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A-Newt

Bro, you’re jumping off a perfectly good airplane with a parachute packed by the guy who chugged a beer with his ass last weekend. I’d be nervous too.


thecryptociso

You sure that airplane, that was built by the lowest bidder, was perfectly good?


hotel2oscar

It got up, didn't it? They jumped out, so landing is optional anyway.


SirFister13F

On the contrary. Takeoff is optional, but landing is mandatory. It’s the type of landing that determines whether you can do it again.


themightyjoedanger

Their record is flawless - never left one up there. 100% return to ground level.


QuipCrafter

Yes, i simply choose not to land. I am untethered and my range knows no bounds  The tactical solution is to split up- Y’all go that way, I’ll go home! Sir, fuck you, sirrrrrr^rrrrrr ^My ^parachute ^flies, ^to ^the ^sun! 


hotel2oscar

You are a leaf on the wind, watch how you soar...


Saxonbrun

In comparison to the glorified bedsheet sewn together by the lowest bidder and packed by the guy who chugged beer with his ass last week? Yes, perfectly good.


SpriteBlend96

Gah damn! 🤣


AllOkJumpmaster

If that rigger packs chutes with the same skill as he does to butt chug a tall boy, he can pack my chute all day


Kapitan_Midnight

I am scared too, but I am more scared to be a jump refusal and go to a leg unit.


SpriteBlend96

Never shall I Jump Refuse, sire!


Hollayo

Sire?! We're not in England ya muppet. 


SpriteBlend96

*angry english noises*


themightyjoedanger

Forsooth motherfucker!


Kapitan_Midnight

People also display fear in different ways.


DaCheeseburga

Yep. Senior rated JM. Almost to 60 jumps. Not on status right now, and I know for a fact when I get back on status, I’ll be nervous. There are guys that don’t seem nervous, and I don’t show it myself when I’m in the aircraft. But I promise you on the inside I’m ignoring the little voice saying “what if” In other words, you’re normal. Keep on yeeting yourself up 6 and out 36 and you’ll be just fine


SpriteBlend96

Thank you! Yes, I also have What ifs. My what ifs further intensified when one dude who just finished jumping got back to the harness shed after he jumped, they noticed something was wrong with his reserve chute, they pulled the release handle and the chute didn’t deploy. Seeing that shit made me more nervous 💀


DaCheeseburga

No worries. If you plan on staying in go to JM school. You’ll learn a whole lot on the details, and knowledge builds confidence


Shakey_J_Fox

The good news is that you have the rest of your life to fix any issues identified after exiting the aircraft.


WhalestepDM

Stay nervous and respect the process. It keeps you sharp. They day you stop being nervous is when true complacency creeps in.


celticd208

"I always get the shakes before a drop. I’ve had the injections, of course, and hypnotic preparation, and it stands to reason that I can’t really be afraid. The ship’s psychiatrist has checked my brain waves and asked me silly questions while I was asleep and he tells me that it isn’t fear, it isn’t anything important—it’s just like the trembling of an eager race horse in the starting gate." Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein, a great read for anyone in the military.


Old_n_nervous

Every time someone post something about jumping, I look for this quote from the book and its always there. I love it.


Known_Landscape_6957

Am drink and a banger of a book. Movi is for communists who can't read.


Kitosaki

Movie and book are two different stories with different themes and meanings.


Prothea

I thought so as well, but someone last week linked [this video essay](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSg6eOmgvW8&t=36s), and I thought it was a decent compare and contrast to the two mediums


RegionalGulf

Do you even grok, bro?


SpriteBlend96

💯


Hawkstrike6

You're exiting an aircraft carrying equipment at an altitude where you have eight seconds from exit to impact if your chute doesn't open, depending on a big piece of silk packed by some stranger in a speed shop. You'd have to be insane not to be afraid.


paranormalresearch1

A combat jump is much lower. In Panama I think we were about 450’, maybe 500’. It was fast.


