(Untitled)

[spinninghead]

I left out a couple of interesting tidbits about my jump yesterday... stuff I didn't even really know then. My jump was from 13,000 feet, and I was travelling at about 240 miles per hour through the air as I was freefalling (one person's terminal velocity is 120 mph, and I was strapped to a big guy, so yeah). I just thought that was kinda cool

Comments

[purplesquirrel]

Physics doesn't work that way. Your velocity was probably closer to 120 than 240.

[spinninghead]

Hmm, maybe. I figured since there were two of us, we were heavier... that's why the camera guy opened his chute later than us.

[purplesquirrel]

The camera guy opened his chute later so he could land before you did and film your landing.

If you would have curled up into a ball while free-falling, you'd have gone significantly faster than 120. Spreading out your arms increases your drag.

[logicalargument]

The tags say it all: "OMG skydiving yay!" :-)

[justaqt]

How long was the instruction before the jump (especially if this was your first time)?
How much did it cost?
Do you think you'd do it again?

[spinninghead]

There was an instructional video that covered the basics, but I hardly watched it, since I went along with someone who had gone twice before... she basically told me what to do. Then when it was time to gear up, my instructor just checked that I knew what to do, so it was not that complicated. Basically I just had to cross my arms across my chest and make sure I kept my legs back (i.e. not in fetal position) as I jumped out, and then when the instructor tapped on the sides of my arms I had to spread them out (I was slow on the uptake for this one), and then before landing I had to put my legs straight out in front of me so the instructor could land us softly. There really isn't much you have to know or do. :)

Thankfully, I went to the cheapest place in California for skydiving - it was $100 for the jump, and I paid an extra $75 for the dvd and pictures. I consider it well worth it.

And yes, I would totally do it again, and I intend to do so. :)

[justaqt]

Nice!
I've made it a quasi-goal to go sky diving before I'm thirty.
Time is running out!
Thanks for the info

[essius]

Incidentally, I'm assuming you don't write friends posts anymore?

[spinninghead]

My journal has been partially friends-only, partially public for a long time now. Basically I just lock stuff that contains any real personal information. I don't really consider the content of these posts to be all that personal or anything I'd mind the public viewing...

[essius]

It seems that you are mistaken, then, doesn't it, that there is no point to keeping someone on your friends list whose journal you never read.

[spinninghead]

Well, I actually am not mistaken, since I do actually look at my friends page from time to time, and this way I don't have to scroll through a bunch of entries I'm not going to read...

[mathjedi]

I already told you in person... but... awesome! :)