Jenae Alford, a fellow staffer, has been with The Activist only a short time; however, she has been a fan of skydiving for a much longer time. Jenae began skydiving in March, 2001, as a gift for her 18th birthday. She wanted to do something she had to be 18 to do, and it sounded like a great idea.
Her first jump was with her parents and five friends. Yes…her parents. “On the first jump,” she began, “you jump from a static line, which is a line attached to the plane that will pull automatically as you exit. It is generally used for the first five jumps.”
Though Jenae has completed 25 jumps, she admits that she still gets nervous when flying in the plane. “I just go over the emergency drills in my head until I feel comfortable,” she said.
The place that Jenae has chosen as her drop zone is in Greensburg, Indiana. A drop zone is the place specified for skydiving. At this drop zone, she is working on her A-License, which is the first of four licenses that are given to skydivers, depending on their experience and skill.
When asked why she has chosen to continue skydiving, Jenae began to smile. “I heard it was an incredible rush and it is so true. As you are falling, you feel weightless and when you pull your chute, you begin to float. It is a very calming experience.”
She has found that skydiving is a very safe sport. Though most people fear falling from 13,000 feet, they are comforted by the fact that they have two chutes. One is a reserve chute that will automatically deploy at 750 feet in case of emergency. The reserve chute has to be re-packed every 120 days, regardless of use, by someone who is certified by the U.S. Parachute Association.
She also added that “people are very supportive and safety conscious. Everyone supports each other because you are up there together.”
For any of you dare-devils that are thinking about skydiving, you can call 1-800-SKYDIVE for the nearest location. If you just want to watch, you can go on an observation ride in the plane or simply watch from the ground.