Skydiving at 12,000 feet!
At the moment I'm on an internet cafe in Dunedin and I'm trying to upload some of the pictures I've taken so far. I want to leave most of the stories for Carina to tell but as the title says I'd love to share the few moments of the adrenaline rush with you.So, there I was on the shore of Lake Pukaki, looking in wonder at the snow peaks of Mt Cook. The crystal blue lake in front of me and the deep blue sky over me making the perfect day up in the mountain valley. I went to see the tourist info on the shore of the lake and noted the skydiving brochure in front of me. Now, for those who doesn't know I'm scared of hights! I know, I've been on many of the high buildings around the world but every time I'm leaning on the edge of an high building I have this tickling feeling on my toes and my muscles turn to jelly.
I've got also another thing to share with you. All my life I've dreamed of flying. This time I don't mean the method of sitting in a tin can for hours to get from point A to B. I mean the actual feeling of drifting in the wind like a feather. I've wanted to feel the breeze on my skin and be able to drift in the passing air. In my sleep time dreams I floated away from our balcony and landed safely to the closeby clifs. Sometimes I was lifted from the ground and I was able to catch the wind and just drift away until another dream catched me while sleeping. Flying have always been one of my dreams.
Anyway, there I was, on the lake shore and suddendly I had a booking for the skydive from a close by airstrip. The airfield was a really small one. Just one short runway for a really small plane although they we're building an extension for the airfield at that time. The skydive office consisted of two people. The pilot/office personel and the skydive master. Usually they have someone to take pictures of the jump but as that person was absent I was allowed to take my own camera with me. Well, I saved some 150$ but I wasn't able to take any pictures while free falling.
There's not so many things for me to know before doing a tandem jump. I got fitted into that super sexy jump suit and was given the basic introduction to the different phases of the jump. That said and done I was already sitting in the plane. The plane was the smallest one I've ever seen. There was one seat for the pilot and some empty space on the floor for me and the jump master. There was no fanfares or anything but only few needed words between the pilot and the jump master and we were already taxing on the runway. Without an effort the plane was in the air and already heading upwards with a roar of the powerful engine.
Soon the ground was far below us and the mountains were getting closer. The lake Pukaki was glowing bright blue underneath and the snow peaks of the mountains were already below us. We continued upwards and turned back towards the valley where I was told to exit the plane - 12,000 feet above the ground. While on the plane I had time to take some pictures and enjoy the ride but when the pilot told us we have three minutes for the jump the reality hit me hard. Three minutes and then I'll voluntarily jump out of perfectly good and steadily flying airplane. Why would anyone want to jump into nothing with a bag of ropes and some peace of cloth?! Are you insane?!
One minute. My heart was beating faster and I was trying to remember the instructions for the exit.
"Let's go!" The pilot opened the door and I was almost stunned by the force of the air forcing it's way into the cabin. I was pulling myself towards the opening and my legs were already over the edge and finding a holding on the landing gear. The jump master was behind me and when he got his feet out I felt the plane turning steeply upwards. One... I was pushed forward. Two... I felt the plane turn sideways and I was taken back into the cabin. The plane turned more to the side. Three! The plane did a sharp turn upwards and to the side and I was already feeling the lift, the sensation when you're falling really fast.
The world was below me.
I was turning upside down.
Falling!
Suddenly my heart was beating again after pausing for a heartbeat or two. I got the signal to raise my arms. We were turned to face the rapidly closing mountain peaks. The speed and the rush of adrenaline was trembling through my body. I was screaming for the pure feeling of pleasure, speed and the mortality! I was flying like in my dreams, falling through the air and having the sensations I had longed for all my life. Five seconds.
Ten seconds. I don't have the words to describe my feelings.
Fourty seconds. I felt there was no end to the fall. I was screaming, I think.
Fourty five seconds and I felt someting was happening behind me. I felt a small tug but the rushing air and the blood running through my vains was too much for me to hear the thud of the opening parashute. I felt the slight drag and then another tug and the speed was slowing. The freefall was over and my feet were pointing towards the ground. I was almost at the level of the mountain peaks and the ground was far below me. Too far for me to understand being afraid. I was gently guided to look around. The jump master was turning us around and I saw the lakes, the mountains, Mt Cook was over there on the north and the valley was opening all around us. I remembered my camera and was trying to take some pictures but I didn't know which way to shoot. There's no way of taking a picture that would give any justice for what I was feeling or seeing.
The ground was getting closer and I could see some movement underneath. The airfield was seen clearly now and the small hut, the skydiving office. Carina was looking at me from the terace of that small building and I waved at her. At this point I was told the instructions for the landing. Not too soon I guess but the instructions were easy. The ground was getting closer and for me it seemed I was about to hit the ground too fast. Just when we were about to crash and get killed the jump master pulled the strings and we landed softly to the ground. My legs touched the ground and with few clicks I was released from the harnes and was left standing alone on the spot. I was alive and Carina was walking to me and I was walking to her. I was so happy. The feelings I had at that moment is something out of this world. I'm sure the grin on my face will never fade.
This my friends was my first skydive ever and the place was Mt Cook.
1 Comments:
Hei!
Oletpa hurja huimapää poikani!
Äiti
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