Yep, six years ago this Aug. 11- my wife and best friend decided to surprise me with Skydiving as an early 30th birthday present. That jump changed my whole outlook on life! Because I survived it.
Took the day long training, we climb out on the wing while jump master holds the starter chute, then we let go of the strut of the wing and its airtime!!
I will take the time now to suggest that anybody wanting to go brings somebody heavier than them, and also wear red.
My jump didn't end so well. I fell faster than should have with my chute open, being scared of heights meant that I took a bit of time getting out of the plane (did I mention because I was the heaviest I got to go first), and we lost altitude, and were further away from landing zone than had I hurried. My chute opened, and I thought all was good. I turned, flared and started looking around. I got a call on my radio to turn right, which I did. Followed by a 'Turn Right hard!!!!', which I did after making sure I had turned right, (as I am a dumbass with two university programs successfully completed that can't tell right from left). I soon got another message "We meant left. You are not going to make the landing zone. Find a farmers field and make sure there are no trees, fences or power poles in your way and we will give you landing instructions."
Well that was the last noise out of my radio. I realized that the barly was pretty close to my feet, and it is guessed I flared at about 10-12' above the ground, hitting at what I was later told was around 50km/h. I was waiting to turn into the wind upon their command, and was not wanting to flare too early as I remembered a chute could collapse if held too long.
10 years of traditional Ju-jitsu ended up saving me. I was a week away from my black belt test and my roll was superb. Hit the ground, went into a front roll as soon as I hit, and put a nice shoulder width path in the farmers field.
Went to roll over to stand up, and that was when I felt the grinding, and I looked and my ankle bone was an inch or so lower than it had been a minute before. Of course I listened to my mom growing up, she taught me not to do half jobs, so I broke both legs!
Remember-Murphy likes to come along uninvited, so a solo jump may not be! Although when I was in the hospital I heard of two separate incidences where both people in a tandem jump died so tandem isn't necessarily better! But they make it clear to us that anything can happen once you let go, and you are the only one responsible once that happens.
Pics following, squeamish should scroll through!!!
(My avatar once I can pay for a membership again)- lying in the field after my buddies wrapped me up. About 30 min after hitting ground (I assume it was around ten min before I thought to set my watch timer to see how long- it was another 20 min before my buddy who jumped found me- they told my now wife when she landed that they found my chute but not me- I was using it as a pillow!!!
Legs:
My life for the next six months
(Blade related content- I had my CrawfordSurvival Staff (short) behind my chair full time- the shepherds hook I wanted was as effective as I hoped when I got the staff years before- it allowed me to reach the ground, reach cupboards, and untucked friends into thinking that messing with my chair would not be appreciated.
I do feel that skydiving had some silver linings:I got a years vacation, got a more intimate view into wheelchair life, lost 30#, grew an inch and a bit (always wanted to be 6', now I am!), and best of all I got out of oilfield warehousing and into Massage Therapy which I love!
I decided before I landed that skydiving wasn't my thing and I am one and done- almost literally! I have no problems with others saying they want to jump- just wear red (my color and I was the only one not wearing it on my jumpsuit), and bring a heavy friend so they can go first and take the statistics away from anybody else getting hurt!!
Good luck to all who try it- it is exhilarating if nothing else!!
