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Why Would AnyoneWant to JumpOut of An Airplane?
My first parachute jump answered that questionBy Merikay McLeod
 
 
Copyright 2009 by Merikay McLeod  All Rights Reserved  First Electronic Printing, June 2009
 
 
When my friends learned that I was going into skydiving, one asked,“Why would you pick a sport with such a narrow margin of error?”Another, more bluntly put it, “You’re insane, Merikay! Totally insane!”Now, as I knelt on aching knees beside the pilot, in the little Cessna150, the noise and wind from the prop battering my face and ears,
 I 
doubtedmy sanity. All my spectacular day-dreams of thrills and excitement hadbeen ground to dust as I’d practiced PLFs (parachute landing falls) earlierthat day.“Keep your feet together and you’ll never get hurt when you land,”Rick, my jumpmaster, had stressed. But it was easier said than done.A proper PLF is supposed to diffuse the landing shock over five bodyareas – balls of the feet, calf, thigh, buttocks and push-up muscle.
 My
PLFsspread the impact to my knees, elbows and head.After PLFing, I learned about the equipment. Rick strapped the mainchute onto my back, and the reserve chute on in front. “There,” he smiled.“How do you feel?”Like a ton, but I said, “Great.”I was then taken to a parked Cessna so I could learn how to exit theaircraft and jump. By now, it was afternoon, and my body was quiveringwith fatigue. But, longing to do this thing I’d dreamed about, I’d practicedthe spread-eagle falling position. Exiting and jumping. Exiting and jumping,all afternoon. Until Rick said finally I was ready for the real thing.With my gear in place, I tried to board the plane. Rick helped,grabbing my arm and pulling me in, my already sore knees banging against
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Carla Sarett

Yikes! Scary! But beautiful!

reply12 / 19 / 2010
David A Green BD

Great piece of writing!

reply04 / 19 / 2010
Luddite

thank you so much for the read and the comment!

04 / 19 / 2010
Luddite

For those who like excitement, there's nothing quite as exciting as jumping out of an airplane thousands of feet above the earth. Of course, the first try at anything can be complicated and this jump was no exception.

reply03 / 16 / 2010
nir37

I feel the same excitement... just sitting on a chair writing..I mean it.. adrenalin factor is the main element on my writing....I loved your story, it was almost visual...

reply02 / 22 / 2010
Luddite

Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I'm glad you liked the story.

02 / 22 / 2010
Luddite

On a clear day with bright sun in the blue sky, and no wind, I think about jumping out of an airplane. How about you?

reply02 / 22 / 2010
Luddite

This story of my first jump from an airplane has become a featured document on Scribd. Thank you, Scribd staff, for featuring it here!

reply12 / 16 / 2009
Luddite

thank you, Ecotic, for your comments and for giving this story 5 stars! I really appreciate your appreciation! Have a most creative day!

12 / 17 / 2009
Ecotic

Congratulations! I'm glad more people will get to read it now.

12 / 17 / 2009
Ecotic

Oh you're good, it's rare that I slow myself down to savor a story! I've actually been a skating instructor before because roller skating is so much fun to me. I always say we skate because we cannot fly (skating feels like flying if you close your eyes). So now I want to parachute out an airplane and get closer to the real thing.

reply12 / 16 / 2009
Luddite

Thank you, Ecotic, for your kind and encouraging words about my story. And yes, jumping out of a plane and floating under a canopy is a lot like flying. It is wonderful!

12 / 16 / 2009
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