Would you jump out of a plane at 13,500 feet? :)

Those who jumped can't explain and those who haven't won't understand 🤙

That first tandem changed my life. Only one day after my tandem went past and I was just staring up at the sky wanting to be back up there again. So I booked in two more tandems for next year then going to do AFF ! It feels like a brand new wave of excitement in my life that makes me feel alive. My only regret is I’m 29 so I wish i started sooner

I did my first tandem jump this year. It changed me man. You just can’t explain to someone how it is.

Skydiving definitely played a huge role in improving my life. Skydiving helped me break out of a particular dark time period of my life. It taught me to embrace fear, create my own validation, and live life in my own way. I would love to learn more about how to use skydiving to promote a charity

I had my first solo jump 7/24/23. I’ll never forget that first step out of the plane and certainly that first controllability checks!

I’ve finished my A license year ago. There wasn’t one day when I wouldn’t think about to jump out of the plane. I can’t wait till tommorow when I will be back in the sky.

Every video of skydiving that i watch i have the biggest smile on my face, i want to do it so much. Nothing looks more invigorating... maybe one day ill get the chance!

I just finished my AFF, and I stumbled upon your video and I have to say that you have articulated everything so well. I relate with it completely. All the things I been through mentally and emotionally. Your video is fantastic

Just started my AFF this weekend. Absolute best time of my life, even though I’m struggling with that anxiety and fear before every jump I’m still able to try. If I can anybody can ! This video is amazing. I’m on to level 6 haha

I am a coach and licensed skydiver in California and I really enjoyed watching your video, you were very thorough and accurate and I think you will benefit a lot of new jumpers with your well done video! 🤘🏻🦅🪂

I've done 1 tandem and I'm hooked. This winter I'll be doing aff. What really makes me want to get in the sport was being under canopy. I absolutely loved that!

Hey - jumper here with 600 jumps - this is one of the best skydiving videos I’ve seen. You superbly and clearly explain the mental challenges of skydiving. Congratulations on your progression 👏 Skydiving gives you confidence and self belief that you can use in all aspects of life. Blue Skies 🪂 (the phrase ‘the top of one mountain is the bottom of the next’ is a great mindset to help understanding your progression in this sport. We are always learning whether you have 1 jump or 10,000 !)

I wish I could...I wish it would go cheap that even a normal person can fulfil desire to skydive....the video very informative👌

Great video. I have been skydiving for 25 yrs and agree with your sentiments. It leads to amazing personal growth and you get to know so many like minded individuals in your path through learning and later being an experienced jumper. On the other side of fear is freedom ! Be safe.

Congrats! Its really special that you bypassed the 2 Tandem jumps. Dont prematurely transition from "belly flying" to "shit-flying" (squatting) .perfect your skills in Diving , Swoop, Stop, dock, and fly your slot. And definitely continue getting signatures, you'll be glad to have them. For me. Flying is the bonus, its keeping your adrenaline in check. And it gets better when others depend on you as the instructor to keep your students safe. Also dont forget the dive is not over after you have a good canopy. Too many tunnel flyers dont Track and wave off. Big trend in Unintentional CRW. (Canopy Wrap) BE SAFE.... HAVE FUN

Brain: “you don’t need to do this man” Heart: “send it”

Very informative and insightful! Thank you.

My PhD thesis was: "A field study to determine the association of self-esteem, self-confidence and life satisfaction with successfully engaging in an extreme sport." I did the study in the year 2000. My test subjects were 57 first-time skydiving students. The results of the study showed a significant increase in self-confidence and self esteem. There was also an increase in life satisfaction but my research did not show that particular parameter to be statistically significant. However, from my own knowledge and experience, I believe that further studies would likely show all three parameters to improve significantly. Increasing one's self-esteem and self-confidence will naturally increase the likelihood of success in all of life's endeavors.

Great video! I want to try skydive one day as well, hoping it's soon.

Beautiful story. Beautiful message! Thank you so much! ❤ ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Was the same for me travelling up in the plane, I was nervous and anxious but as soon as I was sat on the edge of the plane and jumped all that went away. It’s such an amazing feeling and rush skydiving! Can’t wait to start my aff course in 2024 🤘

I always said id never skydive i really wanted to back out on the first one but once your out the door its the best feeling ever iv done 5 tandems now im booke next month for the aff course cant wait!

