It's been something I've always wanted to do, and finally I figured, what the heck. It was an above-average Tuesday afternoon, and a couple of friends and I made our way to the hangar. Upon arriving, we met a few people who just jumped, and they couldn't have looked happier (with the exception of one guy, who was basically hyperventilating). Because I hadn't done this before, it had to be tandem (with an instructor). After we signed pages and pages of waivers, watched a brief instructional video, and suited up, it was time to go.
My friend's instructor looked so unenthused! But I could be convinced to jump out of planes all day.
Looking up (at the plane we jumped from). You can't tell from the picture, but the plane was TINY. It barely fit 5 people, including the pilot...Needless to say, it wouldn't have been a good scene for the claustrophobic.
The view (from 10,000 ft/~ 2 miles high) was absolutely breathtaking! I wasn't nervous at all
Although the whole thing took under 10 minutes, it's probably the best ten minutes yet. Apparently the certification to jump alone is available with three tandem jumps and a few hours' class. I'm super tempted. The instructors made for an outstanding experience, and I'll definitely be going back.