My First Skydive-Part 4
The wind finally calms down, but the four of us cannot make our jump together. Bob goes up first with a bunch of other experienced jumpers. Bob is also the only one not to make it to the landing area. He lands in a softball field at a church down the road. The jump school’s office personnel have to drive down there to pick him up. Next, Rick goes up, and makes his jump. His jump goes just fine, and Zach and I pump him for answers. They start refueling the plane, and we get suited up. Coincidentally, we find ourselves in matching blue jump suits. We are also the only ones who are having a video made of our jumps, so hopefully neither one of us will land elsewhere, like the sewage pond. Gary and Joel will be jumping with me. While Joel is inserting my radio in my helmet, I meet Steve. Steve will be recording my jump. He starts up his camera and asks, “So how you feelin’ today?” Whereas I could normally joke around, I’m far too anxious to say anything witty or clever. Quickly, our pre-jump interview is over, and Steve tells me two important things. First of all, I should just ignore him during the jump. Otherwise, I may get to carried away showing off in front of the camera and forget to deploy my parachute. Secondly, I have to follow through and jump when I give the signal. Steve will jump on my signal, and if I hesitate, he’s gone and I lose my video. Gary comes over and starts going through an equipment check of my rig with me. By this time, the plane is starting up and everyone else is on board. My parachute is allegedly in perfect working order. Gary, Joel, Steve, and I walk out towards the plane. We go through one last jump procedure, then we are on the plane.
This brings me to the beginning of this story. I am in the plane on its descent watching my altimeter increase. We reach 5,000 feet. This is the altitude where I must deploy my main parachute. I am thinking, “I’m not so sure this is a good idea anymore.” 5,000 feet down, 8,500 feet to go. I am sitting right beside Gary. Joel is right in front of me, and Steve is immediately to his right. Steve starts up his camera one last time and points it at me. “Is there last thing you want to say?” he asks. I quip, “I hope I don’t die.” Gary turns to me, “Well neither do we. We hate filling out all that paper work. Don’t worry, though. We will be fine.” Gary smiles and gives me the “relax” signal.
We reach the jump zone. The experienced jumpers go first. They don’t count down. They simply jump out of the plane like it’s nothing. Next, it is my turn, and its time for my jump procedures. Joel turns to me, “WE’RE ON RUN ONE.” At this point, every word is screamed to overcome the engine and the wind.
I respond, “IS MY RADIO ON?”
Joel replies, “YES IT IS. ARE YOU READY TO JUMP?”
“YES I AM.”
“CLIMB ON OUT.”
At this point I think to myself, “Okay, Rob, whatever you do, don’t vomit right as you jump, or else you’ll fall right through it.” Joel climbs out ahead of me and his hanging the side of the plane using a metal bar just above the door way. I climb out afterwards holding the same bar and facing the plane so that I am immediately to his right. Steve is immediately to my left with the camera rolling. Gary is right in the door way facing me. I look at Gary, “CHECK IN!” Gary replies, “CHECK!” I turn to Joel, “CHECK OUT!” Joel says, “CHECK!” I look towards the front of the plane toward the engine, “PROP!” Everything that follows flows together in about four seconds. I cry, “UP” and rise up on my toes. I cry, “DOWN” and immediately lower myself. Lastly, I yell, “ARCH! ARCH! ARCH!” lean backwards, release my hands and fall off the plane with everyone else.