I enjoyed watching this well-shot documentary. My adrenaline kicked in and I literally laughed out loud from the thrill of imagining that I was doing it with you. I respect you for your accomplishment. I appreciate the encouragement to push through fear. I have done that a few times (starting a business, leaving a cult). I’m looking for a hobby. Maybe sky diving is it? 🤷‍♂️

Loooove your message!! I’m going in 2 weeks!! Cant wait!!!! ✌🏻🙏

Very inspiring. Thx ❤

This is so cool to watch! I really appreciate the detail you went into and how you described everything. I just completed my AFF jumps yesterday and you perfectly described the way I felt while going through each jump. I wish my DZ went year round though because I know I'll be missing it during the colder seasons

My drop zone doesn't permit a solo skydive without 6 hours of training and a tandem dive first. They want to assess the ability of a student to solo. It also helps prevents brain lock during solo because it's not the first time the student experiences free fall.

Skydiving changed my life. Greatest thing ever. Nothing but wonder & intense joy. I'm like the Jehovah's Witness of Skydiving - I try recruit everyone I meet. "Here's our literature -please accept this flower"

Thats badass. You must be in jumping at Skydive Twin Citys? Thats where I did my first tandem! Starting my AFF in May! I recognized AJ in your video with the High Ridaz helmet! Great video!

Reagan, your experience reminds me so much of my own at so many points of your story. Your description of sensory overload and mental lock-up and conquering fear is so right. It seems to me that few skydivers describe in their posts having gone through those obstacles. I did all my skydiving (24 total jumps) in the summer of 1989 (yes, I'm old now). I started with 3 static line jumps before they talked me into doing the AFF course. I experienced some bizarre things on my first AFF skydive. I was reacting to the jumpmasters' signals, and it seemed like I was doing what they wanted and what was required, and when I received the PULL signal I started to do it, thinking I was doing everything correctly, but before my hand reached the ripcord handle, the hand of the instructor on that side came flashing in out of nowhere like a lightning bolt and pulled it for me! I was pissed because I knew that meant I'd just failed the AFF level 1 skydive. I didn't know what I had done wrong. After I landed (I fell down) and got with my two instructors for the de-briefing, I told them what I remembered, and they told me that during my PRCPs, when I was supposed to put my hand on my ripcord handle and then return to the standard position (3 times) I wasn't doing it I was just patting my hip near the ripcord handle but I wasn't touching it. That was the best my completely sensory-overloaded mind could produce at that point. (During the 3rd failed attempt my instructor grabbed my hand and placed it on the ripcord handle, but I didn't remember that at all). When I described the actual ripcord pull they told me yes, I was starting to do it but it was like I was moving in slow motion relative to the actual time elapsing, and we were already down to 3400 feet, so they had to pull it for me! It was wild to experience how poorly my mind was functioning during those first several jumps. I had already had a bizarre experience on my very first jump (the first static line jump). The canopy opened up but a couple of the cells on the left side failed to open. So I knew I needed to follow the emergency procedures to try to inflate those cells. So I tried stalling the canopy 3 times to try to get them open but it didn't work. I think that's all I knew to try at that point, and I'd been told that only a fully-open rectangular canopy would be considered acceptable, so I pulled the cutaway handle and immediately pulled the reserve handle and after *HARD OPENING SHOCK* I looked up and saw a perfectly round and inflated canopy. (In 1989 they were still using round reserves). That was the limit of what my terrified hindbrain was prepared to handle. I was supposed to steer the round reserve into the wind by pulling down on one of the risers, but below me was a freshly tilled field of soft dirt and my brain said "all is well" and I relaxed and hit the soft dirt and tumbled like a sack of potatoes, ending up sitting on my butt with my legs out in front of me and my torso vertical and I didn't realize it at first but afterwards it became clear that I had been in a mild state of shock. Because I sat there in the dirt and had ZERO desire to do anything else but continue to sit there. I was supposed to wave toward the instructors to signal I was OK, and was of course expected to stand up, if indeed I was alright, but I didn't want to do that. I just wanted to sit there in the dirt, like, FOREVER! One of the jumpmasters came running over (I'd crash-landed a couple hundred yards from where I was supposed to be) and I was still sitting in the dirt with no urge to get up and the jumpmaster ran over and said "Are you OK?" I said "Yeah." But he clearly didn't believe me so he asked me again and I said, again, "yeah", but made no move to stand up. Which the guy clearly wanted me to do to prove I was OK. So, with a bit of irritation, I got up (I WAS totally OK physically). In hindsight it was clear my mind still wasn't working at 100% when I was sitting there. Anyway, I ultimately completed the AFF course and did 6 solo skydives, but winter was coming in Colorado (I was jumping at the no longer existing(?) Skydive Colorado drop zone) and I had to decide if I wanted to buy my own equipment and I knew I didn't wanna skydive in the winter so I stopped skydiving at that point. But I really miss it and I think I'm going to go to the nearest drop zone and do a tandem skydive for old time's sake, since I'd have to start completely over again after so much time has elapsed. But virtually my entire experience with skydiving was echoed by you in your own story so I was motivated to tell mine. I hope you read this far! :)

