falling from the sky

April 10, 2007

falling from the sky

It was going to be an exciting day as we're going to jump out from 12 thousand feet high above!!

We waited anxiously at the reception lounge of our backpackers for the transport to pick us up to Taupo airport. It was about 30-minute late, by then we had decided to wait by the entrance instead of reception lounge.

Finally the TTS (Taupo Tandem Skydiving) van pulled over in front of us. Inside were another couple of groups of excited tourists. On our way to the airport which was only about 8km south from town centre, our driver briefly explained to us what's gonna happen and invite us to fire any question we had.

"Will it be difficult to breath up there?" someone asked

"Well, sometimes you forget to breath until it's over..but nope, it won't," answered our driver.

Upon arrival at TTS office, we were weighted and marked with the figure on our hand. If weight is your darkest secret you'd never give up, then i'm affraid you can't go on tandem sky-diving, as they have to assign tandem diver according to weight. Oh, and the weight limit is 100kg. YD was assigned to Albert S. from Germany and myself to Mike S. from USA, whom later we saw on the wall was some record holder (what record that I didn't know) We were requested to put on the dive suit and safety harness tightly secured on us. The crotch strap was so tightly fit it actually hurt a little when walking. i can imagine it would be even more painful for guys (which was confirmed by yd later)

We were the first group that morning. Soon we boarded onto the small craft and took off into the air.

We were squeezed into a tiny craft with another 7 or 8 pair of divers. The 15-min ride to reach 12k ft was incredible. We actually went all the way up until all we could see was the thick sea of clouds. It's indeed some weird experience. Imagine you were hooked and straped tightly to a total stranger you met less than 20min ago, and had to sit on his lap at one point before the jump, and you'll cling on to him more than you do to your bf/gf because you are literally clinging for your dear life!

Mike and I were the 4th or 5th pair to jump and yd and his tandem diver were after us. As we were getting closer to 12k ft, he double checked to make sure everything was in place and that we were securely 'hooked up'. When one after another pair in front of us started taking off one by one, my heart was pounding faster and faster. It all happened in a split second.

I saw the pair infront us smiled and waved at the camera for the exit photo and next they were falling down, becoming smaller...Mike then asked me to turn back and smile at the camera and before I could put on my most charming smile I was already airborne! But honestly, the free fall wasn't as fast as I'd expected mostly because we were so high up and the relative speed wasn't as obvious compared to ground. But it was AWESOME! I was screaming out of excitement. I watched the sea of clouds getting closer as we descended. For a second I wonder if we would actually feel any resistance when we fall through the clouds. But nope, it didn't feel a thing though I was a little worried it might hurt :) As soon as we broke through the clouds, beckoning us was the landscape around the airport of grazing lands and lake Taupo.

The parachute was immediately released and I felt a little disoriented for a few seconds. The it seemed like we'd stopped descending and were hanging in the air. Then I got all excited again when I realised the thousands of small tiny white flea-like dots I saw on the land were actually sheep! So many of them I thought I could feel the itch.

After some 10 to 15 minute of gliding, Mike started to manuver the parachute to head back to the landing field. We must have been the lightest pair as we were the last to touch down. YD was already on the ground asking what took us that long! lol! But I'd rather have longer free fall time than the less exciting 'gliding' time :(

Later, yd and i exchanged our jump experience and yd beat me with the backflip his tandem diver performed right after they jumped out of the craft.

"I saw the sea of clouds and then suddenly I was seeing the aircraft and the sky above again, WOW!"

Urghh..i'm so jealous!! I wished i had thought about this and requested Mike to do the same!

Anyway, it was indeed one of the most incredible experience. And WE DID IT! WE DID IT! Mind you, the kiwi called it 'better than great sex!' I'll leave you guys to try and find out for yourselves. :)