Summer of 2022 – Part 3 – Tandem VI & My First Solo Jump

I returned to Skydive Toronto and completed my sixth tandem jump.  I jumped from a height of 12,000 feet (3,657.60 metres) while attached to an experienced tandem instructor.  A cameraman followed us down, filming the whole experience.  The adrenaline rush and views of the approaching ground are awesome!  I’ll provide a link to the video(s) in the near future.  I didn’t have time to edit it before posting this blog.

It takes around 15 – 20 minutes for the plane to reach the required altitude.  That’s a long time to contemplate what you’re about to do.  I avoid getting tense & anxious by pretending I’m a passenger on a commercial airline and just look out the window, watching the ground get further and further away.  This technique works just enough so that I don’t freak out or vomit before the big drop.  Every skydiver must have some fear in their system at all times.  It keeps you focused and from making (fatal) mistakes.

I enjoyed and survived the jump.  I thanked the tandem instructor & cameraman for helping me complete my sixth jump.

Tandem skydiving is like a theme park ride.  The instructor you’re strapped to does most of the work.  They do let you control the parachute for some time during the descent, but then all you do is wait for the ground to get closer, and then put your feet up before coming to a gradual stop.  I’ve always wondered if I could do everything by myself.

My chance came the day after I did my sixth tandem jump.  I registered for Skydive Toronto’s Solo First Jump Course.  It’s a day course that teaches you “all of the fundamentals required to successfully complete your first skydive”.  The course culminates in a solo static line jump from 4,000 feet (1,219.20 metres).  A static line automatically deploys the parachute once you exit the plane, so you only fall for about 5 seconds.  Then a Ground Control Instructor guides you down to the chosen landing zone by radio.

The course began on an early Saturday morning.  Me and seven other students listened intently as the instructor went over the fundamentals of skydiving and the importance of maintaining & using the equipment.  We would be jumping out of a small Cessna.  We practiced jumping out of an old and no-longer-functional Cessna fuselage in the hangar.  (Whatever works).  We also practiced pulling the steering toggles on mock parachute harnesses outside.  We were told that sometimes the parachute gets twisted like a swing on a swing set, so we needed to practice how to untwist ourselves while descending towards the ground.  This led to the most important lesson/choice: if the parachute can’t be untwisted and/or becomes tangled, do you pull the reserve chute?  If you have to pull the reserve chute, you need to do it sooner rather than later, because you need to fall a few hundred feet to let the reserve chute deploy.  We practiced pulling the reserve chute ripcord handle several times.

There was a written test at the end.  You need to pass in order to jump, and I’m glad I did.  The course was done at 3pm.

Activity around the hangar was busy all day.  There was us, the first timers, then the advanced students, the experienced skydivers, ground staff repacking parachutes, administrators, and the customers/tourists.  I was told Saturdays are the busiest.

Even though the course finished at 3pm, I didn’t do my first solo jump until 7pm.  I was beginning to think I would have to do it at night.  Me, two students, an instructor, and a pilot, crammed inside a Cessna and we took off into the summer sky.  We would be the last solo jump group to, um, jump.  I would be the third student to jump.  Lucky me.  The instructor would follow thereafter.

Upon reaching 4,000 feet, the instructor opened the right side-door, flooding the cockpit with 100km/h wind.  He yelled some instructions to the first student and in an instant, he was gone.  The pilot banked the plane to the left to assist the instructor in closing the door.  The pilot then circled around for another pass.  The process repeated for the second student.  The door opened, loud wind, instructions were yelled, and then the student left the cockpit.  This time, the pilot had to bank the plane twice to the left because the instructor had trouble closing the door.

My turn had come.  I quickly checked and confirmed my static line was attached to the plane.  The instructor motioned me to the door.  I’m glad there were no mirrors inside the cockpit because I must have looked pale or had the face of a soldier with PTSD.  The side-door was opened and I found myself staring 4,000 feet down to the ground.  The wind howled as the instructor shouted into my left ear.  “You see that field down there?  That’s where you’re going to land!  Aim for that field after you leave the plane!”  I nodded.  To be honest, I wasn’t looking at the field.  I was looking directly at the small metal step above the right tire.  I’m so glad I practiced on that old fuselage in the hangar.  “Ready!?”  I nodded.

