Curious about something in particular..?

Friday, 5 May 2017

This Isn’t Flying - This Is Falling… With Style

Stomach is already skydiving

Ever since I watched the first Power Rangers movie in 1995, I’ve always wanted to skydive. Okay, I know how weird that might sound, but hear me out. The film opens with the six power rangers leaping from an aeroplane (not in their costumes but given the colour-coordination of their jumpsuits, they may as well have been), and it was this scene that inspired me to want to do the same.

Alongside a few fellow members of the tour group and with Sian’s support, I geared up and sat in a tiny aeroplane as it swiftly climbed 16,500 feet above the Fox Glacier. Sat firmly between my tandem instructor’s legs as he bound both our harnesses together, I had never been so terrified in my entire life. Every time we climbed a thousand feet, he showed me his wrist watch which confirmed it. Every reading made my heart sink deeper into my gut. And the air became increasingly freezing as we ascended, while the views became more incredible: a snowy mountain range, including the Fox Glacier, until we were above the clouds that drifted at their peaks.

About to walk the plank... or wing

The instructor Mike pointed out Lake Mathieson on the far horizon (a lake that perfectly mirrors the land above, which we hiked alongside the following morning), though at the time I was more concerned with what was – or wasn’t – beneath the plane than the views. That’s not to suggest I didn’t soak all of it in. In fact, being so afraid, I made a conscious effort to. I was in the moment, rather than just wishing it away, which actually surprised me. I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and that whether I was to enjoy it or hate it, I had to give it my all by embracing it.

That said, when those dreaded words came – “when I open the hatch door, stick your legs out and make sure the backs are touching the bar underneath the plane and then lean your head back on my shoulder” - it might amuse you to hear that I felt like jumping off a bridge. But before I was able to ask him if I was in the right position, or secretly waited for some sort of countdown, while my legs trembled like they had never before, we were already out of the plane. There are very few words to describe this sensation, other than I fell out of an aeroplane at a height of 16,500 feet and into a vast open space, hurtling towards the earth at an incredible speed.

Inside I'm screaming

For starters, it was literally breathtaking. I tried to scream but nothing came out. I felt the ice-cold air fill my mouth, flare open my nostrils, and try to force my helmet from my head. Of course I held onto my harness for dear life, but a 70-second freefall soon came to an end, and remarkably felt more like 7 seconds. Once the chute opened, it became calmer and obviously slower. With the frustrating sound of the wind now gone, I was able to have a casual conversation with Mike while we drifted slowly down towards the seemingly-miniature land below. But while the parachute descent was naturally calmer, whenever he took a deep turn or circled towards a small cloud, I can’t stress how much my stomach flipped. Imagine going down the steepest road in a car or the scariest rollercoaster and dial it up to ten million – that still wouldn’t sum up this feeling. It was a feeling of horror mixed with exhilaration. Every time someone asks me how it was, I emphasise the level of fear I experienced while doing it. But that’s not me being at all negative about the dive – that’s actually my way of selling it. We don’t watch horror films or endure rollercoaster rides because they don’t scare us – the fear is part of the fun. Simply put, I only wanted to jump out of a plane because I didn’t want to. I wanted to experience that physical reluctance and the super-adrenalin that comes with it, as well as the ridiculously-epic scenery.

The question is, would I do it again? Yes, I would. And I’d also encourage you to do the same. Trust me, it’s worth it. And trust me, if for reasons unknown you had any doubts, the earth is definitely round. 

Unforgettable

No comments:

Post a Comment