comment #1

Josh Massey says ...

I don't know about all 50 states, but in most it's the law - you have to jump tandem your first so-many times.

comment #2

Walter Sobchak says ...

It's not really up to you, (unless you're in Mexico or somewhere). It varies from state to state, I believe, but your first 3 to 5 jumps either need to be with some guy strapped to your back or using a static line. I did it a few years back in Illinois so I got the static line. It was cool not having some dude attached to me but on the other hand I didn't get a free-fall.

comment #3

Yves says ...

Looking forward to the video of your first jump, Jeffrey. What's the matter, too pussy-ish? :P

comment #4

Chapman Carruthers says ...

My first jump occurred last year, just south of San Diego at a discount skydiving chop-shop that gained state wide attention the week after I jumped when one of their instructors fell to his death.

My instructor was a 5 ft. Peruvian. I'm a 6'4" white guy. I looked like some high school tramp wearing a teddy bear back pack. Needless to say he wasn't much help on either the jumpping or landing parts, but fuck, was I glad he was there to help with the streeting.

According to the receptionist, the State of California will let a first time jumper go solo if he or she sits through about 8 hours of instructional videos that look like they were produced in 1970. But, even then, an instructor has to jump alongside in the event you freak out and can't pull the chord. I could be wrong, but that's the lowdown as I heard it.

comment #5

Three says ...

In the states I'm aware of, you need five jumps - and they have to be recent jumps (e.g., five jumps years ago in Airborne school do not qualify you).

comment #6

BurmaShave says ...

I second Yves. I expect to see video within the week or a full retraction. Not to mention he probably has some insurance that would refuse such a solo jump. Isn't he probably bonded for a movie presently?

comment #7

Jay T. says ...

Someone who has never tried something should NEVER call someone else a pussy for how they do it. And, oh, um... yeah, those law thingys get in the way sometimes of one's ability to be manly. Christ...

comment #8

Craptastic says ...

Commenting on a guy being a pussy for having an instructor is more pussy.

Stop baiting, Wells. It doesn't become you.

comment #9

TheJeff says ...

You just wait. After Jeff slams a lemonade and vodka and a Miller Chill, he'll being jumping out of that plane without anybody strapped to his back. He's an old-school bar-fightin' man's man. But don't get the wrong idea. He's witty, urbane, and sophisticated too. How did you not get the memo on this?

comment #10

frankbooth says ...

Using any kind of parachute at all is for mama's boys and cowards. Meet that ground head-on and show it who's boss!

comment #11

C-PhreekII says ...

Fuck all that parachute pussy crap - when I did mine I strapped the airbags out a couple of Lexuses I stripped for parts and 5 seconds before impact I set them off.

Next time, I'm gonna do it beach balls and naked.

THAT'S how a man rolls, baby.

comment #12

nemo says ...

I did one jump with a static line, a long long time ago.

During the training they told us that during the first jump most people are so freaked out they never manage to get a hand on the ripcord, much less pull it.

And a hell of a lot of people don't manage to pull the ripcord during the second jump either.

You don't have a clue what it's like until you've done it.

Other advice during training -- if you come down in a tree, keep your legs together. If you come down in a lake or a swamp, keep your forward velocity going so the parachute lands in front of you, not on top of you, or else you'll drown.

And if you land in power lines -- well, just don't do that. Don't land in any power lines.

comment #13

Rich S. says ...

"I'll jump 500 feet into a damp sponge!"

- B. Bunny

comment #14

JChasse says ...

Oh, yeah, Rich S? Well, I, Bruno, will dive 1,000 feet into a block of cement.

comment #15

JChasse says ...

On my head, yet.

comment #16

bb says ...

I jumped tandem several years ago and I've noticed since then that everybody that questions the courage of jumping in tandem has never actually stepped out of a plane themselves.

The only thing more pussy than jumping in tandem I guess is ridiculing it when you've never jumped yourself.

comment #17

Griff says ...

It's been a while since I've seen the HE readers line up to throw down like this.

comment #18

storymark says ...

So, now that the gauntlet has been thrown down, will we ever see da Gruver in this thread again??

comment #19

cjKennedy says ...

Thanks guys, that was like old times.

comment #20

Sean E says ...

An old friend of mine was a skydiving instructor and wouldn't go near a tandem jump. She said they were much more dangerous than soloing. Something about the decision tree if something goes wrong looking like a ball of yarn.

With her school, you needed a few hours of training, then the instructor threw the drogue chute as you jumped - which gave a few seconds of freefall before the main chute deployed. I think the earliest you could deploy on your own was around the fifth of sixth jump, based on instructor evaluations of how well you were progressing.

comment #21

rr3333 says ...

My sources tell me Jeff is considering soloing off the high diving board at his local YMCA.

;-)

comment #22

storymark says ...

Maybe the parachuttes just don't have a high enough thread count for Jeff.

comment #23

Bocephus says ...

I may be a pussy, but jumping out of planes is stupid unless the plane is about to crash.

comment #24

Chapman Carruthers says ...

storymark: well done.