That Time I Went Skydiving

My dad turned 65 this year and my sisters and I wanted to give him some sort of cool experience to mark the occasion.  We kicked around a few ideas before chipping in on a skydiving gift certificate--and I decided I would go with him*.  I wouldn't say my decision was a whim exactly, but it certainly wasn't well thought out or the culmination of a lifelong dream either.  I just figured it would be a crazy and cool thing to do with my dad.  

Geared up and ready to go!  Photo credit to Matt.

Boy, was that the truth of it, too!!!  It was both super crazy and super cool.  Sharing the experience with my dad made it even better.  Matt was watching from the ground with my stepmother, Dana, and my sister, Sarah.  They were an excellent support squad.  

To my surprise, I didn't ever really get nervous.  That's the honest to goodness truth.  As I overheard one of the instructors say:  Driving your car here was the most dangerous part!  I wasn't worried about plummeting to my death or anything.  It was a tandem jump so I had a professional doing all the work, more or less.  I got just a touch of butterflies in my stomach the morning of the jump when I decided to re-watch the jump a friend had made last year, but only briefly.  That moment when the door opened looked...intense.

As we were waiting for our timeslot I observed several people soaring down under canopy.  From the moment I laid eyes on the first one I was incredibly--eagerly--excited!  I figured getting out of the plane and freefall might be freaky when the moment came, but the glide portion looked brilliant and beautiful.  It reminded me of flying my dual-string kite**. 

That's my parachute passing in front of the clouds as we approached the landing zone.  Photo credit to Matt.

The plane ride up took longer than I expected and it was the tiniest plane I've ever been in.   My ears popped what seemed like 20 times since it wasn't a pressurized cabin.  My dad and I were basically sitting in our instructors' laps on the floor and there was just enough room for a pilot (who was munching a granola bar as we gained elevation in a fantastically nonchalant, I-do-this-all-day-every-day sort of way).  The clouds looked so enticing as we climbed up and up and up.  The sky was bright and blue.  The mountains ringed the horizon.  It was such a beautiful day***.  

Then it was time for goggles-on, my instructor flung open the door,  and the clouds were RIGHT THERE below me.  It was all I could see.  The blue sky above and clouds below framed through the tiny door.  It was nuts.

The moment the door opened everything else faded into the background.  I felt a single-minded focus and steady calm about all I was about to do.  It was just me and the guy strapped to my back.  I didn't think about my dad behind me.  I didn't think about Matt on the ground.  I didn't think about how crazy this idea was.  I didn't think about things going wrong or right.  I didn't think about anything except swinging my feet out onto the little step alongside my instructor's before we fell away from the plane....

...plummeting...

....into the clouds.

The tumbling!  The speed!  It was soooooooooooooo cool!  I fell through a cloud!  

Free fall lasted about 45-50 seconds.  It seemed like forever as it was happening.  What a magnificent feeling!!!  It was a freedom and bodily sensation unlike anything I've previously experienced.  We were falling at something like 120 mph.  The world went topsy-turvy; up and down had no clear meaning.  The wind felt electric on my skin.  I don't know if I can adequately put it into words.  It was my favorite part.  It was exhilarating beyond measure.  I thought it would be the "scary" part--which, I suppose, it arguably was--but it was so darn cool that is my lasting impression.  When the finally chute opened I couldn't stop cackling with delight.   It was mind blowing.  

As expected, floating under the parachute was pretty rad as well.  The view was outstanding--fields, forests, mountains, a baseball park with a game in progress, industry, homes.  It was such a unique view on all that life and activity.  The canopy part, as expected, also had some enjoyable similarities with my kite, including when I got to pull on the straps to make us turn right and then left in a couple fast little circles.  It was like I got to be the kite.

It was over all too quickly. 

Landing was easy-peasy and surprisingly gentle.  It was more of a core workout than I expected since I was instructed to lift and hold my legs straight out in front of me, trying not to catch my heels as we came in for soft landing on our butts.  I got covered in the freshly mown grass and stood up laughing and clapping with glee.  I got to watch my dad land a few minutes later.

That's me coming in for a landing.  Photo credit to Matt.

I was jazzed.  Floored.  Alive.  Invigorated.  Buzzing.  Amped.  I felt like I was flying even while my feet were on the ground.  It was amazing.  I loved every single second of it****.  

*We consulted with him beforehand, of course, to confirm that it was something that he'd like to do.  As it happens, he was already planning to give it a go this summer.  So, it was a perfect experience gift.

**My dual-line parafoil kite and the skydiving parachute seemed remarkably similar in construction actually--rectangular, sectional canopy with four points of connection and two steering straps.  

***My dad and I had initially planned to jump in July, but had to postpone so my dad could have eye surgery.   It varies considerably, but I think it was a lot smokier in late July than it was in late August.  So not only was my dad's vision better for the jump, but the sky was actually blue and the mountains were visible!  

**** In the video it may not always look like that is true--it was sensory overload and I was concentrating on doing all the things they'd told me to do--but rest assured I am loving every bit of it.  Having my mind blown for sure, but loving it.  There are portions of the video that made me howl with laughter--the flappy facial skin, for one, and how dazed/stunned I look at a few points!  

 My parachute is just a itty-bitty red speck up in the center of the photos, illuminated against the blue sky.  Photo credit to Matt. 

Note:  Unless otherwise specified, all photos (and the video) were take by my instructor/tandem double, Eric from D-Zone.