What it takes to jump off a plane at 13,000 ft

Even the drive there, with highways snaking over mountainous terrain, was a treat. Simply named Skydive San Diego, the establishment is a full-service skydiving facility with multiple training buildings and incredible scenery, as well as home to the U.S Navy Parachute Team also known as the ‘Leapfrogs’. Before I jumped, I was told skydiving is […]

Even the drive there, with highways snaking over mountainous terrain, was a treat. Simply named Skydive San Diego, the establishment is a full-service skydiving facility with multiple training buildings and incredible scenery, as well as home to the U.S Navy Parachute Team also known as the ‘Leapfrogs’. Before I jumped, I was told skydiving is a great way to relieve stress, but that’s if you believe what people who do it for a living say. My sights were set on tandem skydiving, where a first-time jumper is strapped to an instructor and they jump out of the plane together, parachute included, of course.
At the pre-jump instructional class, we were taught all of the proper techniques to help master the first skydiving jump. The equipment, the plane, the freefall, the parachute flight, and even malfunctions and emergency situations were all covered. Trust is also an important factor when it comes to tandem skydiving and my licensed instructor, Shane Mulligan, 35, commands it by the way he guides prospective jumpers. As he took us, a group of 6, through the essentials, close behind was a party of 12 personnel from the Leapfrogs, one of the elite units of the U.S Navy. I was also assigned my very own videographer, a 30-something lady called Vanessa.

The combination of Shane (Instructor) and Vanessa (Videographer) proved important, as they are friendly, confident, and experienced, which helped a lot in keeping me calm. Skydive San Diego is reputed to host the newest and largest jumpships in the industry and we had at our disposal their Blackhawk Grand aeroplane, which holds up to 18 jumpers. With its powerful engine, the aircraft soon took us 13,000 feet up in the air with no turbulence whatsoever.

Just before the dive, as the aircraft door opened, I was faced with an emotional paradox: “Why am I doing this?” I know it’s on my bucket list of Things To Do Before I Hit 40 and all that, but at that moment I realised it was for the sake of fulfilling a lifelong dream borne of watching parachute drops during Army Day celebrations in Kaduna. I also remembered a couple of Chinese teens who excitedly ran past me after completing their own jump, leaving me thinking ‘If those girls can do it, so can I’.
Shane pushed sideways and we fell out, the full force of the wind coming at us from all directions. The icy cold, combined with the churning I felt in my stomach soon became forgotten as I beheld a view of the earth like I never have. No amount of photos or video footage can ever prepare a first-time skydiver for the breath-taking visuals that follow a jump.
We spiralled, before opening our arms and spreading feet, just like we were trained, with Vanessa manoeuvring round us, beneath us and even above us, taking shots with her camera. Throughout the drop, the natural reaction was to scream. Not out of fright, but because a smile or laughter is just not enough of a reaction to this indescribable feast of the senses. 

 
The one-minute freefall allowed me to take in and enjoy a feeling I can only describe like being the only person in the world. Then at about 5,000 feet, the parachute was deployed, allowing me to savour the 6-minute parachute glide over Southern California’s stunning scenery.
Further down, Shane pointed out Mexico to me and some more trivia followed, but I was busy absorbing everything around me. The pressure up there, for instance, made my ears hurt just like regular take-offs or landings usually do. The air gradually became warmer as we went lower. We reached the grassy drop zone, where we landed perfectly. Shane unbuckled me and Vanessa, who landed soon after we did, gave me a high-five. The three of us immediately took a selfie before I thanked them both and ran towards the front office to collect my First Jump Certificate.
But in the final analysis, something I learned about skydiving is the way it puts everything into the moment. There is no dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, you’re in the present moment and more alive than ever. And moments later, after I posted photos on Facebook, many friends asked me one question: “What does it take to jump out of a plane at 13,000 feet?” And my simple, tongue-in-cheek answer was: “Guts.”