As I arrived at the drop zone I was encouraged to do a tandem jump with a trained parachutist. A tandem jump involves strapping yourself to an experience jumper and bailing out of a plane. I was assured it is completely safe and I have no doubt it is since someone takes the plunge almost every hour of every day - without incident. In other words, they touch down safely and exhilarated. Even so, intuition provides reason to hesitate.
At a small airport in Ellington, Connecticut - a town long know for its dairy farms - members of the Connecticut Parachutists Skydiving club have been jumping out of planes almost hourly since 1970. As soon as one group lands, another is launching in a cycle that takes about twenty minutes to complete from take off to touch down.
I am told that it is safer than driving a car or riding a motorcycle. It's clear that every precaution is taken. Parachutes are packed carefully and double checked. Jumpers go through short practice routines each time before they get into the plane for take off. They review video of their jumps afterward to search for ways to improve. And the jumpers are suited up to survive trouble in the air.
The glide down from 4,000 feet takes less than five minutes. No one leaves disappointed and some can't resist the urge to do it again.
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© Dean Pagani 2023
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© Dean Pagani 2023