Skydiver at Burning Man

[trilobyte]

Late on Thursday afternoon, my girlfriend and I went out on an art and photo safari, and on our journey we happened across a number of skydivers dropping out of the sky (safely, of course). Since I had my camera handy, I was able to grab a clip of one of the landings - here's what I got. I wasn't able to catch up to the skydiver and get a name or exchange info, if anyone happens to recognize who this individual might be, please let me know!

[media]

[GreyCoyote]

Camp Burning Skies (5 between G and H) was home base for that whole bunch, and they were awesome neighbors. Not a bad apple in that whole bunch. I will email them and point them to this thread.

[DrYes]

This must happen in my life. There is no fucking way I'm dying before I parachute onto the playa.

[Captain Goddammit]

Not fucking doing that is one of the ways I'm trying to avoid dying!

[DrYes]

Not fucking doing that is one of the ways I'm trying to avoid dying!

Dying. Pssh. Many things have happened in my life over the years, but one thing that has literally never happened is dying. Makes sense to conclude it'll never happen.

[chuckularone]

According to the guys at Burning Sky, the sky diver camp at 5&G, you need over 100 solo jumps before you can jump in BRC. They said it's one of the hardest drop zones in the country.

[666isMONEY]

According to the guys at Burning Sky, the sky diver camp at 5&G, you need over 100 solo jumps before you can jump in BRC. They said it's one of the hardest drop zones in the country.

Yeah, it looks scary, a dust storm could happen . . . have seen some terrifying jumps . . . wonder what the skydivers say about jumping into a dust storm?

[graidawg]

I have decided i am going to make this happen. I am going to jump into burning man.

[trilobyte]

Start now - take a class, get that first jump together as soon as you fucking can. 100 jumps may sound like not that hard at all, but when you've got everything from financial hurdles to pilot schedules and mother nature to contend with, it is much harder than you think. I had a friend with the same idea after the 2006 burn, it took him more than 2 1/2 years to actually get 100 jumps under his belt. Good luck - I know you can get there!

[graidawg]

Start now - take a class, get that first jump together as soon as you fucking can. 100 jumps may sound like not that hard at all, but when you've got everything from financial hurdles to pilot schedules and mother nature to contend with, it is much harder than you think. I had a friend with the same idea after the 2006 burn, it took him more than 2 1/2 years to actually get 100 jumps under his belt. Good luck - I know you can get there!

I am currently looking at the cost involved the major obstacle will be the rig to actually do the jump, thats going to cost as much as the learning it seems. though i have no problem with using kickstarter or blatant begging to get there. also couchsurfing and mooching (i plan to learn in sacremento)

[Ratty]

From our camp we saw a parasailer drop like a rock at the end of his flight. Then the ambulance. We were on Gold Street so we couldn't actually see anything on the ground. It was way too windy at that time. All the jumpers were fighting the wind. Very scary to watch.

[chuckularone]

Holy crap! Between $2000 and $3000 for a main and $1000 and $1500 for a backup!
Then you need an altimeter and (as with any hobby) all the other crap that you end up buying.
Before lessons, money for flights and maintenance you're looking at a minimum of $4000.

$4000 and you're still on the ground!

Sure you can rent while you are taking lessons, but somehow I think that will cost more in the long run.

[GreyCoyote]

Chuck: I just want to point out that you can start collecting stamps for about six bucks, and the worst injury you will ever receive is a paper cut. And for maximum points you could do it butt-nekkie, too!

[chuckularone]

You can sky dive naked too. Saw people doing it. Might get some embarrassing windburns, but that's an occupational hazard.

[MFOB]

Heres the deal. Ill fill you in. I have 500+ Skydives and 300+ BASE Jumps.

I started out skydiving in 1998. To lead to the post about how much a Container and a Main Canopy and a Reserve and AAD (Automatic Activation Device) , (All together the items are called a RIG) and Altimiter and other things you mgiht need cost heres the deal.

Just buy some of the same goggles you wear at BM, then an Altimiter is about $150ish. You can also buy used ones. To negate the costs of a NEW Rig, you can usually go to the local Dropzone as to where you live, and they usually have rental rigs for you to jump. No one expects a sub A Licensee (student) to own a rig. And usually you/they want to start on a larger rig that is intended to be easy for a newb to fly. Think Bus rather than Sports Car. Some DZs rent rigs for the day about $50, others per jump usually about $15 - $25 per jump.

You need 25 jumps to get you A License, then after that, you can buy a used rig and jump your face off for just the cost of a jump ticket Usually $20-$25/jump. You can find great rigs for sale at dropzone dot com classifieds. Youll find expensive newer ones there or find pretty nice Starter rigs for about 1500-2000. So thats what I did, I bought a starter rig jumped my fuking face off, made lots of skidives and got my D License. Unfortuantely, the local DZ was a Tandem Factory and had not much time for Fun Jumpers. So after a number of years and bullshit DZ politics (Other jumpers sleeping with my Wife at the time!), I sold all my shit, told the DZ to Fuck off, bought a BASE Rig and started jumping for free off of tall shit. Buildings, Antenna, Span (Bridge), Earth (Cliffs) (B.A.S.E.) Then I bought a Phoenix Wingsuit and fly around like a Squirell off of cliffs or buildings or out of planes.

