Flying at just over a thousand feet altitude, a military C-130 jet propeller aircraft approaches the Fryar Drop zone. The Jumpmaster yells the first of many commands to be echoed and executed be all personnel on the aircraft following each command.
10 MINUTES.
GET READY.
OUTBOARD PERSONELL STAND UP!
INBOARD PERSONELL STAND UP!
HOOK- UP.
CHECK STATIC LINES.
CHECK EQUIPMENT.
SOUND OFF FOR EQUIPMENT CHECK .
The aircraft approaches the DZ for the final pass and the jumpmaster leans out the door to check the location.
1 MINUTE
30 SECONDS
STAND BY
GO! 
After that I jumped from the door of a perfectly good airplane that was moving at about 125 miles per hour, in to prop wash that feels like a wall of air. I float away from the airplane counting one thousand, two thousand. Before I can continue in my count there is a jerk and my canopy is open, as I descend to the earth at 18-22 ft per second. I check my canopy to make sure there are no problems and then I keep an eye out for fellow jumpers to avoid collisions. Less than a minute later as I pull on my risers to slow my descent, my feet touch the ground and I roll to my side keeping my feet and knees together.
What a rush!! 
The view was great as I floated down. Honestly, I was nervous on the plane until the routine started. From there it was all rehearsed movements. All I had to do was react. The nerves settled as soon the commands began and next thing I know I am floating to the ground. I never thought about stopping, just jumped both feet into the wind and let gravity do the rest.
Man that was great! I completed 5 jumps successfully after two weeks of training.
Yellow Creek Falls
6 years ago
