My Skydiving Experience – Learn to face your fears by jumping out of a plane
We are born with only two fears – heights and loud noises. These are wired into our brains and go back to ancient caveman times. A time when there was a danger of us being eaten by predators or falling off cliffs.
Any other fears we have, we “learn” over time. They seem real, but they are only in our heads. Sometimes facing the real fears can help us put the not so real ones into perspective.
Anyway, some time ago I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane, 3 miles in the air…
How did it start? This coworker of mine says he went skydiving last weekend, and of course now I am interested. I call up my buddy Andrew and say “Hey, I want to go skydiving. Interested?”. The next thing we know, we’re both signed up for jumping the same weekend. I hate heights, have never really enjoyed roller coasters and in NO way is this a good idea.
So the weekend arrives and we show up at the airfield all ready to go. We watch the training video, and the whole thing still doesn’t seem too scary. We get on the plane, all pumped up and excited – “We are going skydiving!!”. Then the plane goes up in the air, and we’re still going – “Yes!!! We are going to do this!!” and looking all bored.
Then the display in my hand reads 14,000 feet, the hatch opens up and the cold air starts rushing in…
And that is when the reality of what we are about to do hits me. “Oops!!”…
So I’m standing at the door, looking three miles down and trying to figure out where the landing spot is. I can feel the cold air rushing at me at an incredible speed. The sound of the air and the airplane engines is drowning everything else out. At this height, the landing field is the size of a postage stamp and I have absolutely no idea where it is.
I am scared out of my mind. I am not sure I want to do this any more.
My mind is racing and going .. “Oh crap!! There is no way that… AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!”.
Suddenly I am no longer on the plane and am dropping downwards at 200 miles per hour!! My evil instructor jumped off before I had time to get scared properly.
So there I am, flying straight down. And guess what? Gravity does work.
When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you will always long to return.
Leonardo Da Vinci
The funny thing is, the jump wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The scariest part of the skydive was the few seconds before I actually jumped out of the plane. The anticipation of the jump is worse than the jump itself.
Once you jump off, there is nothing more to really worry about. Its like the mind goes “Ah well. There is nothing we can do any more. So might as well enjoy the ride”.
The period of free fall during the skydive is the best part. All your natural instincts still telling you to stay alert since it is hardwired into your head. But your brain stops all silly chatter and starts watching and enjoying what is happening. It is the most peaceful you can ever be while still feeling an adrenaline rush. Scared, excited, and calm, all at the same time.
For those of you who hate roller coaster rides because of that weird feeling in your stomach? Great news. You don’t feel anything when skydiving.
I have gone skydiving a couple more times since then and taken a lot of my friends along with me. I recommend that everyone try skydiving at least once in their life. Even if you aren’t the kind of person who would normally consider it (I know I wasn’t).
Why? There is something about consciously facing one of your primal fears head-on that just frees you from inside. I would call it almost a spiritual experience. After facing this fear, all other fears fall into perspective.
Any time I feel scared, I tell myself “Hah! This is nothing. I jumped out of a plane” and suddenly the fear seems almost trivial and silly in comparison.
Since then, when doing something that scares me, I can ignore my fear as if it were a just a back ground alarm beeping in my head and nothing more. I do feel the fear, but I can do what I want to do anyway. I recognize the fear but no longer feel controlled by it.
It is like I have been set free from all my fears. And this is what I want everyone else to experience.
If you are considering skydiving, but are not sure about it, leave a comment about what is holding you back. Maybe one of the readers or I can convince you to take the plunge 
Follow your dreams and do what makes you feel fulfilled!
I never thought that I will write something….because I don’t have talent for this… but it seems that never a person should say never… .and this would be one of the reasons for which I decided to write! Never say never! Follow your dreams and do want you want to do! This is a little story about me and what made me change my way of thinking!
I noticed that, generally, people want a lot of things…… and still they want to do very much…
It’s natural….but I looked around more carefully and I have realized that all of them want a lot of things, they have a lot of dreams but they limited themselves…saying:
“aaaa….I want to do that thing but…I don’t have money or I don’t have time or anything elese…”, and honestly speaking, if I look better only a small percentage of people have those reasons for real and for the others is simply an excuse !
People close to me keep telling that I am not a mature person and they ask me when I am going to grow up
The question is what really means to grow up and what this means for them? To grow up means to limit at what people believe that is normal? And in this case, do I really want to grow up?
10 -15 years ago I had 2 dreams:
1. To make a skydive jump
2. To climb Mont Blanc
Yes…I know ..most people would say: childish dreams …
Now, at almost 30 years (28 )…this things should not be so important
I still remember an article from Knox Magazine ( a Romanian magazine about climbing and mountains). The article’s name was something like this: “On Mont Blanc smells like leek (this is a traditional vegetable in Romania)”…..yes…this was it!….after a long period of Communism a Romanian guy climbed Mont Blanc!
