The bug, in this case, is skydiving…it is so hard to explain the
feeling, particularly in text. Needless to say, I am addicted to it now,
just after one dosage. I am only 24 jumps from becoming certified! That
is the goal, probably won't happen for a year or two, but as long as I
go more than once every six months, I am good to go. So, the jump. First
I had about 5 hours worth of ground training, which actually was kinda
scary at first. We covered pretty much every malfunction that could
happen and how to remedy it (most of those remedies consisted of pulling
the red velcro and then pulling the emergency chute) but were reassured
by the jump master that most of them were rare and that most did not
apply because of the beginning rigs that we would be using to jump with.
So after we covered how to exit the plane, how to operate a parachute,
and how to land properly, the rest of the class prepared to make their
static line jumps, which just means they went up to 3500 ft and fell out
of the plane while the parachute was deployed for them, much like you
see in military movies with paratroopers. Myself, I was doing step one
of the Accelerated Freefall and so I went to have another two hours of
training on how to exit the plane for freefall, body positioning for
freefall, and the jump script. The script was the list of maneuvers I
would have to perform during freefall to pass level 1. After practicing
quite a bit, both with the instructor and in my head, it was time to get
geared up. The parachute pack weighs 32 pounds but it didn't really feel
awkward (no more so than say football pads). What was cool the whole
time I was getting ready was that I felt the same way I did before every
season opening game of football. Not so much nervous; more curious as to
what the experience would be like and then remembering that no matter
what, I was probably going to love it and want more. One more practice
run through with my instructors and then I boarded the plane with a few
other divers and my instructors. On the way up, I rehearsed verbally all
the steps I would be executing to my instructor, got my goggles on and
checked over my pack one last time. Hitting 14,000 feet, the first
couple of jumpers dove and I got to watch them for a moment. On the way
up, they were all very somber, visualizing their jump script and
anticipating possible hazards. This had a calming effect on me because I
did not feel like I was freaking out about every little detail, but
simply going through all the checks and visualizing the perfect dive. It
felt a lot like during a football game, pre-snap, when I judge down,
distance, and situation and try to figure out what I am most likely to
see and how I'll react. The parallels between my sports career and this
first jump probably helped me stay calm and business-like throughout the
process. My turn. I am jumping with two instructors, one on each side of
me to help me stabilize after exiting the plane, correcting my body
position, and generally ensuring I remember to pull my cord! Exiting
with both of them is a little different from exiting solo. I had to get
my feet pointed towards the front of the plane and as close to the
opening as possible. Then, because of my height, I was basically
kneeling with my knees pointed at the ground below, my face and
shoulders outside the plane with just my right hand holding me in. At
this point, the jump is entirely in my power. No one goes until I
initiate the jump. I did not hesitate once I got into position. Checking
in and then out with both instructors, I bobbed up, down, and then
jumped! The bobbing was the signal to the instructors letting them know
it was go time and so they could get in sync with me. I honestly don't
remember the first couple seconds because all I saw were blurs. Once we
stabilized and I got myself into the correct freefall position, I didn't
have time to realize that I was falling at 120 mph towards an
unforgiving planet. I was on a business trip and had things to do. I
only had a minute of freefall, so I had to smooth and not erratic.
Checking my altimeter, I then practiced three touches of my ripcord.
This was to ensure I knew where it was during freefall so when we hit
our pull altitude, I could find that sucker without freaking out. After
that, it was alternating between checking my altimeter and waving to the
cameraman. The instructors did spin me 360 degrees at one point which
was pretty cool. That minute went by so quickly that I almost missed my
pull altitude. I was supposed to pull at 5500 feet but did not actually
begin to pull until around 5000 ft. I fumbled a bit with the rip cord
because on the ground they had asked me not to lose it so I was making
sure I had a good hold of it. My parachute actually deployed closer to
4500 ft which, in talking with my instructor afterwards was okay but I
had had them a bit worried they were going to have to pull it for me,
which would have meant I would have to redo stage 1. The parachute
deployed perfectly, no cord twists, inflated cells, tears, rips;
essentially none of the 'high speed' or 'low speed' malfunctions that
had been taught to me on the ground occurred. The parachute ride down
was very relaxing compared to the freefall. With my huge beginner's
parachute and a guide on the ground radioing to me about turning and
finding the airport. The parachute is very maneuverable, though I know
this only from watching the experienced divers handle theirs. I did some
90 and 180 degree turns and some practice flaring, which is like putting
on air brakes, then basically guided myself back to the airport and
enjoyed the surrounding countryside. Landing went perfectly with the
impact comparable to stepping off a chair; this was through no effort of
mine, but my guide telling me when to flare. On the ground, I packed up
my parachute and reentered the hanger. I have many reflections on the
whole experience but that would extend the length of this post to
too-long lengths. In short, I loved the entire experience and look
forward to doing the next phase, where I get to learn how to turn left
and right and go forward through the air. After my jump, my instructor
and I went through that script so that I could practice it at home until
I came back. Briefly, a misconception I had before had was that all you
do is fall and then pull; there is significantly more involved with just
keeping yourself stable, let alone performing turns and other tricks in
the air. I found that I had quite an adrenaline rush but not out of
fear. Maybe it was just how the instructors taught me, but when I was
standing on the side of the plane 14,000 ft up with only my hand keeping
me in, all I was thinking of was my script. No time for fear. Anyway, I
have video of the whole thing and am going to post it once I rip it off
the DVD. Hopefully I can capture some stills from it as well. Can't wait
to do my next dive!!!