Taking the Plunge

On a whim, my friend asked me, “Do you want to go skydiving?” I admit it was a fantasy I've harbored for quite some time; to soar high above the ground and feel the rushing clouds whip past me. Of course, my overanalyzing mind always thinks of the pessimistic possibilities too. What if there's a flock of birds below me? Or the whirring blades of a helicopter? I put these fears aside and accepted the offer.

We planned to participate in the Thai Sky Festival. The Festival is a joint production of foreign organizers and the Royal Thai Air Force in Prachuap Khiri Khan. In the hot sun, I checked out the other participants. These daring diehard adrenaline junkies came from all over the world. An unusual blend of cultures was on display from pasty Slavs in Speedos to modest Thais (afraid of getting a tan) completely covered up from head to toe.

Instructor Jeff during Preboarding Announcements or discussing Funeral Arrangements

As a first-timer, I would only be able to do a tandem jump (where I'm strapped to someone with more experience). I met my perky instructor, Jeff. He gave me a quick 5 minute rundown on what I would need to do when we jumped out.

Boarding the Hercules C-130

Soon our Hercules C-130 was ready to take us up. As I was a tandem jumper, we boarded the huge rear-load cargo plane first, as Jeff and I would be jumping out last. We boarded and the scent of residual sweat oozed by previous loads of jumpers recalled my junior high school locker room. Jeff strapped himself to my back. He is shorter than me, so I was forced to rather ungracefully squat/sit in his lap on the ride up. Soon about 30 people were seated on benches on both walls of the fuselage. Then jumpers kept entering and sat on the floor, and then on each other. I believe we had at least 100 people crammed into the back of this plane. I was worried that perhaps the weight of all of the passengers would inhibit the plane from flying properly, but I recalled that this plane is designed to carry tanks and heavy machinery.

Formation Jumpers

We soon reached 12,000 feet and the plane leveled off. The pilot gave the signal and groups stood up and jumped out of the open rear hatch together. During the freefall portion, these groups would go down together and make formations only visible from the air. Quickly the plane emptied until Jeff and I were the only two remaining. We walked in step to the hatch. My mind quickly rushed over all of the instructions I had to follow, as well as asking myself “What the Hades are you doing?”

To the lip of the hatch. 1-2-3 Jump!

Testing the Emergency Exit

And then nothingness.

My heart races. We wobble in the first few seconds of falling, but Jeff quickly stabilizes us. On the ground, I had tightly strapped on my rubber “bullet” helmet, but in the face of 120mph winds, it flew and twiddled cartoonishly above my head like a miniature drag chute attached only by the chinstrap. The sound of the rushing wind was incredible. We couldn't even scream at each other. After freefalling for what seemed like both seconds and lifetimes, Jeff opened our parachute. The chute had two handles to control our direction, which Jeff placed in my hands. As the chute was on Jeff's back, and Jeff harnessed to my back, I worried about the possibility of me coming unattached somehow.

Me in a Bullet Helmet and Jeff

On Jeff's command, I pulled the right handle and we turned right. We entered a large cloud formation. Zero visibility and 100% humidity, but altogether an electrifying experience. On exit, the mountainous islands in Ao Manao (Lime Bay) loomed before us. The blue-green waters and white beaches looked even more spectacular from high up. Directly below us, lay the drop zone. Jeff resumed control and through his skillful maneuvering, we landed flawlessly, amongst cheering friends down below.

Scenic Prachuap Khiri Khan

On the whole, skydiving was an irrationally thrilling experience. I recommend everyone to try it at least once; although, I don't think I'll be going up again anytime soon. I'm just too practical to jump from a perfectly fine aircraft!

North by North East Tours has the facility to arrange extreme sports of all types in Southeast Asia. From jumping off of high-rise buildings in Bangkok to snorkeling in Myanmar, if you can dream it, we can arrange it.