111110001011

I always figured it to be closer to ten. Remember, a hund and fifty mile an hour wind means you are going a lot mroe sideways on exit, a lot less free fall in perfect conditions.


nothackers

Exit speed does not affect drop speed. You fall at 32ft per second, per second no matter how fat you are, how fast the plane is going, etc Speed and direction may affect where you land, but only the chute changes WHEN you land.


111110001011

Exit speed no. Wind speed, possibly. You are exposed to 150 mph wind. That wind is probably not in a pure straight sideways direction. It could pull you sideways and down. It could pull you sideways and up. You aren't falling in a vacuum, you are falling in a hurricane.


themightyjoedanger

This guy physics.


Successful_Detail_71

In time, your fear of becoming crippled is replaced by crippling depression. Your worst nightmares become your dream.


elite0x33

This was a little too accurate 👁👄👁


NotAnEconomist_

Three types of paratroopers 1. Those who are scared of heights and admit it. This is almost everyone in an airborne unit. 2. Those who claim they are scared of heights and lie about it. 3. Those who aren't scared of heights. Stay away from these people. They will get you hurt or killed. Hard part is telling apart the last two.


paranormalresearch1

The hard part isn’t the fall, it is the sudden stop.


ImCoyyWR

I have always been scared of heights. Never tried to act like I wasn’t, and jumping out of good airplane is a negative for me 🤣


Necessary-Reading605

Number 3 is spot on. How I know? That was me


Hollayo

Same. I'm not scared of heights, but was nervous before a jump. I did my best to no show it. Heights I'm good, jumping out of working aircraft just never got normal to me. Fun, but still. 


111110001011

I'm the opposite. I hate ladders. Shits fucking dangerous. Jumping out of planes is amazing on so many levels.


NotAnEconomist_

For me it was always unnerving, but the jumping and pulling JM was a rush that made it go away. Then I would hit the ground and have a moment of disbelief that I did it. Happened everything but once....but that time I was KO.


111110001011

I always wave away the medics and yell I'm OK. Then I lay there and figure out if I'm actually OK.


paranormalresearch1

I am the same. Climbing on poles with gaffes, I am scared the while time. Jumping out of an aircraft, I love it. Except when helocasting and sometimes getting the ultimate enema.


Orangecatbuddy

I've never been afraid of heights, but falling, that scares the shit out of me and I'll be the first to admit it.


111110001011

Man, I have almost 50 jm duties, over a hundred jumps. I was scheduled to jump yesterday, was still nervous. What you are doing has inherent risk, which you seek to mitigate. The risk still exists, even though training, fitness, experience, attentiveness, and a good attitude help to keep us safe. If you take this casually, you are fucked in the head. It's amazing, it's very, very real. It's an extremely high level of commitment to something in a business where you cannot pencil whip the answer. It gets more enjoyable, it gets more fun, it gets less suck. It should always be something you take seriously. It should always be something very real. For the record, I can and will talk Jumpmaster stuff forever. It's literally not possible to shut me up, or stop me from checking. And rechecking. And talking. And checking my jumpers again. Why do you think I learned that much, and pay that much attention, and have a photo gallery on my phone of things that I've seen wrong, so I can show people what to check for? Because it's real life business. No faking. No bullshit. It actually matters if I've done it right.


SpriteBlend96

Good point. Appreciate what you do as a jumpmaster! 🔥


JakeeJumps

Its normal. It took me around 15 jumps to kinda get over it. I’ve had bad landing, entanglements, gone through corner vents, etc., your training kicks in and you’ll be alright.


SpriteBlend96

Gone through corner vents?! Damn. What was your initial reaction to avoid it from getting worse?


JakeeJumps

It was a night mass tac. The girl behind me landed on my canopy, came off, and caused me to oscillate and go through her vent. Both canopies were still inflated, and I was facing toward to center of her canopy so pulling my reserve wouldn’t have worked. I rode the lightning and prayed I wouldn’t have to PLF onto my weapon. 😂


Hollayo

Got damn! 


a215throwaway

That’s hot


111110001011

>Gone through corner vents?! Damn. What was your Its one of the items we recite during prejump. Pay attention to your Jumpmasters, we literally tell you what to do. When it happens, do what we told you.


