by Barb Serba

Created on: May 15, 2008

Always had the dream, always had the urge, found a place to learn it and went for the thrill. Oddly enough it was my request for our 14th wedding anniversaryto skydive.

Dennis thought I was crazy and was sure I would back out at the last minute. He was right. I did back out the Saturday morning I was scheduled to make the jump. The wind was high and rain spoiled the day. I was depressed thinking that my big opportunity was gone. However, I called in the next morning. They had an opening and said, "Come on down". And I did.

Not being able to eat I still made stops along the way emptying everything I had eaten the day(s) prior. My nerves were at an all time high. I could have had a colonoscopy that day with no further preparation.

Class started at 9:00 am and went until 6:00 p.m. Being the only female in a class of 16 was intimidating, plus everyone was older. Most of the men happened there on a dare by someone in their office. They weren't in the greatest shape mentally or physically for this adventure.

Previous students stopped by to say hi during our day of training. The instructors frowned a bit because two of these students were in leg casts and one in an arm cast. It made you stop and think, "Should I really be doing this?" Sure why not. I was brave, wasn't I? No, bravery had nothing to do with it. It was the experience I wanted and that's what I would take home with me.

We learned theory in the morning and practiced PLFs (parachute landing falls) in the afternoon. We hung from harnesses attached to beams across the ceiling while being asked questions about how to fall through trees and into water. I passed the test and the next step was to select your own parachute out of a hundred on the floor in the chute prep room. How do you pick? How do you knowif only one didn't work would it be yours? That was very unnerving.

I was in the 4th lift to go up with the last student group and watched the others come back-some limping, some speechless-only a few smiling.

Before I entered the plane the instructor looked squarely at me and said, "We can't treat you like a lady once you get in the plane, Barbara. Do you understand? The safety of everyone depends on each one of you". He was referring to the safety chute. If the handle was accidentally pulled, the secondary chute would fill up with air so quickly that it would pull me out of the side of the plane with all the wiring and all of us could go down. I somberly nodded that I understood.

We rumbled down the grassy runway

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