03-03-2007, 06:20 AM
Funny you mention the trees... that macho guy (with thick NYC accent) who was in my jump group had been acting like big man on campus all day, posturing how this was no big deal, if you felt scared (I had admitted that I was nervous) you were just too wimpy, and should go home if you couldn't cut it. When we boarded the airplane, I went in first (being the smallest of the group) and the big guy was last in so he would be first out. Well, we got to the target landing area, he went out on the wing and basically froze, refusing to let go of the plane. The instructor had to scamper out there, pry his hands from the wing stanchion and off he went. When the instructor came back in the airplane to mortified faces all around, he explained that we were nearing the end of the field we were to jump onto (which was bordered by trees) and since they couldn't get him back in the plane they had to force him to jump in case he let go at an inopportune time hock: When I finished my jump he was still sitting on the ground with his head in his hands, crying like a baby....