Best. Thing. EVAR!

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#3
Glad you had fun.

They'd have to land the plane before they could un-embed my fingers from the doorway if someone tried to get me to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. :D
 
K

Kaydee

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#4
My son did that a few years ago and absolutely LOVED it, me ummm...I get nervous climbing a paint ladder...
 

Zoom

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#7
Finally got the pictures off the disc. Seriously, this was probably the coolest, best, most exciting thing I think I've ever done. I started grinning from the second we got to the airport and didn't stop until I fell asleep on the drive back to Denver.

The rest of the group getting ready for the first jump. Dennis and GoGo went up first and the boys rode the bus out to the landing point. I stayed behind to get geared up for when the plane came back to get me. Then we all took the bus back to repack the chutes so the last two guys could jump.


My instructor/owner of the company, Redeye and myself:


We were taken up to the jump point in this little bitty tin can of a Cessna with "Skydive Kansas" painted on the tail.


So we got to about 9,000 feet up, right in the middle of all the haze from the wildfires burning the state to the ground. Redeye flips open the door and that's the point when it really sinks in that you are about to entrust yourself to a piece of nylon in order to not go bouncing.

Challenge accepted.


I'm loud on a normal basis, doubly so when I get really excited about something (my dog and I really are alike) and the amount of adrenaline I had coursing through my veins was enough to power a rocket to the moon. Translation: They could hear me laughing and shrieking on the ground as soon as we rolled out of the plane.



The concept of time disappeared. I have no idea how long we were in free-fall, other than not quite long enough and then the parachute deployed and the world went silent except for the slight rustle of air around the cords and canopy. And me still laughing at the top of my lungs.


The airspeed is slow enough when gliding that you can take off the goggles and I was given the option of taking control of the toggles and whirling us around for a bit:


If you pull hard enough, you can get a spin going with enough centrifugal force to angle you parallel to the ground below. That was my favorite part out of all my favorite parts:


"I am a leaf on the wind..."


Then I gave the toggles back over and started feeling like I was a superhero or something. Spandex and a code name suddenly seemed like a great idea.


*MORE*
 

smkie

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#8
oh my gosh..I hope you didn't let Sawyer watch..hanging upside down from a tree worried him to no end..in fact..don't show him the pics!!!!!!! Covers Sawyers eyes.

YOu got guts..I coudln't do that..the pics are incredible. I am really happy you had this experience.
 

Zoom

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#9
Spin me right round, baby, right round...


We had a text book landing, just like you see in the movies. Glided in, landed on our feet and everything

"Wicked awesome, dude!"


Four of the five jumps went exactly according to plan. Then Austin jumped. Their free-fall was fine, then the chute deployed and they immediately started to spin, faster and faster, far too soon and far too long for things to be going right. We were on the ground watching to see what would happen when suddenly the main chute went sailing off to the west and Austin and his instructor Sasha took another plummeting free-fall. It was maybe a second or two, but seemed to happen in slow motion. The reserve chute deployed just before we all really started freaking out, but just barely. Even Dennis, the resident hardass/retired Marine of the group looked scared.

Reserve chutes are meant for emergencies, not finesse. They came in hot and heavy, hit the dirt and slid about 30 feet through the field to stop. We all ran over-- Logan still had his GoPro recording so we have the whole thing from start to finish--and the guys had picked themselves up and were dusting off. Sasha was breathing pretty heavily and Austin was just like "Cool. Two chutes, one jump." He now has an epic story to tell in the bar.

And yes, we're going back.

"We survived!"
 

ACooper

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#10
Awesome! Great shots :D FWIW, you look really adorable being a leaf on the wind, hahahaha

It's definitely nothing I've ever wanted to do, but my oldest boy loves it! LOL..........then again, he's mister extreme and I'm the oposite of that ;)
 

smkie

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#11
Hides Sawyers eyes. He didn't even like you hanging upside down from a tree, your going to sorry him to no end. I am really glad you had this experience, even more so because you look so dang happy. (((HUGS))) Don't even show Sawyer the pics.
 

Doberluv

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#14
Holy smokes! You look so thrilled. It does look exciting to say the least. I'm glad you had that experience. I am not sure if I'd be able to do that or not. Part of me is a thrill seeker and the other part keeps me grounded. (literally and figuratively) Those are some great photos! I bet you'll cherish them forever and give your grandchildren and children (if you have any) a big charge.
 

Baxter'smybaby

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#15
ok--that man has very hairy arms! LOL

I can not even imagine doing this--so I am in awe of someone who has the courage to do it. And your friend who's shoot didn't open properly? That would be enough to scare me away for life. LOL--guess I am a chicken. Give me terra firma, thank you very much. :D
 

HayleyMarie

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#16
awesome. I went sky diving last fall. Even after seeing a professional skydiver loose control and hit a power pole.

I honestly will never do it again. Too expensive and coming down my ears felt like they where going to explode. Not a feeling I ever want to feel again. Now if I was quarenteed never to feel that pain again, then maybe. It was lots of fun and the glinting was awesome.
 

Dizzy

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#17
It took me a really long time to work out the hairy picture!!!!!!

Very cool, but I soooooooooooooo do not need that rush lol!!

I get excited crossing the road.
 

Barb04

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#18
So glad you had a fantastic time. Better you than me; I could never & will never attempt that.
 

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