Record for highest parachute jump and longest-ever free-fall

[Number_35]

"It looked like it had hardly moved forward"

N35, what you experienced is forward throw. When one exits a aircraft in flight, one is moving at the same speed of the aircraft. This is called forward throw. If the aircraft is moving at 120 knots, so you are you as you exit the aircraft. Your body continues to move forward as you exit and are out of the aircraft, until gravity and other factors such as wind get a vote in your forward movement. That is the reason "it looked like the aircraft had hardly moved".

And for note, "scared of heights" is a normal thing given to us from god, just as being thirsty is normal. What you felt related to heights we all feel. Congrats on feeling the fear and doing it anyways.

Good explanation, makes perfect sense. The difference between my horizontal speed and the aircraft's was initially quite low, whereas my vertical speed increased very quickly.

I'm sure I tend to be worse than average w.r.t. fear of heights, although much better than I used to be. I am near-sighted, though not severely, which was not identified in childhood; I went through school squinting and blinking, and finally got glasses when I was 28. Drove legally for 12 years without glasses until the world leapt into focus. Even now, I tend to only wear glasses only for driving or 3-season cycling - they are too much trouble for winter cycling.

I've since heard that near-sightedness is strongly associated with a fear of heights, which makes sense.

As well, my balance has never been very good, so all-in-all my fear of heights has probably saved me a few times.

As far as motivation, I was thinking about some stuff from my childhood recently. When I was about 4, I was out in the car with my dad. We stopped somewhere where they had a ferris wheel. It was quite small, with little one-person enclosed cages, so quite safe.

Dad asked me if I wanted to go on the ride, and I thought I did. I freaked out as soon as my cage started rising, absolutely terrified. The ride seemed to last for an eternity, with me screaming the entire time, and Dad standing there looking ashamed of me. I couldn't understand why he didn't ask the operator to stop the ride.

So, skydiving 24 years later to prove something? Perhaps ... sometimes it's hard to know what our motives are.

 

[Number_35]

After the third jump the "Jump" club no longer carries your insurance and you have to provide your own. But it wasn't insurance costs that prevented me from continuing, but rather, a tiny little phrase, "one more time and its divorce."

I was still single at that point ... I guarantee if I floated the idea now, it would not be popular on the home front.

 

[Number_35]

@GON, this was last summer - there was a time when there was no way I would have done this.

 

[weaponoffreedom]

"It looked like it had hardly moved forward"

N35, what you experienced is forward throw. When one exits a aircraft in flight, one is moving at the same speed of the aircraft. This is called forward throw. If the aircraft is moving at 120 knots, so you are you as you exit the aircraft. Your body continues to move forward as you exit and are out of the aircraft, until gravity and other factors such as wind get a vote in your forward movement. That is the reason "it looked like the aircraft had hardly moved".

And for note, "scared of heights" is a normal thing given to us from god, just as being thirsty is normal. What you felt related to heights we all feel. Congrats on feeling the fear and doing it anyways.

I am not scared of heights, not one bit. I like most are fearful of an uncontrolled fall.

The height at which one can assess acrophobia, reasonably, is 34 ft AGL (above ground level). If one can handle it there, the sky is the limit. To the mind, there is no difference between 34ft and 34000ft.

 

[GON]

View attachment 165305
@GON, this was last summer - there was a time when there was no way I would have done this.

I would be much more concerned for you on a ladder than jumping out of a airplane in flight.

I suspect ladders may be the most dangerous tool we use. here is a story on Special Forces and Joint Chief of Staff GEN Shelton. Gen Shelton had almost 1,000 jumps from static line to ha/ho and ha/lo. Zero injuries, nearly 1,0000 jumps. Shortly after retirement from the Army, the GEN was trimming bushes in his backyard. Fell off the ladder onto a fence, partially paralyzed. Very sad story- but one I always want to remember.


" Retired Gen. Henry "Hugh" Shelton, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, suffered some paralysis after a fall from a ladder at his home in Fairfax, Virginia, on Saturday, officials said Tuesday.

Shelton initially had no ability to move his arms or legs, but some movement has returned since the accident, Pentagon sources said."

CNN.com - Former Joint Chiefs chairman partially paralyzed after fall - March 27, 2002

 

[GON]

I am not scared of heights, not one bit. I like most are fearful of an uncontrolled fall.

The height at which one can assess acrophobia, reasonably, is 34 ft AGL (above ground level). If one can handle it there, the sky is the limit. To the mind, there is no difference between 34ft and 34000ft.