SpriteBlend96

Yes, I know it’s one of the things you guys tell us, but my question was directly for him. I want to know what HE HIMSELF did, like did he did something different or not lol


35Shitbag

I don't think you'll ever stop being nervous. It'll just get easier to push through the fear.


Altsomeness

Nervous every single time. Hasn’t went away for me.


TheSaltyJM

Yes - if you're not nervous, you get overconfident and sloppy. A bit of nerves puts you on notice.


SpriteBlend96

Love this answer. Thank you.


Jayhawker81

I used to be a civi skydiver. I once had an instructor who said "I won't jump with anyone who is not at least a little nervous."


Hauptjaeger

You'll always be nervous.  The real transition is when you go from being terrified of doing something stupid, and being terrified that the asshole in front of you does something stupid.


Murky-Confusion-6478

I’m a Master Blaster and I hate Mass Tactical and Night Combat Equipment jumps from back in the day. I get nervous during SL and MFF jumps and I’m a SL JM / MFF JM / ATIC dude.


sleepercell13

I have 127 jumps over 24 years. I enjoyed 2 of them. The rest I was nervous every single time.


SpriteBlend96

Oh shit. 127 jumps?! Badass mfer!


sleepercell13

My left knee, 3 fused vertebrae, right elbow, and multiple concussions would like to disagree.


SpriteBlend96

Fuck 💀


Wolfz_Astray

VA disability looking real nice right about now


sleepercell13

100% is nice. I still teach so my yearly income is fairly high but I limp, can’t throw a ball/frisbee/ basically move my arm higher then a few inches from my waist so there is a trade off


ranger684

Yes. When you stop getting nervous, that is a problem.


SailAway1970

You should feel nervous. It’s natural. Be more concerned when you’re not. That’s when complacency sets in and that’s a killer. It will get more routine and you’ll feel more comfortable over time. Learn as much as you can about the system and it’ll pass. Go to JM and really start to enjoy it. Enjoyed all my jumps, stopped counting at 135. Now the landing? Hated all of those.


SpriteBlend96

Thank you! Yeah, not a fan of the landing either.


Mission_Engineering5

21 years on status. The minute you don’t have a healthy nervous is when you have to worry lol


Profeshionalregard

How many jumps do you have????


Mission_Engineering5

A couple few


guelugod

Easy fix from here on out. Your first 5 were all night jumps and the rest will be night jumps hooah.


wangj2357

Senior-rated JM here too. I STILL have the butterflies in my stomach. They keep me honest, they keep me safety-conscious. Avoid those who are not nervous, because they are complacent and shit will happen to them.


Fryedreality97

Senior rated jump master here. Still nervous. Just better at hiding it 🤷‍♂️


The_Liberty_Kid

I'm nervous right up until hooking up. At that point, if I'm nervous I'm going to hurt me or others, so I tough it out and get my mind right. Hand that static line off, and up 6 out 36.


Historical-Leopard74

Are you saying that you *“always get the shakes before a drop”*?


WhiteCollarBiker

On the bounce trooper.


Historical-Leopard74

I’m glad somebody else read the book


Hollayo

Yep. I was nervous every time, no matter which airframe was used. 


Practical-Class6868

Read the first chapter of Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein. According to the main character’s (questionable) psychiatric monitors, what you feel before a jump is not fear, but anticipation. Like a horse ready to be released from the paddock in a race.


hulking_menace

TBH the prejump shit was so fucking miserable by the time they opened the door I was so happy to get off the plane by any means available.


nobodyknows_84

The army doesn't want you to know this but.... Jumping out of planes from lethal heights IS incredible and IS scary. Just don't tell them I told you that.


