When I flew…

There was a gush of cold wind as the airplane door opened. There was a layer of clouds down below and the sun shone brightly somewhere. The couple who sat right next to the door, kissed, held hands and were gone. The video-grapher was next but he merely held on to the rod that connected the wing to the body of the plane. Just then, my tandem guide asked me to get to the door and I was there.

A glance at the clouds below, and a shudder of terror later, I was in the banana position – face upwards, hands on the harness, elbows back, legs down and out of the door. I heard the count and before I knew it – we were out.

Zoop!

Out into the blue sky, out at four thousand meters above sea level, out into the cold air, out above the clouds!

Though I went out face down, the guide took a turn and I was falling on my back. Then we twisted and I was falling face down again – all of this in an instant. The instant that I knew would come. I was terrified I think, but it ended so soon that it did not register then.

And then I was falling down to the earth, accelerating and gaining speed every single moment. That is when I started flying. My tandem signaled me to let go of my harness and I spread my arms. That’s when I said “Shit!”
Bad word at the right moment.

I fell and flew with the blue sky above me and the white cotton of clouds stretching below me. Then I was in the clouds. When, as a kid, I had morphed them into tiny elephants and giant mynahs, into devils and into angels; I had never imagined I will touch them all with my two hands. And now I did.

It was white or was it grey? Or was it just misty? It surely was dreamy.

I saw the smiling face of the videographer in front of me. I smiled back and the only way I could express my joy was by two thumbs-up – something that seemed the only way to express my exhilaration. While we were in the clouds, and while I was grinning ear to ear, the speed had increased enough to make my cheeks sway with a life of their own.

Just then the clouds disappeared and I saw earth rushing to me – fields, trees, buildings all closing in rapidly. A tap on the shoulder told me what was coming and my harness tightened. The parachute was engaged! From 190 km/h down to 19km/h in a second may be, at 1500 meters above sea level. We had had a free fall of 2500 meters in about 50 seconds! The videographer, who had skillfully stayed in the clouds for a bit to record this event, zooped past us without his canopy deployed yet.

That’s when I said “Fuck!”
The amazing scenery below me and the stupendous vista in front is beyond words, and hence the swearing.

The evening sun rays came through the clouds and lit up the ground, while the clouds cast their shadow right next. The rain that was falling somewhere far away drew a grey curtain and beside that was the vast expense of green forest - a magnificent display of nature’s elements, at full glory. I could have stayed there forever.

My tandem got me back to reality as he made me practice the landing position and made me held the strings of the now gliding canopy. We turned a few times in the air at super speed and then it was time to land.

When the signal came I held my legs at 90 degrees to my torso and we landed at the patch of grass marked out for us with amazing precision and my feet scraped against the earth to bring us to a halt. The friendly videographer was right there waiting for us. I smiled and the thumbs went up again.

That is when I jumped for joy and shouted out to my friends!

I know how flying feels.