"Roger (K8RI)" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 07 Sep 2007 10:25:47 -0700, wrote:

The thought of a tandem jump scares the crap out of me. The thought of
jumping alone never has.

Roger (K8RI)

I did a couple of tandem jumps when I first started jumping. I didn't know
enough
to be scared then. However, I did get scared after I had some experience
under
my belt (maybe around jump #200 or so) and was asked if I wanted to do a
free jump. All
I heard was "free jump" and I stopped listening. :-) I was to be the first
non-examiner
tandem passenger for a newly graduated tandem instructor. After new tandem
pilots
completed their instruction by an instructor/examiner, they were required to
make a couple
of jumps with experienced jumpers before being signed off to take paying
passengers.
Although the jump itself did not scare me (after all, I did have access to
all the handles)
the ride to altitude did! Of the 40 jumpers in the DC-3, I was the only one
not wearing a rig.
Weird feeling! I caught myself subconsciously checking straps, handles,
flaps, etc. that
weren't there!

For what it's worth here, a tandem jump is an excellent way to introduce
yourself to
skydiving. Most tandem pilots will be happy to show you the workings of the
rig
and allow you to do the honors at "pull-time". And if you forget you can
bet your
butt that the instructor won't. (Even if he does, a barometrically activated
device
will initiate a reserve parachute deployment.) I wonder if a tandem jump
will
familiarize a pilot to the environment so that if the need arose he/she
would know
what to expect.

Blue Skies, Tony P.