Indoor skydiving
October 26, 2015 9:35 AM Subscribe
How do you learn to keep your balance when skydiving? Take lessons in a wind tunnel
Wheee that looks really fun. I'm amazed at the money I was immediately willing to pay out to go do that.
I've always wanted to go skydiving but have completely wrecked my knees; thus I'm afraid of some kind of knee explosion upon landing if I were to do it now.
When I had good knees I couldn't afford to do it and by the time I could afford to do it I had wrecked my knees. Take a life lesson from Aunt Barchan, kids: this is why you buy experiences instead of things. *sadly looks over at rows and rows of CDs that are now available on youtube*
posted by barchan at 9:47 AM on October 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
I've always wanted to go skydiving but have completely wrecked my knees; thus I'm afraid of some kind of knee explosion upon landing if I were to do it now.
When I had good knees I couldn't afford to do it and by the time I could afford to do it I had wrecked my knees. Take a life lesson from Aunt Barchan, kids: this is why you buy experiences instead of things. *sadly looks over at rows and rows of CDs that are now available on youtube*
posted by barchan at 9:47 AM on October 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Oooh, I've done this! For some reason, my boss thought this would be a good team-building activity. It was actually quite fun, but I was mentally prepared to completely soil my pants in front of all my co-workers. I certainly didn't eat a big lunch that day. One of the managers in our group was pregnant at the time, so she cheered (and probably secretly gloated) from the sidelines.
posted by cynical pinnacle at 10:12 AM on October 26, 2015
posted by cynical pinnacle at 10:12 AM on October 26, 2015
There's a place in Utah that does this (same company even), as well as indoor surfing and some other things. It's way fun and not terribly expensive if you get a group deal. They even give you a video after (which I have failed to YouTube I guess). It gave me enough of a taste to go do the real thing.
posted by msbutah at 10:34 AM on October 26, 2015
posted by msbutah at 10:34 AM on October 26, 2015
Did this a few years ago. Unsurprisingly, being relaxed gives you the greatest control/height, whereas if you're stiff and panicky you drop like a stone.
So if you ever fall out of a plane without a parachute, just chill out and try to spot a pillow factory.
posted by danny the boy at 10:39 AM on October 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
So if you ever fall out of a plane without a parachute, just chill out and try to spot a pillow factory.
posted by danny the boy at 10:39 AM on October 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
To me the main difference is I'd be willing to try indoor skydiving, whereas I'd be unlikely to jump out of any plane that wasn't desperately on fire and/or filled with killer bees.
posted by Foosnark at 11:32 AM on October 26, 2015
posted by Foosnark at 11:32 AM on October 26, 2015
Okay, so briefly:
1. Skydiving is super safe: "According to the United States Parachuting Association, there are an estimated 3 million jumps per year, and the fatality count is only 21 (for 2010). That's a 0.0007% chance of dying from a skydive, compared to a 0.0167% chance of dying in a car accident (based on driving 10,000 miles)."
2. It is super fun.
3. It will make you a better person.
4. There is nothing like the feeling of going up in a little plane and sitting down on the edge of an open doorway, with your feet dangling over two miles of empty air. Then, you just push yourself off.
5. It's really, really quiet under canopy.
posted by anotherpanacea at 11:38 AM on October 26, 2015 [5 favorites]
1. Skydiving is super safe: "According to the United States Parachuting Association, there are an estimated 3 million jumps per year, and the fatality count is only 21 (for 2010). That's a 0.0007% chance of dying from a skydive, compared to a 0.0167% chance of dying in a car accident (based on driving 10,000 miles)."
2. It is super fun.
3. It will make you a better person.
4. There is nothing like the feeling of going up in a little plane and sitting down on the edge of an open doorway, with your feet dangling over two miles of empty air. Then, you just push yourself off.
5. It's really, really quiet under canopy.
posted by anotherpanacea at 11:38 AM on October 26, 2015 [5 favorites]
PS
6. re: 1. Like for most statistical aggregates involving people, your individual circumstances and decisions will wildly affect the likelihood of a predicted event - in this case your death - from happening.
You wouldn't drive drunk, drive an obviously unsafe car or go on a freeway for nonessential driving in a hurricane or whiteout? Similarly: then read about skydiving, pay attention to the instructions, be in moderately good physical shape, go to reputable airfields and skydiving organizations.
posted by lalochezia at 12:53 PM on October 26, 2015
6. re: 1. Like for most statistical aggregates involving people, your individual circumstances and decisions will wildly affect the likelihood of a predicted event - in this case your death - from happening.
You wouldn't drive drunk, drive an obviously unsafe car or go on a freeway for nonessential driving in a hurricane or whiteout? Similarly: then read about skydiving, pay attention to the instructions, be in moderately good physical shape, go to reputable airfields and skydiving organizations.
posted by lalochezia at 12:53 PM on October 26, 2015
More indoor skydiving (previously but I can't find where).
posted by kinnakeet at 4:00 PM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by kinnakeet at 4:00 PM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Thank you for that list, zakur - I am so going to do the tunnel in perris CA soon!
posted by growabrain at 7:21 PM on October 26, 2015
posted by growabrain at 7:21 PM on October 26, 2015
This looks super fun, and has been added to the "when I win the lottery and build my super dream house subterranean lair" list.
Trying to see what each person was doing that got them those results - the first lady made it look easy, then guy #2 had a really hard time keeping his legs straight out - did he just not get what he was supposed to be doing or is it a strength thing/hard pose to hold against the wind?
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:51 PM on October 26, 2015
Trying to see what each person was doing that got them those results - the first lady made it look easy, then guy #2 had a really hard time keeping his legs straight out - did he just not get what he was supposed to be doing or is it a strength thing/hard pose to hold against the wind?
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:51 PM on October 26, 2015
As a kid I used to watch the opening credits to 3-2-1 Contact! for the brief one-second clip of people doing this in a ring formation. I cajoled my parents for information on this thing, insisting to them that if you had a big enough fan blowing upward you could fly!
They told me I was making it up.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 2:14 AM on October 27, 2015
They told me I was making it up.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 2:14 AM on October 27, 2015
They told me I was making it up.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo
Well...
posted by phearlez at 11:37 AM on October 28, 2015
posted by rum-soaked space hobo
Well...
posted by phearlez at 11:37 AM on October 28, 2015
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posted by anotherpanacea at 9:37 AM on October 26, 2015 [4 favorites]