Skydiving (Final)

Our plane took off and reached at certain height and then one guy opened door of plane, My friend thought from here only we have to jump and it’s not much height but our instructor told it’s not for you, we are just 6000ft above one small jumper in us and he going to jump from here, and within a second one guy disappear from the plane, we both got more nervous. Plane door got closed and plane started taking more and more height. My instructor was showing me wrist watch which was displaying height we took. 10000, 11000, 11500 and then finally 13000 where our plane took steady state and started flying on similar height, Plane door got opened, solo jumpers geared up for jumps. They all wished us and one by one they all got disappear in the sky. My Instructor tied me well to himself and we both slide to the edge of the plane door, I saw first time out from the plane, I am seating with my both legs hanging outside the plane and arms crossed to my chest. Just imagine sitting on terrace of 4 story building with legs hanging to ground also scares a lot sometime and I was sitting on 13000ft height like that. It feels like I am in heaven where below me everywhere white cloud.
My instructor started counting one, two and Oh My god, I was flying, YIEPIEEEEEEEEEEEE, I was flying for the first time, It was really great, my speed was gradually increasing, I was enjoying each and every moment of it, I did not realise but my fear, nervousness ran off and it’s just happy and enjoyment, after 10 seconds my instructor started tapping me to shoulder, he tapped me one time more and I suddenly realise, it’s his first sign to change my body position in air, All instruction flushed out from my mind totally for a moment after jump. I made my position as instructed. I was going down so fast to the white floor, I saw my cameraman flying on little distance from me and he was taking my snaps, I gave some good pose to him in the air for snaps. My instructor then made this jump more enjoyable by taking 360 degree turn clockwise and then anticlockwise. Meantime we reached to the 6000ft height where instructor launched the parachute and it was break to our speed, after few settlement in that position instructor handed over the parachute control to me and gave some lessons how to navigate it. View of the earth was really amazing, we were cutting the distance gradually between ours and ground.
Instructor gave me final instructions of landing, my photographer was already there to shoot my landing, and we landed safely. It was great achievement to me, I landed in one piece. Before 10 minutes I was all nervous what going to happen and now all excited that yes I did it. My friend also landed safely back to me with her instructor. We both were happy and excited. Our instructor appreciated both of us. Next task was to call back home in India and tell them I jumped and I am safe :P
We were wishing we both could do it again and this time solo not tandem. I and my friend thank all the staff for their support and encouragement. We both received our jump certificate and we left the camp in happy mood. Three cheers for my friend because of her it all had happened.

Mayuresh

Skydiving - Part 1

Adventure sports one of my passions. Somewhere in back of mind I wanted to do Skydiving but never took it seriously. It all suddenly happened because of my other adventure enthusiast friend. I was in UK and I called my friend to plan for upcoming long weekend and she shared her thought with me about skydiving and I told I am IN. I did not think for a second to reply her.
It was in Netheravon, Army parachute association near Salisbury, wiltshire in UK, My friend did all enquiry about it and yes it was not solo jump, It was Tandem Jump where instructor will be tied up to you. For solo jump you should be certified and to get that you have to undergo almost 14 weeks training course. We booked date 17 April 2011 for our tandem skydiving .I and my friend reached to the camp and surprised to see crowd of skydivers. One guy gave us lift from camp gate to the skydiving registration office in his car, while chatting with him we came to know that this guy has done more than 500 jumps. He also told us that most of the guys come here for jump in weekends.
We registered ourselves in the office for the jump; all guys present were so supportive and helpful. Nothing to hide but we both were little nervous and office guys finds out easily, they were making both of us relax and sharing their experiences with us. We paid for our jump and yes few extra pounds to capture our jump in camera. One Cameraman will dive with us to capture our jump. Hell, people are earning from there jumps too, gr8!!!!
Two more girls came for tandem skydiving. In whole campus only 4 of us were for tandem, rest all 60-70 guys were either came for their weekend jump or for solo jump training. We met our instructor and he took all of us for some basic introductory/training session. He explained all about our jump, how it going to work then he briefed us about parachute bag and he told us that even if jumper falls unconscious during jump, this bag has provision of automatic parachute which opens at 5000ft height if main parachute is not opened by then. Then body positions during free fall, landing etc.
It was me and my friend’s first turn to go for jump, we have been given the diving suite, and one helmet which instructor call it as silly hat and actually it was and one plastic glares. Our instructors checked the suit and made sure that it has been worn perfectly. Our cameraman shooting all these stuff and making this moment historic for us. After waiting for some time, plane which takes jumpers in the sky to 13000ft and drops them off the board, landed and now it’s our turn to board this plane. This was the first time where I will be taking off from the plane but landing by myself. It was small plane without seats. In such small place 14-15 jumpers boarded including us. After settling down in plane I looked at my friend and she also looked at same time. We both can understand what’s going in each other’s mind. We both took Lord Ganesha’s name; No one else understood it and wished luck to each other.
Mayuresh