I have to agree with Patrick. I have only jumped out of a plane once, so far. It was one of the singular events of my life. The free fall was amazing and after the canopy deployed, the quiet and peace of being in the air has echoed in my memory since. If you haven't done it...do it. Dale ________________________________ From: Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Thursday, November 3, 2011 1:26 AM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Halloween Treat On 02 Nov 2011, at 17:45, Chuck Hards wrote:
Patrick, have you ever done any parasailing or gliding? Seems that a bit of "flying" would be infinitely preferable to just a straight 'chute drop. Or is it more of a nostalgic thing with you?
Yes, got my commercial glider ticket in Heber several years ago. But for me at least, jumping isn't just a "chute drop" rather it's like being a part of the sky for a few minutes. Really a great feeling. Airplanes and even gliders are noisy. The old parachutes are quiet. And looking up at that canopy that I first saw above my head when I was 16 is just plain special (the other day when it opened above me I looked up and said aloud "Hello, old friend". Plus as Steve mentioned, there's also the freefall. It's the closest I think a human can come to being like a bird. In fact, one of the slogans Skydive Utah uses in its advertising is "Discover why the birds sing". You've got to try it Chuck. What's say we have Utah-Astronomy Day at Skydive Utah next spring? Folks can make their first jumps during the day and then bring out telescopes during one of the DZ's definitely "non-Utah" parties that evening... patrick _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php