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Published: August 15th 2006
What were you doing at 12:45 this arvo? I was jumping out of a plan at 14000ft. in crisp blue sky over Rainbow Beach.
I booked the skydive a few days back and spent that time doing everything in my power to not think about it. I started getting pretty toey this morning, but the tension was eased by the good people at Rainbow Beach Skydive as they started making gags to each other like, "did you remember to put stickytape over that hole in the tarp? It was bad luck about that guy who came up with us this morning. What does this strap do? Where does this clip go?" etc.
When we got out to the airfield I took one last nervous wee before getting strapped into the harness. The plane we were to go up in looked quite similar to Mr Burns' Spruce Moose in the Simpson's Casino Episode - I promise that it wasn't much bigger! There was only just enough room for the pilot (he got a seat!), two instructors and two victims (we sat on the floor in the back). The take off was pretty smooth and over the next 25 minutes we made a steep ascent towards our jump height of 14000 feet. The rattling screws and duct tape in the back of the plane all added to its character.
The view was amazing. The sky was bright blue with a few fluffy white clouds to the north-east. To the north we could see Fraser Island including Lakes McKenzie and Wabby, further on the town of Hervey Bay was a speck in the distance. Below us we saw Rainbow Beach, Tin Can Bay and the coloured sands all in bright, vibrant shades of blues, greens, and yellows.
Once we got to about 12000 feet reality started setting in and all of a sudden I wasn't quite so comfortable. After all, people were never meant to jump out of planes. In fact, the first person to skydive was a Frenchy in the late 1800s who jumped out of a hot air balloon. The interesting catch to that story is the fact that the fellas who came up with the kinda wacky idea of using one of their mother's Queen size bed sheets to assist them in their giant leap of faith didn't have so much faith in their own handy work with the rig that they kitted up. So, just to be on the safe side, they hooked a young girl into it and threw her out first, subsequently becoming the first ever parachuter. Good blokes (to throw rocks at).
So, as I was saying before I got sidetracked, I started packing myself when I realised what I was about to do. The feeling was a bit like coming in to bat at 4 for 15 on a sticky wicket in a grand final. Butterflies Merrit. When the instructor strapped me in and I heard "clip, clip, clip, clip" it struck me that those four small bits of steel were all that I had to stop 'normal Simmo' from becoming 'splattered across the beach Simmo'. The next few minutes is a bit of a blur. I just remember the door opening and this sudden gush of wind surging through the tiny aircraft, as if the cold air slapped me in the face. We edged our way the open door and I sat there for maybe 5 or 10 seconds, my feet hanging outside the plane and my heart in my mouth. Then it happened.
The instructor, Rob, pushed us out (leaving my stomach behind) and we started spinning, doing backflips as if we were just floating in mid air. My heart was racing, I couldn't breathe and I was thinking "what am I doing here?" Then I got a tap on the shoulder, we faced the ground, arched our backs and spread out our arms. About this stage the adrenalin was pumping and I started screaming and yelling. My face felt like it was about to crack from the giant Jason Lee 'mouth wider than head' smile I had slapped on. The ice cold air gushed past at and my senses were so alive, I could feel everything. We freefalled for what felt like ages.
When we pulled the shoot there was a couple of small jerks that felt a bit like turbulence in an aeroplane, then we started floating. For me, a person who is pretty toey with heights, this was the worst part. Rob told me to loosen the chest strap to help me breathe. I was like, "piss off, I'm not loosening anything. 5000 feet is still a long drop pal." After a minute or two of feeling a bit nervous we just got to hanging about, chatting, admiring the views. We started talking about sport, girls, Fraser Island etc. All the regular stuff you talk about when your floating to the earth from an amazing height above Rainbow Beach, you know how it is. Once again the view was breathtaking.
As we got closer to the ground we seemed to gain speed, spiraling around in circles as people just metres below were enjoying the beach, fishing, swimming, sunbaking. We glided in for the landing, feet up skidding across the top of the sand. When we came to a halt back on terra firma I lay back and just smiled. I could've sat there all day if it weren't for the fact that I was leaning back into the straddled legs of another man. I just wanted to get up and do it all over again.
So there it is. The boy from Templestowe with a fear of heights has plunged 14000 feet out of his comfort zone and landed in the soft, golden sands of satisfaction and acheivement. It was without a doubt the most amazing sensory experience of my life. Like nothing you could imagine. I strongly urge other people to do it. I guarantee that no matter who you are you won't regret it.
All take care.
Mark.
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Aun
non-member comment
Good work Simmo, very gutsy in my opinion. I'm sitting here at my desk and palms are clammy just from reading that... one day.. one day!