Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: First dive and other ponderables
From: osbourn@scivax.stsci.edu
Date: 13 Aug 92 03:14:15 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute


Greetings all!

I earlier posted a question about jumping with contacts, and I wanted to thank
everyone who responded.  I made my first jump using regular Kroops with the
air holes taped up, and everything went fine, so I thought I'd give everyone
my impression of the first jump.

I got to the DZ in Chambersberg, PA around 7am.  Went through the 6 hour course
and finished around 1 and waited, and WAITED, and WAITED.  I didnt mind it too
much though.  It was a most beautiful day, and watching the formations fall from
the twin otter made the time pass quickly.  I got to meet a lot of GREAT people
most of whom had started jumping earlier in June and finished their level 7 on
Sunday (lots of cheers and backslaps all the way around).

It kept clouding over, and I was afraid I wasnt going to get a chance to go,
but finally around 6 or 7 pm, it looked like there might be a hole or two 
coming, so we hopped into a cessna and off we went.  The whole time going up
in the plane, I found myself getting a little nervous, which I thought was
silly, till I remembered I've never flown that high in a plane before..EVER,
and now Im going to jump out, but looking out the window, it was so BEAUTIFUL.

Finally we're up to 10.5 or so and looking out, I see nothing but clouds.
WHAT a sight!  My JM opens the door and I see we are right over a big hole in 
the sky, and there is the DZ directly below!  It was LOUD, and what smells...
fuel, exhaust, Fresh air! it was almost overwhelming.  Next thing I know Im
out on the strut, getting in position.  I remeber thinking I should be scared,
but a little voice in my head said 'dont be silly, it's just like swimming'.
I dont know why I thought that, but, breathing heavy, I go through my checks,
push off, go into my arch, and begin to feel myself fall slightly sideways
as the plane seems to fall up away from ME...    

Next thing I know Im facing the ground, Im in an arch, feel stable, and look 
pretty good.  It did in fact feel like swimming, and floating, and flying.  The
air felt extremely soft and warm, almost like a blanket, but more like a 
strong current of water, like standing under a waterfall.  It wasnt at all 
the harsh thrashing 120 mph torrent I thought it would be.  In fact, it didnt
feel very fast at all.  For once I could really relate to the birds, soring
and diving through the sky like I owned it!  (Big contented SIGH)

I do the GASP, and my JM's give me ok's.  A few PRCP's and I find I still have
about a thousand feet or so to hang in, (we were told to do a last GASP ending
in a RCP starting at 5000).  So I take the moment to reflect on my feelings.
After contemplating the theory of reletivity AND the meaning of life, it
strikes me that with all the haze in the valley that I am quickly plunging into,
it felt very much like swimming in a giant fish bowl.  Am I crazy or what?  I
told a few of the oldtimers that on the ground later and they just smiled at me,
not saying a thing, but looked up at the clouding sky.  I couldn't help think
that they were wishing for just one more jump.

The only time I got a twinge of fear, was right before I actually dumped.  My
JM's had just let go, and my position was tilted, since I was reaching, and
I started to fall a little headlong down.  At that moment I felt an instant of
control loss, my heart jumped in my throat, but I had already pulled and was
slowing down... what a RUSH.

It would have been perfect, save for screwing up on landing,  I only half flared
and too late at that, somehow my feet werent even where they should be, and I
landed flat on my butt (I STILL wince when I sit down) I hit hard and there was
a moment I thought it might be serious, but I got up and walked around, feeling
ABSOLUTELY embarresed. (Has this happened to anyone else?)

After the fact however, I've noticed a difference in myself.  I certainly wasnt
expecting any change, and I didn't realize it right away either.  I seem to
have more energy at work (in spite of my hurtin'), things dont have the
same affect on me like they used to, I dont stress so much about things and I
have a certain additional confidence that I cant explain. 5 people in the last 3
days have told me I look younger (not that Im that old to begin with!) and 
Ive done nothing but dream about skydiving every night.

Perhaps all these things are nothing more than some knee-jerk reaction to 
jumping out of a perfectly good airplane at 10,000 feet.  Maybe they happen to
everyone, and it doesnt mean a thing.  But for me, I like to think that
I in some way broke through an inner barrier of myself. That I now allow myself
access to a part of my mind that I that I didn't even know existed.  Maybe Im
crazy, maybe I've caught the bug, or maybe I just have to try it again to
be sure.

Still wishing I landed on my feet...
Much peace, and many good tidings!

-Dean