Last year I made it my mission to become a certified solo skydiver. I was a few months away from my 30th birthday, and was going over some goals I had set out for myself a few years back. One of the ones that was not ticked off was to learn to skydive. I decided that there was no better time than now to learn. After all if not now, when would I get the next chance? I wanted to live more fearlessly, and to do that I had to conquer not only my goals, but myself.
FIRST JUMP COURSE AND JUMP ONE
I woke up in a hotel about 20 minutes away from the dropzone. I got a decent sleep, and despite being a bit groggy, was eager and admittedly nervous to take the plunge. I got everything together, got a decent bland breakfast, and left around 8 am to meet my instructor.
It was a pleasant, warm California day with clear blue skies and a faint wind. The perfect weather for a student jumper. I drove past sunflower fields and hot air balloon enthusiasts flew above me. It was almost too idyllic, I thought. Was this a bad sign?
I was the only one in the class, which I was a bit relieved. This way I figured I could go at my own pace, which was fast (I admit, I can be a bit impatient… something you probably should not be in this sport). The instructional course was mostly common sense, so we breezed right through it. To be honest, I was actually quite surprised at how “easy” I thought it to be, but decided to really drill all the procedures in my head, just in case something went wrong. I’m notorious for being a klutz and being disorganized (blame my ADHD), and emergency procedures are the last thing I want to screw up.
As I geared up, my phone started to blow up with calls and texts. “Are you ok?” “There was a death at a nearby dropzone. Call me.” “Did you jump?” I shivered, and my mind went blank. A death? Near me? Well there were a few ways I saw it. Either I was next to go or he took my place. (DISCLAIMER: Accidents in the sport rarely occur as a result of equipment failure or just plain bad luck. It’s important to never think for a moment that you are 100% safe. Always stay current on your knowledge and skills. Make sure to never stop practicing your emergency procedures and always stay humble).
I decided to forget it and gear up. I was there and the plane was ready to take off. I couldn’t go back. I wouldn’t go back. I would regret it for the rest of my life. So, with a blank mind I put on my jumpsuit, altimeter, goggles, helmet and magical backpack and set on my way. I remembered what the jump master said – “SMILE,” so I obviously faked it and boarded the plane.
The first jump in the Accelerated Freefall (AFF) course has 2 instructors holding you, one on each side. Relatively easy; all I had to do was pull the damn thing and release my parachute. Sounds easy enough, but when the parachute is on your back at 120 mph things can get tricky.
The engine roared as we got closer to the plane. The air seemed still, almost peaceful. I checked my altimeter again. Made sure I knew all of my handles, just in case. We boarded the plane in a single file line. On the plane my instructors asked me simple questions, such as “What does this hand signal mean?” and “What do you do at this altitude?” All I could think about was PULL and my emergency procedures.
13,000 feet. The moment of truth. I was first to go, as the rest of the plane were tandems. I remembered being a tandem. Seeing them, and the joy they had as they were about to make their first jump reminded me why I was there. It also made me feel like kind of a badass, but only for a bit, as this sport will knock the ego right out of you. I loved the sport and wanted a challenge.
“Are you ready to skydive?”
The green light on the plane went on, and we all nodded to each other. “Bring it,” I thought, as I moved towards the door. Breathe. Think zen thoughts. Nah, too hard. “Ok let’s do it!” I screamed. My instructors held on to me as I gripped the handle. I gave the signals, and let go.
I felt weightless. I felt freedom. I felt… happy. I could not stop smiling as the wind smacked my face, my skin rippling as I plunged to the Earth at 120 mph. I looked at my altimeter, did a few practice pulls, and pulled the chute around 5,000 feet.
Within a split second I felt pulled up in my harness, and watched as my parachute opened perfectly. No line twists, no malfunctions, just a perfect opening under a clear blue sky. I screamed a joyous set of my favorite four letter words as I flew the canopy back to the landing area, and felt a sense of accomplishment like never before. My landing was uneventful and at the same time perfect; I flared at the right height and walked it out. I could not believe I had actually done it, and left that day more confident and fueled by adrenaline.
JUMP TWO
I came back the next day for my second jump, which was basically the same routine as the first one, but learning how to turn. I had learned how to turn earlier in the wind tunnels, and was very confident about this jump.
It was a fun jump, and everything went according to plan. Like jump one, I landed nicely on the field and left the dropzone more confident in myself and my abilities.
JUMP THREE
Jump three, also known as “instructor’s release,” is when you actually start to experience free-fall on your own. It’s a very exciting level, and for some can be quite challenging, as you have to keep a heading and stay stable. It’s actually very similar to jump one, except this time when you pull the chute, you are flying on your own!
Jump three was amazing, and to my surprise, easy. I owe a lot to practicing in the wind tunnels before hand. Seriously, it helps so much. Even ten minutes in the wind tunnel can alleviate some of the stress of flying on your own. You learn how to arch properly, and how to recover from instability. Very important when you are in the sky.
JUMP FOUR
On the fourth jump and all the way to your graduation jump, you only have one instructor. You jump out in a similar fashion as the previous jumps, yet only one instructor holds on to you. Once stable, you are on your own, and by this time should be enjoying it!
