Pretty in Pink

By Sequoia Schmidt

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Photo: Skydive Perris

Flying does not come naturally to me. Believe it or not, flyingย does come naturally to a few people, I’m just not one of them.

Failing level 2 of myย AFF (Accelerated Free Fall Program) was an important lesson for meย onย my journey ofย “learning to fly.” Since I failed the second level,ย I had to spend more time training in the tunnel and preparing myself mentally for each jump. Rather than carelessly throwing my body out of the plane, as I did in jump 2;ย  ย I wasย re-directed to focus and visualizeย specificallyย about each skydive, before I exited the plane. Continual repetitions of “presenting myself to the wind”ย ย were requiredย instead ofย simply jumping outย of the aircraft.

It has been two weeks since my last jump, so I want toย ensureย that my mind remembers free fall. Two minutes of tunnel time acts as a refresher for my upcoming doubleย jump.”

Level 4 of the Accelerated Free Fall Program is the first time that we will be trulyย solo.”ย Our instructorย will not beย holding onto us throughout this flight. Weย will beย free flying.

Evenย the idea that Iย shall be trulyย ย alone in the sky, is chilling however,ย Fear is becoming myย friend. Fear canย teach me and alert meย to make sure I’m properly prepared.ย All other elements of this jumpย are the same as ourย previous ones.ย We line up in the door way. We have oneย mainย instructor to our right that we check in with.

Once I have the affirmativeย head nod from my instructor, I look toward the wingtip of the plane, thenย “Out … In … Arch” and away I go.

The intensity of the wind pressing against my cheeks for the chipmunk effect.ย My arm reaches around for the practice touch, as my instructor comes in front of me, wearing a smile thatย  reassures me. I have a few nanoseconds where parts of my body and mind almost relax.

“AFF (the program) is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get” my instructorย Steve tells me as I amble backย to the skydiveย school facilities after touching down safely.

I passed my Level 4 with no issues!

See my Level 4 flight here.

Dan is the general manager of the Skydive Perrisย facility and the author of a book about human flightย entitled Above All Else. I hadย the opportunityย to chat with him a few jumps ago. He impartedย some sound advice. “Try and do more than one jump a day,” he advisedย ย me. “It really helps to have back to back jumps. Itย helps your body and your mind.”

Today I am able to followย Dan’s solid advice. Today’s agenda at Skydive Perris consists of a “double jump.”

Before we are able to get on the manifest for the next flight, we review the jump with our instructor andย go over the Level 5 requirements.ย Rather than simply solo flying, we must demonstrateย aย “control of flight.”ย We do this by completing two 180 degree turns and a forward motion flight.

This jump willย alsoย have a modified exit pattern to allow us to start becoming comfortable with alternative exits from the plane. Notice in the video of this jump (see below) that I was full pretty in pink for this jump … nails and everything!

As the plane approachesย 12,500 feet, Iย slide myย gogglesย on tightly, followed by my helmet. My instructor Steve and I step to the edge of the plane. Myย right hand reaches up to grab the thin metal bar that runs along the top inside edge of the ceiling. Iย peerย down and point out the drop zone to Steve. My body swings to the outside of the plane as my left hand simultaneously grabs theย interiorย bar.

With both hands firmly griped on this interior bar, my body is now hanging outside the plane. I turn my body into the wind.ย This twist feels familiarย andย my hips are now in alignment with the wing of the aircraft.

Looking over my right shoulder I get an “okay” nod fromย Steve. Similar to the previous exits, I must indicate my exit through motion. For this exit, my indication will be through leg movements. My left outside leg swings out, back inย and both arms release as Iย “present myself to the wind.” I’m not quite sure what happen in the moment right after I released and the moment right before my body realized that I forgot to arch but I could definitely feel a drop in my stomach that forced my auto-reaction to kick into perfect arch form.ย My heart rate begins to mellow out. My body levels out in free fallย flight mode.ย 

I perform a practice touch and check my altitude. 11,000 feet. Steve is straight out in front of meย now. Heย signals for me to begin my turns.ย Likeย a birdย uses itsย wing, my 90ย degree bend elbow presses against the pressure of the air in flight allowing my body to turn. Once I reach approximately 180 degrees, my counter arm presses down to level my body out and allow me to stop turning.

I check my altitude againย then begin to counter.

Coming in eye contact withย Steve, he is now approximately ten feet from me andย signalsย forย me to begin forward motion.ย I do so with easeย ย allowing my small body movements to control my speed and direction during my flight. Human flight.ย 

Tunnel time, mental drills and sixย solo jumps later, I’m finally starting to get a little more comfortable with my free fall.

After completing a full 360 degree turn, I lock on at 6,000 feet, wave off at 5,500 and then reach back and pull my chute.

Level 5ย means no coms (communications).ย There is no radio in my ear, no instructor toย guide myย landing pattern andย no one telling me when toย initiateย my flare (breaks for landing).ย This will be a “self directed” solo flightย and landing.

All the steps we reviewedย runย smoothly, but coming into theย landing my depth perception is compromised. I say compromised by inexperience because I had previously relied so much on the comsย andย let my instructor tell me when to flare. It’s my fault for not paying enough attention on my previous five landings to be able to know when is the appropriate hight to pull my toggles all the way down. I flare my brakes all the way down, far tooย early, causing an inevitable face plant.

Anotherย Lesson Learned.ย With aย ย slightly gritty grin,ย and dust misting off my pink suit, my jumps for the day areย complete.ย Levelย 5 is a success.

See my Level 5ย ย jump here.

Although flying does not come naturally to me, I am naturally drawn to flying. There is no feeling in the world like the sensation of human flight. I feel the positive energy of flying expanding into my daily life.ย Challenging myself mentally to focus on my flight and relax while in a free fall is starting to impact my ability to focus while grounded (literally). Even as I sit on this plane right now, my laptop in hand, writing this article, other passengers around me ready for their coming adventure, I look out the window and watch the beautiful city of San Francisco far below me. The natural puffery of the ย clouds resting eye level and the sky beaconing me to come…


 

sequoiaEntrepreneur, adventurer, and author Sequoia Schmidt currently resides in Los Angeles, where she is producing a motion picture about the life of her father, famed mountaineer Marty Schmidt.ย Her book, Journey of Heart; A Sojourn to K2, is a finalist in the 2016 International Book Awards.ย Sequoia is passionate about exploring the world and preserving its diverse landscapes and cultures.ย