It was something I always wanted to do since I was about 23 years old … it took me 34 years to actually do it. At 57 years old, I thought I would have been too old … until my daughter showed me videos of women older than me taking the leap of a lifetime.
My beautiful daughter is like her mom in that she has this innate love of adventure. She jumped last year at 13,000 feet and she suggested we do a mother-daughter jump this year … how could I say no?
We booked our tandem skydives for September 3, 2023 at 10am at Alberta Skydive Central at Innisfail Airport just outside of Red Deer, Alberta. We signed our waivers that basically say that they are not responsible for any injury or death incurred. I have to say, it is daunting signing things like that!
We started out really early that morning as it was about a 3 hour drive to our destination from what I remember. The closer we got to Red Deer, it was so smoky that I wasn’t sure what kind of view we would have skydiving that day. We had a lot of forest fires in our province and the smoke from them blew in that day making visibility poor. We showed up and checked in for a 13,000 foot jump, but after we checked in, we found out that they have to get permission for the 13,000 feet which we sadly didn’t get. It was going to be a 10,000 foot jump. We watched our instructional video of how to exit the plane and then got harnessed up. My instructor was amazing. He hooked us up and I said to him, “This is really up close and personal isn’t it?” He got me goggles to fit over my eyeglasses as I can’t see anything without them. The goggles have to be really, really snug so that the wind doesn’t whip them off your face. Then Hanna and I, all harnessed up, walk over to the aircraft with our instructors to get instruction for how to exit the plane as the doorway did not give us much room, but we managed to squeeze into this tiny Cessna. There was Hanna and I with our instructors and one more skydiver. It took some time to get to height and then, when we were just minutes from our jump zone and were tightening up the harnessing, the pilot got a call to return to the airport. The jump was aborted! The winds came up too hard and fast and it could have been deadly had we have jumped. … which is why I pray. all the time. The Lord protected us. Everyone was so thankful we got word before we jumped! It was a really long descent to the tarmac and the reason is because the parachutes on our instructors have computer sensors that sense if the jumper is falling too fast, the emergency chute will deploy. Something you do not want happening in a flying aircraft.
This particular experience was what could cause peril when skydiving. It’s no wonder you sign scary waivers that says that Skydive Central will not be held liable should you die. The single jumper that was with us in the plane said that in winds like that, you don’t know where you’ll end up or how the chute will deploy. She said that one time she jumped when the winds were crazy and she ended up in Innisfail which is miles and miles away. It can be really scary. So, the highlight that day was not only God’s protection but it was also the first time I ever flew in a Cessna aircraft – that in itself was a bit of an adventure even though we didn’t get to jump that day.
Once we were on the ground, the wind sock at the airport was horizontal – brutal. We were told that it would be at least 4pm before the winds would die down and could jump. It was about noon. Hanna and I decided to have them hold our deposit and we would see about re-scheduling a jump in the very near future. We opted not to stay as it was about a three hour drive back to Edmonton, where we live, which would mean getting home really late. Alberta Skydive Central was really great about letting us re-book.
When we got home, we decided to re-book for the following weekend, Sunday, September 9, 2023, but this time at the Edmonton location, which is actually north of Edmonton at Westlock Airport, because it is closer to home – only about a one and a half hour drive. They can only do 10,000 foot jumps at this location which we were okay with – especially for me being it’s my first go. I didn’t want us driving another three hours to Alberta Skydive Central for a maybe on the 13,000 feet. Alberta Skydive Central and Edmonton Skydive are owned by the same owner so it was easy to move our reservation and signed waivers from one place to another. Our reservation was for 9am which is the first skydive of the day and the only time slot Edmonton Skydive had left for that weekend.
The hubby drove us there. The morning was beautiful and and not a cloud in the sky. It was a cool morning – about 9ºC. We watched the instructional video again and then got harnessed up, goggles and all. My instructor’s name was Jesse and he was awesome!
This aircraft had a larger door for jumping out of which was such a relief!
I cannot explain it. I wasn’t scared at all and more excited than anything. I didn’t let myself overthink it. We got on the plane and started our ascend. There is only room for two tandem jumpers. When we got to our jump point, Hanna and her instructor jumped first and then us.
Then the 5000 foot free fall at about 200KMH!! … which is why my aging skin makes it look like I’m experiencing G-force. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel my skin pulling, but the 200KMH fall did sting my skin around my collar bones, but otherwise, I didn’t feel the force of the winds and breathing was no problem.
When you are free falling … you don’t experience the sensation of falling … more like floating with wind hitting your body – strangest thing.
When the canopy opens, it pulls you up at a force you don’t expect … truly a wild ride. I thought my inner thighs might have taken some bruising from the harness, but they didn’t. After the canopy deployed … the view from 5,000 feet is amazing. To see the planet from a bird’s eye view is spectacular! As you can see there wasn’t a cloud in sight that morning. Jesse did some spins which sent the tummy into a whirl – he was so great at making this so fun. If you want to check out Jesse’s Instagram: j3s2e (Jesse R)
– home of Edmonton Skydive!
With it being so early in the morning and a cool one at that – it means sound travels. Hubby was on the ground and he could see us exiting the plane but he didn’t know who jumped first … until he heard me squealing with glee, whoo-hooing and exclaiming awesomeness! When falling at this incredible speed, you can’t hear yourself until the chute opens. Hubby said that when the canopy deployed, he heard a really loud crack – I heard nothing.
The landing was smoother than I anticipated. Jesse instructed me as to when to lift my legs so he could guide us to the ground and then we slid across the grass.
“I started skydiving because I love the idea of freedom.” ~ Felix Buamgartner
This was an experience I will never forget. The only thing I am bummed about is that I didn’t do it years ago. I am definitely doing this again … what a blast!
In my next post I will write about what jumping out of an airplane taught me.
Risé Brette
The Weary Traveller 