“Door!”

“Door!” I shouted back.

“Left foot!”

“Left foot!”  I placed my left foot on the metal step.

“Left hand!”

“Left hand!”  I placed my left hand on the wing strut.

When I didn’t hear the command “Go!”, I looked over my left shoulder.  The instructor gave me a hard nod.  The moment of truth had arrived.  It all came down to this.  Did I have the courage & strength to leave the plane on my own?  I did. 

I leapt out of the plane.

I don’t remember the drop.  All I remember is the sound of the plane getting quieter & quieter and the falling sensation coming to a sudden halt.  I looked up and saw my parachute properly deployed.  No untangling for me.  I took in the magnificent view of the land below.  I listened to the Ground Control Instructor (GCI) giving directions to the first two students.  I had to correct my direction of descent twice before the GCI started directing me.  Even though I had two walkie-talkies strapped to my harness, we were instructed not to touch them or use them to talk back.  The descent lasted around 6 minutes.

My landing was almost perfect.  I pulled both steering toggles at the right time, but I stuck out my feet too early.  I slid across the grass and tumbled over.  I immediately stood up and raised my right thumb up to let anyone know that I was okay.  I glanced up at the sky as I was collecting my parachute.  “I really did it,” I said to myself.

The GCI congratulated me on my first solo skydive.  The ground crew in the hangar helped me out of the parachute and harness.  The instructor landed a few minutes after me and also congratulated me for completing my first jump.  I would receive a Certificate of Completion in the mail in a few weeks.  I left Skydive Toronto that day feeling very proud of myself.  Thank you, Skydive Toronto, for helping me achieve a major milestone in my life!

Unfortunately, I don’t have video proof of my first solo jump.  Students aren’t allowed to jump with GoPro cameras.  The instructor that jumped with us didn’t bring his GoPro.  But I did do it; believe me.

To Be Continued . . .

Update: Sorry for the long wait.  I finally uploaded a video of my 6^th tandem jump.  Check out Tandem VI: Quick Drop Version.

 

Summer of 2022 – Part 2 – Sealift, PFP, Top Gun, & Road Trip

I stayed in my hometown for the remainder of June.  There were pictures & videos of my Las Vegas trip to sort, edit, and upload, as well as, running around town gathering all the items I would need for the upcoming school year.  I only had until June 28 to get everything to the sealift delivery company.  They would truck everything to Montreal where it would be crated and placed on the ship destined to Arctic Bay.

My sealift shopping list was divided into three categories: personal, school, and cadets.  I must thank my parents for letting me borrow their vehicles.  I’m not sure how much distance I covered, but it was enough to replenish the gas tanks a few times. 

Most of the personal items were ordered from Loblaws.  Heavy items like bottled water, pop, Perrier, and garbage bags.  The usual school supplies I gather over the summer are binders, office stationery, and Bankers boxes.  I also bought those for cadets.   

I successfully in delivered everything on time.  I would see all the items again in Arctic Bay in late August.

I attended a Prayer For Peace rally at Parliament Hill on the morning of June 25.  The event was officially called Prayer For Peace In Ukraine And Throughout The World and was organized by the 31^st Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program.  Many Ukrainians & supporters arrived wearing traditional Ukrainian clothing, as well as, blue & yellow colours, and some carried large Ukrainian flags.  The Ukrainian anthem was sung and many speeches were made.  A group photo of all attendees was taken for local media outlets. 

The general consensus among the attendees was that hopefully the war in Ukraine will come to an end with a Ukrainian victory, and the evil people in the Kremlin will be brought to justice.

Speaking of the war in Ukraine, a lot has happened since I last wrote about it in April.  Unfortunately, I can’t cover all the events because it will take too long, so I’m just going to comment on a few important events.

