At age 60, I decide to parachute out of a plane. It would be a fun adventure to skydive, so I make reservations at the nearest licensed facility and arrive on a sunny, cloudless morning. I think, “It is a perfect day for a jump.”
The first item on the day’s agenda is a briefing. I choose a tandem-style jump as it is the best for a first-time jumper. There is very little training required and you are strapped to an instructor by a tandem harness. After viewing a short video describing what to expect when skydiving, I sign the typical papers that I would not sue nor would my family sue the facility if anything went wrong. I proceed outside to an elevated structure where I am taught the technique for the initial jump from the plane and how to land.
Next, it is time to select my jumpsuit. I pick a bright orange jumpsuit that looks to be short enough for my 5’2” frame. It fits perfectly. “Surely this is a good omen,” I tell myself. The assistant equips me with a harness, which is buckled around my body. I am all dressed up and definitely have a place to go.
As I walk to the plane area, I realize it is just long enough that one could reconsider. “Nope, not me,” I think. I feel elated that I am going to jump. Approaching the plane, the excitement intensifies. I meet my instructor and all six of us – three students and three instructors – along with two videographers climb aboard and join the pilot. There are no seats and we all sit on the floor of the plane with each student in front of an instructor. I am buckled to my instructor’s harness and told not to loosen the buckles. That is a safety rule I am definitely obeying.
The plane climbs to 14,000 feet, which takes about 20 minutes. I listen to the hum of the plane’s engine as it ascends higher into the atmosphere. I feel thrilled and fearless as I am about to experience an incredible adventure. I realize that I am definitely going to leap out of a perfectly good airplane! When the plane reaches the correct altitude, I am the last to jump as the videographers go first followed by the others. My instructor and I scoot to the ledge of the open door and sit with our legs and feet dangling. The instructor tells me to have fun, and we leap out of the plane!
We free fall for about 60 seconds. It feels as if you are floating over a very strong fan. As we fall, the wind is noisy, and my face moves just like the flapping jowls of a dog with its head stuck out the car window. I am smiling and feeling the cold as it is about 25 degrees Celsius cooler at this altitude. During free fall, you are travelling to the earth at 193 km/h. What an exhilarating feeling!
I see the curvature of the earth and the ground rushing toward me. The 60 seconds goes by quickly. The instructor pulls the rip cord, and I am jerked upward, and all becomes silent. It is so quiet that my instructor and I are able to talk and hear each other easily. He lets me control the chute and we do spins and float along the air currents. I am ecstatic as I fly!
Nearing the landing zone, my instructor reminds me to pull my legs up and we smoothly land on our butts. As we sit on the soft grass, I laugh with joy and want to immediately do it again. My first jump is an awesome adventure.
If you are inspired to experience this amazing endeavour, you can search the Canadian Sport Parachuting Association website (www.cspa.ca) and find a member directory list of licensed drop zones. There are several facilities in British Columbia that meet the approval of this association.
About 31 million worldwide jumps are done every year with 125,000 jumps in Canada, not including the tandem statistics. I read a humorous (or not) article that said it is far safer to jump out of a plane than drive to the grocery store. Live fearlessly and skydive!
Nancy J. Schaaf taught English/Literature for 25 years and also earned a RN license and served as a school nurse and as a correctional nurse. She self-published two books on her family genealogy and several articles have been published in national magazines. She also enjoys golfing, reading, riding motorcycles and jumping out of planes as she has completed her second tandem jump.
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