I never got the thought of skydiving until I saw one of my
friend’s skydiving video. I was startled to see him take the leap. It instilled
a strong desire to jump from an airplane freefalling down to the ground. On
that day I decided that I will try it definitely.
During the Christmas holidays of 2015, I planned to do a
road trip from Fairfax, VA to Miami, FL. I saw the map and Titusville, FL was
almost on my way. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity. Skydive Space Center at
Titusville was my choice because it had the “World’s Highest Jump” from an
altitude of 18000 feet!! And very few skydiving places have it.
The days passed by and as my jump date approached, my heart
beat went faster, not because I was scared, but because of the thrill to do
something that I had never dreamt of doing “Skydive”. December 29, 2015 was the
day of action. Upon arrival at the skydive space center, there was paperwork to
be completed wherein I signed my life away i.e. basically to say that no one is
responsible if anything happens to me in the event of a mishap that may lead to
any injuries or death.
There were three different video packages to choose from. In
the basic video package, there would be a GoPro on the instructor’s wrist. The
next package had a cameraman who would be jumping ahead of us. The ultimate
package would have the GoPro on the instructor’s hand and the cameraman to record
videos and take pictures as well. I chose the ultimate video package though it
was more than double the price of the basic one. I told myself “Do it once and
have all the memories”
After the paperwork, I met my instructor who walked me
through the procedure. I was told to keep my chin upright and knees bent to get
the best freefall experience and while landing it would be easy if my legs were
parallel to the ground. He informed me that I was going to be the first jumper
of the day and when ready to jump, he would count 1, 2, 3 and pat twice on my
back which was a signal for me to jump.
The instructor put on my jumpsuit and we boarded the
airplane along with the other jumpers and cameramen. I was taken aback seeing
the flight. It was small and old, and there were several of us crammed in
there. I was seated just next to the hatch that was open when the flight took
off. I held tight thinking that I might fall off the door. After going to a
certain height, the door was shut.
Once we reached 18,000 feet, my instructor showed me the
altimeter and told me to get ready for the big jump. The cameraman jumped first
and within seconds it was my turn. I scooted right up to the edge. I wondered
if I would hit the airplane’s wing because of the air thrust. There was no time
to think. I was signaled to jump, and I immediately sprang. I could see the
greens and the endless horizon. The wind gushed, creating a pressure on my
face, blocking my ears and blowing my hair. I was thrilled and shouted with all
my heart.
The camera person came to me, gave me a hi-fi and was pushed back. He
came back again, held my hands and gave me a circular spin. I did not expect
this and felt overjoyed. I could only imagine the videos of professional
skydivers in which they held each other and spun. After the spin, he told me
good bye and went away floating in the air. Even the best of rollercoasters
will not give the adrenaline rush and excitement that a freefall gives.
I had
the luxury of a whopping 2 minute freefall which is rare to get. The instructor
signals that it is time to open the parachute. I never went parasailing or any
kind of that sport before, so it was my first parachute experience as well. In
the middle of our parachute float, the instructor gave me the control to pull the
string and we went whirling. The parachute ride took around 5 minutes during
which I could see the location of Kennedy Space Center and the scenic beauty.
The landing was smooth and I was on cloud nine to get the exhilarating experience.
It was way beyond my expectations. I would love to do this again.
Below is the video of my jump:
