First skydive

Being a big thrill seeker, I had to try skydiving!

Unfortunately for me, being a food lover (or too rich, depending on your point of view) and skydiving rarely go together. After nearly a year of trying to get my diet back on track and working out hard, I finally got to do THE jump I've been wanting to do for quite a few years. Why am I starting this article by talking about food? Well, simply because weighing less than 90kg is one of the non-negotiable constraints to register.

After signing up, we are grouped by session so that a pilot can brief us on the positions to adopt during all phases of the jump. Exit from the plane, positions during the jump as well as the one to adopt during the landing, he goes over everything, we are attentive.

A few minutes later, our names are called on the microphone, and this time there is no turning back. It's time for us to go and get equipped. I meet my pilot, as well as my photographer/videographer who will shoot me all along. Once equipped, second session of explanation of the instructions for me, lying on the ground this time. My videographer takes the opportunity to interview me, I don't know where to put my attention.

A person arrives then, and calls us to go on the runway: our air cab is about to land. The plane stops in front of us, and the whole group boards little by little. I am among the last to board. My pilot sits down, and I do the same in front of him. The door closes. The noise of the engines is heard, it is deafening. The plane takes speed on the runway, I look through the window and that's it, the ascent begins.

Arrived at 1500m of altitude, my pilot indicates me that it is at this altitude that he will open the parachute. We continue our ascent. 2000m, 3000m. Here, it is important to note that the noise of engines is very strong. That lasts only a few minutes, but it is relatively complicated to hear the last instructions that the pilot gives me. This time he basically explains to me that the videographers were going to go out first, and that we are going to follow them, being the first to dive into the void.

Small glance on the altimeter of my videographer: 3500m. We are almost there. I put on my goggles. The "ready" indicator lights up in front of me. The signal is given, the two photographers/videographers stay on the side of the plane and wait for us. I take my turn in position, suspended in the void, and my pilot gives the impulse which makes us fall for good, followed very closely by our videographer.

What a feeling at that moment! It's exhilarating this gradual increase in speed!

I am totally lost, not really knowing in which position I am. The previous picture shows me that we were in a nose-down position.

Once the speed bump is out, we stabilize our position horizontally. That's when I get the tap on the shoulder from the pilot, who tells me that I'm now allowed to let go of my harness, and play a little with the camera that turns around us.

It's also at this moment that I discover that having air coming in at more than 200km/h in the nose... it's surprising! I spare you the pictures of this moment but to live it is really exhilarating, I assure you! The feeling of freshness that goes with it becomes exhilarating.

1500m, my pilot pulls the handle to release the parachute. A little jolt, and this time we are as if stopped, suspended in the air. My pilot invites me to take the controls of the canopy while he loosens some straps between him and me. He takes the controls again, but this time to play in the air.

He starts a turn to the right, first soft then tighter and tighter, once again it's exhilarating! We turn 4-5 times on ourselves. This sensation to see the ground getting closer while turning on oneself quickly... wow. He makes me the same demonstration by turning on the left this time, I am in the angels.

Icing on the cake, he gives me the controls again, but this time to test the right turn myself. I'm not bold enough to give as much rhythm as him, but I'm surprised by the resistance of the controls. I was expecting to be relatively gentle, but in the end I had to put a lot of energy into it.

Last meters, the pilot takes the controls and lands us gently. My head is still in the stars. My videographer joins us quickly, and takes my impressions on the spot. I already want to go back and do it again!

If I had to summarize my adventure, I would say that it is a very pleasant feeling (the pilot is certainly for a lot). I expected to feel my stomach rising when I got out of the plane, and finally it was the opposite. We are going really fast (over 200km/h), but it is surprisingly very smooth. Maybe it was the adrenaline that boosted me at that moment, but I didn't feel dizzy, scared or unpleasant at all. Just a very big thrill!

In addition, seeing the profiles of people who jumped before or after me, I think that only your courage can prevent you from doing it. If you have no medical contraindication for this activity, go for it! You won't regret it, I promise!

If on the other hand you prefer something much more gentle, have you thought about taking a hot air balloon ride?