Skydiving

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Sherrian's 1st Skydive

Bruce's Logbook

"Sound Advice" Comedy Bit

Hanging Out At Skydive Cottonwood

I (Bruce) have been fascinated with the idea of jumping out of airplanes since I was a kid in junior high reading about the early pioneers of the sport. I finally got my chance to do my first skydive as a 19-year old college student at the University of Southern California (USC) way back in 1976.

I joined the school's skydiving club and attended a meeting for 1st jump students. A great guy by the name of Dean Westgaard showed up to give us an orientation. I learned on the plane ride up on my 19th jump--24 years later!--from my instructor that Dean Westgaard had passed away from cancer. Wherever you are, Dean, blue skies and thanks for JUMP #1!

My first jump was out of a Cessna 337 (twin engine, high wing with engine in front and back). It was a static line jump: I sat on the fIoor with my legs in the breeze. I then pushed myself off the door sill into the slipstream, a strong line automatically pulled my parachute out from the container on my back and I floated back to earth under the round, white canopy.

Back in those days "B.C." (before contacts), I wore glasses and I was worried that they'd blow off in the air, so I tucked them inside my jumpsuit. I did my first two parachute jumps "blind"! YIKES!!

When my parachute opened, I caught my breath and then reached v-e-r-y carefully inside my jumpsuit, found my glasses and put them on while hanging in the harness from 2500 feet. WOW!! I still remember what a mind blowing sensation that was--and what a view! The ride under canopy was short and a guy on the ground yelled at me through a megaphone: "turn left--turn right". There was no such thing as a tippy-toe standup landing. The 28-foot round parachute was not very maneuverable, the ground suddenly rushed up to meet me and I did the PLF (parachute landing fall) I'd been trained to do. I made the lives of my college friends miserable for weeks as I could talk of nothing else.

It still haunts me today. I still think of jumping and re-live my jumps over--and over--and over. I watch skydiving videos incessantly and drive my family crazy, but if you've jumped--you understand.

I did one more static-line jump that year and didn't jump again for 22 years.

Jump number 3 was a tandem. Look at my logbook to see my jump progressions. I've had a short but very interesting jump career: only 19 jumps, but I've jumped at four different dropzones and jumped out of six different type of aircraft. The most impressive had to be my jump out of the back of a CASA. (Jump 16) Some jumpers never get a chance to jump the CASA and here I was jumping out of one on only my fourth solo jump and again with my favorite instructor, Johann, on my first relative work (RW) jump. What a thrill!

I have to add this:

It may be a bit of a cliche to say, but I truly have found skydivers to be some of the most extraordinary people I've EVER met. The sense of family, fun and brother/sisterhood is second-to-none.

I can only suggest that if you are reading this and have always felt that indescribable urge to fly, to taste fear and triumph at once, to face that wrenching dread at the door edge as you stare out at the abyss--yet you trust in the gods and push yourself out into it and become a skydiver. That is an initiation that can't be bought--only earned. Maybe that's why skydivers tend to be such a "tight" bunch of people. You either belong or you don't.

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