If George Herbert Walker Bush can do it, so—quite probably—can you. Man (or woman) up. The almost 88 year-old, 41st President of the United States strapped on a parachute and stepped out into thin air in his elder years. He did so in tandem with an instructor, eventually floating comparatively gently to the embrace of Mother Earth. Any hesitance you’ve felt about diving from on high has got to be see in that light.
But before you sign up, go into the experience with your eyes open. Check out the United States Parachute Association’s website and learn about the ABC’s of the sport, starting with the ISP – the Integrated Student Program. The regimen begins with a trio of basic jumps, and then moves on from there. In fact, the Federal Aviation Administration urges, “Training should be conducted in accordance with the U.S. Parachute Association training recommendations.”
There are plenty of places to learn to skydive in this country. Among some of the more notable:
Skydive San Francisco. Start out with a first-time tandem skydiving course, and work your way up to solo instruction. The views high above the Bay Area are almost as much of an adrenalin rush as the free fall itself.
Skydive Arizona is in Elroy, a hamlet half way between Phoenix and Tucson. That makes it nicely accessible. The school has a lot going for it, including good weather, and what it terms “the largest drop zone in the world.”
Florida Skydiving Center proves the point that you don’t have to dive way out west to get good instruction. The center is the site for next year’s Collegiate Parachute Championships.
If you’ve always wondered what it’s like (quite literally in this case) to take flight, you’ve got scant excuse anymore. Bush 41 did it. You well might be able to too.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: that one doood)
