View Full Version : Indoor and/or Outdoor Skydiving at TAM9 (and possibly other stunts)
Wowbagger
15th March 2011, 02:55 PM
Last year a few of us TAM folks when tandem skydiving, for some reason. It was certainly a fun, safe, and very interesting experience: http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=177183
This year, I would like to sample Indoor "Skydiving", which takes place in a vertical wind tunnel. It is clearly not going to be the same experience as real skydiving, but it does offer a few advantages:
Why Indoor Skydiving Might Be Fun (Even if you already tried Outdoor Skydiving)
The opportunity to do light stunts: There is no guarantee you will be able to pull them off. But, the opportunity to do a few flips, in mid-air, is there, in the wind tunnel! When you go tandem skydiving there is no opportunity for that, at all.
Longer "Free Fall" Sensation: In real skydiving, the free-fall sensation lasts only about 45 seconds. Sure, it feels a lot longer when you're actually doing it. But, it's still not much time to really take it all in. During your Indoor Skydiving session, you will be able to experience the sensation a lot longer than that! How long depends on various factors, but we are talking whole minutes, here, at the very least. Maybe longer.
It costs less. About half as much, depending on various factors. That might be important for some of you.
So, is anyone else up for this?
How About The Real Deal?!
No experience is necessary. If you wish to jump out of a real airplane, here are some things to know:
* This will be a tandem jump: You will be strapped to a professional skydiver the whole way down, and he or she takes care of all the important stuff.
* You need to be at least 18 yrs of age, with valid picture ID
* weigh less than 240 lbs., be height and weight proportionate,
* and be in generally good health.
* Try not to drink a lot of alcohol for several hours before heading out. They won't let you go, if they feel you are "too drunk" or "hung-over" for the activity.
The company I would recommend is the one we used last year: http://www.vegasextremeskydiving.com
They were very nutty... I mean professional... and they are about 15 to 20 minutes away from the hotel.
I have not negotiated a price, yet. But, last year we got a $185 per-person group rate. (Regular price was $200 a person) Plus it cost an extra $89 if you wanted to take home the DVD of your experience. If we get a few people we should at least be able to match that, I think.
Anyone up for this sort of thing?
Other Stunts?
Feel free to use this thread to discuss other possible daredevil stunts anyone might consider doing, in Vegas, during or before TAM. I heard that the Stratosphere SkyJump is fairly insane:
http://www.stratospherehotel.com/Tower/Rides/SkyJump
Gregoire
16th March 2011, 06:34 PM
Last year a few of us TAM folks when tandem skydiving, for some reason. It was certainly a fun, safe, and very interesting experience: http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=177183
This year, I would like to sample Indoor "Skydiving", which takes place in a vertical wind tunnel. It is clearly not going to be the same experience as real skydiving, but it does offer a few advantages:
Why Indoor Skydiving Might Be Fun (Even if you already tried Outdoor Skydiving)
The opportunity to do light stunts: There is no guarantee you will be able to pull them off. But, the opportunity to do a few flips, in mid-air, is there, in the wind tunnel! When you go tandem skydiving there is no opportunity for that, at all.
Longer "Free Fall" Sensation: In real skydiving, the free-fall sensation lasts only about 45 seconds. Sure, it feels a lot longer when you're actually doing it. But, it's still not much time to really take it all in. During your Indoor Skydiving session, you will be able to experience the sensation a lot longer than that! How long depends on various factors, but we are talking whole minutes, here, at the very least. Maybe longer.
It costs less. About half as much, depending on various factors. That might be important for some of you.
So, is anyone else up for this?
How About The Real Deal?!
No experience is necessary. If you wish to jump out of a real airplane, here are some things to know:
* This will be a tandem jump: You will be strapped to a professional skydiver the whole way down, and he or she takes care of all the important stuff.
* You need to be at least 18 yrs of age, with valid picture ID
* weigh less than 240 lbs., be height and weight proportionate,
* and be in generally good health.
* Try not to drink a lot of alcohol for several hours before heading out. They won't let you go, if they feel you are "too drunk" or "hung-over" for the activity.
