A View Into the World of Skydiving

Skydiving has always been near and dear to my heart. I have over 400 skydives and I started skydiving when I was 20 years old. My first time skydiving started in Lake Wales, Florida outside of Orlando. I will never forget being in the back of the Twin Otter strapped to my instructor and doing a backflip out of the plane. We saw earth, sky, earth, sky, earth, sky, then earth again. When I felt the wind at my face in freefall, I realized that skydiving was not so scary after all. I started smiling and laughing in freefall. Once we landed, I signed up to go for a 2nd tandem skydive. At the end of my 2nd tandem, and decided to hang out at the dropzone (skydiving center) longer. As people finished skydiving for the day, they went over to a fire pit. Skydivers gathered around the fire and started telling adventure stories and their 'oh sh&*% moments'. As I sat there listening to the crackling fire and the skydiving adventure stories, I realized I had found a special group of people. One by one the skydivers left the fire and started to retreat into their tents and trailers at the dropzone. I saw that these skydivers lived there. I had found a community... an adventure community and I realized I wanted to be one of them, and so I did. I learned to skydive (which didn't come naturally). I'll save my learning to skydive story for another day, but it's a good one, I promise.

Gail's first time skydiving in Lake Wales, Florida

That's the start of my story, but I wanted to bring someone I highly respect in the skydiving world on the show to talk about her first time skydiving, Melanie Curtis.

World-Renowned Skydiver, Melanie Curtis

 

Melanie Curtis and Jason Moleski, professional and world-renowned skydivers started a new podcast called Trust the Journey. I thought bringing Melanie onto the show would be a great idea because she is a life coach and helps people overcome fear and employ courage. She helps others have a mindset shift between what we are capable of doing and what is possible. Melanie has been skydiving for 23 years and her first skydive still motivates her and essentially changed her for the better. Melanie also runs a group called the VSC (virtual skydiving coach) which helps new skydivers entering the sport.

Melanie Curtis's First Time Skydiving

Melanie was 18 years old when she went on her first skydive. Aviation was in her family since she was alive. Her dad was a pilot and had an airport at her house (a grass strip by her house). Her dad opened a skydive at the house with his best friend that was in upstate New York. Their dropzone is no longer in operation but it was called Verona Skydiving Center back in the day.

Melanie sat in on the first jump course many times growing up because she grew up around the dropzone. She was so scared to go for the first time and could have jumped when she was 16 (today you need to be 18 to go skydiving in the US), but she took her time to go on her first skydive. One day after Melanie graduated from high school she decided she would go skydiving the very next day. She told herself that, "tomorrow is the day". The next day she entered her first jump course for her first static line jump and had the intention of making her first skydive after the ground course. She was afraid, but her courage exceeded her fear and she went to that first jump course with the intention of making her first skydive.

The Day Came for Melanie to Jump

Most people who go for their first skydive go on a tandem skydive (which is highly recommended). Melanie did her first skydive 18 years ago and her firs...