Words cannot describe the immediate rush as I accelerate to terminal velocity. While I cannot visually tell that I am moving, all my organs seem to be back on the plane. The wind, the view, the feeling, everything is surreal. I don’t have time to enjoy the view. Immediately, I turn to my left and check my altitude. I look over at Joel and say, “TWELVE THOUSAND!” He gives me thumbs down, so I arch my pelvis more. I turn to my right and say to Gary, “TWELVE THOUSAND!” and receive thumbs up. Next, I go through three practice hand tosses. I reach my right arm back to the rig to be sure I can find the handle for my main parachute, then repeat the process twice. I check my altitude again and look over at Joel. I scream, “TEN THOUSAND!” He gives me thumbs up. I turn to Gary and repeat my altitude. I get thumbs up, again. From this point out, all I have to do his check my altitude and enjoy the view. I reach nine thousand, eight thousand, seven thousand feet over the next ten seconds. I cannot believe this is happening. I must be sweating adrenaline. I get to six thousand feet, and lock on to my altimeter. Five thousand feet is approaching. I wave my arms to signal I am about to release my main chute, reach back, and fling the handle out. Everything works perfectly. My parachute is square, secure, and steer-able. I grab the steering toggles and yank both of them down twice. I then execute two 360 degree turns to orient myself. I can see the runway, the hangar, and the landing zone. I know right where I am. I just let myself float down from 3,000 feet to 1,000 feet before I begin my landing procedures. At 1,000 feet I start the first leg of my descent. Joel chimes in on my radio, “Okay, Rob, you’re looking great, but you need to burn up some altitude. Start making some S-turns.” I comply. At 600 feet, I make a 90 degree turn to my right. Joel comes in again. “Rob, you still look to great, but you’re about to go too far. Do some more S-turns. I repeat the process. At 300 feet, I make another 90 degree turn to the right, and begin the final leg of my approach. I am coming in right over the landing area. “Rob, let the toggles up so you can glide on in. Great. You’re coming in just fine. You look like you can land this one standing.” I am almost to the ground. Roughly 50 feet are between us, then 40, then 30, 20, 10. “All right Rob, flare your air brakes.” I yank both steering toggles down all the way. My feet hit the ground, but I fall backwards right on my butt.
I would have been upset at not landing on my feet, but I’m amazed at what I just did. My parachute hits the ground ahead of me. I stand up and start rolling up my parachute. My eyes are wide open and I am grinning ear to ear. Steve comes up to me with his camera in hand. “How was it?”
“It was…intense!” My eyes are still wide open and I cannot stop smiling.
“So how does it feel to be back in your comfort zone?”
“Yes, I am very happy. That was intense!”
The camera is off, and Gary approaches me to help me roll up my parachute. All of the following small talk rolls right off of me. I can feel the adrenaline pulsing through the veins in the side of my head. I meet Alex who is in the same mental state as me. We get one picture together, side by side with our helmets in one hand and our parachutes over our shoulders. We all walk back to the hangar. That was so much cooler than getting a date. Forget ever dating; I may just continue skydiving.
I wish words could capture how amazing it was. I’ll post my pictures next. I wonder if there is anyway I could upload my video on my diary.
This brings me to the beginning of this story. I am in the plane on its descent watching my altimeter increase. We reach 5,000 feet. This is the altitude where I must deploy my main parachute. I am thinking, “I’m not so sure this is a good idea anymore.” 5,000 feet down, 8,500 feet to go. I am sitting right beside Gary. Joel is right in front of me, and Steve is immediately to his right. Steve starts up his camera one last time and points it at me. “Is there last thing you want to say?” he asks. I quip, “I hope I don’t die.” Gary turns to me, “Well neither do we. We hate filling out all that paper work. Don’t worry, though. We will be fine.” Gary smiles and gives me the “relax” signal.
We reach the jump zone. The experienced jumpers go first. They don’t count down. They simply jump out of the plane like it’s nothing. Next, it is my turn, and its time for my jump procedures. Joel turns to me, “WE’RE ON RUN ONE.” At this point, every word is screamed to overcome the engine and the wind.
I respond, “IS MY RADIO ON?”
Joel replies, “YES IT IS. ARE YOU READY TO JUMP?”
“YES I AM.”
“CLIMB ON OUT.”