The company I would recommend is the one we used last year: http://www.vegasextremeskydiving.com
They were very nutty... I mean professional... and they are about 15 to 20 minutes away from the hotel.
I have not negotiated a price, yet. But, last year we got a $185 per-person group rate. (Regular price was $200 a person) Plus it cost an extra $89 if you wanted to take home the DVD of your experience. If we get a few people we should at least be able to match that, I think.
Anyone up for this sort of thing?
Other Stunts?
Feel free to use this thread to discuss other possible daredevil stunts anyone might consider doing, in Vegas, during or before TAM. I heard that the Stratosphere SkyJump is fairly insane:
http://www.stratospherehotel.com/Tower/Rides/SkyJump
I'm in!
(for the indoor skydiving.)
Wowbagger
16th March 2011, 07:21 PM
Awesome!
Sorry, I neglected to provide a link to the Indoor Skydiving place in the opening post.
Here it is: http://www.vegasindoorskydiving.com/
By the way, there is no age limit for the Indoor version.
But, there is a weight requirement: You must weigh 40 pounds or more.
Do we think we can handle that?!
bumlet5
16th March 2011, 08:05 PM
Me +1 are in for indoor.
bumlet5
3rd April 2011, 06:55 PM
What's the word on this? My +1 would be up for indoor, but maybenot jumping out of a real in-flight plane. I really want to jump out of a plane, however, so you'd have some for either.
Wowbagger
3rd April 2011, 09:52 PM
Here's one way to make it look like progress is being made: Let's form a table!
Forum Name|Real Name (optional)|Indoor/Outdoor/Other|Preferred Time|Other Notes
bumlet||Indoor or Outdoor|?| + 1 other guest (see next entry)
bumlet's +1||Indoor Only|?|The +1 of the above entry
Gregoire||Indoor Only|?|
Wowbagger|Mitch Lampert|Indoor (or maybe SkyJump?)|Thurs. morning|Lead Organizer, apparently
I will make some calls, when I get the chance, for more details.
Ruth E
3rd April 2011, 10:08 PM
Forum Name|Real Name (optional)|Indoor/Outdoor/Other|Preferred Time|Other Notes
bumlet||Indoor or Outdoor|?| + 1 other guest (see next entry)
bumlet's +1||Indoor Only|?|The +1 of the above entry
Gregoire||Indoor Only|?|
Wowbagger|Mitch Lampert|Indoor (or maybe SkyJump?)|Thurs. morning|Lead Organizer, apparently
Ruth E|Ruth Ellison|Indoor only|?|Possibly with another +1 - will confirm
I tried indoor sky diving at Universal Studios and it's totally awesome. So I'm in for indoor (but not outdoor - that freaks me out way too much).
Allecher
4th April 2011, 04:49 PM
The indoor version does have a maximum weight limit too and it was a little lower than I had expected. Harrumph.
Wowbagger
5th April 2011, 06:31 AM
The indoor version does have a maximum weight limit too and it was a little lower than I had expected. Harrumph.
Good point. Some of you might want to read up on those requirements:
http://www.vegasindoorskydiving.com/weight.php
Apparently, it has more to do with physics than anything else:
Guests who exceed the maximum weight are not guaranteed to generate enough lift to actually fly. Being outside the weight guidelines is not a safety issue as much as quality of flight. We don't want to take your money and then not be able to provide a high quality experience.
The Central Scrutinizer
5th April 2011, 07:12 AM
Good point. Some of you might want to read up on those requirements:
http://www.vegasindoorskydiving.com/weight.php
Apparently, it has more to do with physics than anything else:
Guests who exceed the maximum weight are not guaranteed to generate enough lift to actually fly. Being outside the weight guidelines is not a safety issue as much as quality of flight. We don't want to take your money and then not be able to provide a high quality experience.
Translation: We don't have a motor big enough to lift your fat ass. :)
Sadly, I'm slightly over the limit. :(
hcmom
5th April 2011, 09:24 AM
I'm over the limit right now, but I'm working on it. The only kind of skydiving I will EVER do is the lovely indoor kind.
bumlet5
5th April 2011, 10:25 AM
Give me a plane over a wind tunnel any day (but I will be up for both :D). From what I hear, the best part isn't falling it's hanging from the parachute.