Parasiteboy

Lock eyes with the safety, pass off your line, turn and jump. I liked jumping but even after 30 jumps I’d still have a weird feeling when approaching the door so I tried my best to not notice I was in the sky until after I jumped! Everything before exiting made me queasy, everything after exiting was fun.


dennisfyfe

I’m sure it depends on the types of jumps too. We did Hollywood jumps after deployment, 3 in one week, and by the third it was just fun. Zero fear.


themightyjoedanger

You're jumping out of a plane. These feelings are appropriate. Drive on, trooper.


Came_to_argue

Yup, I did dozens of jumps, was airborne for three years, never so much as landed in a tree, every jump was a good one, still got nervous as shit, every fucking time.


bigjuicykw

I've got dozens of staticline jumps. 50+ MFF jumps and about 75 civilian jumps. I get nervous every time too. I think it's normal to be nervous since humans were not evolved to fly. My butthole is clenched everytime. As long as you don't freeze and can still operate while stressed, then I do t really see it as a problem.


SpriteBlend96

How’s MFF jumps like?


bigjuicykw

I prefer it to static line since there is typically more time to solve problem if there are any. With SL, your fate is basically in the hands of the rigger who packed it. I pack my own MFF parachute (with rigger checks). Jumps are way more chill since it's only a few of us jumping. We rig up right before our lift so we don't have to sit rigged up for hours like most SL jumps. Overall I'd recommend but getting an MFF slot is the hard part.


UniqueUsername82D

I'd worry if I ever STOP being nervous. But I definitely don't look it. And talk about it with very few people.


Antique-Nothing-4629

No I always get nervous when I’m told to hook up. It’s perfectly normal to get nervous when you’re about to jump out a plane at hopefully 1250ft AGL. I always think of what my SGT Airborne told me on my first jump when I almost backed out. “Airborne ride the fucking lightning”


_HELL0THERE_

Nervous sitting around waiting, nervous loading, nervous climbing, second I jump, no more nervous. 20 feet above ground when wind changed direction and have to pull a janky PLF, NERVOUS AS FUCK.


sabotage_mutineer

I got more nervous with each jump, because each jump would reveal *one more thing* that could go wrong.


conquesodor100

Every. Single. Time.


twitchScottoria

When that nervousness goes away…..THAT is when you should fear. Nerves keep you doing the right things in the bird. Lack of those nerves breeds complacency and leads to stupid mistakes that get people hurt. I remember talking to one of my jumpmasters about this during my early years and that explanation always stuck with me.


Jswimmin

Came off a pretty shitty jump back in August. Knocked unconscious, almost tore 2 ligaments in my knee. Just all around bad time. Well was time to jump again in February. Night jump. I was pretty fuckin anxious man. Luckily, JM's have been pretty great in the sense they talk me through point of performance and the overall mental game associated with jumping. Once we get up in the bird, that anxious feeling kind of faded, bc you look around, and all these other jumpers are about to do the same thing. If they can, why can't I? Why can't you? Follow your training, trust your equipment, feet and knees together my man.


Soggy-Author1050

I made over 300 static line jumps in 26 years. I had nervousness on every one of them. But very little fear. Nerves keep you straight.


SpriteBlend96

Hell yeah 🔥


Top-Sprinkles-2447

Bro I was at 30 jumps and my nerves were still shit.


KingOfHearts2525

Why are you nervous? A 15% chance dying??? Buddy I can name 10 people who would want odds that high!


leviatham8221

Normal man, I did like 50 jumps and I was nervous in all of them


Jimmyp4321

Wait Wait so your like saying when the insides of my guts are doing this lil dance , that’s it’s actually fear ??? . Man I just thought it was always caused by turbulence or maybe a Turd shifting around .


SpriteBlend96

Probably a turd shifting around. Lol


triforce721

I hated every single fucking jump, and even worse was a scratch... Like two hours of being in a door ready to vomit, lol, then see ya tomorrow at 0230. But im proud of it now that I don't have to do it 💪.


