Terminal Velocity

I was surprisingly calm and relaxed, as Gaetano clipped his harness to my suit in preparation for the imminent sky dive – the very first from my end.

Sitting in a crowded Cessna, waiting to jump, I can’t recall any particular thoughts. Gaetano explained that quite a few people have second thoughts and go back on land on the very same plane they took off some minutes before.

Hanging out of the plane is Antonio, camera in hand. He is assigned the task of recording the whole experience. He motions me to smile as Gaetano and I prepare ourselves for flight. Suddenly, with no warning at all we are out of the plane. A double somersault into the air produces a sudden adrenaline rush that makes me realise I have just jumped out of a plane, approximately 4200m above the ground.


As the wind hits my face, whilst experience the downward falling sensation, I am laughing and screaming, with Antonio obligingly capturing every moment on camera. I had been looking forward to the free falling sensation, parachute closed, accelerating to terminal velocity, around 120 miles per hour. Freefall is such a stupendous sense of freedom. Flying through the air, you can do what you like with your body – fly forward, back-up, sideways, flip and twist. There are absolutely no limits as to which direction you can move your body. A veritable sensation of total freedom of movement.

Is this what birds feel when they are flying?, I think to myself.
Suddenly the reverie is broken when the parachute opens and I am yanked up. It doesn't even occur to me that I am 'safe'. It didn't even enter my mind, for a second, that the parachute wouldn't open.

From then on the sensation is the same as the ones I had in previous paragliding experiences, which nevertheless are exhilarating and adrenaline pumping. Circling above the airfield we take our time to land, enjoying the view of Palermo beneath us.

Bracing myself in the position I was instructed to, Gaetano skillfully maneuvers us into a soft and graceful landing.

I am still laughing when I realise that all my plans to scream Geronimo whilst jumping off the plane were fruitless as in the excitement of it all, I forgot totally about it and just laughed and screamed my way down.

Geronimo will have to wait till the next jump.