Dozer- I too was a competitive diver 1m and 3m, but mostly 1m... and the for me, the toughest dive to learn was the reverse, it took months - for the same reasons as you - there is a large 'blind' area during the diveand the first thing you see coming out of the blind is a 20'x2' piece of double tapered alumium covered in fiberglass. I always prayed that the lottery for required dives came up with a twist rather than the reverse until truly mastered that series of dives. Irrational, probably, the inward layout is actually a more dangerous/difficult dive, but you aren't 'lost' during the execution.

I do have to say that diving gave me an edge in overcoming the fears and doubts of the rest of my life, especially when it came to parachuting and climbing due to the innate feeling of body orientation you gain from springboard diving.

I had the same fears. I took up rock climbing and just dealt with it as best I could. After a while, I became much more acclimated. The fear of falling is not the problem, it's sticking the landing. Good luck.

It is total clarity. The colors are more vivid, you comprehend everything in your field of vision, everything is slower, and yes, it is a Matrix-like moment.

I hadn't heard that term since mountain training in Toelz circa 1980. There's something about being splayed out like a cat on the side of a rock, higher than you want to fall, to make your leg muscles start that strange rhythmic vibration.

I know what you mean, Al. I thought it was kinda fun. I always thought that those JMs must have had vice grips for hands while doing the 360 check outside the aircraft door, but once you do it you realize it's not that hard. I thought is was neat to watch the DZ coming up and watching the guys on the ground looking back up at you. You can tell everything that's happening down there (daytime, of course). You also have the added advantage of being the only jumper on the aircraft who knows where you are and what's going on. :D

I messed the mind of a young weapons sergeant one night. He was the first guy in the stick. I came back in the door after we crossed the leading edge of the DZ and shrugged my shoulders and said "I don't know where we are. STAND IN THE DOOR!" He was a trooper! He had that look in his eyes that he wasn't sure if I was kidding or not, but he went out the door without hesitation. I bought him a cool one that night back at the team house.

I've looked at most "dangerous" things I had to do in a different light, instead of seeing them as "fearful" I saw them as a challenge and an adventure. A whole different perspective in my opinion.

Fears are overcome challenges are met.

Diving out the ass end of a jet at almost five miles above the earth was a challenge, and was well met.;)

TS

And can anyone still wonder why PS.com. is not the end-all-be-all when it comes to stuff like this?:lifter

Rock-on!!!

Holly

Insane and incredible.

I recall on my first jump I was nervous and reminding myself I'm not going to let fear get the best of me.............I don't know why but one of the jump school cadre came over to me and said "Hey big guy" I noticed some of the guys in your stick are looking kinda shaky and I'm counting on you going to go out first in the door to lead the way........ Wow,this guy believes in me,there is no way in hell I'm going to let him down......... Yeah I know he did that to get my guts up probably seeing I was the one that looked nervous,but it worked..............Geronimo!!!!!!!!!............. ;)

Big Teddy :munchin

Man up Boy! The Jump School training cadre will help you get over your phobia. Or at least make ypou mopre afraid of them than the sudden drop. Then there's mountain training. Just hammer in the piton and drive on! Try not to look down.
It's all good.

Fear is universal It makes us human. Nothing wrong with being scared enough to wet your boxers. Ateleast your fear of heights is reasonable. I knew a guy who had a terror of bells. Christmas was a bad season for him.

Sing 5 Blood on the Risers and call me in the morning.:D

Jumping made me nervous, but $110 per month jump pay bought a lot of Schmidt/Olympia/Rainier beer at the Ft. Lewis Class 6 store/Madigan Club.
Great thing about static line stuff, your parachute is probably going to open, and will probably help you hit the ground, somewhat softly, somewhere. ALMOST idiot-proof.

Hanging on a rock face scared the crap out of me. Got a little numb to it in Dahlonega. Didn't get paid extra to climb. Falling practice at Ranger school, using a bowline-on-a-coil, was painful.

I am afraid of heights, have been my whole life. But I love flying, almost have my private pilots license, but like was said here before there is a big difference between height and altitude. I can look straight down at the ground in an airplane, but will never go near the ledge on a tall building. I hate obstacle courses, have a difficult time on a lot of the obstacles, but my fear of looking like a bitch outweighs my fear of heights every time.

When it comes to jumping, I hate it. Will prolly never like it. But I have done it everytime I am told to. More than anything else it was a sense of not wanting to look like a bitch. Plus I make sure I am never the last one out so someone else is always behind me, "pushing" me out. If I was the last guy out I would still jump, but it is always helpful to have someone behind me.

$110 jump pay,must have been an officer!!!.......... :rolleyes: My ass was only worth $55......;)

Big Teddy :munchin

Costs more to bury an officer.
Casket has to be larger up near the head.:D

I always figured it was because 'they' thought officers were inherently smarter, and therefore required more incentive to hurl themselves from the proverbial 'perfectly good aircraft.'

I always encouraged our officers in the USAR to buy the beers with their jump pay. My less than $5 per MUTA-4 didn't go very far, beer-wise. (IIRC, it was $3.87 per MUTA-4, but I could be wrong.). :D

(I rarely SAW my AD SF officers, what with all their additional duties, and was therefore unable to even try to encourage them to do likewise.)

I'm proud to say I was an E-2 with a shiny set of mosquito wings when I began receiving my jump pay.

Looking back on what others can't and/or won't do, is what it's all about.

Stay safe.