Erika Dufort-Lefrancois
The views over the Okanagan are just amazing. Why pay for an observation fl ight when you can fl y yourself?
I turned up to the fi rst jump course in June 2009 very nervous but excited. Some people were there to get over phobias, others had always wanted to try skydiving, and the rest were there on a spur of the moment decision.
After the morning teaching session we were ready to take to the air. We were helped into our equipment, safety checks were done, we received radios for guiding us under the parachute, and off to the plane we went.
By the time it was my turn to exit the plane the fear kicked in and I wasn’t sure if I could do it. All of a sudden my instructor got me to look at her and shouted “feel the fear, fi ght through the fear, you can do it” and out I went. Once hanging from the strut of the plane I got the “go” from the instructor, arched my body, then watched the plane disappear as I began my fi rst solo jump. The views over the Okanagan are just amazing. Why pay for an observa- tion fl ight when you can fl y yourself?
Whether doing a Tandem jump or doing the First Jump course the experience you will have at Okanagan Skydive is unforget- table. Skydiving is for people of all ages and abilities. While skydiving nearly every weekend last summer I saw lots of different people come to do their fi rst skydive, even a 96 year old came to do a Tandem skydive for his birthday. I’ve had a number or friends come and try Tandem jumps and also my Dad experienced a Tandem jump when he visited from Hong Kong.
After the First Jump course I knew I want- ed to take up the sport. I had to show awareness that I was able to open my own parachute before gaining more free- fall time by jumping from greater altitudes. By my 15th jump I was up at 10,000ft jumping with a freefall time of about thirty fi ve seconds and learning how to turn in the air. I was completely addicted to the sport. I carried on skydiving and got my solo license on my twenty-fourth jump,
just three months after my fi rst jump course. From this point you can start to learn how to jump and interact safely with another person in the sky.
Skydiving opens up new doors to traveling around the world. In January I went to Puerto Escondido in Mexico for a boogie (a skydiving meet). These events are great fun and you also gain more experience in the sport. I can’t wait to be able to skydive around the world, next stop Australia!
I will continue to work on my skills and be able to jump with bigger groups of people in the future as well as hopefully coach others. Who knows maybe one day I will be your tandem instructor. If I can do it you can do it too, so why don’t you make it your year to try skydiving and experi- ence the Okanagan like never before! To book your fi rst jump or to fi nd more information, contact Okanagan Skydive at Vernon Airport. Call 1.866.466.JUMP
www.okanaganskydive.com
The Paradise Motel is your “home away from home”!
• Large family suites • Air conditioned • Full kitchen units • High speed internet • Outdoor heated pool • 4 blocks from public beach and boat launch • Located downtown - walking distance to all amenities • BBQ's and picnic area • Large parking lot for boats and trailers
517 Main Street, Sicamous, BC Phone: (250) 836-2525 Email:
info@paradisemotel.ca www.paradisemotel.ca
SPRING 2010 15
Erika Dufort-Lefrancois
Bob Fieldhouse
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