Jumping out of a perfectly good airplane...

[Veronica]

We went tandem sky diving while we were in Maine last week. I wasn't nervous about it at all until we actually got to the door and I was looking at the earth 14,000 feet down! It was an amazing experience and we'll do it again - maybe in Moab, should be some incredible scenery.

But don't ever tell your tandem jump partner that he can do whatever tricks he wants. That's a very bad idea! Free fall tricks were fine, but corkscrewing once the chute has opened... I was miserable for 2 - 3 hours afterward, essentially sea sick, which never happened to me when we were sailing. Missed out on some good ice cream from one of the local places too.

Veronica

[SheFly]

Why would you EVER jump out of a perfectly good plane???

Glad you had fun, but better you than me! My feet do not jump.

SheFly

[Veronica]

My family were all surprised that I wasn't nervous. But I figured it was less dangerous than mountain biking.

Veronica

[SheFly]

But I figured it was less dangerous than mountain biking.

Veronica

I just spit water on my laptop... Give me an MTB and trails anyday!

SheFly

[GLC1968]

My family were all surprised that I wasn't nervous. But I figured it was less dangerous than mountain biking.

Veronica

Perhaps. But a mistake while mountain biking doesn't necessarily guarantee death.

You couldn't pay me to jump out of a plane. Or off a bridge. Or to go up in a hot air balloon unless I was allowed to hide in the basket with my eyes closed.

I agree with SheFly - better you than me!

[Veronica]

It wasn't my first choice of activities. Thom's parents did it last year because his mom wanted to get over her fear of heights. They enjoyed it so he suggested to them that we do it with them. I was not really excited about it. Seriously, why jump out of a perfectly good plane? Plus it's not cheap! Since I fell off the cliff mountain biking Umpqua, I have been more than a little leery about "death" to either side when mountain biking. Jumping out of a plane wasn't going to do anything to assuage my fear, but comparing it to mountain biking made all my nerves go away. The tandem guy does all the work. He doesn't want to die and he certainly doesn't want his customer to die. Therefore, it must be safer than mountain biking!

It did turn out to be a pretty cool experience and we'll think about doing it when we travel some place with interesting geography.

Veronica

[Tri Girl]

He doesn't want to die and he certainly doesn't want his customer to die.

Well when you put it like that....

[Koronin]

Glad you had fun. Not something I'll ever do. Don't see any good reason to jump out of a good airplane, and well I hate flying to begin with. (This has nothing to do with 9/11, I've always hated flying, even when I've had to). I'd much rather have a surfboard, snowboard or any bicycle.

[colby]

It wasn't my first choice of activities. Thom's parents did it last year because his mom wanted to get over her fear of heights. They enjoyed it so he suggested to them that we do it with them.

I've heard this before - skydiving to get over your fear of heights - but did it actually make a difference?

Someone else who did a skydiving trip said it's really not the same sensation as the "fear of heights" thing until you can see the ground approaching, and then it's over pretty quickly.

I am afraid of heights, so I have a bit of a morbid curiosity

[GLC1968]

I've heard this before - skydiving to get over your fear of heights - but did it actually make a difference?

Someone else who did a skydiving trip said it's really not the same sensation as the "fear of heights" thing until you can see the ground approaching, and then it's over pretty quickly.

I am afraid of heights, so I have a bit of a morbid curiosity

Yeah, I wonder that too. I also have a fear of heights, but of all the things I mentioned above, the airplane is the least scary to me when thinking about it just because the height is so severe. I think I'm much more terrified of ladders.

Oddly enough, mountain climbing doesn't bother me at all. Go figure.

[Veronica]

His mom was asked that at breakfast Saturday. She didn't really know. His dad just always does the high stuff.

I really don't see it as the same thing either. Tandem skydiving is a controlled fall and controlled by someone else. My fear of heights - and it really only applies to mountain biking is about a lack of control. In free fall you are going so fast and it lasts so long. It doesn't feel like falling. And there's no impact. Once the chute gets pulled, it feels like just floating gently to the earth. Unless you're spun around like a corkscrew. And even then it feels like a Tilt A Whirl, not like falling.

Veronica

[Koronin]

I also have a fear of heights and my fear of heights is actually intensified in an airplane because of the distance to the ground. On the other hand as long as I'm inside a building I can be on the top floor of a skyscraper and be fine or even on the roof of one as long as there is a wall at the edge that comes up above my waist. Go figure.

[badger]

I *might* be persuaded to skydive, but then I'd have to take ativan and that would probably defeat the whole purpose! good for you for literally taking a leap of faith.

I used to be very afraid of heights, but what really helped me was to be on the chairlifts. When I started snowboarding 6 years ago after a 10 year hiatus from skiing, I nearly peed my pants when I first went up the lift. I pretty much had panic attacks whenever they stopped.

But as with anything, going on it over and over and over again almost got me immune to it, now I can look all the way down at the highest point and doesn't faze me. Though having said that, I did have a mini freak-out when the peak-2-peak gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb stopped shortly past the highest drop. I mean, how in the world do they rescue you dangling 300 feet in the air??

[shootingstar]

I don't want to go on a chairlift. I really would not be comfortable at all so high up with no glass/ walls around me.

But then I don't downhill ski nor snowboard that needs a chairlift.

[Koronin]

I could probably be alright on a chair lift. Is it that different from a roller coaster? I love roller coasters.