Thanks for your calm video and all the details you mentioned. I am going to do my first tandem jump this Friday and i would love to do it to celebrate my 30th. I am super stressed and I just feel so much dear and your video destressed me a bit. Many thanks and hope I feel it cause its mentally so important to me. The best wishes and thanks again.

Just turned 16 and Done a 15,000ft tandem ❤ It - Working my butt off for the summer to hopefully get Some AFF training done and some new Equipment ✅

"Why would you jump out of a perfectly good airplane?" Either: "The door was open" Or "Those things are not perfectly good. They're held together by duck tape"

That is probably the best vlog I've ever watched on KZfaq.

I just got my A this year as well, and it also took me about a year. I did start out with tandems though, & I can't imagine doing that first jump without having done at least one! But everything you said about overcoming the fear, and how the experience translates over to helping deal with other stressful situations, is spot on in my experience at least!

Excellent & inspiring! Good job on production and editing as well. This video has helped decrease my fear and increase my excitement for it! Have you had your first solo cutaway yet?

The connection with your self is unbelievable

Stupendo! Dopo aver fatto aff nel 2021 ora nel 2023 tornerò a saltare... lo sogno da due anni. Il tuo video mi ha dato forza e emozionato. Keep pushing !

Best aff video i’ve ever seen. The honnestie, the fear we all encountered…. ❤️🙏🤘

Honestly, with this being an 8-9 month old video-I’d have to say this is one of the best if not THE BEST video out there!!!

Just took my first tandem jump ever a few days ago, and it was amazing.

I really mean it - it is a life changing sport!

Ahhhhhh yes yes yes. So true!!!

This was such a good video! I´m a skydiver in Sweden! But damn, would LOVE to make a jump with you some day! Your thougts and ideas are just PERFECT! You are a true inspiration!

Great video! Blue skies!

First solo jump today :) SO excited

Loved watching this! You go! 🤩 Yes, I would jump out at 13,500 feet. 😊

I had my first jump (tandem, 15000 feet) one month ago and it was a dream come true but not what I expected no matter what I thought it was to be free falling, etc, etc. Out there, in the first seconds it was something I never felt before: not fear (or maybe it was fear with a bunch of other stuff mixed in), for sure, not like the adrenaline pump rush that I was told I would be having. It was something... different I can't really explain to this day. I need to do it again, in order to try to understand what I actually felt. This video was super interesting. Thank you very much for sharing your experience.

Watched this vid months ago, really boosted my confidence up to submit to my own skydive timeline. Banked in 9 jumps in past four days. Thanks to your sharing bro, blue skies. Ready, set, go! Keep embracing through and enjoy. Stay safe

Kinda late commenting on the vid, but I started my AFF one month ago. My next jump will be my 10th. The fear of jumping out of the plane dropped extremely after Lvl 6, when I found out that jumping out of the plane and even not hitting the perfect wind does nothing. In the end you just arch and thats it. On my 9th jump I did a forward roll exit with closed eyes. What a nice experience! Definitely looking forward to my next jump in the next couple days. Sadly the season ends soon. Hope I can finish my license by end of October. Oh and in terms of landing, my first 3 landings with a flare command over the WalkieTalkie were on the butt. On lvl 4 I jumped with another instructor, who said: " you dont need the WalkieTalkie. You can do it without it." And then I actually did it perfectly (landed on my feet). Luckily I watched before a youtube video on the right flare timing. How did this text get so long. I guess its a passion. And to whoever reads this: thanks for reading and stay safe!

