Okay, okay, my son tells me I’m too old to engage in such dangerous activities, but the truth of it is: I was never scared and it was the most awesome thing I’ve ever done. Why did I do it? It was on my bucket list, along with a hot air balloon ride (done, in Africa, over the Masi Mara), and bungee jumping. That last one I’m still thinking about, but might swap it for white water rafting.
So I asked my husband to pay for skydiving for my birthday, then had to lose some weight to make the weight limit. That took a while, so it was last Saturday when we finally drove down to Piedmont Skydiving in Salisbury, NC, along with some longtime friends, Billie and Dana Staats. I had to sign or initial pages and pages of release forms before I could get harnessed up, all the while listening to the people who had gone ahead of me – whoops and chattering away after 
they landed. At the last minute, Dana jumped in and decided to join me – what a surprise. So we jumped from the same plane.
My tandem partner was a big strong guy named Ian, who is British with strong Aussie accent from living Down Under for several years. We had to be sure to take off anything that might blow away (there’s a You Tube video of a lady who loses her false teeth in a jump), so I shed my glasses and earrings and emptied my pockets. After some brief instruction on how to place our feet on a ledge just outside the plane’s door before jumping, we took off and climbed to 10,000 feet.
Inside the plane, Dana and his tandem partner were seated on the floor to the side and front on the floor to the side and front where the passenger seat had been where the passenger seat had been removed, while Ian and I sat where the rear seat had been, facing back, with me seating between Ian’s legs.
It took a while to get to the right altitude and during that time, Ian attached my harness to his and spent a lot of time tightening the straps and checking the harness. Then it was time to go. Dana left first – I didn’t see him leave the plane because Ian was dragging me attached to him forward into the side space. With the door open the noise from the wind was deafening. I swung my legs out of the door, got one foot on the ledge and then, with a push off from Ian, we were tumbling and then straightened out into a free fall.
It was cold, and the wind rips away at your face, but what a wonderful feeling and beautiful views of North Carolina in all directions. All too soon, Ian inflated the parachute and we were surprisingly gently tugged up and then settled into a slow descent. What can I say? The adrenalin rush was intense (I got an immediate headache) and the harness cut in, but what an experience! A 360o view of the world and rather quiet – flying without wings.
All too soon we were coming in for a landing. Ian tightly circled us with my inner ear canals objecting, then we glided toward the ground very quickly. I was told to raise my legs and let Ian land, which we did amazingly smoothly, then we both skidded on our rears and came to a halt. WOW!
We celebrated out jumps with lunch at Porky’s in China Grove, a famous barbecue place. North Carolina is famous for its barbecue and I felt I deserved to go off the diet. I’ve been flying high for the last week, and it’s only now that all those endorphins, prolactine, cortisol, adrenaline, noradrenaline, and thyrotropin have dissipated. They make you feel great, and I can see why one could become a sky diving junkie. When Dana jumps again for his birthday in June, I’m planning to join him…so the diet will continue.
If I could figure out how to load the video, I would – but it’s a million plus KB!
That’s phenomenal! Congrats! Well done! And Happy Birthday! My brother went sky diving. The man in the plane said “Jump!” so he did, and then my brother heard him say “Not yet!” However, he lived to tell the story!
Bruce, you always have a great story to tell. I didn’t jump – got pushed – but I would have jumped!
This is amazing! You look as graceful as a bird 😀
Thank you! I’ve never been called graceful before except by my high school boyfriend, who called me Graceful as a nickname – because I wasn’t!
Nothing wrong with being clumsy at all 😉 But I would say here you look like a delightful thing in flight.
Flying was a delight – nearest thing to being a bird. I thought of Daedalus!
Good on ya, Noelle, great stuff!
big hugs
john
Thanks, John. It was a blast.
Fantastic! Well Done you.
Thanks, Rosie. I may just have to write this into my next book!
You crazy lady! I love that you did this though and I take my Akubra off to you. Just seeing your big cheesy grin has made me smile Noelle! 🙂
Thanks, Belinda! At my age, I love being called crazy! And the smile was a product of all those hormones!
Love it!
Ok I’m officially jealous. Don’t compromise. Do both the rafting and the bunny jump (they are epic)!and I’ll aim to join you in the sky dive this summer coming…
Do join me! The rush is incredible and the experience awesome. I’ve had to nix the bunny jump (Doctor’s orders) but I plan to zip line and white water raft for sure.
Great stuff; I should fly over and join you!
Fabulous! I understand why you wanted to do it. I did a parachute (well, two) jump years back, although went for the two days course and jumped alone (well, with a lot of people, but I wasn’t attached to anybody). I also remember as the best part the silence, the views and the floating down. No fear… I’d also like to do bungee jumping but would have to be from somewhere interesting (not just from top of a crane). Yeah!!
