On Sunday, August 24, Linda and I celebrated her birthday by tandem skydiving. I knew Linda had wanted to do this from early in her life, and I found that Skydive Bend, with a landing zone at the Madras Municipal Airport, provided this service. Skydive Bend seemed to have a good reputation and a lot of experience. So I signed us up for the experience. Some time later I advised Linda of what we would be doing on her birthday.

We checked in at the Skydive Bend facility about 11AM Sunday. The day was quite smoky from the nearby Flat Fire to the southwest. It was warm at the airport, but we expected it would be cooler at altitude. After getting some advice we decided to wear what we came with, T-shirts, long pants, and running shoes.

First thing, we each filled out the most detailed, exclusionary, and repetitive waiver I have ever read. I signed the waiver only because I knew we would be attached to experienced, USPA-certified, and quite motivated tandem skydiving instructors on our jump. We met our instructors, Nick and Steve, put on our harnesses, and walked out to our plane.

The plane was small and the four of us just fit in the passenger area beside the seated pilot. I sat in front of my instructor, Nick, beside the door. Linda and her instructor, Steve, sat facing each other beside the opposite wall. While the plane took off and climbed Nick attached me to his harness. Clearly we would be the first out.

Steve told me we would jump at about 11000 MSL, just under 9000 feet above the ground. As we approached our jumping altitude Nick coached me on the upcoming process. I was to cross my arms and hold chest straps as we squeezed out the door onto a step in 130 mph wind. Then we would dive. He explained he would tap me on my shoulder when I should let go of my hand straps and spread my arms, but keep my heels close to me. I wondered how Linda would do exiting the plane with her stiff knees.

As we approached the jump the conversations slowed and I grew a little anxious. I asked Nick and Steve if ever anyone had backed out at the last minute. Nick said that out of his 6000(?) tandem jumps he had only three clients back out. Steve said that out of his 1000 tandem jumps only one client had. Well, I certainly would not be another one of those.

It was time to jump. Nick opened the door, I gripped my handle straps and squeezed my feet out the door. As I stepped onto the step with my left foot my foot slipped off the step. I more carefully placed both feet on the step with Nick behind me. Linda watched me loose my composure as Nick got into position.

At this point my memory becomes a little bit hazy. I looked down past my feet at 9000 feet of open air to the surface below me. I had free rappelled off overhanging rock with a hundred feet or more of air below me in the past, but this time I was going to dive headfirst attached only to Nick.

We dove out, then headfirst. I yelled as I dove headfirst to release some tension to calm myself. I kept enough grip on my mind to remember and follow my instructions and rely on Nick’s experience.

After we were well clear of the plane Nick tapped me and I spread out my arms. I regained my composure and started to enjoy the freefall. The wind blasted my face. The ground was approaching quickly.

Nick opened the chute and we quickly slowed. Rather than falling we were now hanging in space. This sensation was more familiar to me, but there was a lot more space below me than I had experienced before. I saw another chute above us. It was Linda and Steve, so I knew Linda had made it out the plane OK.

Nick coached me on how to steer the chute and I made a few turns. The chute was responsive and we turned towards our landing zone.

There was no wind, so we came in rather quickly, sliding across the ground. Nick took most of the force of landing. Soon Linda and Steve landed behind us.

Tandem skydiving was an exciting, momentarily terrifying, and very memorable experience for me. I highly recommend Skydive Bend, and especially their instructors Nick and Steve. I think you will find the operation safe, supportive, and very friendly.

After returning home and somewhat euphoric from the jump I researched how to get training for solo jumps. I learned a bit about the licensing requirements, the need to keep current, the scarcity of suitable drop zones near Central Oregon, and the expense of equipment.

I think solo skydiving is an unsuitable sport for me at this point in my life. However, having tandem skydived once, Linda and I think we might repeat it another time – perhaps in Arizona this upcoming winter.