Tuesday, September 10, 2019

OLD AND FOOLISH






When I turned 70, I did a static line parachute jump at 5,000 feet.









Now, a decade later, and not being of sound mind and even less sound in body, I decided I wanted to do a solo freefall parachute jump.   The nearest jump school was three-and-a-half hours from home (seven hours round trip) but I made the trip down and signed up on a Saturday.  Another round trip the following Wednesday (leaving the house at 4 a.m.) to attended an eight-hour training – coming home with muscles aching that I hadn’t used for years.   Yesterday, another trip down, leaving the house at 4:35 a.m. 
 

I arrived – some more training – then wait…   We had a cloud cover and students can’t jump in clouds. 

 
About 2 p.m. they canceled it for students.   You could still jump tandem with an instructor or come back the next day to try again.   The weather forecast shows mostly cloudy for the whole week, so I said fuck-it and jumped tandem.   The idea of a fourth seven-hour round trips in one week sucked.


We went out at 15,000 feet - free fall for 10,000 feet; then flew the chute down for a landing.   It wasn’t a solo jump as I had planned; but it was great – and I got it out of my system. 



 

In retrospect, the reality is that I am too fucking old to keep playing young men’s games.  I would recommend a tandem jump for anyone – you don’t have to go through all the training I did for a solo freefall.



 

I am sore this morning, but ambulatory: thank god for BC Powders.


the Ol’Buzzard







4 comments:

  1. You are a lot braver than I am! Congratulations in achieving your goal, even though you did a tandem rather than a solo. A big pat on the back from me.

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  2. I did it at 35, but 80...nope. I admire your grit.

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  3. That was a great idea. I can't do many things I used to but if I could I would do everything again and again.

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