The moral of all this story is that if you want to go jump, youll do what it takes to do it. I used to paint houses and shit, so I offered to paint the Dropzone building for $XXXX and I got $XXXX jump credit. I didnt pay for a jump for about 2 years, it was awesome and I found a way as a broke college student to do it. I guarantee after your 1st jump, youll know exaclty then if you want to continue or not. I did and beside my wife sucking some other dude off, it was fucking awesome. I made a lot of new friends and had a good ass time. Do what you want, but dont think that it is that expensive. And Dont buy $4000 or $5000 worth of shit, unless you know for fuking sure you want to "be a skydiver!"

[media]

[skippy3k]

From our camp we saw a parasailer drop like a rock at the end of his flight. Then the ambulance. We were on Gold Street so we couldn't actually see anything on the ground. It was way too windy at that time. All the jumpers were fighting the wind. Very scary to watch.

I think that was the guy that landed right behind our camp on J. It was scary. He suddenly just appeared above us and seemed to be fighting the descent the whole way. Something distracted me and I never walked over to ask our neighbors how he finally landed, but I gotta assume he hit someones camp....we were pretty congested in that area.

[graidawg]

Heres the deal. Ill fill you in. I have 500+ Skydives and 300+ BASE Jumps.

I started out skydiving in 1998. To lead to the post about how much a Container and a Main Canopy and a Reserve and AAD (Automatic Activation Device) , (All together the items are called a RIG) and Altimiter and other things you mgiht need cost heres the deal.

Just buy some of the same goggles you wear at BM, then an Altimiter is about $150ish. You can also buy used ones. To negate the costs of a NEW Rig, you can usually go to the local Dropzone as to where you live, and they usually have rental rigs for you to jump. No one expects a sub A Licensee (student) to own a rig. And usually you/they want to start on a larger rig that is intended to be easy for a newb to fly. Think Bus rather than Sports Car. Some DZs rent rigs for the day about $50, others per jump usually about $15 - $25 per jump.

You need 25 jumps to get you A License, then after that, you can buy a used rig and jump your face off for just the cost of a jump ticket Usually $20-$25/jump. You can find great rigs for sale at dropzone dot com classifieds. Youll find expensive newer ones there or find pretty nice Starter rigs for about 1500-2000. So thats what I did, I bought a starter rig jumped my fuking face off, made lots of skidives and got my D License. Unfortuantely, the local DZ was a Tandem Factory and had not much time for Fun Jumpers. So after a number of years and bullshit DZ politics (Other jumpers sleeping with my Wife at the time!), I sold all my shit, told the DZ to Fuck off, bought a BASE Rig and started jumping for free off of tall shit. Buildings, Antenna, Span (Bridge), Earth (Cliffs) (B.A.S.E.) Then I bought a Phoenix Wingsuit and fly around like a Squirell off of cliffs or buildings or out of planes.

The moral of all this story is that if you want to go jump, youll do what it takes to do it. I used to paint houses and shit, so I offered to paint the Dropzone building for $XXXX and I got $XXXX jump credit. I didnt pay for a jump for about 2 years, it was awesome and I found a way as a broke college student to do it. I guarantee after your 1st jump, youll know exaclty then if you want to continue or not. I did and beside my wife sucking some other dude off, it was fucking awesome. I made a lot of new friends and had a good ass time. Do what you want, but dont think that it is that expensive. And Dont buy $4000 or $5000 worth of shit, unless you know for fuking sure you want to "be a skydiver!"

[media]

yup this is pretty much what i figured. if find it fun I will make it happen if not i will never be afraid of anything again. right now it terrifies me, like racing heart when i watch videos on youtube. so i have to do it

[pink]

Would love to watch the video, but it sends me to YouTube.

Grai, you trying to relocate to Sac? My couch is taken, but the Beastie stays parked in the driveway all year.

[graidawg]

Would love to watch the video, but it sends me to YouTube.

Grai, you trying to relocate to Sac? My couch is taken, but the Beastie stays parked in the driveway all year.

yea i totally want to relocate. but i kind of want to be able to work as well so i need a green card. working on that, but when i come over for the skydiving i do totally need somewhere to sleep and kind hearted burners to feed me and scrape my squished body off the tarmac

[trilobyte]

Whatever you do, get one of those little gopro (or similar) cameras to stick onto your helmet and post videos of your victories

[graidawg]

Whatever you do, get one of those little gopro (or similar) cameras to stick onto your helmet and post videos of your victories

or my spectacular death.

[FIGJAM]

First lesson: Learn to bounce!!!

[maladroit]

From this thread, it seems that if you're into wife-sharing you'll have no problems at all getting enough skydiving experience.

[graidawg]

From this thread, it seems that if you're into wife-sharing you'll have no problems at all getting enough skydiving experience.

well i don't have a wife - but i have no problem sharing someone elses if i have too

[lucky420]

From this thread, it seems that if you're into wife-sharing you'll have no problems at all getting enough skydiving experience.

well i don't have a wife - but i have no problem sharing someone elses if i have too

You sacrifice so much for the greater good

[theCryptofishist]

Obviously, I don't have access to the back door where all the wife-sharing takes place.

Is there any widow sharing that goes on?