Something is medically wrong with a person if they are not "triggered" by heights. One is to be medically disqualified from the Army parachutist program if not afraid of heights. Being afraid of heights is a requirement to be a military parachutist.. Fear of heights is no different than fear of touching a hot oven. A natural god given gift. And yes I have exited the 34 foot tower multiple times over multiples years, at three different Army locations. And was on jump status for over seven years. As much as the psychologists state the 34 foot tower is what freezes the body, I can tell you from experience that 34 foot tower theory is very flawed.

The 34 foot tower theory is this. A person thinks he can jump from 33 feet or less and that they will survive the fall. At 35 feet or more, psychologists state a person think the distance is make believe, so they will jump. At 34 feet, psychologist state a human will freeze, because they don't think they will survive and don't think it is make believe.

I have seen numerous jump refusals from paratroopers at 1200 feet. I have never ever seen a jump refusal at the 34 foot tower.

 

[benjamming]

Free fall jump at 12,000 feet once back in the summer 2012. Groupon deal for $100 with video! Ha! Wife was a few months pregnant too. Perhaps note the most wise of all decisions...

 

[Number_35]

I would be much more concerned for you on a ladder than jumping out of a airplane in flight.

I suspect ladders may be the most dangerous tool we use. here is a story on Special Forces and Joint Chief of Staff GEN Shelton. Gen Shelton had almost 1,000 jumps from static line to ha/ho and ha/lo. Zero injuries, nearly 1,0000 jumps. Shortly after retirement from the Army, the GEN was trimming bushes in his backyard. Fell off the ladder onto a fence, partially paralyzed. Very sad story- but one I always want to remember.


" Retired Gen. Henry "Hugh" Shelton, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, suffered some paralysis after a fall from a ladder at his home in Fairfax, Virginia, on Saturday, officials said Tuesday.

Shelton initially had no ability to move his arms or legs, but some movement has returned since the accident, Pentagon sources said."

CNN.com - Former Joint Chiefs chairman partially paralyzed after fall - March 27, 2002

Regarding ladders being more dangerous than parachutes, I'm sure you're right, and yet the primal fears that lurk in the reptile brain are not always rational. I've often said I'd rather handle a poisonous snake than a harmless tarantula.

 

[weaponoffreedom]

One is to be medically disqualified from the Army parachutist program if not afraid of heights

Since when?

Being afraid of heights is a requirement to be a military parachutist

Since when?

I have exited the 34 foot tower multiple times over multiples years, at three different Army locations.

Funny, the only time I was ever in a tower was at Ft. Benning, the only jump school in the military. Where were these towers?

And was on jump status for over seven years.

How many jumps? From what? And if on jump status, why the towers and not the real thing? Did you not have to jump every 3 months minimum to remain active and get jump pay?

Something is medically wrong with a person if they are not "triggered" by heights

Is not something wrong with an individual who wants to jump out of an airplane? Self preservation is a cornerstone of psych evals, of course out of the military.

I have seen numerous jump refusals from paratroopers at 1200 feet

Then that was the last time they ever put on a parachute if a combat unit.

Were you active or reserve\NG?

 

[weaponoffreedom]

I would be much more concerned for you on a ladder than jumping out of a airplane in flight.

I suspect ladders may be the most dangerous tool we use. here is a story on Special Forces and Joint Chief of Staff GEN Shelton. Gen Shelton had almost 1,000 jumps from static line to ha/ho and ha/lo. Zero injuries, nearly 1,0000 jumps. Shortly after retirement from the Army, the GEN was trimming bushes in his backyard. Fell off the ladder onto a fence, partially paralyzed. Very sad story- but one I always want to remember.


" Retired Gen. Henry "Hugh" Shelton, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, suffered some paralysis after a fall from a ladder at his home in Fairfax, Virginia, on Saturday, officials said Tuesday.

Shelton initially had no ability to move his arms or legs, but some movement has returned since the accident, Pentagon sources said."

CNN.com - Former Joint Chiefs chairman partially paralyzed after fall - March 27, 2002

Of course, there are more people each day who climb on ladders than jump out of airplanes. That must be taken into account. Same arguement as "you have a greater chance to get stuck by lightning as to get attacked by a shark", these odds change dramatically when in the ocean. As always, the part they leave out.

And of course, he is old now, and was not then.

 

[GON]

Since when?

Since when?

Funny, the only time I was ever in a tower was at Ft. Benning, the only jump school in the military. Where were these towers?

How many jumps? From what? And if on jump status, why the towers and not the real thing? Did you not have to jump every 3 months minimum to remain active and get jump pay?

Is not something wrong with an individual who wants to jump out of an airplane? Self preservation is a cornerstone of psych evals, of course out of the military.

Then that was the last time they ever put on a parachute if a combat unit.

Were you active or reserve\NG?