I'm going for AFF 6/7/C+ soon and this video really resonates with me. I was a nervous wreck for the first few jumps but the confidence grew in myself and my equipment, as you mentioned yourself. This is a fantastic video on the progression, thank you. Blue skies!

This move reminded me my aff course... 8 jumps, yes I have one jump extra, and 6 solo in September 2022. I earn and go back to do license A in Spain. This filling of fear and excitement is... Amazing I just can't explain it but you did it. Great job dude good luck 🤙

Nothing there to fear ... to begin with ... Thank you for this , a very down to Earth point of view ❤❤❤

What a beautiful journey. I just signed up to my AFF course today.

Excellent video my guy. I made my first tandem jump just the other day with a group of friends and posted the video on here, too. Well.. I scheduled us ALL again. WE LOVE IT !!

Woww ! Thanks for that video..i love the part where you explain that challenge in our head in the plane ...i did 4 tandem and will do my first jump with 2 instructors soon and your video is what i needed to to help me deal with my stress 🤟

I'm from Mexico and in 2 months I'm going to enroll in an academy to learn skydiving, meanwhile i am watching videos about skydiving, tutorials and all related to skydiving, i am so anxious about skydiving. Thank you for sharing your thoughs and feeling

Respect, I did it this way. But let's not forget our instructor saves our life.

I remember when I actually had time to think and process. My I first thought I said WOW this is wild. Skydiving has changed my life for ever. “Conquer your fears of being uncomfortable” Getting past this fear gives you such a different meaning in life. And your character grows so much. For me it’s therapy. It’s you and God at that point.

Wow ! Enthralled watching your explanation and your progress. Your humility is refreshing. I think about trying this from time to time but don't really have the real urge. I think my most challenging thing was getting SCUBA certified about 10 years ago. I've done parasailing while being the passenger .lol Great to see this . Continued victories. God bless. Champion.

Great video and insight through the experience of skydiving! I'm a skydiver myself and second everything you said! Beautiful location. I would love to jump there. Southern Tenessee you said? --- Blue skies bud!

Loved this explanation of the process. My first AFF I had line twists, but perfect parachute and was able to get out of it. First solo, accidentally opened in a cloud and stayed there for 2k feet, listened to my instructor’s precautions for clouds and it all worked out. I was terrified, but I’m still here!!! Looking forward to jump 18. Still get scared, as you talked about, but getting better and more confident. Also, can we talk ab how much parachute packing sucks. 😂 it’s so frustrating and nerve-wracking. Congrats on your license. Maybe I’ll see you out there one day, maybe we can use our skills one day to help others! Blue skies!

Great video. Thank you. I've done 2 IAD skydives and loved every minute of it but time and money kept me from pursuing skydiving. But it led me to flying paramotors. I'm a relatively new pilot and still deal with some fear but as soon as I launch all that fear goes away and I just fly like a bird. it's just that initial fear that holds me back sometimes. Pushing through that fear is a liberating experience.

Having been involved in air drops of supplies for humanitarian work it can be very hard and expensive and as a result is usually reserved for use my militaries for humanitarian work. It’s very unique skill set and depending on what you want to drop size wise and what supplies makes a huge difference. We air dropped supplies of water and rations and would budget on loosing nearly half. We had the ability of being able to drop 20-40lbs of stuff up to 2000plus pounds in one bundle.

I trained in a cessna & that door opening is terrifying. Otter is much easier. Skydiving does clear the mind like nothing else. 175 jumps and it still scares the hell out of me.

Great Video! I did three Tandems and on Saturday ist my AFF 3 jump. I'm already nervous and exicted:)

Congratulations 😃👍‼️

Keep us updated on the non profit please!! I’m getting my A license in a couple months and would love to contribute!!

Great video brother.

Legit vid man. Good on you for also trying to apply your new skill for a greater good. Freedom is on the other side of fear (Will Smith said that after his jump). Blue skies, my friend.