I which I could have afforded it last year. :(
Wowbagger
5th April 2011, 10:53 AM
They probably should have built those wind tunnels with the anticipation that people are generally going to get heavier over time.
From what I hear, the best part isn't falling it's hanging from the parachute.It is much more peaceful than the free-fall portion, yes.
But, there is something to be said for seeing the ground speeding-up in front of you.
SkepticScott
5th April 2011, 06:49 PM
There's something about trading a plane that you know is working for a parachute that may work that I don't like. :p
bumlet5
18th April 2011, 12:35 PM
They probably should have built those wind tunnels with the anticipation that people are generally going to get heavier over time.
It is much more peaceful than the free-fall portion, yes.
But, there is something to be said for seeing the ground speeding-up in front of you.
But when you do indoor "skydiving", there's no ground rushing toward you. It's the same physical wind sensation, though. That should be fun.
bumlet5
18th April 2011, 12:44 PM
Also, I would absolutely prefer to jump from a plane.
Wowbagger
4th June 2011, 05:56 PM
Anyone else?
Forum Name|Real Name (optional)|Indoor/Outdoor/Other|Preferred Time|Other Notes
bumlet||Indoor or Outdoor|?| + 1 other guest (see next entry)
bumlet's +1||Indoor Only|?|The +1 of the above entry
Gregoire||Indoor Only|?|
Wowbagger|Mitch Lampert|Indoor|Thurs. morning|Lead Organizer, apparently
Ruth E|Ruth Ellison|Indoor only|?|Possibly with another +1 - will confirm
bumlet5
5th June 2011, 12:16 AM
If it's indoor, I'm out. As Scrut says, they "don't have a motor big enough to lift [my] fat ass." I'd still be up for the jumping from a real plane, but it seems I'm the only one. Maybe another time.
Wowbagger
5th June 2011, 05:26 AM
If it's indoor, I'm out. As Scrut says, they "don't have a motor big enough to lift [my] fat ass." I'd still be up for the jumping from a real plane, but it seems I'm the only one. Maybe another time.
If I recall correctly, there were some others interested in the outdoor version, last year. I will PM them some reminders.
Wowbagger
12th June 2011, 01:53 PM
Bump
(Sent from my Droid Incredible, using Tapatalk. Therefore, more typos may exist in this post than usual.)
Fitter
12th June 2011, 02:04 PM
I'm going to go out on a limb and say Scrut won't be available for this either.
Wowbagger
12th June 2011, 08:08 PM
I'm going to go out on a limb and say Scrut won't be available for this either.
That's because he's a wimp.
The Central Scrutinizer
12th June 2011, 09:50 PM
That's because he's a wimp.
If they had a bar there, I'd go.
Wowbagger
13th June 2011, 07:16 AM
If they had a bar there, I'd go.
It's right near The Peppermill.
(Sent from my Droid Incredible, using Tapatalk. Therefore, more typos may exist in this post than usual.)
The Central Scrutinizer
13th June 2011, 07:25 AM
It's right near The Peppermill.
(Sent from my Droid Incredible, using Tapatalk. Therefore, more typos may exist in this post than usual.)
"Near" is not good enough.
Wowbagger
13th June 2011, 08:13 AM
"Near" is not good enough.
You're also lazy.
Hamradioguy
14th June 2011, 08:55 PM
Some guy named Obama thwarted my outdoor skydiving plans last year when he had the gall to fly into Vegas around the time I was supposed to go skydiving. Wouldn't mind trying again this year but I don't get in until late afternoon on Thur. so that may not work. Would consider the wussy indoor one as an alternative maybe.
spruce22
15th June 2011, 07:37 AM
I'd be interested in the real thing - MAYBE the indoor thing when I have time to check it out more. Didn't read the whole thread yet as I should be getting ready for work, but I'll be arriving Tuesday night and leaving the Monday after.
I've done the real thing once, and been waiting for them to make a pill form (non-narcotic of course!) of the rush I got from that unique experience.
