The jump
I jumped from an airplane yesterday. No, seriously. I jumped out of an airplane yesterday. And I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
As soon as Rami proposed the idea of skydiving, I didn't think twice. I'm usually not the risk-taker in any group, but doing this seemed so simple. It's true that jumping out of a plane with a parachute attached to your back (or the back of your tandem master) is safer than, say, driving around the block in your 4 door vehicle. Just think about THAT the next time you try to decide how to get to work in the morning.
We started our drive at 8:30am for an 11am engagement. The drop zone was Bennett Airport in Salisbury, on the eastern shore of Maryland. We got to the location, and immediately discovered why it was a smart idea to arrive 10-15 minutes early: airport security. Her name is Daph-a-nee. Or at least that's how the old guy pronounced it (sorry, I forgot his name...).
We spent 30 minutes watching a video and signing our lives away. Then we met Bobby and Anthony, our tandem masters. They taught us how to arc our bodies during the free fall and then got the first two pair dressed in jumpsuits.
The ride up to 10,000 feet in the air took around 20 minutes. The plane was only a small Cessna, run by propeller, so what can you expect? Small and dinky. Not a plane you'd want to ride in for long, believe me. We were happy we were jumping out of it.
The experience in the air was just tremendous. After 40 seconds of freefall, where I was concentrating more on breathing than anything else (what else would you do while falling at a clip of 120 mph, with the cold wind slamming against your face, as you stare down 10,000 feet?), Bobby pulled the ripcord and we slowed down to a nice glide. I immediately started to giggle (Bobby liked the giggling). The experience is just too much to describe in words. The beauty of the Chesepeake landscape was in front of me, and I was just in awe. Bobby loosened the harness around my legs and lower body and did some twirls in the air. The sky was an absolute gorgeous color of blue, no clouds in the sky (I thought of maybe catching a couple in a ziplock bag, but there were none to grab), and unfortunately, the ground was getting closer every passing second. All I wanted to do was stay up there forever.
As we got closer to landing, Bobby gave me instructions of what to do with my legs. We hit the ground with our feet, and I immediately dropped to the ground and started the giggle again, just trying to let the entirety of the experience sink in.
People think we were crazy for going. But I say we were the smartest that day. To witness the the beauty and wonder of the world God gave us, from litereally a birds-eye view is something we don't get to do so often. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
To see the entire slideshow, click here. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of me while in the air. Oh well. Maybe next time.
As soon as Rami proposed the idea of skydiving, I didn't think twice. I'm usually not the risk-taker in any group, but doing this seemed so simple. It's true that jumping out of a plane with a parachute attached to your back (or the back of your tandem master) is safer than, say, driving around the block in your 4 door vehicle. Just think about THAT the next time you try to decide how to get to work in the morning.
We started our drive at 8:30am for an 11am engagement. The drop zone was Bennett Airport in Salisbury, on the eastern shore of Maryland. We got to the location, and immediately discovered why it was a smart idea to arrive 10-15 minutes early: airport security. Her name is Daph-a-nee. Or at least that's how the old guy pronounced it (sorry, I forgot his name...).
We spent 30 minutes watching a video and signing our lives away. Then we met Bobby and Anthony, our tandem masters. They taught us how to arc our bodies during the free fall and then got the first two pair dressed in jumpsuits.
The ride up to 10,000 feet in the air took around 20 minutes. The plane was only a small Cessna, run by propeller, so what can you expect? Small and dinky. Not a plane you'd want to ride in for long, believe me. We were happy we were jumping out of it.
The experience in the air was just tremendous. After 40 seconds of freefall, where I was concentrating more on breathing than anything else (what else would you do while falling at a clip of 120 mph, with the cold wind slamming against your face, as you stare down 10,000 feet?), Bobby pulled the ripcord and we slowed down to a nice glide. I immediately started to giggle (Bobby liked the giggling). The experience is just too much to describe in words. The beauty of the Chesepeake landscape was in front of me, and I was just in awe. Bobby loosened the harness around my legs and lower body and did some twirls in the air. The sky was an absolute gorgeous color of blue, no clouds in the sky (I thought of maybe catching a couple in a ziplock bag, but there were none to grab), and unfortunately, the ground was getting closer every passing second. All I wanted to do was stay up there forever.
As we got closer to landing, Bobby gave me instructions of what to do with my legs. We hit the ground with our feet, and I immediately dropped to the ground and started the giggle again, just trying to let the entirety of the experience sink in.
People think we were crazy for going. But I say we were the smartest that day. To witness the the beauty and wonder of the world God gave us, from litereally a birds-eye view is something we don't get to do so often. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
To see the entire slideshow, click here. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of me while in the air. Oh well. Maybe next time.
posted by elanit | 10:18 PM
2 Comments:
That's soooo cool. Let me know next time you're going: I've wanted to try skydiving, I was just being cheap :P
You are the coolest person I know!
Shuli
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