55 Seconds of Free Falling

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“Ready?” André asked and I nodded and told him yes. He pushed us off the edge. There was no countdown from three; one second I was in the plane, the next I was doing a front flip out of it, falling at 115 mph.

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By Maddi Dolan

My two friends and I stood near the gray, sun faded, tarmac and watched as a tiny, white Cessna 208 Super Caravan airplane approached us. In just a few minutes we would be jumping out of that plane at an altitude of 11 thousand feet. My heart started to pound. I’m known as the “grandma” of my friend group; the sometimes too cautious, level-headed, practical friend. I don't do things like this. Ever.

I wish I could say that I was doing this for some grand reason, maybe to overcome a crippling fear of heights, or because it was on the bucket list I made with my best friends in the fourth grade, but I’d be lying. Just a few days ago, skydiving was something that never once crossed my mind - it just wasn’t a “me” thing to do.

But a class assignment prompted me to do something I’ve never done before, so there I was, standing near the runway at Lake Wales Municipal Airport, behind a tan and green metal building, known as Jump Florida Skydiving Center, waiting to test my luck in a not-so-cautious and level-headed way, for no reason other than to tell people that I've done it. You have to admit, jumping out of an airplane merits some bragging rights.

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“How long have you been doing this?” I asked André as he tugged on the black and orange straps of my harness, tightening them until they fit snug on my body. I glanced around the large, open room, also known as the “dropzone,” and watched experienced skydivers lay out their parachutes, fold them up and pack them meticulously.

“This is my first jump too,” he said with a thick Brazilian accent and I laughed nervously, knowing he was only kidding but still wishing he would give me that magic number of years of experience so I would feel safer jumping out of an airplane with him.

“22 years,” he reassured me with a smile. I felt a sense of relief. Good, maybe I won’t die. André Martinelli is a third-generation Brazilian skydiver, having gone on his first jump at 16-years-old. Since then, he has completed thousands of skydiving jumps.

I was André’s twelfth and final tandem skydive of the day. What are the odds that this jump would be the one where his parachute wouldn’t open? My stomach felt uneasy as I skimmed through the waiver, words like “death” and “injury” kept popping out to me. I reluctantly signed my life away.

At 3:45 p.m. I sent a quick text to my mom saying, “going now i love u,” before shoving my phone and keys into a small plastic bin and heading to the tarmac with my friends.

“Are we crazy for doing this?” I asked my roommate Sydnie as I squeezed her arm.

“This was your idea!” Sydnie shouted over the loud plane engine. Our friend Hayley laughed.

“Just promise me that I don’t have to jump first,” I said, feeling myself start to panic. I took a deep breath; fresh air with a hint of jet fuel filled my nostrils.

“I’ll go first, don’t worry,” Hayley said. “I know you’re nervous.”

A photographer snapped a quick photo of Sydnie and Hayley, each with their skydive instructors, before they boarded the plane. I stayed back and waited for my instructor to finish eating his sandwich. How can he be so calm to eat a sandwich at a time like this?

I had barely eaten anything that day, I was too nervous. All I ate was a piece of toast with cream cheese around 12:30 p.m., which I force fed myself after attending my usual three-hour long church service. Toast and cream cheese - what a fantastic last supper meal.

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A few days prior to my jump, I had called my mom to tell her about my plans to go skydiving. She did not take the news very well.

“Are you serious? No, absolutely not!” my mom shouted into the phone. “You are not a daredevil, why the hell would you want to do that?”

After screaming at me for a few minutes, the anger subsided and the sadness and fear took over. She began to cry, begging me not to do it. “I can’t bury my daughter,” she said, still sobbing. A bit dramatic, Mom.

I had done my research. According to the United States Parachute Association, in 2020 there were only 11 skydiving-related deaths out of 2.8 million jumps. Specifically at Jump Florida Skydiving Center, there have been over 125,000 completed jumps and zero accidents. I knew the likelihood of me dying was very slim - but I guess those 11 people thought the same thing too...

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry,” I tried to reassure her, but she wouldn’t listen. She continued to tell me how dumb my plans were until I hung up the phone. I knew I wouldn’t be able to convince her that going skydiving was a great idea, I could hardly convince myself.