Once we exited the plane, in a pretty sloppy manner on my part, we were both stable pretty quickly. Check altitude, good to go. Practice pull. Still good. Alright, time to do some 90 degree turns. Turns are actually quite easy, as with anything in skydiving a small movement can go a long way. I ended up doing a bunch of turns, all with a huge smile on my face. I could get used to this free-fall thing, I thought, and right when I hit 4,500 feet I waved off and pulled my chute.
JUMP FIVE
Ahh, jump five. This one was a whole different beast. Up until this point I had an instructor holding on to me at exit. On jump five, you both exit at the same time… solo. I was actually pretty confident during the mock-up on the ground. I figured I’d flown solo (ish) before, so what would the difference be? The difference: You jump on your own. At your own free will. While your instructor watches you. The wind felt different that day as I got out of the plane and into position. I felt different. My mind kept telling me to go, but my legs said otherwise.
All I could think about was “Do I have the right body position?” and “Why did I sign up for this?” A few seconds later, we were out, and once again, the jump was pretty uneventful. Nothing to write home about. I did a few turns, and pulled at around 4,500 feet. I passed, to my disbelief. (Apparently because I still jumped and fulfilled the requirements, that was just what they needed to fill out the card. I was pretty upset about my hesitation though, but it’s a lesson in growth, so take it for what it is.)
JUMP SIX
Jump six is basically the same thing as jump five, except a few new tricks added in. Once again, I conquered jump five, so I figured this one would be just as easy. No big deal. I got this.
Wrong.
All skydivers, even if they don’t admit it, have bad and embarrassing jumps. This was mine. And, I’m sure I will have more to come. I digress….
Everything went according to plan until I was at that damn door again. 13,000 feet up. I had a bad spot to begin with, which means I judged my landing area poorly. A good start.
The wind hit my back as the plane kept moving forward. A few more seconds went by and my damn legs still didn’t want to move. I was a hilarious mix of frustration, confusion and determination to get out of that plane. A few more seconds went by, and I finally left the plane. Once in free-fall I was happy again, and breezed through all of the acrobatic tricks we discussed moments earlier on the ground. I pulled again at 4,500 feet.
Now the best part of this story is the landing. Right after I pulled I realized I had no idea where I was. I searched for the dropzone, and could not locate it for the life of me. I saw my instructor and camera flyer fly a pattern below me, in a random field. “Good thing I am flying in farm country,” I thought to myself as I decided which field to land in.
My landing was actually quite nice, I gotta admit. It was on the way to the road (we do get picked up if we land off-drop) that I stepped in a ditch, and ended up covered to my calves in manure and mud. Through all of my sliding around trying to get out of the ditch, I miraculously managed to keep the parachute clean (held it above my head with both hands – must have been a sight to see). That was my success of the day.
JUMP SEVEN – GRADUATION
After my jump six walk of shame, I was determined to nail the graduation jump. After all, it dictates your fate as a solo skydiver. And that is what I came to do.
I boarded the plane this time more focused and set on my goals. I actually was quite serious, which was probably a refreshing change for the instructors. We boarded the plane after rehearsing the dive flow a few times, and I replayed the jump over in my head the whole ride up. The altitude continued to climb as we went over hand signals, emergency procedures and a few bad jokes.
13,000 feet.
The green light went on, and a group of skydivers exited the plane in formation. It was our turn, and I made my way to the door. I spotted the drop zone, and was happy that we were actually over it this time.
Breathe. Check in, Check out. Dive.
I dove out, my instructor right behind me. At that moment I didn’t even care; I was free and actually for the first time flying on my own. “HOLY CRAP I DID IT!” I screamed while fogging up my new full-face helmet (yes, it does make you look and feel like an actual badass skydiver). I located my coach, did a really bad barrel roll, a few turns and tracked away at 4,500 feet.
As my parachute inflated I was overcome by a sense of joy I can only compare to the first jump. I floated back to earth, wadded my canopy up and walked back to the dropzone, where I was greeted with an announcement of my graduation from the AFF program. I was so overcome by so many positive emotions that I almost dropped down and cried. But I had a rig to return, and a celebration was in order.
That day made me more confident in more ways that I can describe. After that, I have never hesitated to jump. I really don’t hesitate to do anything. I realized that life was too short to let any opportunity pass. Things happen, we just have to be prepared and learn to trust ourselves. We cannot let fear dictate our fate.
I have my instructors to thank for all of their help. They helped me grow in skydiving and in life. I have my family and friends to thank for all of their support and encouragement, always cheering me on along this crazy journey I call life. For them I am eternally grateful.
WHAT I LEARNED
Jumping out of a plane really isn’t that scary. It’s all in your head.
Have a sense of humor about everything. Let go of your ego and laugh at yourself.
If you can dream it, you can do it. Let nothing stop you. Just go for it.
I am fearless in my pursuit of achieving my goals, and I have the ability to get to where I want to be with dedication, passion and positivity.
And of course … SMILE!! It makes everything better.
Founder and main contributor to This Adventure Life, Kirsten Alexis has passion for all things adventure and the outdoors. She is an avid participant in action sports, such as skydiving, paragliding, snowboarding, high-altitude trekking, mountain biking, surfing and more. She is passionate about inspiring others to live their wildest dreams as well as conserving the environment for others to enjoy for years to come.