It happened during the period when I started to climb mountains here in Romania and to read about other mountains. My first reaction when I’ve seen this article was: “Wow! What a lucky guy! I would like to do that but I will never reach it! I don’t have experience…, I don’t have money, etc…No…I will never climb that mountain!” Why I was thinking in that way? Maybe this was the thinking way learned from those around me? How do I know that I never get there??? I was limiting myself??
Yes…this is the truth …I was limiting myself! And also is true that I have reached my dream after 10 years and 2 attempts…..!in 2007 I’ve climbed Mont Blanc… and this was the first dream achieved by me. Why I was thinking in that way? Why I was thinking that I will never reach my dreams? What would have happened if I had stopped dreaming and if I let the first thought and idea of the others to guide me? They were saying that it is too expensive and too dangerous, etc? I am a little confused: When I was immature? In the moment when I was convinced that I cannot reach my dreams and I was finding excuses like is dangerous or too expensive ….or now I am immature… when I am dreaming, I believe in my dreams and I have the courage to believe that they will become real?
It happened the same with another dream of mine….when I was around 14 years old I wanted very much to make Parachute jump and to become a sky diver . Due to the fact that I was too little and it was in the next period to the Communist regime it was really impossible to me to do that! Also, it was really complicated after I’ve reached the legal age …so … time has passed and I stopped to dream at this….but…. after almost 15 years fate has given me the opportunity to do a jump from an perfectly good airplane….and now, after doing this I am the happiest person alive! And now I’ m wondering:
If I was thinking like a mature person (in someone perception ) and I was refusing to jump because I am 28 years old and at this age a normal person should think at another things not jumping from perfectly good airplanes I should really know what happiness really means? People! Please! ….Don‘t be limited! If you have reached an age…this doesn’t mean that you must renounce at your dreams! That you have to stop dreaming only to prove the others that you have grown up and that you are mature and normal person!
If your dreams don’t come true is only because you don’t really want that! because you don’t do everything that is possible to achieve them! ,,,, because you put false limits….; you will always find excuses…..but I am sure that you know that there are only excuses
I know that this seems though but this is the truth! Please think at what is the best choice for you! What you really want and take in consideration that we have only one life and it is pity to arrive at “one age” when we will regret that we haven’t done this or that …or even that we haven’t try to do it!
Let’s be serious, let’s stop telling lies to ourselves and stop finding excuses for not achieving our dreams! If we really want to do something we can! It only depends on us!
Now, to be more convincing, I will show you how much brought me a dream that became reality …a dream that in one period of my life became only a stupid child memory… and because I am really lucky I have realized what I could lose due to a simple fact of renouncing to a child’s dream!
Yes…you will not believe … a child dream that became reality made me to feel better than ever and gave me the opportunity to try feelings that nothing else could offer me in 28 years.
Everything started with the first jump: You will ask yourselves how a jump can change your life and your way to be, your way of thinking!
How the first jump was and what feeling I had?
First jump – a tandem one!
1. Lack of patience….I have never been so eager…you can realize…I was expecting this for 15 years…
2. Fear? No…not at all….(maybe the forward was so big that I couldn’t feel the fear?)
First steps: you put the harness, the instructor explains you what you have to do, etc …but…I couldn’t give attention to anything…I was waiting the jump! THAT JUMP!
I am in the plane’s door and…suddenly I am on the ground telling everybody that I want to do it again that I want to be again, there! in the clouds!
This was the first jump and the beginning of everything (many thanks to my instructor that made me to love this sport )! A guess!… who was on the drop zone next weekend even that the weather was bad? Yes…it is not so hard! the answer is : ME! It was raining but I was there, waiting… because never know…and this was a good choice because I have done the second jump and after that the third one! I am again on the ground: yes! Yes, now I really know this means to be alive, to dream and to let your dream become true!. yes…I am in loved….you will never believe but more than 2 hours I had a huge smile on my face…a smile that nothing and nobody could take me…, I was for the first time in my life really happy – I have realized what means that – this was the first feeling that I had never had before
I start the school because I want to take my license. I start the course again with a tandem jump…
Here appears another feeling, I really don’t know if it is only one feeling or a combination of feelings
An overwhelming fear combined with a natural calm.
(Yes,,, I know,,, you will say that this can’t exist….you cannot be scared and calm in the same time…!I can understand you because this would have been my answer before feeling that: I am speaking about a very strong feeling but also a strange one…: I was very calm because I have already done this thing 3 times and everything was ok but..I was still afraid….very afraid….(but, even in this moment, I cannot understand why ,,,it was my 4th tandem jump and I knew that it is very easy);
Hmmmmm…….yes….I was calm and in the same time I was very very scared…but the strongest feeling on this jump was when I’ve managed to get over it and after that followed: free fall, freedom, fly…yes I want this again and again…and again….:) !
Next one is my first AFF jump ( almost alone: during the free fall 2 instructors helps you to maintain the stabile position and after that…alone….). Yes….another new feeling!, happiness, fear, calm, emotions I really don’t know what I felt…
I put my parachute on me…,I am very agitated, I ask everybody what should I do (even that I know very well all the steps of the jump), I make a lot of exercises for finding the ripcord. …
I am nervous…yes! It is clear it is a feeling of agitation…or..no, no no! I am calm…or…no…I really don’t know what I am feeling! I am very calm because I have done this before and I know what means, also I have near me the best instructors from Romania (with more than 6500 jumps) but…still I am a little agitated…hmmm ….
I am doing the first steps to the plane…hmm…I want to cry but I don’t know why! I m afraid? I am nervous? or I just want to cry because one of my biggest dreams will become true? Because it is the first time when I am doing a jump with my own parachute?
Yes…again a combination of feelings and questions, now I see all my live…in front of my eyes….
I am afraid , I am nervous but in the same time I am the happiest person alive!
Helped by the instructors at 3000 meters I became very calm ;
All this feelings: agitation, fear and also all the questions have disappeared and all of them became another feeling: reconciliation with myself…!
Now, you can see how many feelings in the same place..in such a short time!
I have jumped ! I am in free fall everything is ok, I am stable…I am so happy….happy happy…. happy, but …. something goes wrong :I’m not very stabile anymore… but finally I open the parachute in stabile position and everything is ok now..but I m very disappointed
I am again on the ground, and very disappointed because not everything went as I wanted..but in the same time I am satisfied ! again you can see…confusing feelings…
And this was the way in which I have started to feel something that I have never felt before…not in this way, not with thin intensity…!
Now I’m really in love with the sky, with the jumps, with the fly…I love everything!
What would have happened if I had decided to grow up and stop having “childish dreams”? I should ever have been so happy? Is this the time when I have to renounce to my dreams only to demonstrate to the others that I have grown up? Do I want this??
I don’t think so…; If renouncing to something that makes you happy and makes you smile means to be mature…no…thank you very much but I prefer to remain a child…
To dream and to fight for making my dreams to become reality! This is what I want and what makes me happy! This is everything – to follow your dreams and to do what makes you feel fulfilled!
If a family makes you fulfilled….do it! If you want a lot of children start working on this! If you want a caravan instead of a house…this doesn’t means that you are a looser…follow your dream…make what you want! Fight for your dreams…live your live as you believe and feel! This means to be really alive: to be able to smile anytime and to be satisfied of what you have done, what you are doing and what you dream to do!
Thank you. That was a very beautiful and inspirational comment.
I loved what you said about always being a child and continuing to dream instead of “growing up” because other people tell you to.
I’ve been told to grow up a lot of times and I made the same decision a few years ago – I’d rather stay a happy child with dreams instead of an unhappy “grown up” who is afraid to dream.
I started my blog to help inspire other people to start dreaming and working towards their goals and dreams, one step at a time.
- Adi
PS: I am not sure why you think you can’t write. You seem to write from your heart and convey everything you are feeling. I’d say you have a natural talent.
THANK YOU for sharing your experience! A friend invited me to skydive for the first time next month. Just thinking about it, gives me a stomach ache and my palms get cold/sweaty. Before reading about your experience I watched a couple of skydiving videos online and read articles about skydiving accidents (HUGE mistake) But now, I feel there is no need to do further research..I think I’m ready! You inspired me to face my fears..Thanks
Glad I could help.
I am sure you are going to love it.
Hey man, Im in Cairns studying at the moment, Skydiving is one of the extreme sports that i havent tried yet but would luv 2, The only thing stopping me is that bit in the plane b4 you jump, After reading your story I might go for one , I mean F##k it skydiving is something i have 2 do b4 I die!
Adi thanx 4 sharing your experience man.
Let us know how it goes
I have been wanting to go skydiving for so long now. It has been my gosl to conquer as many fears as I can in my lifetime, and live life to the fullest with amazing experiences that could be once in a lifetime. I plan to do in the spring of 2010, but I have to say more than anything…the one thing holding me back is that feeling of my stomach being spooned out of my body! I HATE THAT FEELING for more than a quick 3 seconds! So it really does relieve me to hear that you don’t feel that feeling at all. I guess it makes sense now that I think of physics and all- if the plane is going 90 miles per hour, then I am too, and so it’s not like I am dropping from zero miles per hour off a cliff or something! I am very excited now and not near as fearful
THANK YOU!
Have a chance to go skydiving tomorrow. Think it is an amazing way to start off 2010…. Scared as hell of the experience. Flying and heights scare the crap out of me… Really want to get out there and do it, experience the rush and help conquer this fear… I guess i’m just scared of the unknown more than anything else….
Any words of advice etc….
1. Find a friend or a couple of friends to go with so all of you can have a great adventure together.
2. Obviously, choose to go Tandem jumping. You will have a professional taking care of everything so you have nothing to worry about other than experiencing the jump.
3. When you get there, and see other people who love skydiving and have jumped hundreds of times, you will feel more comfortable about doing this.
4. Get a video taken so you can remember this and share it will all your friends and family.
5. Once you have decided to take the leap, you will end up taking it eventually. It’s just a matter of when