21 Dec 2017

I have always wondered what it would be like to fly. During my days as a small boy I used to run around with my hands spread like an airplane, simulating weird engine noises. Well, last weekend I got to fly for the first time and it was not by riding a plane. It was by jumping out of one. Yes, I did my first skydiving; my first jump.
Skydiving has always been of interest to me and when I heard the news that I was going to do it, I was overwhelmed by joy and excitement. However, skydiving or parachuting is not a joke. It requires an elastic patience, coupled with perseverance and total determination.

My assignment editor took an initiative and booked a slot for me at a Tandem event organised by the Parachute Association of Botswana in conjunction with some Tandem Masters from South Africa.
On the day, I arrvived at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SSKIA) at 8am.

Since skydiving is a wind-supported sport, the weather was perfect for the occasion.
After going through all safety rules, I had to sign  my life away and waiver Tandem of any liability in the event of a mishap, injury or death.

 I looked at the sky and it was clear, blue and sunny with cool breeze. I thanked God for the beautiful day and I prayed that the weather should not change before my jump.
My Instructor, Steve Bartels gave me a jump suit to put over my clothes.

The jump suit was a little loose but then he fixed the harness and it was looking fine.
He also fixed diving goggles on my neck and told me that he will give further instructions whilst on the plane. Our videographer took my interview and asked me several questions, if I was nervous and to whether it would be my first jump.

I was not nervous at all but rather full of energy and vigour like a determined soldier in the war front ready to defend his territory.
The instructor later gave me a five minutes skydiving training such as to cross arms, head back, knees bent, jump. I asked him only one question; “how many jumps did he do before?”
He smiled and replied, “I have done more than 8 000 jumps.”

His confidence when telling me about his jumps injected something in me; something I can’t explain. I had full faith in him.
Within some few minutes, we were taken to the airplane boarding area. The clock began moving very fast.

When I juped on the plane, I knew that the moment of reckoning had arrived and there was no turning back.
The door was closed. There were eight divers in the plane together with solo divers and two of us, who were jumping Tandem  with an instructor tied on the back.

At 5.8 feet, the cameraman asked me how was I feeling? That question made me feel a little bit nervous because I thought it was an  unusual question for a first time jumper. The feelings of I had before boarding the plane soon faded off. I tried to fight my fear by looking through the window.
My instructor would time to time update me on what was going on and that I should relax.

He told me that we were going to go 10 500 feet, about four kilometres before the jump or free fall. Before one’s turn come for diving, they are encouraged to put their mind at ease by signing.
At 11 000 feet, a warning like a car hooter wailed signaling that we are now left with few feet to reach the final feet of which the airplane door will open and we will start to jump off the plane.

At 11 500 feet, my instructor nudged me towards the open door. Standing at the edge of the door and looking out at the vast openness below, I thought it was the end of my life. There was anxiety and tension. Then the instructor said, “It’s time to go and GO!”  I could feel the cool air on my face with the speed of 200km/h.
At that time, I could not remember anything from the short training I had before the jump.

The first few seconds of our free fall seemed to be a blur due to the sensory overload.  My instructor then launched the parachute and I found myself peacefully floating towards the drop zone.
I felt like if we were floating on a cushion of air. It was a 26 second free fall.  I heard my instructor’s voice as he unfastened the harness and asked if I was fine. He then asked me if I want some spin of parachute of which I affirmatively responded.

Then he spanned the parachute 2-3 times from left and right and it was fun. The parachute ride down took around 26 seconds and the landing was incredibly soft. The experience was nothing like I had imagined.  It was one of the best moment of my life; which I could not express in words.
I am alive to tell the story and believe you me, I will go for it again. ENDS