Letters to the Editor
As part of our BA223 marketing course we were required to select a product, or service and promote it to the class in a five minute presentation. We wanted to choose something that was fun for us to do, and dynamically stimulating so that it would draw the rest of the class into our world. The world of skydiving!
We contacted Urban Moore at Eugene Skydivers and asked if we could come to Creswell to shoot our video, and make a couple of skydives. He agreed and at 9am on Sunday, May 17, 2015 our team of six arrived at the drop zone to make our jumps. Urban gave us our training, and then we had to wait until 11am for the clouds to clear before we could suit up and make the flight up to altitude. Aysha and Georgie were on the first load, they were both surprising calm, especially since this was Aysha’s first skydive. Georgie has jumped several times before, so she would be shooting our still pictures and video.
OMG, it was insane! The ride to altitude took about fifteen minutes (but who’s counting), and when they got to 10,000 feet the pilot opened the door and the cool air immediately got their adrenaline pumping. They looked out of the door and at the earth far below them, everything looked so small! Georgie climbed out of the plane and hung on the strut of the wing with one foot on the wheel of the small aircraft, whilst Aysha sat in the door way with Urban (her tandem instructor) strapped tightly to her back, like a human backpack. She was calm, almost serene like, as she realized that finally she was going to experience her dream. Now she would know what it is really like to fly free, like a bird. She smiled at Georgie, who grinned back “Let’s go get some air girlfriend!”
Urban gave the signal and three bodies left the aircraft in unison. The cool air supporting their fall as gravity pulled them towards the earth. The girls grinned at each other, ecstatic and living in the moment. Nothing in the world mattered except the here and right now. It was one of those perfect moments in life that you know you will remember forever. It was pure joy. It was absolute freedom. Then at 5,000 feet Urban pulled the ripcord and Aysha’s parachute opened smoothly, leaving Georgie to fall for another ten seconds before deploying her own parachute. Boom; another nice opening.
Now we watched, as the girls flew their canopies amongst the bald headed eagles, two thousand feet above the ground. The skydivers swooped the birds, which were remarkably unafraid of the parachutes; it is surprising how close they will allow the skydivers to get to them whilst they are in the air.
First Georgie swooped to the ground on her sporty little parachute, followed by Aysha and Urban. What a ride. What a day. What a life. And as Aysha so eloquently stated as she landed “I think everyone should do it!” Me too. Go get some air.
If you are interested in making a skydive, either go to the Eugene Skydiving website: www.eugeneskydivers.com or call Urban Moore (541) 895 3029
UCC Skydivers: Darrin Bradshaw, Ashley Hampton, Aysha Leatherman, Taylor Mclyde, Georgie Pulman-Olzaski, Dan Sheperd.
Most popular excuse not to jump: Why jump out of a perfectly good plane?
Skydiver response: Because the door was open!
Signed,
Georgie Pulman-Olzaski