By Sarah Blizzard Robinson

For the thrill seekers among us, maybe you’ve always wanted to travel to faraway places, see one of the Seven Wonders of the World, swim with the manatees, or even compete on a game show. 

For the local thrill seeker, Fairhope resident, and my husband, Jim Robinson, jumping out of an airplane with the crew from Skydive the Gulf in Elberta, Alabama, was just the ticket to commemorate his seventieth birthday.  

The opportunity to make his sky-diving dreams come true presented itself while I was away visiting family. Jim confessed later, “I knew she’d worry about me if I told her ahead of time, so I made the jump and then texted her the video and photos. I think she was in shock, but since I had such a great experience, she was still talking to me.” Ha, he knows me well!

Participants can opt-in for several different landing spots, weather permitting. They include landing on the beach, back at the airport, or even a Flora-Bama landing. The experience begins with a short 20-minute flight from the small airport in Elberta to the preferred jump point. 

The flight takes you over beautiful, expansive views of the Gulf of Mexico, Perdido Bay, and the Florida-Alabama coastline. The adrenaline starts to rise as you get closer to your destination. 

Now comes the good part: Once your instructor says, “Go!” you release the grip you have on the plane and leap out into the air like a baby bird taking flight. Only you won’t be alone, nor will you be flapping your wings. 

Tethered to your instructor, you’ll be belly first for about forty-five seconds until you reach 5,000 feet. The parachute on your instructor’s back will deploy, pulling both of you gently upward. That’s when you begin to “fly” with what has been described as “the most amazing experience of my life!”     

Jim testifies. “My instructor, Charles Price, suggested I might want to steer, so I grabbed the left and right-hand controls. I was able to guide my descent, turning us to the left, then right, and turning in complete circles.” Price, a United States Parachute Association Coach, Tandem Instructor, and videographer, told Jim he has 6000 jumps. When Jim heard him say that, he replied, “I just pray you have 6001.” 

The website Skydive The Gulf | Skydiving Pensacola & Gulf Shores, AL, includes statistics on the safety of the experience, highlighted by the USPA, as well as the Cessna 182 aircraft standards and credentials of the experienced, well-trained pilots. 

After his skydive, Jim watched as the parachute riggers repacked the parachutes for the next group waiting to experience the blue skies. “I felt safe at all times,” he said. “It’s been on my bucket list for a long time, and I could not have asked for a more amazing experience. I was most nervous making the initial leap, but I was instantly in thrill mode once I took the plunge.” 

Jim chose to take a round-trip route, floating over the Gulf and landing back where he began, near the airport. The wind was calm on the day he jumped, so his instructor said he could not give him the option of landing feet first. They landed in a seated position, which was very smooth. 

“We’re still trying to get the grass stain from my shorts, but if it never comes out, it’ll be my reminder of the awesome experience.”

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