Good ol skydive carolina. Ms Judy was one of my instructors also.

I did my course in 3 days it can be a bit challenging but you kinda make it sound harder then it is.

My 1st tandem was in October 2022!🪂

Great video 🎉

I’m doing my first tandem jump, my first skydive in a month today. In Germany! I’m so excited! Thank you for this video. It’s really helpful and makes me even more excited! Thank you! What are your tips for someone doing it for the first time?

I'm on AFF 6 I want to do some tunnel time work on stability and turns. I hope to finish levels this month and A license by years end!

I'm an AFF-I. I like watching these, it helps me to better connect with students. Good luck in the sport. Cool DZ by the way.

Skydiving is the best sport for young and old.❤

Did a tandem last week. It was awesome. Considering AFF.

looks like you had fun trying to grab that shute lol good video

I just recognized the plane at my DZ in Ohio this year is the plane you jumped out of!

Amazing and honest video. How many skydives did you need to get your A license? I’m finishing up AFF now. I think the word terror was the best description of how I felt for my first three jumps. It’s gotten a little easier but I’m still super scared. The feeling every time I land is surreal and joyful. There are good weather days but I’ve found myself too worried to book to the dropzone sometimes, which is frustrating and definitely has slowed my progress!

Everything you said in the first five minutes about mental overload is why it is BEST to do a tandem jump first so you get that experience. mike 2000 skydives D-33093

Truth spoken 🪂

Your AFF level 1 is a great example of why tandem progression is better. You locked up, forgot to even do your practice touches, you're not looking at the altimeter when practice touching, legs kicking and swimming. Main side AFFI could use more lead on jump one. You didn't pull on jump one, that was assisted at best.

Will you be contacting the military for diving with equipment? They definelty have more stuff on them plus bags if they need it. I imagine its definetly different than civilian skydiving where you don't have much on you even in performance jumps. I think that would be the people to be in contact with for jumping with supplies.

Going to do recurrency jumps to become active again in Belgium!

I have got my private pilots license right now for fixed wing I always wanted to be a skydiving pilot but now I'm thinking of getting my skydiving license it just looks like to much fun I love adrenaline and this video really was cool any advice

🤙we go skydive

I'm considering doing AFF and live in East Tennessee, Chattanooga area

The most basic biomechanical skills of skydiving are rudimentary, compared to - say - learning to ride a bike when you are not yet 7 years old. The real challenge is in learning how to focus on the basic drills, instead of being overwhelmed by the first-time experience. I doubt that many first-time jumpers attain that degree of focus, because it is so alien and unexpected. But they are nevertheless very simple basic drills. I'd argue that "just freefalling" is a whole lot simpler than learning to ride a bike, but then very few people are scared to death that riding a bike will kill them. Knowledge and experience dispels fear, opening the door to the joy of the sport. The hard parts come as you try to master precise control of your body as you fall (fly?) through the air, in concert with other like-minded folks. It is a fabulous, joyful discipline, and a community filled with fabulous, joyful people. Don't be afraid to join them

So cool! I badly want to go on a tandem jump sometime, but none of my friends are super eager to try it 😂 I don't think it'd be too bad to jump tandem, but jumping on your own would be whole different level 😅 Also, I don't know how you survive, with all the stuff you're into-I barely survive work and a trip or two each year 😁

shit I shouldn't have watched this because now I want to do it too. great video and nicely explained

Great video, I just completed AFF and got my A license (for the second time) / 40 jumps in - you capture the feelings involved really well. I hope to stay current, though I'm nearly 900km or so from the nearest DZ so bit of a pain! Need to plan trips and flights to go skydive for a few days whenever I have saved the cash. Another challenge to overcome I guess!

I did my first Jump on my birthday it was amazing i would do it again 🫶🏽🙏🏽

Free as a bird👏🏽

If only the skydiving community was more open to answering questions rather then fearing liability from it. Been trying to get my license and still can’t get questions answered without the im not an instructor ask your instructor… who doesn’t have the time of day to explain to me. “Braked approach and landing” still not signed off since no one has time to watch me do it yet I have.

I’m a jump pilot. Cool vid.

Is this down by Kodak, TN? I’ll be there in October 🤘🏼