Bird's Eye

I sat in a tightly packed row straddling a small bench. I could see Mt. Washington, Lake Winnipesauke, Portland, Cape Ann, Pease, Biddy's, as we circled and climbed. The view was breathtaking. After 15 minutes, we reached 13,500 feet and the door was opened. One by one, the people in front of me disappeared and I was soon staring directly at the ground miles away, as the noisy wind blew past the open door. We paused as the plane banked around 180 degrees, giving the heart time to pump faster and faster in disbelief. ("Are you really doing this again?") It was go time, and after a few more seconds, out we jumped, flipping end over end, allowing me the opportunity to look back up at the plane as it grew smaller above me. After a few seconds, we stabilized in the free-fall position. We spun around to the right, then to the left, before putting our hands down at our waists and diving head first downward, allowing our speed to increase to 140mph. Then it was a hard right turn that had us doing rapid 360 degree turns at about a second each. The floating feeling was incredible and the view spectacular. After a few more seconds of high speed plummeting toward earth the rip cord was yanked and we slowed to a gentle glide. I took the controls and proceeded to make some gentle turns to keep us on target, and then some hard turns, which would put us almost horizontal with the chute and into an exhilarating corkscrew dive. Then a hard pull on both controls which would bring us into a stall and the strange feeling of being completely stopped in mid-air. At 1000 feet, Palo my tandem diver took the controls for the landing. Coming in a little hard, we slid to a stop on our butts. 20 minutes after entering the plane, I was back on the ground. An overwhelming, cathartic feeling immersed me and I was smiling ear to ear. Nothing in the world mattered.

I always begin to forget how incredible this experience is after the months go by. I must take up this sport.