We are so proud we could just burst....on Saturday August 14th 2004 our girl flew like a bird....she
soared to 13,500 feet and jumped from a plane!!
The morning was just awesome, we rode out to a big ol' farm field and there sat this plane, the kind
that makes you wonder if it could really fly....My brother Scott, his wife Jean and I sat around an old campfire after I got
it stoked up to ward off the mosquitos while their daughter Jill was getting her final instructions.
The edge of the field was dotted with old campers and there was oldies playing softly in one of them,
the seasoned jumpers gradually came out to greet the day. Scott explained that most of the folks just did this all the time,
they traveled up north during the summer, and back down south each winter and just flew whenever they could.
Finally Jillian emerged from the building
with the rest of the crew who were jumping this day. She was decked out in a hot turquoise jump suit with bright pink racing
stripes down the legs...she looked terrific.
After some more instructions the group strode quietly to the loading area, the plane rumbled to life
and drove across the field to where they waited, and they rolled out a box ladder to the plane. One by one they climbed aboard.
At this point we three were on our feet, hearts in our throats, but full of pride and anticipation.
We could only imagine what Jill was feeling.
With a slow building roar the plane took off across the bumpy field and surprisingly rose with grace
into the sky.
We watched as it circled and rose higher and higher til it was finally just a low whine and totally
out of site.....after about 20 minutes we finally glimpsed the first chute....then one, then another.....they were mere dots
in the clouds....closer and closer they came, and then with a rush and a flutter one jumper after another came to earth.
We waited and watched, trying to spot that hot blue suit...and finally spotted Jill and her tandem
jumper. The chute was white with orange and green, and floated and dove as she steered the silks through the morning sky.
Then finally it was over, they landed perfectly and strode a few steps with the parachute fluttering
softly behind them. We let out a cheer and a huge sigh of relief and clapped til our hands hurt.
I can't tell you how proud I was of her at that moment!! Jill was all smiles as she walked
past us to change...
All the way home we pummeled her with questions about the feeling, the experience, the joy she had
just had.
Through her story, the one thing that kept repeating was, "It was over so fast!!"
Jill came down to visit her Uncle Buck and me a week or so after her jump and we were thrilled to
watch the video they did of the sky dive. Uncle Buck isn't impressed by a heck of a lot any more....but this left him in awe,
he is totally impressed. The video was super, and showed a close up "real birds eye view" of Jill's jump.
I know this girl is gonna fly again........
