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Posts Tagged ‘parachute’

Return from 4 200 metres at 200km/h…

Today was the big day that I had been waiting for a couple of weeks now. I had signed up for a parachute jump at work that a corworker was organizing. I had been thinking about it, a little obsessively at times, and looking forward to the moment when I would look down and jump into, well, nothing! It finally happened and I am totally thrilled. When I landed, if it had been just a question of going back in a queue like at an amusement park, I would have jumped minutes after!

I stressed all week long, and had some fleeting moments of sheer utter abject terror and panic throughout the day, but when I got my suit and followed the mini formation I became surprisingly serene. I thought it was the trance-like feeling someone had told me about, but it just kept with me even in the plane. The only moment I got scared was when I had to kneel in front of the door of the plane, tilt my head completly back (into the banana position!) and just lean forward. I knew the tip of my knees were floating in the air but I couldn’t see anything!

So yes, I screamed during the free fall at the start, but it was so exhilarating to see the world under me, and the sky, and to hear the noise of the air. I could also feel my face flapping around with the speed. It was so cold too. Eventually the instructor opened the parachute and I barely felt it. There was no big tug or shake, we just stopped falling so fast. I that point I realized how warm the air was and how beautiful the countryside looked when you have more than a tiny plane window to look at it.

Eventually I got to drive a little and I think turning is the BEST THING EVER. It goes woooosh by and I felt like squeeing

So yeah, I will definitly jump again. It was so much easier and smooth than I thought the laws of physics could warrant. The free fall part is just so intense and yet so soothing. Best Sport Ever. It just made my day when I got home and saw that former President Bush had jumped for his 85th birthday. I hope I can jump like him when I get old too.