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“Ok, let's go,” André said enthusiastically as he led me to the airplane. The photographer snapped a quick photo of us in front of the plane as I nervously stumbled up the narrow steps. We were the last to board.

The inside of the plane was not what I was expecting. Instead of rows of seats, there were two long, metal benches, parallel to each other, which stretched from the back of the plane to the front. These “seats” allow skydivers to move forward and exit quickly and easily. André and I sat down in the remaining space, near the front. Then it hit me.

“Does this mean we have to exit first?” I gulped, internally cursing for being the last to board.

“Yes, we’re jumping first,” he said nonchalantly. Before I could respond, the plane was already making its way down the runway for takeoff. There was no going back.

As our plane flew higher, André began clipping our harnesses together, tightening and loosening straps until he was satisfied. I felt safe; he knew what he was doing.

While he was doing this, I dangled my foot outside of the open plane door and watched as the ground below grew farther away. At our altitude, due to agricultural fields and crop rotation, the land below appeared checkered with different shades of green and yellow, and lakes and ponds turned into puddles.

When another instructor announced that we had reached 11 thousand feet, a wave of calmness came over me. I was no longer afraid. I had accepted my reality - I was jumping whether I wanted to or not.

André gave me a few quick instructions before we slid off the bench. I was now sitting on the edge of the plane, both legs dangling out.

“Ready?” André asked and I nodded and told him yes. He pushed us off the edge. There was no countdown from three; one second I was in the plane, the next I was doing a front flip out of it, falling at 115 mph.

Peace is the only word I can use to describe the feeling of falling out of an airplane. There was never an “oh shit” moment, nor did I experience that dropping feeling in the pit of my stomach that most people feel during a drop on a roller coaster. My mind and body felt completely relaxed. It was just us, the clouds, blue skies and the ground far below.

I experienced 55 seconds of free falling before André deployed the parachute. 55 seconds of pure euphoria. I don’t want to sound dramatic, but those 55 seconds changed my life.

There’s a famous saying in the skydiving world, and I think it explains things perfectly. “To those who have jumped, there’s no explanation necessary. To those who haven’t jumped, there’s no explanation possible.”

Free falling out of a plane isn’t as scary as one would think. Heck, I forgot I was even falling. At 115 mph, air was pushing up so fast it just felt like I was floating with a giant, industrial fan blowing in my direction. It’s a freeing and unreal feeling that I wish everyone could experience at least once in their life. Even if your friends deemed you the “grandma” of your friend group, the maybe too cautious, level-headed, practical friend, you too can jump out of an airplane.

Once the parachute was deployed, slowing down the descent, it felt as if I was being shot upwards into the sky. I looked up and watched as the bright orange canopy inflated. Thank God, I'm not turning into a pancake today.

“We survived,” I said jokingly, fist pumping the air with both hands. André laughed and gave me a high-five.

Flying with the parachute open was just as enjoyable as the free fall. It was quiet and breathtaking; I wished it would never end. But after about 5 minutes, our feet hit the ground and we were back on earth.

Sydnie, Hayley and I all landed about the same time. Once our instructors unhooked us, we ran towards each other, joining together in a hug.

“We just jumped out of a plane,” I laughed, still in shock.

“And we didn’t die,” Hayley added, jokingly.

________

Jumping out of an airplane was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I will never forget the feeling of free falling. I will be returning to Jump Florida Skydiving Center in the near future to make another not-so-cautious and level-headed decision. This time, I’ll be skydiving at an altitude of 18,000 feet. I have a feeling this is going to become one expensive hobby.

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Tandem Skydiving Prices

Photo / Video NOT included:

11,000 ft - $139

14,000 ft - $159

18,000 ft - $199

Photo / Video INCLUDED:

11,000 ft - $217

14,000 ft - $237

18,000 ft - $277

(Personally, I think the photo / video is so worth it!)

Locations:

Jump Florida, Plant City

9002 Paul Buchmman Hwy

Plant City Fl, 33565

(888) 313-5867

Jump Florida, Lake Wales

440 South Airport Road

Lake Wales, FL 33859

(888) 313-5867

Jump Georgia, Sylvania

538 Beacon Rd

Sylvania, GA 30467

(888) 313-5867

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