Adventure & Wildlife Magazine - Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 | Page 74

ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
Before…
some ‘butterfly in the tummy’ expressions were shot. We
joked and nervously laughed along the way, and I was
the last to board the plane, just after Sia. I compared this
flight to the regular ones we have, and chuckled to myself.
Firstly, I was on the floor with no seatbelt on…secondly,
I was seated facing the other end…and thirdly, just a thin
fibre shutter was between me and the vast sky. Insane!
As soon as we checked in, a detailed form had to be filled
up on the tab provided. After weighing in, and ticking
an additional $30 for insurance, an optional charge of
$149 was my unflinching choice- for the images and HD
video of the dive! So, the total amount spent per head,
including the online payment was $420 (all amounts in
AUD). Roughly translated, that’s Rs. 21,000. Would it be
worth it? The answer would reveal itself in the next 45 As the plane took off, after a brief run, I asked myself- Is
this what I signed up for? Have I lost my mind? Am I
minutes.
really going to do this? Sia too appeared a bit
Our group of 8 got introduced to our tandem instructors, nervous, but Robbie was doing a great job of
and we got into bright blue jumpsuits. A proper briefing casually chatting up with her, and she eased up a bit!
followed- the neck, leg and back position while jumping A round of high fives, and my nerves disappeared. For
from the plane; arms to be opened up on a triple tap from our instructors, it was just another day at the office.
the instructor, and the ‘hands under the thighs’ landing
posture. Harnesses were secured, and a life jacket was also Soon, we were up in the clouds, and on cue, we wore our
fit on the waist (in case the wind forced us to land in the protective glasses. Sandros asked me to sit in his lap, and
ocean). Didn’t I say, these guys leave nothing to chance!!! attached my harness to his, and repeated the instructions
given earlier. At 14,000 feet, the moment of truth had
arrived. There was no turning back now!
In the Air
A 15 minute drive in the bus, and we reached Albion
Park Rail Airport, where a small plane awaited us. Eight
crazy eager skydivers, mostly first timers, boarded the
flight. Each of us was accompanied by an experienced
tandem instructor. Mine was the cheerful Sandros, a
German born Aussie, and Sia’s instructor was a jovial
Aussie named Robbie. Both highly experienced, with a
few hundred jumps to their credit! The GoPros on their
wrist had already started recording before we got in, and
74
Here we go…
My heart was thumping so loudly, all other sounds
simply dissolved into thin air. The shutter was slid open,
and a blast of cold air hit me. Swinging my feet out was
the next step, and at 14k feet, it defied all logic. So, here
I was, hanging out of the plane, literally…and after what
seemed ages, Sandros launched us into the wide open
sky….
Vol 1|Issue 5-6|Nov 16 - Jan 17