Skydiving

My first jump out of a plane happened in small town of Chehalis in the State of Washington. This old logging town had a bar, a bowling alley, and an airport. Any town that considers these three amenities as the top three in priority obviously has an aggressive vision for future town growth so needless to say this place was happening.

My adrenaline was already boiling over by the time I arrived at the airport hangar with my friend who happened to be a jumpmaster in this boomtown. It was early morning and a gathering of about five other skydiving junkies was already formed. They all stood drinking their coffee and talked endlessly about skydiving stories that are sure to have been told to the same few friends many times before. Stories of chute malfunctions and close calls echoed through the lofted tin ceiling of the hangar. When I arrived they sensed the smell of “first timer” blood and on cue the stories became more harrowing but I was determined to show no sign of fear and smiled as I listened as if to say, “bring it on”.

The time had come to get dressed and to head out to the plane. Putting the parachute on for the first time brings a feeling of finality to the whole process. At this point there is no turning back. For me, I had dreamed of joining the birds and the bugs as they float weightlessly above the busyness that happens on the earth so I found myself more impatient than hesitant to board the plane.

Along with my jumpmaster and one other “newbie” we took the stroll from the hangar to the plane. The beautiful thing about skydiving in Chehalis, Washington is that even the planes feel no pressure to impress you with their looks. The little Cessna that would usher me into this new chapter in my life looked like it would fit in parked next to the cars at the local bar. The paint was old and chipping off and the front propeller honestly had duct tape wrapped around one of the blades. I think this was to add to the charm more than to serve a function but either way it was fun to see.

We climbed into the plane that had all but the pilot’s seat removed and sat crowded on the floor. As our pilot strolled out I was shocked to find that he was one of the skydive junkies standing around and telling stories. He wasn’t wearing his captain uniform and had no captain’s hat upon his head. There was no brief case containing important documents that I expect all pilots to carry before boarding the plane. He was a scruffy faced guy with torn blue jeans and a faded blue baseball cap. The look in his eye was one that welcomed adventure and risk.

He smiled and introduced himself and explained that he would take us up but we would be responsible for getting ourselves back down. He strapped on his parachute (which didn’t seem like a good sign) and proceeded to start the plane. Again, as if it was planned to breed fear into the lives of the newbies, the plane engine would not start. With a smile and a laugh our pilot ran into the hanger and returned holding an extension cord and a battery charger. He looked into the plane and told us, “Don’t worry. We need electricity to get the plane going, but not to keep it going.”

Although his statement was true, it didn’t feel right. For the first time in my life I would throw myself into the air in hopes of floating gently down under a nylon canopy but now I had doubts that my plane could get me high enough for the process to begin. Right on cue the plane engine started and soon we were in the air.

As we approached the drop zone the jumpmaster opened the sliding door of the plane and looked over the edge. Just as we practiced on the ground, he asked me to move over and sit in the doorway with my legs hanging out. Then I had to hold on to the wing and step out on a platform just outside the door. At this point I was standing outside a plane several thousand feet above beautiful downtown Chehalis. I looked over at the pilot and with a huge smile he gave me the thumbs up sign. I know it is commonplace for people to ride outside on the wings of airplanes so I need not bore you with the description of exhilaration and joy that I felt. You already know how amazing it is for a moment to feel like superman and feel the wind brush pass your face but in case you have never experienced this, allow me to tell you that there is nothing like it.

Then the time had come. In seconds my jumpmaster would tell me to let go and to leave the safety of this tin flying machine. I was already warned on the ground that many people freeze up on their first jump so I had determined that when my time came I would have no hesitation and will immediately take the plunge. He looked over at me and said, “Let Go”. As promised I did not hesitate and I lunged away from the plane. The first few seconds are a bit surreal and I don’t really remember anything but just hoped that what we practiced would work out. I would jump and take the proper arched position and the chute would soon deploy.

Everything went as planned and I found myself floating peacefully back to earth. With my chute deploying somewhere around 3000 feet, I had around one minute to take in the sights, smells, and sounds of this new dimension of the earth. Never before was I able to hear the noise of stillness and feel the rush of absolute calm that happens up there. I floated over houses, a river, and of course the town bowling alley and soon saw the ground approaching. I landed more smoothly than I had expected and quickly found myself back in the airport hangar.

The same crowd was still standing and talking about their lives but now they were drinking beer instead of coffee as the day began winding down. They all welcomed me into the club of people who discovered the most peaceful place on earth. A place that I would travel to several more times in the course of that year. A place that I miss and hope to one-day return.