Riding in a Skydiving Plane Experience

I’ve been skydiving adjacent for a long time. I have friends who skydive, know peeps who are jonesing to go, and can include myself amongst the fly-curious. I’ve lived in Charlotte since 1997, so Skydive Carolina has been in my backyard almost as long as the dropzone has been the place to skydive. It’s the only skydiving center I’ve ever been to.

Whenever I’ve been to the DZ, I see person after person land under a cloud of colorful nylon, easy peasy, like happy little birds. Each looks different from the last: they’re younger than me and also many decades my senior; ecstatic first timers and also cool-as-cucumber solo jumpers. And they all high five as they flock back to the hangar. Every time I see this play out, I wonder:

Should I do that??

And then, as I drive away, I shut it down: No, I should not do that. But why? I know the safety statistics. I have pals who jump on the weekends. I trust this place. What’s keeping me from the leap?

Well … a few weeks ago, I went to support a friend (Mel) who was making her second tandem, and wouldn’t you know, when someone asked, ” Are you coming up?” I said, “Yes!” This is my sky story!

So, truth talk. I said yes to a ride along – not skydiving. But, to participate in a ride along, you have to do e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g a tandem customer does to prepare to skydive. My other non-jumping friend (JB) said yes to a ride along, too!

Off we went, all three, to the Student Training Center to check in, get weighed, and pay. The cost of a ride along is the same as a tandem skydive. Mel got video because she was for sure jumping; JB and I didn’t because we definitely weren’t. We bought snacks and water to make sure our blood sugar and hydration levels were good and soon were called for training.

I’ve never been to a training session before – that was interesting! We sat in a long, narrow room (reminiscent of the aircraft?), listened to the play-by-play of what to expect, and learned what our role would be during the jump … I mean the ride along.

Next: the bathroom! We learned in training that there’s no potty stop once you’re geared up, and a little bit of the jitters were creeping up to the water I’d downed.

I know all of the tandem instructors at Skydive Carolina are amazing. I even personally know a few. But I was paired with someone I hadn’t met before, Cathy, and she INSTANTLY made me feel so welcome and so calm. She was warm and reassuring – even though I told her I wasn’t jumping, so I wasn’t nervous – and she kept reminding me that they operate with a safety-first attitude and that we would do everything according to normal jumping procedure. OK, got it. I played along.

So, Cathy’s telling me exactly what we’re going to do and when, as well as what it will sound like, physically feel like, and how I might feel inside, and how that’s all to be expected. And all the while she’s fitting the tandem harness on me. Step in; up. Slip; tighten. Adjust; cinch. Cathy was so engaging, I didn’t even notice!

Before I knew it, we were walking to the loading area!!

When the plane taxied to the loading area and the gate opened for us to approach the plane, Cathy held onto one of my straps like a tail, so I wouldn’t veer off course. I don’t know why that made such an impression on me. It was unexpected for one; it cracked me up! And it also contributed to me feeling safe; protected. Cathy was doing all sorts of things without me even realizing. She was helping me feel really good about all of this.

I thought the plane would be cramped. It was. Were the benches uncomfortable? No. Smelly? No! I knew I’d have a seatbelt and pictured a conventional one, but it clipped to my harness somewhere near my hip. The door shut, we started down the runway, and we were in the air! As we climbed up, Cathy pointed to things across the green landscape below, turning my chin left and right so I’d catch the window with the best view.

Cathy explained that – even though I wasn’t going to jump – she would fasten our harnesses together and tighten everything until we moved as one. She was not joking! Slip; tighten. Adjust; cinch. Cinch! Cinch! We moved as one, alright! In a good way, though. If I was going to jump (which I wasn’t), she had me. I felt great!

The door opened and the cool October air rushed into the plane. Lovely! An unexpected thought comes to mind:

Should I jump?

I ask JB if she’s jumping. “Maybe. I don’t know yet!”

I always envisioned that this open-door moment would be accompanied by a lot of hooting and hollering and fanfare. Everybody letting out loud Woohoos, Hell Yeahs, and What-Am-I-Doings? There was nothing of the sort. There was casual chatter, some laughter, a lot of checking this and that. It made total sense, though. I, myself, was in suspended animation, contemplating what was next.

Should I jump?

“JB, are you going to go?” She says, “Maybe. I think so!”

And now, everyone’s doing hand slaps and sharing well wishes, and then movement. Shuffle, shimmy down the bench. A solo jumper: gone. Another, another, another. There, and then gone!! No yelling, no screaming, no crazy-looking anything – at least that I could see or hear. Just poof!

JB says, “I’m going to go. Are you?” I respond with a quick, “No!”

Mel shuffles, and shimmies down the bench: poof! JB follows suit: gone! And I … am in awe of my phenomenal friends. I tell Cathy I really am not jumping.

I’m sure Cathy would have much preferred to jump out and share her favorite thing in the world with me, but her energy didn’t shift. She was as kind and affirming as she’d been from the start. Methodically explaining what would happen next.

Including the fact that the door would stay open on our descent!! I mean, of course it does … it’s not like the pilot can shut it! Did I feel like I would fall out? No. Would I have been fine if I had? 100%.

Cathy explained that we’d descend slower than if the plane were empty because of her AAD (Automatic Activation Device). If the pilot did his normal deal, it would indicate to the AAD that she was falling too fast to be safe and it would automatically deploy her reserve. Cool! And also, no thanks!

As we touched down, easy peasy, Cathy and I climbed out and returned to the hangar where she reversed her magic and I stepped out of the harness. To my surprise, my legs were pure jelly! I didn’t feel a surge of anxiety or fear, but apparently I had plenty of adrenaline coursing through my body! Perhaps I was closer to shimmying down that bench than even I realized!!

I LOVED my ride-along! I got to support my friends, take an authentic peek into the skydiving experience, and learn a few things about myself.

As a mom in my 40s, most of my free time is spent with my children – and any expendable funds are generally spent on my children! I don’t do much for myself these days, and I definitely don’t spend money on myself. I needed this grand day out with my friends, going on this incredible, spontaneous adventure; saying yes to me.

So here’s my PSA. If you’re curious about skydiving, or flying in a plane, or see the experience as a meaningful metaphor, GO! If you want to jump off the sidelines and participate: DO IT! If you are holding back because you don’t think you should spend the money: YOU DESERVE IT!

Also, if you don’t want to do something, don’t! You do you, Boo. Respect your boundaries … just don’t forget to test them once in a while.

I don’t know if skydiving is in my future … but if it is, trust and believe Cathy will be my tandem instructor!

Want to go on a ride along or make a real-deal skydive? Book your Skydive Carolina experience! And if you have questions, reach out to the dropzone. Everyone is so, so friendly, helpful, and empowering. Blue skies, y’all!

Related Article: Skydiving Experience from Start to Finish