Anyone been skydiving?

[Zilverzmurfen]

I get to jump from 13,500 feet. Ahhhh!

I am not envious...

[Larrison]

Ok....I really didn't need that.

My husband was and airborne ranger in the military, and he said they only jumped from 500 ft. I get to jump from 13,500 feet. Ahhhh!

Oh Cool! I jumped from much lower....

One of my friends used to descibe a HALO jump in the military -- High Altitude, Low Opening. They'd go out of a jet at very high altitudes (jet altitudes) with masks and oxygen bottles and heaters. At night in the dark. And then just fall..... and fall......

He said on a moonlit night it was just incredible to fall, and fall, and fall -- you can see the stars very bright and the moonlight on the clouds below.

Then sometimes you'd hit a cloud layer and punch through it, which must have been unnerving. And then, in the dark, you'd pull your chute, and maneuver around to head on a bearing until you'd come out under the clouds and look for your landing site.

Always thought that would be fun to do once.

[Have At You]

I always liked this old favorite:

C-130 rolling down the strip
Airborne rangers [or Navy Seals, or whoever you are] on a one way trip

Mission secret, destination unknown
Don't even know if we're going home

Stand up, hook up, shuffle to the door
Jump right out and count to four

It my main don't open wide
I got a reserve by my side

If that one should fail me too
Look out ground, I'm a comin' through

If I die on that old drop zone
Box me up and ship me home

Pin my metals on my chest
Bury me in front-leaning rest

[Have At You]

I myself have never felt the need to jump out of a perfectly good airplane...

Ain't no such thing.

[Inquartata]

I get to jump from 13,500 feet. Ahhhh!

Really, you're much better off going out higher than lower. That way if there's a problem with your main 'chute you have time to deploy your reserve. Low insertions can be ugly. Plus, you have no time to enjoy the trip down: it's jump, pop, land. Where's the fun in that?