OK - so I had done 3 tandem jumps before I started and then paused AFF solo training (more later). Certainly do a tandem before you start. IF you can, spend a few minutes in an indoor skydive facility, but that's just extra help (but a big leg up to understand the wind/noise/body positioning). These two will evaluate your tolerance for the different fear levels you are going to have. I think there are three scary parts until you get used to it. 1) The plane ride up...For me the plane ride up wasn't scary at all (I'm very comfortable flying in small planes, but understand you are CRAMMED into them usually - so if you are claustrophobic maybe not the most fun). 2) Opening the door and watching people plummet... What scared the crap out of me was when they open the door and people start exiting (slightly rocking the small Pac750 - as a tandem or a student you'll be in the front/one of the last to jump). Every ounce of my being said crawling toward that door was a terrible idea. It's not instinctual in the least bit and you just have to go off your faith in the instructors and your training. 3) The wind. It's SUPER windy (Imagine holding your head out of a car window going about 120mph!). Once you get over all that it's pretty smooth going and tons of fun from there out. I did three tandems for fun over 8 years, then started AFF (the solo training program) and got to level 5 of 7 when my mom passed suddenly. I took a long break and had a ton of new fear for some reason. I really had to fight through that to keep going and start again, but around jump 25 or so it became like hopping on a bicycle... The fear wasn't there anymore. You do need to keep current in that you jump fairly frequently, understand how all the equipment works, what your EP's (emergency procedures) are and be mindful. It's actually pretty safe if you do it right. And right isn't that hard to do. The biggest risk is not knowing what to do in a very rare emergency.