Wowbagger
15th June 2011, 08:12 PM
Add your names to the table, if you wanna join us!
spruce22
15th June 2011, 09:30 PM
Forum Name|Real Name (optional)|Indoor/Outdoor/Other|Preferred Time|Other Notes
bumlet||Indoor or Outdoor|?| + 1 other guest (see next entry)
bumlet's +1||Indoor Only|?|The +1 of the above entry
Gregoire||Indoor Only|?|
Wowbagger|Mitch Lampert|Indoor|Thurs. morning|Lead Organizer, apparently
Ruth E|Ruth Ellison|Indoor only|?|Possibly with another +1 - will confirm
spruce22||Outdoor|Wednesday sometime| possibly open to indoor, but skeptical it could match the real thing
Metullus
21st June 2011, 08:23 PM
Forum Name|Real Name (optional)|Indoor/Outdoor/Other|Preferred Time|Other Notes
bumlet||Indoor or Outdoor|?| + 1 other guest (see next entry)
bumlet's +1||Indoor Only|?|The +1 of the above entry
Gregoire||Indoor Only|?|
Metullus||Indoor Only|?|
Metullus' Kid||Indoor Only|?|15 year old daughter
Wowbagger|Mitch Lampert|Indoor|Thurs. morning|Lead Organizer, apparently
Ruth E|Ruth Ellison|Indoor only|?|Possibly with another +1 - will confirm
spruce22||Outdoor|Wednesday sometime| possibly open to indoor, but skeptical it could match the real thing
Wowbagger
21st June 2011, 08:34 PM
Wow, what a crowd! I'm gonna call 'em up soon to see if we can arrange anything special.
possibly open to indoor, but skeptical it could match the real thingThe view probably won't be as insane, of course. But, at least you can try to do tricks in the indoor version. That's gotta count for something!
The Central Scrutinizer
21st June 2011, 09:48 PM
This is on Sunday at 1:30, right?
hcmom
21st June 2011, 11:07 PM
This is on Sunday at 1:30, right?
Don't tell anyone, but I'm starting to think I may love Scrut...
bumlet5
21st June 2011, 11:37 PM
Forum Name|Real Name (optional)|Indoor/Outdoor/Other|Preferred Time|Other Notes
bumlet||Outdoor Only|?| + 1 other guest
Gregoire||Indoor Only|?|
Metullus||Indoor Only|?|
Metullus' Kid||Indoor Only|?|15 year old daughter
Wowbagger|Mitch Lampert|Indoor|Thurs. morning|Lead Organizer, apparently
Ruth E|Ruth Ellison|Indoor only|?|Possibly with another +1 - will confirm
spruce22||Outdoor|Wednesday sometime| possibly open to indoor, but skeptical it could match the real thing
Thought I'd change it to reflect my changes.
Don't tell anyone, but I'm starting to think I may love Scrut...
:eye-poppi
:hug8
The Central Scrutinizer
22nd June 2011, 07:28 AM
Don't tell anyone, but I'm starting to think I may love Scrut...
But, other Skepchicks are in love with me already. You may have to fight them!
Wowbagger
22nd June 2011, 07:36 AM
The Central Scrutinizer has NO authority in this thread. Do NOT listen to anything he says, in here. He will deliberately try to deceive you.
I think we're aiming for a Thursday morning journey to the Indoor Skydiving place.
I might have to be back in time to volunteer in the afternoon.
Those who wish to do the real, outdoor, deal, can make your own plans, I guess. But, I can still help you out, if you need it.
Remember: The company I would recommend is the one we used last year: http://www.vegasextremeskydiving.com
AdMan
22nd June 2011, 07:42 AM
The Central Scrutinizer has NO authority in this thread. Do NOT listen to anything he says, in here. He will deliberately try to deceive you.
Sounds familiar.
The demon is a liar. He will lie to confuse us. But he will also mix lies with the truth to attack us. The attack is psychological, Damien, and powerful. So don't listen to him. Remember that - do not listen.
hcmom
22nd June 2011, 10:00 AM
Don't tell anyone, but I'm starting to think I may love Scrut...
:eye-poppi
:hug8
That's rather how I feel about it too...
But, other Skepchicks are in love with me already. You may have to fight them!