There are three towers I have used. Ft Benning- now FT Moore (Basic airborne School), Ft Bragg (Basic Airborne Refresher school ), and Ft McCoy (Alternate Airborne training location). I suspect Vincenza, Italy has one also (home of the 173rd Airborne), and the new 11th ABN in Alaska also has a 34 foot tower. A 34 foot tower is part of BAR. Is is required for all 5p who have not jumped in under six months.

Have you been on jump status?

 

[weaponoffreedom]

Have you been on jump status?

Yes. 276 Jumps from C-130, C-17, C-5, and UH-60, Static. Not that is has come up, dont remember HALO\HAHO jumps after school as we did not keep an accurate log, north of 50. Not one as a civilian, as I got smart.

I have never heard of anything you just said about BAR. Must be a support or reserve thing. You must be one or two generation behind me. Vicenza, was about as big as a Walmart and its parking lot when I went there. PT was done off post. Dont remember any jump towers there.

It used to be, you had to jump every 3 months, unless deployed, whereas you would get a waiver. But if not deployed, you were jumping, no way out. A jump refusal was a UCMJ infraction, and likely wings would be taken.

275 was the number required to go to Jumpmaster school, though I never attended.

 

[GON]

Yes. 276 Jumps from C-130, C-17, C-5, and UH-60, Static. Not that is has come up, dont remember HALO\HAHO jumps after school as we did not keep an accurate log, north of 50. Not one as a civilian, as I got smart.

I have never heard of anything you just said about BAR. Must be a support or reserve thing. You must be one or two generation behind me. Vicenza, was about as big as a Walmart and its parking lot when I went there. PT was done off post. Dont remember any jump towers there.

It used to be, you had to jump every 3 months, unless deployed, whereas you would get a waiver. But if not deployed, you were jumping, no way out. A jump refusal was a UCMJ infraction, and likely wings would be taken.

275 was the number required to go to Jumpmaster school, though I never attended.

BAR is a mandatory requirement for all 5p personnel who have not maintained their jump status, but want/ need to jump and receive hazardous duty pay. Jumping every 179 days or less is required to maintain jump status, and receive hazardous duty pay. BAR is not releated to support and/ or Compo 2/3.

An example, a Soldier on jump status in a POSN requiring he/she be ABN qualified, goes TDY for six months, and does not jump for six or more months.. This paratrooper must attend BAR prior to being allowed to jump again.

 

[weaponoffreedom]

BAR is a mandatory requirement for all 5p personnel who have not maintained their jump status, but want/ need to jump and receive hazardous duty pay. Jumping every 179 days or less is required to maintain jump status, and receive hazardous duty pay. BAR is not releated to support and/ or Compo 2/3.

An example, a Soldier on jump status in a POSN requiring he/she be ABN qualified, goes TDY for six months, and does not jump for six or more months.. This paratrooper must attend BAR prior to being allowed to jump again.

New to me.

 

[wpod]

How many here have skydived?

Let me be more precise:

Jumped from an airplane? below 1500 ft, below 600ft?
Jumped from a airplane? above 5000ft
Jumped from and airplane? above 30000ft
Jumped from a Helo? about 1650ft?

and so on.

I would rather not jump from a perfectly functioning aircraft. My you know whats aren't quite as large as needed for such an m daring event.

 

[billt460]

As far as the 3 space jumps. Kittenger had the longest timed freefall. Felix fell the fastest, (supersonic at over 800 MPH). Eustace had the highest at over 134,000 ft. But he fell with a stabilizing drogue chute...... As did Kittenger. So I don't understand why Eustace's record didn't beat Kittenger, as they both used drogue chutes?

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

As far as the 3 space jumps. Kittenger had the longest timed freefall. Felix fell the fastest, (supersonic at over 800 MPH). Eustace had the highest at over 134,000 ft. But he fell with a stabilizing drogue chute...... As did Kittenger. So I don't understand why Eustace's record didn't beat Kittenger, as they both used drogue chutes?

I wonder how many hundreds of miles Jeb Corliss could make it in his wingsuit... drop him at 120k feet over the Empire State building and see if he can make it to the White House? 206 miles as the crow flies...

 

[Number_35]

Here's the ancient t-shirt.

 

[BusyLittleShop]

How many here have skydived?

One tandem jump out of a DC 3 at Lodi Parachute Center... I wanted to jump backwards beholding the beautiful DC3 inflight but they said the rules forbid it... so we jumped out normal forward and then twisted around backwards so I could behold the Gooney...

 

[Cujet]

After the third jump the "Jump" club no longer carries your insurance and you have to provide your own. But it wasn't insurance costs that prevented me from continuing, but rather, a tiny little phrase, "one more time and its divorce."

Yikes. My wife has never said any such thing to me. In the end, I've realized that I simply do what I want to do, none of which is all that safe or secure. The only person that keeps me in check is me.