Place: Nzone Sky Dive Queenstown Date: 30/11/2023 

A lot of inquisitive people asked me about my sky diving experience. Each time the question arose, a singular thought echoed in my mind. How can I encapsulate the plethora of emotions in a few brief sentences? Such brevity seemed inadequate to convey the true beauty of skydiving, risking formation of a false opinion about it, that it is just another adventure activity you do to brag on social media. Despite my verbal attempts to share the depth of my experience, I am convinced it landed like just another adventure activity for which you spend a lot of money. 

Hence, I decided to write down about my sky diving escapade, to transport readers into the confines of my M sized wing suit, attached to a 6.6-foot trustful muscular Korean origin tandem master named Cow, facilitating a first-person view through my lens.  

 Nervousness kicked in 

We geared up and approached the instructor, who provided a briefing on safety protocols and instructions to be followed throughout the journey, from takeoff to landing. The mystery of the yellow waist pocket was revealed—it contained a life jacket in case of a water landing. As this realization set in, my heart quickened. Instructions for the banana formation and landing position were given. Now, we awaited the preparation of the airplane for our flight. With minimal delay, the aircraft landed and swiftly readied itself for the next flight, showcasing their efficient operations. Accompanied by our tandem masters, we boarded the plane following the Last In, First Out (LIFO) sequence. The plane had no seats, except for the pilot, and we had to sit on one of the two parallel bars attached to the floor in a zigzag sequence based on our exit order. Akanksha jumped first, followed by me and then Akshay, all facing against the direction of the plane’s run. 
 
The plane took off swiftly, and we could witness its ascent through the windows. We were encouraged to relax and enjoy the scenic landscape unfolding below. However, my mind couldn’t detach from the impending fact that I would be jumping out of this plane in a few minutes. My breath went shallow, sweeping me into nervousness that I had to forcibly exhale from the mouth to catch my breath. It felt like I was exposed to some extreme sort of allergy. With the absence of steady breath, I could feel my heart working hard to circulate oxygen throughout my body, leaving me panting. 

The distracted mind

In front of us, there was an LED displaying a numerical value, which I assumed to be the altimeter. The number seemed to be increasing like a counter, indicating our altitude. It made sense that the only metric crucial for skydivers would be altitude, guiding their actions. Due to the absence of a displayed unit for the numeric value, I assumed it was showing altitude in meters. My mind then proceeded to convert meters into feet to seek validation for my assumption. 

However, my hypothesis started to crumble when the number descended below 180. This was evidence that the metric wasn’t a counter but a gauge, indicating speed rather than altitude. At a moment when I was supposed to relish the scenery outside, my mind was engrossed in a mathematical puzzle to distract itself. Anyways, my nervousness wouldn’t have allowed me to appreciate the views. Because it just wanted to get the jump done. 

 Anxiety peaked 

It was the moment; I heard a beep from the wristwatch worn by my tandem master. The altimeter signaled him to prepare for the drop. He conducted a final check on the harness. This was the pinnacle of my nervousness. My heart rate likely exceeded 120 bpm, and my panting continued. I repeated to myself, “Trust the process.” This mantra helped me calm down a little. The moment to drop had arrived. 
 
The plastic sheet door, operated by a pulley, was opened by Akanksha’s tandem master as she readied herself to jump. It was freezing; the ground temperature in Queenstown was about 12 degrees Celsius. Now, imagine the temperature at 9000 feet, likely below 0 degrees. Chilly winds rushed to our faces, prompting a self-inhalation to calm my panting breath. In no time, Akanksha was hanging out of the door, and with a blink of an eye, she dropped. 

I would have only processed what I had seen, but my tandem master had other plans. He nudged me toward the door. Never had I felt so weightless. How effortlessly he guided me to the edge of the gate. In just 2 seconds, I felt like a strong tornado had whisked me off the ground. All that was the moment, my mind and the body got disconnected.  

My body went into shock

I could not process what has just happened. All I cared about was making sure I held the banana pose. These initial seconds of the drop felt like the journey of a spacecraft through the black hole. Where you you can’t do anything, because you are getting drifted down against the air resistance at an insane speed of 200 kms per hour.  Are you able to imagine the scene from the Interstellar where the spacecraft gets sucked in the blackhole? And there is nothing that the crew could do, except pray that it all ends well.  Your mind goes blank, as it happens in a state of shock.  

 The Calm 

The air displaced filled my lungs through the mouth. My body transitioned from gasping for breath to automatic respiration under the force of nature. Fresh, cold air revitalized me, and my serotonin levels peaked, bringing me to a heightened state of consciousness. A profound calm settled over my body during the latter part of the free fall, transforming my breathing from shallow to optimized. Silence enveloped me, much like the experience when swimming underwater. To articulate this feeling, I would like to quote from the famous movie titled “Ford v Ferrari” where Carol Shelby says 
 
“There’s a point at 7,000 RPMs where everything fades. The machine becomes weightless. It disappears. All that’s left, a body moving through space, and time.” 
 
However, I could behold the panoramic vista of the Remarkables (also famously known as the Misty Mountains from the LOTR trilogy), the Queenstown lake, and the city. It seemed as though I was observing a magnified portion of the globe, since I was able to see the curvature of the earth. 

Coming back to consciousness 

After free-falling for a good 25 seconds, my tandem master deployed the parachute. This was the second time fear gripped me because the transition was not smooth. At such an altitude, going from a horizontal position to a vertical one subjects you to a tremendous force, resulting in sequences of bumpy jerks due to the additional air resistance of the parachute. It takes a few seconds for the parachute to stabilize, allowing you to enjoy the view. The noise returned, a roar of fierce, chilly winds. It felt as if the air was scolding us for disturbing its calm and piercing its equilibrium. It wanted to intimidate us with its force and chilliness. But the poor thing didn’t know we were in for the party. 
 
I remember we parachuted at the height of the remarkable. I could see its summit easily. Eager to descend quickly, my tandem master performed some aerial acrobatics, spiraling down in a thrilling manner. The 360-degree view repeated rapidly with each circle, creating a mesmerizing experience. After about three minutes of paragliding, we landed. I took a deep breath, not as a sigh of relief but with a proud sense of having accomplished a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

Providing this level of detail about the skydiving experience was crucial to truly explain its beauty.