I'm not young enough or sexy enough to be a Skepchick. I can't quite decide if this puts you out of my league, or the other way 'round, but I'm certainly too old to fight. Besides, I'll likely be over it by next month. :cool:
On the other hand, if you were to come on the cruise.... :D
Wowbagger
22nd June 2011, 11:33 AM
Scrut and hcmom: Would the two of you get a room, so the rest of us could stay on topic, please?! Thank you.
The Central Scrutinizer
22nd June 2011, 11:37 AM
I'm not young enough or sexy enough to be a Skepchick. I can't quite decide if this puts you out of my league, or the other way 'round, but I'm certainly too old to fight. Besides, I'll likely be over it by next month. :cool:
On the other hand, if you were to come on the cruise.... :D
I'm not just a piece of meat. I have a mind you know!!!
bumlet5
22nd June 2011, 11:46 AM
I'm not just a piece of meat. I have a mind you know!!!
We all know you want to be looked at as just a piece of meat.
Armins Frozen Peas
22nd June 2011, 02:04 PM
Has anyone done the SkyJump before? I'm up for that.
Andriiya
22nd June 2011, 02:07 PM
I'm not just a piece of meat. I have a mind you know!!!
Is there a vegan version of you? The Tofu Scrutinizer? The Central Vegetable?
AdMan
22nd June 2011, 02:07 PM
Has anyone done the SkyJump before? I'm up for that.
Here's a link (http://www.skyjumplasvegas.com/). Never done it, though.
You should probably start a thread for that, as it's a different activity.
Don't forget to include tables.
Armins Frozen Peas
22nd June 2011, 02:12 PM
He covered it in the first post, but it doesn't seem like anyone was interested. It's a cheap option for the frugal.
AdMan
22nd June 2011, 02:14 PM
He covered it in the first post, but it doesn't seem like anyone was interested. It's a cheap option for the frugal.
Might still be worth a separate thread. It's kind of lost in this one.
Wowbagger
22nd June 2011, 05:42 PM
Has anyone done the SkyJump before? I'm up for that.I suppose I could try it, too. I can compare the experience with the skydiving-related stunts.
Might still be worth a separate thread. It's kind of lost in this one.Not sure if it's worth a separate thread, if only 2 or 3 are interested. But, I can "advertise" the fact that we are now discussing the SkyJump in this thread - in other threads.
If the activities start to get confusing in this one thread, we could start another, later.
spruce22
22nd June 2011, 11:43 PM
Wow, what a crowd! I'm gonna call 'em up soon to see if we can arrange anything special.
The view probably won't be as insane, of course. But, at least you can try to do tricks in the indoor version. That's gotta count for something!
Hmm, I guess so. The only tricks I was planning on for the real thing was avoiding a ginormous wedgie like I got last time. Can anyone attest to the effects on undergarments in an indoor skydive?
Wowbagger
23rd June 2011, 07:41 AM
Hmm, I guess so. The only tricks I was planning on for the real thing was avoiding a ginormous wedgie like I got last time. Can anyone attest to the effects on undergarments in an indoor skydive?Since you won't need to be strapped to anything, I imagine everything can be looser-fitting. But, I can ask about that, if you think I must.
spruce22
23rd June 2011, 10:29 AM
lol, thanks for the offer, but I'll be alright. I've been doing internet research on the subject since I last posted, and I'm satisfied with what I've found. I'll publish my research results as soon as I can, for others with similar concerns.
Armins Frozen Peas
26th June 2011, 03:53 PM
I suppose I could try it, too. I can compare the experience with the skydiving-related stunts.
Not sure if it's worth a separate thread, if only 2 or 3 are interested. But, I can "advertise" the fact that we are now discussing the SkyJump in this thread - in other threads.
If the activities start to get confusing in this one thread, we could start another, later.
I'm definitely going to give it a go now. If anyone else is interested then let me know, I have no preference on days.
Wowbagger
6th July 2011, 05:09 PM
Well, I called the Indoor Skydiving place. There is a little bit of bad news: The lady on the phone said it was unlikely that a first-time indoor skydiver would be able to do any flips. If you want to flip around in mid-air, effectively, you will need return visits. It takes a bit to get used to the experience.
