Sorry Mom
So I (this is Matt, not CB) just jumped out of a plane.
It was very cool. I recommend highly and want to go again.
So yeah, we’re in Wanaka, which is a small town nestled in against a mountain range, the name of which was told to me by my tandem instructor as we went up, and I promptly forgot (I had other things on my mind), next to a lake, creatively known as Lake Wanaka. It’s popular for skydiving since it offers some of the best views in New Zealand.
So I booked the dive a few days ago when we were in Dunedin, but woke up this morning to a grey overcast sky, and figured the dive would be postponed until the next day.
At 1:30pm (30 minutes before I was to arrive at the airport) I called them up as I’m supposed to, to check if the jump is going ahead. Instead of the expected delay, I was told that the weather was clearing and that the jump was going ahead.
So then the nerves started in. I had butterflies in my stomach on the way to the airport, but they actually went away when we arrived. Everyone at the jump site seemed to really know what they were doing and it put me at ease. As I said to Christine, I wasn’t really scared, or nervous at that point, I was mostly in a state of suspended belief. It all seemed so surreal that the whole concept didn’t seem to register.
I watched a briefing video, got my suit, and met my tandem instructor Grant (http://www.skydivewanaka.com/about-us.html) who got the harness on me, met the guy that would be filming me (Ollie), who did some video stuff, then we headed for the plane. Grant was really cool and pointed out the sites on the way up, he’s been jumping for over 27 years, and been doing it professionally for more than 16. There were two other people jumping, a couple. The girl was jumping at 12,000 feet, and the guy was jumping at 15,000 feet with me. The girl seemed really nervous, and Grant mentioned it while we were climbing. After she jumped I turned and said to him “well, guess I’ve gotta jump now”. When we reached 15,000 feet the plane slowed considerably, and the plexiglass door slid open, I was going to be the last jumping, and I didn’t even see the other guy jump, as we were sliding forward towards the door, and getting my goggles on. Next thing I knew my feet were hanging 15,000 feet above the earth and Grant was telling me that we were going to do a backflip when we left the plane. Then, all of a sudden we were outside and the wind was ripping past.
You don’t get the sensation of falling, it just seems like you’re hanging out in a windtunnel, a windtunnel with spectacular views. It was a little hard to breathe with the air ripping past, but it was so much fun I think I could have gone without breathing for a bit. Before I knew it I felt a frying pan hit me between the legs and we were hanging beneith a green canopy. The first thing I said to Grant was “it’s so quiet”. After the noise of the turboprop aircraft, then the air whistling past, the silence under the canopy is incredible. From where we sat back and enjoyed the view. Grant did a few spins in both directions then before I knew it we were below the horizon and the ground was rushing up to meet us. I put my feet up and we coasted to an easy landing on the grass.
Incredible experience, I want to do it again.
I could add many more details, but I have limited time on the internet, and I’ll be able to explain more in person.
Once again, sorry mom.