Now YOU are the brave one, Olga – to jump alone! If I do this again, then I think the next thing will be training for a solo jump, although the hubs make not be okay with that one. Or my son, who does it for a living!
AWESOME! 😀
Thanks, Sue. It felt awesome!
I remember the boys faces last year.. I imagine it did 🙂
Absolutely fabulous! You are my hero. Bravo! 🙂
Thank you! You can call me a hero when and if I try a solo jump! But it was incredible and so easy!
Wow, happy birthday, Noelle! That was incredible! You certainly are a brave one! My heart was having spasms just watching you! Happy you had a great time! Blessings!
Thanks so much! The birthday was in August, and I spent a few months dieting so I could do this.
Now I have a great incentive to keep the weight off so I can do it again when Dana jumps again for his birthday!
HI Noelle! How awesome!! Good for you! I look forwarding to reading about the next adventure! Blessings! 🙂
It’ll be a while – maybe white water rafting in the spring when the water is up in the mountain rivers?
White water rafting is definitely something I plan on doing soon. As far as jumping out of a plane I have no plans on doing that, I will just enjoy your pictures and awesome description.
Very well done. It sounds fantastic but you’re much braver than I am. I like my feet on terra firma, The more firmer the less terra.
xxx Huge Hugs xxx
I don’t think this is for everyone, but heights don’t bother me at all and I’ve been up in small planes often. I remember being excited, sitting in the door of the plane, ready to push off. Guess I have a high threshold for fear! Hugs back atcha!
Fantastic! I’m glad your attitude to adventure isn’t decreasing with increasing birthdays!
What a nice thing to say! I think now that the kids are grown, I feel like I can take more chances, enjoy more fullness to life because I’m not worrying about who would take care of them! Now it’s my life!
Congratulations on your first jump! I miss skydiving, I haven’t jumped in 16 years but put 1,000 jumps under my belt before quitting when I got pregnant. I hope you continue!
Wow, you must really enjoy it! I’m thinking I might really get into it!
Wow! That’s fascinating. Well done, you! 😀
Thanks, Kev. I LOVED it!
Wow! I’m in awe that you did it and interested in the physical effects you experienced. Jumping with someone else must have helped considerably. Congratulations!
Jumping in tandem with an experienced sky diver was very reassuring. The free fall pushes the skin on your face and was pretty cold but the best part of it as far as I was concerned. I got a really bad headache from the adrenalin, but that went away within a few minutes of landing. The high from all the hormones released lasted about a week!
WOW – You are amazing! Braver than I am!
Not brave – just really excited!
Well I’m impressed!
I would have loved to see that video! It looks like such a thrill ride. 😀 I want to try it some day, too… Your expressions were all excitement!
You definitely need to do it! Maybe when you are back in Canada? The views are wonderful!
That is something I would never do! Well done, I can’t believe how brave you are!
Not so much bravery, Ali, but a desire to do something different and exciting. Life shouldn’t be boring, and I want to grab the brass ring before I’m too old!
You are certainly doing that, Noelle! And I don’t think you will ever be old!
I’m in awe of you Noelle – well done!! This is something I’d like to do but having seen my husband age 10 years after I leapt in a microlight once (at a wedding – long story!) I would feel horrible to do that to him again. Maybe one day 🙂
This just might be a bit safer. Your tandem partner does most of the work, and it’s much safer than bungee jumping!
Awesome! Happy birthday and what an amazing way to celebrate. I went skydiving for my birthday (years ago). Wonderful experience.😀
Good on you, Sarah.Glad I’ve found a kindred spirit!
You make that sound such fun I almost wish I’d have a go! But I’m not going bungee jumping – I draw a line at that!
Bungee jumping is off my list now – too many accidents and you break blood vessels in your eyes and head. But I’d do this again. White water rafting is next. Will bring s Go Pro camera for that, too! You have lots of time to skydive – their oldest customer was 91!
Awesome or crazy! Can’t decide which but glad you enjoyed it!!
To be honest, I hope a bit of both!
You are amazing! 👏👏👏 Looks like a fantastic experience.
It was indeed and I can’t wait to do it again!
Wow, Noelle. I got nervous just reading about your adventure. You are so brave! Jumping out of airplanes…um. I think I’ll pass, but you go, girl! 😀
I don’t think it was bravery, but maybe just a sense of adventure. I was never afraid!
Fantastic and what an experience:) I read somewhere, if we feel that we are too old do something, we should do that as soon as we can:))
I’ve gotten to the point where I never feel too old for anything!
Whoa. Now THAT Is ‘gnarly’ (as in spectacular and amazing). Good for you!
Thanks! Gnarly it was!
Wow, brave, brave you are. Happy birthday!!!
It was gnarly!
Congratulations! So inspiring.
Thank you, Ann. It was great fun, an adrenaline rush, and actually quite safe.
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