“Jumping is a lot of fun! Skydiving isn’t simply falling; it’s flying—closest yet to free, unencumbered, non-mechanical individual flight,” notes Mike Turoff in The Skydiver’s Handbook. I completely agree with him.
I remember the day when I made my first jump very well. It was a beautiful sunny day. I met my instructor at the skydiving center and we went through all the safety procedures. Then we got on the plane. The weather was great and the view from above was incredible. After a while, we reached the desired altitude and it was time to jump.
I was a little bit scared but excited at the same time. My instructor attached me to the parachute and we jumped out of the plane together. For a few seconds, I felt like I was falling freely through the air. Then, the parachute opened up and we started floating gently down to the ground.
It was an amazing experience and I would definitely do it again. Skydiving is an extreme sport but it is also very safe if you follow all the safety procedures. I would encourage everyone to try it at least once in their life.”
The first time I heard about skydiving was from the Internet and television. The Internet is full of information on skydiving. My initial jump was part of the accelerated free fall (AFF). AFF is a training program for new skydivers that consists of fourteen jumps. Even though it has fourteen leaps, you will always remember your first!
On the first day, I had to sign a lot of documents which basically said that skydiving is dangerous and I could die.
I felt very excited but also quite scared when I was standing on the edge of the plane. My heart was racing so fast! However, as soon as I jumped, those feelings were replaced by great adrenaline and pure happiness. It was one of the most amazing experiences in my life!
The free fall only lasted for around 60 seconds but it felt much longer. Then, the parachute opened and I could finally enjoy the view and relax a bit. Skydiving is definitely not for everyone but if you are looking for an adventure, it is definitely something worth trying!
On the day of the jump, I went to the skydiving center at 8:30 a.m. The AFF course began at 9:00 a.m. Information on basic parachute equipment, free-falling techniques, emergency procedures, parachute opening, canopy control, and finally landing were all covered in the course. Before we begin the course, we must sign a waiver.
After the course, we watched a video about skydiving safety and then geared up. I put on a jumpsuit, helmet, goggles, and gloves. The instructor checked our equipment and then we boarded the plane.
The plane was a small Cessna 206 and it took off quickly. We climbed to 14,000 feet and the door opened. I was sitting in the back of the plane so I had to scoot forward on my butt to get to the door. The instructor went first and then it was my turn.
I hesitate for a bit because I was really scared but then I remembered that I have done way scarier things before. I took a deep breath and jumped.
The first thing I felt was the wind rushing past me and then I felt my stomach drop. I freefell for about 60 seconds before the instructor deployed our parachutes. We floated down for about 5 minutes before landing safely on the ground.
We were only four people in the class. The AFF students studied all of the essential topics in order to make a safe skydive. We utilized specialized equipment to study parachute equipment, canopy control, and landing. After seven long hours, we took a written test at the conclusion of the class. Everyone passed with flying colors.
We were all excited to move on to the next level, which was the real thing. The following day we met at the drop zone early in the morning. We had to do a pre-jump check and sign a bunch of release forms. Then we put on our jumpsuits and headed for the plane.
As we climbed to 10,000 feet, I started to get a little bit nervous. But as soon as we got out of the plane, all my fears disappeared. The free fall was amazing! I felt like I was flying. It was an incredible experience.
After the parachute opened, I had to steer it towards the landing area. It wasn’t easy, but I made it! Skydiving is an amazing experience that I will never forget.