I don't know how many people would be turned off at that news. But, I might make this a yearly thing: Each TAM I will visit the Indoor Skydiving place, increase my experience, and eventually, I will be able to flip around and stuff like a crazy man. (It still takes a LOT less training than trying to do the same thing in real skydiving.)
If five of us go, we get a small discount: $65 each, instead of $75.
And, we don't have to pay extra for a copy of the video!
We will only get one copy of the video, for the five of us to share. But, I will bring some DVD-Rs along to copy it for everyone on my laptop, if you want your own physical copy. And, I can also post it to YouTube or something.
We might only get 3 minutes of actual air time, each, (after 20 minutes of training and 15 minutes putting on the flight suit). However, it will probably feel like a lot more, during that time! (Real skydiving freefall only lasts about 45 seconds, in comparison. But, I remember it feeling a lot longer.)
For Thursday, July 14th: I would like to be at the place by 9:45 AM, when they open, if possible. If anyone objects to that, let me know.
I have to be back at the hotel by about 1:30 PM. The person on the phone recommended that I get there NO LATER than 11:30 AM.
Here is the current list of interested folks:
Forum Name|Real Name (optional)|Indoor/Outdoor/Other|Preferred Time|Other Notes
Armins Frozen Peas||SkyJump||
bumlet||Outdoor Only|?| + 1 other guest
Gregoire||Indoor Only|?|
Metullus||Indoor Only|?|
Metullus' Kid||Indoor Only|?|15 year old daughter
Wowbagger|Mitch Lampert|Indoor|Thurs. morning|Lead Organizer, apparently
Ruth E|Ruth Ellison|Indoor only|?|Possibly with another +1 - will confirm
spruce22||Outdoor|Wednesday sometime| possibly open to indoor, but skeptical it could match the real thing
I can make a reservation for us. But, before I do, I want to know who is still willing to commit to the activity. (For one thing, the reservation requires me to pay for everyone in advance.) So, I have prepared a new chart for just that purpose:
Commited To Indoor Skydiving, Thursday Morning:
Forum Name|Real Name (optional)|Commited?|Other Notes
Wowbagger|Mitch Lampert|Yeah!! Let's do this thang!!|Lead organizer, apparently
Gregoire
7th July 2011, 12:49 PM
Mitch, thank you for all your hard work in setting this all up and finding out all the information.
Sorry I haven't had time to follow what has been going on.
Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it Thursday morning because I am planning on going to the Science Based Medicine workshop, my main reason for flying in on Wednesday.
Looking forward to seeing everyone again,
Gregg
Wowbagger
10th July 2011, 06:00 PM
Anyone else gonna join me? I would like to make the reservation tomorrow.
Metullus
11th July 2011, 07:54 AM
Anyone else gonna join me? I would like to make the reservation tomorrow.My daughter and I are in...
Wowbagger
11th July 2011, 08:11 AM
Commited To Indoor Skydiving, Thursday Morning:
Forum Name|Real Name (optional)|Commited?|Other Notes
Wowbagger|Mitch Lampert|Yeah!! Let's do this thang!!|Lead organizer, apparently
Metullus ||My daughter and I are in...
Metullus' kid ||
Now, I have to decide if I should reserve the "up to 5 people" family rate, or not.
For the family rate:
It would come out to $108 per person, with only three people. (instead of $65 if we had five). But, a DVD recording would be included with that.
For the regular fee:
It is $75 a person, without a DVD. A DVD record of your flight is $25 extra.
For a possible total of $100.
Game theory / strategizing time!
I can reserve the 5-person block, in hopes that we get one or two more people to drive the price-per-person down.
And, if that doesn't happen we're either overpaying by $8.00 if we were getting the DVD, or $33.00 if we do not.
Or, I can reserve spots for us as individuals. We would waste $10 if two more happen to join us.
ETA: There is one more reason the 5-person rate might be a better deal: We would get more air time if we do NOT get two more people joining us. That rate includes 15 minutes of actual air time shared amongst everyone in the group. The fewer in the group the more air time per person.
Metullus
11th July 2011, 03:58 PM
Commited To Indoor Skydiving, Thursday Morning:
Forum Name|Real Name (optional)|Commited?|Other Notes
Wowbagger|Mitch Lampert|Yeah!! Let's do this thang!!|Lead organizer, apparently
Metullus ||My daughter and I are in...
Metullus' kid ||
Now, I have to decide if I should reserve the "up to 5 people" family rate, or not.
For the family rate:
It would come out to $108 per person, with only three people. (instead of $65 if we had five). But, a DVD recording would be included with that.
For the regular fee:
It is $75 a person, without a DVD. A DVD record of your flight is $25 extra.
For a possible total of $100.
Game theory / strategizing time!
I can reserve the 5-person block, in hopes that we get one or two more people to drive the price-per-person down.
And, if that doesn't happen we're either overpaying by $8.00 if we were getting the DVD, or $33.00 if we do not.
Or, I can reserve spots for us as individuals. We would waste $10 if two more happen to join us.
ETA: There is one more reason the 5-person rate might be a better deal: We would get more air time if we do NOT get two more people joining us. That rate includes 15 minutes of actual air time shared amongst everyone in the group. The fewer in the group the more air time per person.I'm fine with the gamble, I bet there are two or more folks that will come.
spruce22
11th July 2011, 05:51 PM
Well, this if my first TAM, so I'm interested in being there for that (isn't Thurs when all the official TAM shiz starts happening?) What time are you talking about going, and what time would we be able to get back to TAM events?
Dan-au
11th July 2011, 06:22 PM
I'm intrested in attending the indoor skydiving. Is there a weight limit?
I weigh about 110kg which is 240pounds (not sure if I got the conversion right). I think I saw someone mention that there were physical limitations to what the wind tunnel can lift.
Wowbagger
11th July 2011, 07:49 PM
Here, again, is the web site for the Indoor Skydiving place.
http://www.vegasindoorskydiving.com/
What time are you talking about going, and what time would we be able to get back to TAM events?
Thursday, July 14th, around 9:15ish. I would like to be at the place by 9:45 AM, when they open, if possible.
The activity should take less than an hour or so: 20 mins. instructions, perhaps 15 minutes for equipment, then a few minutes of actual flight time. (yes, you only get a few minutes, but it is still a very cool few minutes!)
We should be back at the hotel by 10:45ish, or so. Perhaps we can call it 11 AM, to be a little on the pessamistic side.
I'm intrested in attending the indoor skydiving. Is there a weight limit?
Unfortunately, it looks like you might be too heavy for the activity.
WEIGHT GUIDELINES from their site:
•Male Over 6'0" 230 lbs. max. (over 172cm 105kg max)
•Between 5'6" & 6'0" 220 lbs. max. (171cm & 182cm 100kg max)
•Male Under 5'6" 180 lbs. max. (under 170cm 82kg max)
•Women Over 6'0" 200 lbs. max. (over 172cm 105kg max)
•Between 5'6" & 6'0" 180 lbs. max. (171cm & 182cm 82kg max)
•Women Under 5'6" 160 lbs. max. (under 170cm 73kg max)
No Age Limit - Minimum Weight 40 lbs.
See more information here:
http://www.vegasindoorskydiving.com/weight.php
Wowbagger
11th July 2011, 07:57 PM
By the way, I made the reservation for a "family block", of up to 5 people.
spruce22
11th July 2011, 08:34 PM
If it weren't so early, I'd be there. I'm still a maybe - if I have to buy my own admission or whatever that's fine. Wednesday just seems like it might last a little into thursday morning.
Ruth E
13th July 2011, 12:56 PM
Thanks for organising this Mitch. I've been loooking to this for the past few months. Unfortuntely I've developed a very painful pinched nerve which precludes me from flying (plus we're attending some workshops). If you don't get your necessary 5, I have a few coupons that will take $5 off the price.
CJW
13th July 2011, 01:01 PM
If you guys are looking for some real excitement, I hear trying to grab fly balls at a baseball game is the new thrill sport!
Dan-au
14th July 2011, 06:16 PM
Unfortunately I woke up too late for this.
I was wake for 52 hours prior to last nights sleep. so it added about 30mins of extra sleep time. Woke up at 9:45am after going to sleep at 1:30am.
