Are You Ready For A Leap of Faith?

Skydiving 

This week, the self-described “Extreme Team” of Nadia Chowdhury and Crystal Delgaudio traveled to Orange, Va., to explore the popular and daunting adventure of skydiving. After an almost a two-hour drive to Orange, Chowdhury was anxious to jump, but the first step after their arrival at Sky Dive Orange was paperwork–and payment for services.

Jumping from an airplane is a leap of faith, and one must be ready for it. The paperwork included basic information such as name, address, birthday, phone number, and a signature at the bottom stating that you know exactly what you are doing and are ready to take the jump. You must read, initial and sign every paragraph.

There are two types of jumps, and an additional option to simply ride along in the plane to watch others skydive. Delgaudio selected the latter option, and for $24 had the opportunity to sit in the cockpit with the pilot and take video footage, available at www.loudouni.com.

The two basic jumps are the tandem jump and the Accelerated Free Fall (AFF) jump. The tandem jump consists of an instructor and the jumper strapped to each other, jumping with one parachute. There is ground training provided beforehand for first time jumpers and those who might need a refresher.

The second type of jump is the AFF, which is the first jump taken by those pursuing their skydiving “A” license. It consists of two instructors jumping out of the plane with the new skydiver, and pulling the new diver’s chutes. After the first jump, clients learn more tricks and exits, with an instructor there for safety purposes. A total of 25 jumps that must be made in order to get a skydiving license. “During your license jump, you have to show that you can do everything they taught you–like being stable and keeping your head focused–all in that one jump” stated Lee Moser, 22, a novice skydiver from Sterling.

The Jump

The Skydive Orange airplane took off and ascended to an altitude of 14,000 feet. As it climbed higher, the view of the ground below became blurrier as the pilot and passengers passed through clouds and fog. By the time the plane reached 14,000 feet, the ground looked like something from a hazy dream. The pilot then informed the passengers that he was about to let them all off the plane.

Delgaudio watched as Chowdhury and the other jumpers exited into clear air. Since it was her first jump, Chowdhury was bound-up with her instructor and was prepared to take a tandem jump. One skydiver did a flip out the door, and closely following was Moser, who was fulfilling the requirements he needed to acquire a license. Chowdhury and her instructor simply dropped from sight. “That was probably the scariest moment of the entire flight,” recalled Delgaudio. “They were there one second, and the next they were simply dropping through thin air, gone from view.” The plane then descended at a much faster rate, but by the time it reached the ground Chowdhury and her instructor had already landed.

The jump itself was taken at 13,500 feet, with the chute pulled at 3,500 feet. “The freefall felt amazing,” said Chowdhury. “We were falling at 120 miles per hour for 50 seconds.” But the adventure was not over. “If you’re feeling adventurous, ask the instructors to do tricks,” said Mosher’s girlfriend and fellow skydiver, Katie Smith, 22, of Sterling.

Taking Smith’s advice, Chowdhury asked her instructor to be adventurous. “Heddy tapped me on the shoulder to check the altimeter at 6,000 feet, so I knew when to pull the chute,” recalled Chowdhury. “After the pull, we did a few tricks in the sky, and slowly made our way to the landing. The scenery was breathtaking and the jump was peaceful… and now I want to get my license.”

Like every other sport or activity, the thrill of skydiving comes with a note of caution. There is great risk involved in jumping, and therefore the rules and regulations must be closely followed in order to ensure an incident-free jump. Experienced jumper and skydiving club member Charley Gittins said that there are two major rules: “See and avoid other canopies, and don’t do low turns.”

Low turns are especially dangerous, because the diving turn increases the speed of the jumper. This can easily lead to a misjudgment in the estimated recovery time. It is also critical that skydivers know their limits when it comes to vital factors, such as wind speed. Students are not allowed to jump when the wind speed exceeds 14 mph. Skydiving under the influence of any substances is strictly prohibited, and the penalties for those who violate this rule are severe.

The cost of a tandem jump (all beginners are required to jump with an instructor) is $265, and there is a cash discount available. For more information and a complete list of prices at the skydiving facility near Orange, visit www.skydiveorange.com.