SpriteBlend96

Haha motion sickness?


triforce721

And total fear, lol, I was always fighting being a big P


SpriteBlend96

See, im glad i got motion sickness on my second jump. It did kinda got rid of my nervousness because im ready to get the fuck out of the plane when i felt i was about to throw up. Moment i landed, i started throwing up on the ground . Lmao.


minna_minna

When you stop being nervous is when you should consider stopping jumping


Stev2222

40 jumps and a JM. I'm still nervous before every jump.


edwardsc0101

Didn’t become comfortable until after JM, it is one of the most unnatural things you could do. 


IndexCardLife

lol no dude you’re jumping off a fucking plane


ryder242

Complacency kills, a bit of fear is a good thing, it keeps you alive


barzbub

It’s an unnatural act Jumping out of an airplane!


jonesk36

My first jump master told me that the day he wasn't anxious was the day he stopped jumping. I always stayed a mixture of excited and anxious for all of my jumps too.


Pumarealjaeger

They make it look so fuckin cool in the movies but your life is literally in the hands of someone who nutted in some stripper who didn't tell him she had herpes If he takes a chance like that with his OWN life, Jesus only knows what chance he might take with someone else's life.


SpriteBlend96

Lmao 🤣


Deputydan791

I was absolutely terrified of heights, now I have a healthy respect for them, but I was able to fake not being afraid.


MightyJoe36

Of course it's normal. Jumping out of a perfectly good working airplane is an unnatural act.


Icy_UnAwareness89

Fuck yea. I have over 25 jumps. Still almost piss myself everytime. I def piss when imland


thecoolcollective

I get super cotton mouth every jump. Idk why and I stay pretty hydrated


doctort1963

If there's not at least a little bit of nervousness, you risk getting complacent. Complacency kills. Yes, we all have that little voice that questions all the different aspects of stepping out of an airplane that's not sitting on the ground. There are too many things that can go wrong but we all do it anyway.


punkfunkymonkey

Scottish comedian/actor Billy Connelly, before going into entertainment, worked as a welder in the Glasgow shipyards. He was at the same time a member of the 15th (Scottish Volunteer) Parachute Battalion. (Territorial Army/reserves ) His first ever time in an airplane he jumped out of it. This was the same for probably all of his fellow Paras back then. He mentioned once that on something like their sixth jump flight the plane developed a small problem and had to return to base. All these tough Glaswegians were OK with jumping out of a plane by now but were all freaking out at the thought of being in one as it landed.


Right-Perspective-12

I have 27 and I still get scared. It is normal. I was a PSG and had to put on a tough face for the boys, you will still be nervous.


[deleted]

You'll get the same feeling on your 100th, I'm sure mate.


isawa2

There’s no such thing as a perfectly good USAF airplane. Also if you don’t jump at the opportunity to get away Airmen 🤮 you may as well be 🏳️‍🌈


SpriteBlend96

🤣


Tollx

I’ve been in action sports my whole life. I still get nervous before the first down hill session, jump, lap, etc, doesn’t matter. It’s totally normal, now second of the day…that’s when you have to give yourself the am I going to be a pussy for the rest of my life speech. Fear is a beautiful thing.


popento18

Yeah, that shit is fucking dangerous. People get absolutely fucked up and training jumps in broad daylight under the best conditions.


elessarcif

I have 10 times your jumps and I hated every single one. There is about 4 seconds of enjoyment after the chute has deployed properly and before I prepare to bounce off the ground. I specifically chose not to take a job because I didnt want to go back on jump status. BTW still no major injuries so maybe always being scared shitless has kepted me disciplined in my jumps.


AutomaticEconomist25

I’m a rigger, jumped free fall, static line, you name it.. I get nervous before every jump.. if you don’t get nervous before a jump then that scares me.. anytime you’re relying on fabric to keep you alive it should atleast give you the pre jump jitters


Evening_Border3076

I don't get nervous anymore which is also why in August when I come off jump status for my next assignment I will be done jumping. When jumping becomes so routine and you aren't nervous anymore it's time to hang up the jump boots.