ArgentineZipline.jpg (154k)
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 05-09-2016 12:15
I see places around Chattanooga, Knoxville and even around my immediate area that have zip lines. Have thought about trying that out as well but I've screwed up my order of chaos. Should have been, climbing, zip lining, parasailing or hang gliding, then throwing myself out of an airplane. At least the order of adrenaline peaks would slowly go up. I failed however and thru that out of the window. Only thing I can think to top what I did yesterday is to strap a rocket to my back and launch myself into space!

The place I went to was pretty much prior service Veterans so that was comforting in a way. The guy that was my Jumpmaster was on the Army Jump Team.

I will admit, sitting in the door at 14,000 feet with your feet hanging out like your sitting on the dock dipping your feet in the pond was INTENSE!!! Intense enough that when he finally launched us out the door my eyes said, "yeah, we're closing now". We barrel rolled a few times and then the drag chute slowed us and we got situated, arms out, legs curled up and body arched. Then I realized I was being force fed oxygen!!! Found it a little hard to breathe, some say anxiety is the cause, it's possible. I wasn't super climber my first 4-5 days at heights! Mental conditioning! Once we were leveled out and I was checking out the Earth like a rocket it wasn't that bad. Still was working on my breathing and then he popped the chute, air brakes! After that floating down was wicked cool!! He let me take control of the helm for a minute or two and we did a hard right turn and our bodies got horizontal!! That was some freaky stuff right there for the first time but also very cool!!

Heck, I was telling the instructor the plane ride up was the worst! The pilot decided to give us a taste of zero gravity, jumping out wasn't as bad as that was!! LOL!! The ole roller coaster ride and the first big hill ring any bells?? Next flight out I'm acquiring a full face helmet of my own to block the wind. Like I said, was probably me as some others have said they didn't have an issue but also others have had the same problem as I did. Figure the full face helmet will block the rushing wind and I can breathe without being uncomfortable and enjoy it more!
Parent - - By Superflux (****) Date 05-09-2016 12:40
Seems like they used to let you solo off a static line. Then after a few jumps you could go pull your own cord.
Maybe someday you might progress up to a wing suit.
There's your next level.
Parent - By lo-hi (**) Date 05-09-2016 17:48
Did 3 years of static line jumps , anywhere from 300 feet to around 5 or 6 hundred feet. The night jumps were the most exciting. Wish I could have done some high altitude free fall it just didn't work out. May try some hang gliding for my 65th.
Parent - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 05-10-2016 11:34
The accelerated free fall course that is offered now uses no static line. You ride up with two Jumpmasters on jumps 1-4 I think. They jump with you and each jump they have you do some things in order for you to progress on to the next jump. Jumps 5,6, and 7 you go up with one Jumpmaster, do more things to pass each jump. Jump 8 and you're on your own. The Jumpmaster I talked to said it was a precursor to getting your A license which is 25 jumps. Once you get to 25 you get your license which allows you to jump at any USPA site. When you hit 200 jumps you can finally strap a camera on to show your exploits of insanity!
Parent - - By Tyrone (***) Date 05-10-2016 10:54
So cool Shawn.
I did some hang gliding in Kitty Hawk a while back.  Doesn't compare to parachute drop. 
Make sure you take lots of pictures of yourself strapped to a rocket.
Tyrone
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 05-28-2016 23:44
I was down in Chattanooga, TN and saw a pamphlet in the hotel lobby for hang gliding. I'm not to sure about that though!! LOL!!
Parent - - By CWI555 (*****) Date 05-30-2016 15:30
Lookout or Racoon mountain?
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 05-31-2016 00:59
Not sure, hotel was over near the mall. Pulled out the pamphlet and saw hang gliding and thought to myself, not to sure about that. Was working over in Georgia for a few days.
Parent - - By CWI555 (*****) Date 05-31-2016 15:31
Probably Racoon Mtn. That was where I trained. They have a zip line hooked to a hang glider for training/rides. They also have tandem training and free flight. I would advise against the latter as it gets high enough to get into the thermals. The latter are notorious for being dangerous. For free flight you'll want to go over to Lookout Mtn.

Haven't been in over a decade though so that info is dated.
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 05-31-2016 15:44
Might just stick to my free falling, lol! At least I have parachute attached unlike a hang glider! LOL!!!
Parent - By Stringer (***) Date 06-01-2016 00:00
That is awesome! I used to take a bit of risk and I usually got a hell of a payout. Those are the times I fondly remember. Now I don't have nearly so many years to lose and for some reason I won't commute on a dangerous highway even though I could make more money doing it. Of course, highways are probably many times worse than jumping with approved technology and nobody coming the other way.
Parent - By CWI555 (*****) Date 06-01-2016 17:31
It's not the fall that gets you, it's the sudden stop at the bottom.
Up Topic Chit-Chat & Non-Welding Discussion / Off-Topic Bar and Grill / Finally Did It!! 14k!!

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