This is bound to catch up with me sooner or later.
Wowbagger
15th July 2011, 04:41 PM
I probably should have posted this sooner, but: Yeah, that was fun!
Will post video, soon. I got up pretty high, for a few seconds there. (I discovered that I got a small bruise on my nose, from how I landed. But, its nothing to sue them over.)
Metullus, you need to find me and get your DVD copies!
(Sent from my Droid Incredible, using Tapatalk. Therefore, more typos may exist in this post than usual.)
Metullus
16th July 2011, 02:52 PM
Wowbagger -
Thank you for making the arrangements and copying the DVD. We had a blast...
Can you leave the DVD at the Forum table? I can snag it from there if I do not see you in the meantime.
Wowbagger
16th July 2011, 05:47 PM
Wowbagger -
Can you leave the DVD at the Forum table? I can snag it from there if I do not see you in the meantime.
I put them there during the last break.
The Central Scrutinizer
19th July 2011, 11:46 AM
When is this? I'd like to attend.
Andriiya
19th July 2011, 12:40 PM
When is this? I'd like to attend.
This Thursday at 5am.
Phlebas
19th July 2011, 12:50 PM
This Thursday at 5am.
Is it too soon to make a table?
The Central Scrutinizer
19th July 2011, 01:00 PM
Is it too soon to make a table?
Is Wowbagger going to rent a car?
Doubt
19th July 2011, 01:14 PM
Is it too soon to make a table?
Forum Name|Real Name (optional)|Too Soon|Not Too Soon
Doubt||X||
||||
Wowbagger
19th July 2011, 01:55 PM
When is this? I'd like to attend.
For you, it will be July 20th, at 3:45 AM in the morning. If you have a GPS, you can find the location here:
20 00'24.00" N, 75 09'00.00 W
Is it too soon to make a table?
It's never too soon! You can add all the freakin' tables you want, now.
Is Wowbagger going to rent a car?
I did not have my rental car, yet, when this took place. Metullus drove us in his truck. And, we thank him very much.
If we didn't have that, we could have split a cab between 4 or 5 people, and it would not have been that bad.
Metullus, I hope you picked up your copies of the DVD from the Forum table. If not, I can make new ones and mail 'em to you.
Wowbagger
22nd July 2011, 10:36 PM
Here's the Good News: Boy, did we get a bargain! The web site stated that our group rate would allow us to share 5 minutes of flight time. But, it looks like we got closer to 17 minutes! That's about how long the DVD they gave us runs.
Now, for the Bad News: That's too long for YouTube, for me, for now. I will see about either upgrading my account (which I might do for the sake of SkeptiCamp, anyway), or see if another hosting site is viable (vimeo?), or I could split it into two parts, and upload each one separately.
In the meantime, I do have this edit of my own flights, if you want to watch those:
JKmzGNPVS6w
About 45 seconds into that edit, I take a huge rise up to the ceiling, and fall back down relatively badly. But, I remain uninjured, except for a small bruise on my nose that I didn't even notice until I took off my glasses many hours later. (For the record, it's gone, now.)
There is another, very slight, piece of bad news: The audio for the video they provided contained copyrighted music. YouTube recognized this, and is blocking the audio from playing. This is not such a big deal, because the actual sounds from the session were not recorded, anyway. All you would hear is a big fan blowing. (We had to communicate through hand signals.)
ETA: Can anyone tell me which of the women in the video was Lana and which one was Espi? Thanks. (I know who was Metullus and his daughter)
Wowbagger
29th July 2011, 08:28 PM
Here's the Good News: Boy, did we get a bargain! The web site stated that our group rate would allow us to share 5 minutes of flight time. But, it looks like we got closer to 17 minutes! That's about how long the DVD they gave us runs.
I actually made a pretty big mistake, here. No one caught it, I guess, because no one cares. But...
Our group rate allowed 15 minutes of shared flight time, not 5. So the 17 minutes wasn't the huge, big bargain I wrote that it was. Sorry. My brain got a bit confabulated for a while :boxedin:
At any rate: Does anyone have any comments or questions about the experience?
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