At this point I think to myself, “Okay, Rob, whatever you do, don’t vomit right as you jump, or else you’ll fall right through it.” Joel climbs out ahead of me and his hanging the side of the plane using a metal bar just above the door way. I climb out afterwards holding the same bar and facing the plane so that I am immediately to his right. Steve is immediately to my left with the camera rolling. Gary is right in the door way facing me. I look at Gary, “CHECK IN!” Gary replies, “CHECK!” I turn to Joel, “CHECK OUT!” Joel says, “CHECK!” I look towards the front of the plane toward the engine, “PROP!” Everything that follows flows together in about four seconds. I cry, “UP” and rise up on my toes. I cry, “DOWN” and immediately lower myself. Lastly, I yell, “ARCH! ARCH! ARCH!” lean backwards, release my hands and fall off the plane with everyone else.
Words cannot describe the immediate rush as I accelerate to terminal velocity. While I cannot visually tell that I am moving, all my organs seem to be back on the plane. The wind, the view, the feeling, everything is surreal. I don’t have time to enjoy the view. Immediately, I turn to my left and check my altitude. I look over at Joel and say, “TWELVE THOUSAND!” He gives me thumbs down, so I arch my pelvis more. I turn to my right and say to Gary, “TWELVE THOUSAND!” and receive thumbs up. Next, I go through three practice hand tosses. I reach my right arm back to the rig to be sure I can find the handle for my main parachute, then repeat the process twice. I check my altitude again and look over at Joel. I scream, “TEN THOUSAND!” He gives me thumbs up. I turn to Gary and repeat my altitude. I get thumbs up, again. From this point out, all I have to do his check my altitude and enjoy the view. I reach nine thousand, eight thousand, seven thousand feet over the next ten seconds. I cannot believe this is happening. I must be sweating adrenaline. I get to six thousand feet, and lock on to my altimeter. Five thousand feet is approaching. I wave my arms to signal I am about to release my main chute, reach back, and fling the handle out. Everything works perfectly. My parachute is square, secure, and steer-able. I grab the steering toggles and yank both of them down twice. I then execute two 360 degree turns to orient myself. I can see the runway, the hangar, and the landing zone. I know right where I am. I just let myself float down from 3,000 feet to 1,000 feet before I begin my landing procedures. At 1,000 feet I start the first leg of my descent. Joel chimes in on my radio, “Okay, Rob, you’re looking great, but you need to burn up some altitude. Start making some S-turns.” I comply. At 600 feet, I make a 90 degree turn to my right. Joel comes in again. “Rob, you still look to great, but you’re about to go too far. Do some more S-turns. I repeat the process. At 300 feet, I make another 90 degree turn to the right, and begin the final leg of my approach. I am coming in right over the landing area. “Rob, let the toggles up so you can glide on in. Great. You’re coming in just fine. You look like you can land this one standing.” I am almost to the ground. Roughly 50 feet are between us, then 40, then 30, 20, 10. “All right Rob, flare your air brakes.” I yank both steering toggles down all the way. My feet hit the ground, but I fall backwards right on my butt.
I would have been upset at not landing on my feet, but I’m amazed at what I just did. My parachute hits the ground ahead of me. I stand up and start rolling up my parachute. My eyes are wide open and I am grinning ear to ear. Steve comes up to me with his camera in hand. “How was it?”
“It was…intense!” My eyes are still wide open and I cannot stop smiling.
“So how does it feel to be back in your comfort zone?”
“Yes, I am very happy. That was intense!”
The camera is off, and Gary approaches me to help me roll up my parachute. All of the following small talk rolls right off of me. I can feel the adrenaline pulsing through the veins in the side of my head. I meet Alex who is in the same mental state as me. We get one picture together, side by side with our helmets in one hand and our parachutes over our shoulders. We all walk back to the hangar. That was so much cooler than getting a date. Forget ever dating; I may just continue skydiving.
I wish words could capture how amazing it was. I’ll post my pictures next. I wonder if there is anyway I could upload my video on my diary.