Making the Jump Together

The plane that took us up and let us go.
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We arrived at SkyDance SkyDiving two hours early to be sure we were on time for our jump. I went in the office to let them know we were there and to verify what we needed to do in order to check in. After being informed that our instruction would begin promptly at 10 a.m. I asked the helpful woman behind the counter where the nearest coffee house was. She said there was a snack bar on site that provided snacks and refreshments, but also that a Starbucks was about 10 miles away. I jumped back into the car with my husband, dad, sister-in-law, and little sister and we led the other car, with our friends Sally and Brad in it, to the Starbucks.

Sitting in the patio waiting for our turn to jump.
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I didn't want to eat much for breakfast as I was afraid it might come back up with all the excitement and the jitters, so I only had a few bites of a muffin. We stopped by the gas station on the way back to pick up snacks and drinks because we were told that from our appointment time we might be there 3-5 hours, and we were.

It was amazing! It didn't feel like falling at all.

When we returned to the SkyDance office, we paid our remaining balances (a $20 deposit was required upon reservation), and then we headed into a small room with about nine others and waited for our instruction. After watching a boring, but brief, video regarding the background of SkyDance and some legal requirements (I think), and after signing our lives away (literally), the instructor entered the room and began instructing us. We were very eager to remember everything he said. I got pulled up to the front as one of his "assistants" as he showed us how to position ourselves during different parts of the jump and when to pull the parachute, if we wanted to pull it ourselves. After hearing a discussion on whether the 9,000-foot jump at $149 (30 second freefall) or the 13,000-foot jump at $199 (60 second freefall) was better, our entire group changed course and decided to pay the extra $50 for the longer fall, and we did not regret it. With this decision we also received a free t-shirt coupon and our own log book.

We have lift off!
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We sat around a table in the outdoor patio near the snack bar and waited for our names to be called over the intercom. We were told that we may not all get to jump together, and we were somewhat anxious to see if this would be true. There were four of us jumping: myself, my husband, Michael, his sister, Becca, and our good friend, Brad. With us were my dad, Mark, my little sister, Ciara and Brad's wife (my best friend), Sally. We bought a few cold drinks and spent the next couple of hours snacking on our loot from the gas station. While we waited, we also visited the gift shop and picked up our free t-shirts. The free t-shirt is a simple white t-shirt with Sky Dance's logo on it. A couple of us picked out shirts with more creative designs and received a $10 discount instead of the freebie.

Me with my tandem jumper in the foreground. Michael, my husband, and his tandem jumper hanging from the tiger chute in the background.
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Finally, we heard our names: Michael, Jonna, Becca. Brad would be jumping without us later. We headed for the gear room to get suited up. Michael met his tandem guide as did Becca, but mine was not there. Michael's guide directed me to suit up and said that my guide would be there shortly. I saw Michael and Becca going over what they learned in class once again with their guide, and my guide still had not arrived. I was beginning to feel a little nervous to say the least. Finally, my guide pops in the door with a muffin half in his mouth and a Gatorade in his hand. Eating on the go - I know that all too well, but I didn't exactly want my skydiving tandem guide to feel rushed at a time like this. He handed me a cap and said to put it on and he also handed me an altimeter (this is the thing that shows what elevation you're at when falling so you know when to pull the chute - of course I had never seen one before). I asked if I should put it on and he said we could do it once we were up in the air.

That's me coming in for a soft landing.
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So we headed for the plane, all smiles and jitters. The six of us piled into the belly of the bird with about six other single jumpers - it was pretty crowded. While sitting on the bench in front of my guide, he directed me to back up onto his lap so he could strap me in. Then he had me strap the altimeter on and we went over some of the class instructions (this made me feel better). He had me reach backwards to the handle for the chute (on his hip) and said I could pull it when the altimeter reached 5,000 feet (I think that was the number). Then we just sat and waited for the plane to get up to 13,000 feet. The single jumpers in the cab chatted and made jokes. Many of them had headcams on their helmets as well.

Michael is landing next.
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We must've reached the top because the door slid open and the single jumpers jumped out one by one until it was my turn. My tandem guide said "go! go! go!" basically and we made our way to the door, strapped together at the hips. As instructed, I sat on the edge of the plane, hooked my legs underneath it, grabbed my shoulder straps and leaned my head back. When I got into this position, my guide flung us outta there and we were airborne. I was supposed to keep my back arched until he tapped my shoulder but once I left that plane I forgot everything. We fell (probably spiraling and flailing) for a milisecond and then I remembered and arched. He tapped me soon enough and then we enjoyed our 60 second freefall. It was amazing! It didn't feel like falling at all. The only unenjoyable part was the excessive wind in my face which dried out my airways like crazy and threatened to rip off my goggles, but the jump was spectacular and well worth it! Then the altimeter reached the magic number and I reached back and pulled the chord. Whooosh! We were pulled up by the chute (this was somewhat like an atomic wedgy, but not really painful) and then we coasted back down to earth for about 7-9 minutes. This was my favorite part! A slow, smooth drop down, like Mary Poppins with her umbrella, and I could look out and see everything. Beautiful!

Becca, my sister-in-law, landing.
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The landing was smooth as well. When my guide directed me to, I lifted my legs up as far as I could (not such an easy thing for me to do) and I landed on the soft gravel path on my bottom while he landed on his feet just behind me. We had to jump up quickly and get out of the way for the next jumpers to land. I was elated at this point and barely knew where I was, much less that others would be landing on my head any minute. Michael landed next and I ran over to him excited over what we had just done together and ready to do it again. Becca landed shortly after that.

Reunited safely and exhilarated on the ground.
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Then we waited around on the patio again for Brad's turn. It came about an hour or so later and we followed him to get suited up. His jump was just as exciting and he landed with the same sentiment, that we definitely must do it again someday.

From someone who is afraid of falling (seriously, I'm the type of person who loves to climb trees and tall rocky hillsides but can never seem to make my way back down without the fire department) this is a must-do experience, at least once. The funny thing is, though you never forget it, the details get a bit hazy after a while, and it just begs to be done again. I know I will.