|
 The engine rumbled as the plane lifted off the ground. I looked down to watch the needle on my altimeter begin to rise. Outside the window, the fields began to shrink. The plane reached 4000 feet and seemed to drop out from under me as it began to level out. Finally, the door was opened, and I reached out to hang from the wing. When given the, "okay," I released the wing strut, but the brief, adrenaline-pumping feeling of free fall was soon interrupted by the scabrous opening of the canopy. Though this experience was utterly thrilling to me, it was just another day for the staff at Skydive Toledo.
Skydiving is a sport that began in the 1930's and as exciting as it may be, it is not something that one can just go out and do. Before you begin, they require several signatures that confirm you know that you might die and they are not responsible. This is followed by a few Ūlms and hours of humiliating training in which the students are required to shout out numbers while simulating the actual fall standing on the ground. When the training is through, however; strap your pack on tight and prepare for the thrill of a lifetime.
Mike Gauger, staff member and pilot, is the "big cheese" at Skydive Toledo. Mike and the rest of the gang have put hours of diligent work into constructing several home made simulators with which to train their students to deal with any and all possible airborne emergencies. To this group of elite skydivers, Skydive Toledo is not a work place, but more like a house with an extremely large door and an airplane in the living room. The members are not co-workers, but they're all friends who enjoy the thrill of a good ride, and what a ride it is!
Skydive Toledo is located at the Toledo-Winlock Airport on Jackson Highway, about one-half hour south of Napavine. The cost of the class and your Ūrst jump totals at $135.00. Each additional jump performed the day of the class is $30.00. Any jump performed after that day, however, will cost $40.00. Though this may seem like a lot of money, believe me, it's worth every penny!
|
