Skydiving!!!

Yesterday, we left from the hotel and went up to Kara's (Yorkville, IL), picked her up and went over to Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, IL. We pulled up and parked outside the hangar.


We walked through the hangar and into the office to start filling out our paperwork. The contract we had to sign basically said that even if an accident is a result of gross negligence on their part, it's still not their fault. We had to initial next to each paragraph in the 10 page contract. That was pretty crazy.

After all of the paperwork, we went downstairs for a class with Chad. They played a video with this guy with a super long fake beard who went over the legal stuff. Then Chad went over [twice] what would go on during our jump. After our class was over, we went upstairs, back out to the hangar, and started getting suited up.






After we were dressed, we took one last group picture before we headed out for the plane.



Now we're in the plane and seatbelted in. We fly up to 13,000 feet. We all have altimeters strapped to our arms. As we go up, you can see the needle going up. At about 6,000 feet, we pass through clouds and the professional jumpers (the ones we're all strapped to) take note. We're supposed to pull the cord at 5,500 feet. That leaves time to straighten things out if there's trouble.

When we make it up to 13,000, they open the door - yes, on an airplane, they just randomly open the door up. This is crazy!

The instructors kept everyone in the plane engaged in conversations the whole trip up. We didn't even have time to be scared.

Everett was in front of me. They opened the door, his camera guy went out the door and held on to the plane so he could get some pictures. From there, Ev and his instructor got up to the door and just rolled right out. I was up next - we scooted up to the edge. I tried to grab the handle above so I could slide up easier but my instructor didn't let me. I slid up to the door with my knees almost out of the plane. 1, 2, 3, out we went. It was sick! Before we went out, I could look down and see the clouds, Ev and his instructor, and Ev's camera guy just floating around below us.

So we go out the door and it gets LOUD! The wind blowing past your ears was noisy. It didn't feel like you were falling at all - it was more like flying. In the class, they told you it would only last for 60 seconds. In my head, 60 seconds was a lot longer than it was falling from the plane. I didn't do so well at remembering to check everything - I was all caught up in the moment. I did manage, at the last minute, to reach for the rip cord as the instructor was getting ready to pull it (since he didn't want to die either).

The entire thing was MAD FUN and I STRONGLY recommend you do it too.

Here's the pictures from Beth's jump, followed by mine: