SKYDIVING!



Excitement builds!



Rolling out!  Free Falling - What a thrill!

 


Trying to catch my breath!

 


Small chute pulled




Settling in for the ride!



What a v iew!



Just had to add one more shot of  "Free falling1"

with my trainer, John Luvera, simply the BEST!

May 18, 2008

Today I fulfilled a dream I've had for years! I went Skydiving with friends!

Bill and I were up and out early. After checking in with our friend, Bud (another jumper), Bill and I drove to Clewiston, FL where the jump site is located.

After MANY pages of signatures, initials, etc., on waivers for the sky dive co., the parachute manufacturer, the county, and "everybody's brother," we were "checked out" and headed over to the hangar.

When we got to the hangar we were assigned to our trainers and videographers. We were given instructions as to what signals would be given during the jump, then we were put into our harnesses. The videographers interviewed each of us and took some still shots along with the video. Bill was also on hand to take pictures while we were preparing for the flight up.

While waiting for the plane we watched some of the sky dive personnel packing the chutes. I was amazed at how large the chutes are and how they manage to get them into such a small space. We learned that the trainer allows enough time so that in the event the first chute doesn't open he can cut it away and open the reserve. We were also told that the chutes are packed under the eyes of the FAA and each reserve chute is taken out and repacked every 120 days whether it has been used or not.

After only a short while, but what seemed like "forever," the plane pulled forward and we were told it was boarding time. I gave Bill a kiss, told him I loved him and was off and running! Jorge, Bud's friend, and I were laughing and holding hands as we ran excitedly toward the plane, with Bud following close behind.

The plane was small, holding only 12 people, (four jumpers, four trainers, and four videographers). So, it was Jorge, Bud, me, and another guy named Sam. There were no seats, other than two boards - one on each side of the plane. We were instructed that the trainer boards first, the diver sits in his lap, and the videographer sits in front of the diver, so there's six people on each side of the plane.

My trainer boarded first, straddling the bench with his back to the cockpit, I followed, then my videographer. In front of him was Jorge's trainer, Jorge and her videographer. On the other side of the plane was Bud and Sam and their trainers and videographers. By the time we were all boarded, it was quite a snug little place! The videographers took some video while we were climbing to our jump altitude of 13,500 feet.

I've had butterflies in my stomach all week, but once we were ascending to our jump altitude they miraculously disappeared, and I had a calmness come over me, as if jumping was what I was destined to do, and I didn't have to think about it any more. My videographer asked me if I was ready and I said, "Yes, I'm ready!" He then told me that when it came our turn to jump he would go first and be hanging over to my left, so that when my trainer and I jumped I should look to the left.

At that point, my trainer tightened up my harness and attached it to his equipment. He had me shift around so that he could check the tightness and had me confirm that it felt tight.

Jorge and her crew were the first to jump as they were nearest the back door. The door opened and in a heart beat they were gone - the last thing I remember seeing of them was Jorge's blonde ponytail flying out of the plane! Next went Sam and his crew, then Bud and his guys...then it was our turn!

Out went my videographer, then John, my trainer, told me to scoot forward, sit down in the door and hang my legs out of the plane and to arch my back and hold my head up once we jumped. When we rolled out we did a flip - it was awesome! I looked to my left and sure enough there was my videographer filming us. We were free falling at the rate of approximately 120 miles per hour. The atmosphere was quite cool and the roar was so loud that I couldn't really hear the trainer when he spoke to me! It was at that point that I understood why they have hand signals! The pressure was so great that it was really hard to breathe. It felt as if all the air was being sucked out of my lungs and I couldn't catch my breath! I remember looking down and realizing we still had a long way to go, it was only at that moment, for the briefest of moments, that I though what have I gotten myself into - this is going to be a wild ride! I don't know if I can do this or not...then reality sank in. I realized I had to do it as I was already out of the plane...freefalling! I could literally feel my skin rolling back on my face and arms from the pressure, but it was the most exhilarating feeling of my life! My adrenaline must have been on full throttle!

John opened the first chute, which was a small one, and it slowed us down to a speed normal for a solo jumper. When the main chute opened we were instantaneously shot back up into the air. It literally felt as if we had been shot out of a cannon, and my videographer disappeared right before my eyes! John twirled us around and we did a flip or two and then everything started calming down. I'm sure we were still falling fairly fast, but it actually felt like we were suspended in mid-air! It was awesome! I took my goggles off and surprisingly enough the wind didn't bother my eyes - (I had my contacts in so the staff had given me very tight fitting goggles for the initial jump). Because of the fires burning around the Lake Okeechobee area there was some smoke in the air and the atmosphere wasn't as clear as it normally is; however, we could still see over a wide range of area.

I could see Bud, Jorge and Sam below, nearing their landings and I could feel John moving or working the equipment as we neared the ground. We had been out of the plane between five and six minutes, which doesn't seem like a long time, until you take into consideration we were falling the entire time! Right before we landed John told me to lift my legs up, which I did. At that point he set his feet on the ground and I simply sat down in front of him. As he helped me up I noticed my videographer was already there shooting footage. John and I posed for a couple of shots and then I was off to the hangar to meet Bill. Afterwards, I ran to the office, elated, and yelled to everyone present that I had just experienced the thrill of a lifetime and that it was awesome!

In retrospect... I feel a sense of accomplishment, as I'm 61 years old, and I broke my arm only seven months ago and have a rod and three pins in it...so to be able to roll out of that plane and truly enjoy the jump was wonderful. I also feel very fortunate that I had John, a great trainer, for my first jump.

REASONS FOR JUMPING...
1. I've always wanted to - it was just a dream for years, as it always seemed to
get shuffled to the bottom of my "bucket list."
2. I wanted to prove to myself that after all the pain I've been through with my
arm over the past few months, that I could still be physically active.

3. And, what the heck...if George Bush SR could do it why couldn't I?

It was an adventure I'll never forget and NEVER regret!

Sometimes you just have to "get outside the box" and enjoy life! As Bill always says, "If you're not living on the edge you're taking up too much space!"