THE LANDING THAT HELPED ME TAKE OFF

By editor on Sunday, 24 February , 2008 - 12:14 am

One of the faculty members at MGIS undertook a course in Sky Diving for Civilians, it was the first of its kind back in 2005 and she was the only woman participant. Read on to find out more about her experience.

“I never thought I would go for a parachute jump… I never considered it as I am scared of heights and I was convinced I was way too frail and petite to ever be capable of braving the strong winds and dizzying heights. Yet when I saw the letterhead of the Gujarat Sports Authority giving details about the first civilian parachute jumping expedition on the desk of my employer, I felt a strong calling for it. It was the last day to apply and there was no time to hesitate, I took the plunge.

What followed felt like a dream, it went so fast yet I can distinctly recall all events. Within hours, the medical check up, packing, networking was done and by evening I was seated in a chauffeur driven car in company of a wonderful person, who was to jump with me. I knew not what awaited me but I knew it would be a strong, memorable moment of my life. I reached the training ground when the stars were out and was immediately taken care of by the ground staff. By dawn, I woke up in giddy anticipation of the day’s events. We started our daylong training early on, in a lush green and unthreatening environment. We practiced drills till they became second nature to us, we understood the theoretical aspects of parasailing and felt quite ready for the practical and theoretical test to be taken before we took the real jump. I felt ready yet there was nothing that could prepare me for the feeling of having my cheeks wriggle uncontrollably with the gushing wind and the tightening of my muscles due to the high altitude.

D Day arrived after two days of rigorous training, Mr. Sanjay Thappar flew down in company of the Director General of Sports, Mr. Atul Karwal. Walking towards the makeshift tent in the area chosen as our Dropping Zone, both of them looked stunning in their jumpsuits. Final guidelines were given and then we started preparing ourselves for the jump. We put on the equipment- the altimeter, helmet and backpack containing the two parachutes. The aircraft took us by turns for our date with the clouds. It felt surreal. Seated comfortably in the back of the aircraft, I saw the increasing distance between the land and me, with a sense of awe. Mr. Thappar repeatedly looked towards me as if to ensure I was all right and then it was my turn to jump. I felt a little frightened… the high altitude, the strong wind and the awkward position from which we had to jump off made it a Herculean task to get off the aircraft. And then I was in the air…free falling for a few seconds before the static line pulled out the canopy of the main parachute. For some reason the weight of the parachute above my head reassured me. I checked my canopy, located the dropping zone and the direction of the wind and felt very relaxed. I couldn’t help gape at the beauty of the land below me. I felt like “A King”. I felt in control of things. While I was in the air the second time, I felt more relaxed and took the time to watch the people amassed to watch us fly, they were standing in the scorching sun with their shadows playing on the ground. I realized how each one was completely absorbed by their personal problems which when seen in a larger context and from a distance are insignificant. My first landing was very memorable, I landed in a busy village that stool still for a few seconds to watch me land. When I had my feet on terra firma I was amused by the reaction of the villagers : “Oh! It’s a girl!”, “A girl has landed from the skies!”. I was driven back to the makeshift tent where a swarm of people flocked around me. I smiled as I felt as if I had returned from a dream, a magical experience.
This experience has helped me reflect about my approach to life, I have come to know myself better through introspection about this experience. At the time, I was living in a phase of self-doubt and being warmly received and encouraged far from family and all things I knew, gave me a fresh lease of self-confidence. It also taught me to do things I fear and confront difficulties with composure and self-assurance. Seeing swarms of people from a height and equating it with life in general has helped me take distance from insignificant, self made problems. Few days after the parachute jump, I was introduced to another remarkable person who accepted me as his pupil in his martial arts centre. Today I feel happier and this change in attitude towards life was triggered off by the experience I had in the skies. It sounds ironical but flying in the air helped me become more grounded!”

Lissa Chazot (2005)

Category: Blog

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