The brave and mighty Ukrainian soldiers defending Mariupol were forced to surrender on May 17.  They had been holding out at the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works metallurgical facility for quite some time, but unfortunately, they couldn’t fight their way out to freedom or be rescued by Ukrainian Forces.  It’s a sad, tragic end to the battle for the city, and the fates of these heroes are unknown.  They’ll most likely end up suffering for a long time in the Russian prison system before any possible prisoner swamps.  I agree with the Ukrainian leadership that their fighters have bought Ukraine more time to shore up defenses and prepare counterattacks.  They also depleted elite Russian forces.  The depletion of personnel has gotten so bad that prisoners are being recruited to replenish the ranks.  Even with over a million active soldiers and thousands of reserves, suffering around 42,000 casualties is too much to handle.  Good.  Cut your losses Pootin and withdraw entirely from Ukraine!   

Speaking of depletion, Russia has been forced to pull really old military equipment out of storage for their unjust & illegal war.  I’m talking tanks, vehicles, guns, artillery, anything.  Even though they’re old and obsolete, they still work, are deadly, and there are many.  Russia is also looking at buying and deploying Iranian-made drones because they’ve depleted their own stock of drones. 

Pootin and his maniac cronies in the Kremlin have been ordering the Russian war machine to use all available weapons against Ukrainian soldiers & civilians.  They don’t care at all about human lives.  They’re monsters.  Period.

One major piece of good news for Ukraine: they received and started deploying HIMARS in late June.  HIMARS is a rocket artillery system that launches rockets at very long distances.  The system has become a game changer because Ukrainian Forces can destroy important Russian targets behind enemy lines.  I hope Ukraine receives many more HIMARS and rockets that can travel even farther. 

As long as USA, Canada, and NATO continue supplying Ukraine with modern weaponry and ammunition, the country can hold and push back the Russian onslaught.  Glory to Ukraine!

I saw the movie Top Gun: Maverick at the end of June.  Amazing film!  It was so good.  The practical effects are out of this world!  You feel like you’re in the cockpit with Tom Cruise and the other actors & actresses flying the F-18 Super Hornets.  I know CGI was used in the film, but it does not overshadow the practical effects.  I think the film will win a lot of awards and will influence future films featuring planes.  Tom Cruise has set a new standard for flying films.  I’m already looking forward to the next Mission Impossible film.

I did a road trip of southern Ontario in mid-July.  I was glad I was able to get a rental car because apparently, there’s a shortage of rentals in North America.  The COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to travelling, so rental companies sold much of their cars.  Now with everything returning to the way things were, rental companies are now short on vehicles. 

Anyway, my first destination was Tobermory, Ontario.  This was my second time visiting the community since 2019.  I visited the family of a former co-worker for a day.  It was the same family from 2019.  The co-worker & I explored the marina/harbour and then took a boat cruise on Bruce Anchor Cruises.

The boat took us to the same places as Blue Heron Cruises did in 2019.  We saw the Sweepstakes underwater wreck and the famous flowerpot on Flowerpot Island.  The only difference this time was that we stepped off the boat to explore Flowerpot Island for a few hours.  There are plenty of trails to traverse and rock caves to explore. 

I thanked the co-worker and his wife for their hospitality.  I drove south to Toronto for my next adventure.

To Be Continued . . .

 

Summer of 2022 – Part 1 – Las Vegas

I returned to Las Vegas.  A three-year hiatus was long enough.  I was itching to return to the City of Sin and indulge in its many thrilling activities.  I wasn’t concerned about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic because I’m fully vaccinated.  However, the current state of air travel raised my eyebrows. 

Countries around the world have been slowly removing mask mandates and social distancing restrictions because, let’s face it, the world has failed to eradicate COVID-19.  The disease has become endemic, and we will have to live with it just like we do with the seasonal flu.  We will have to get COVID-19 booster shots every year.

The removal of these restrictions led to a surge of people returning to the skies in the spring and the airline industry & airports weren’t prepared.  Travellers were treated to long lines for checking in, security, boarding, deplaning, customs, and retrieval of luggage.  The powers that be blame lack of staff.  The Toronto Airport became the worst place for all these problems.  Things only got worse with the arrival of summer.

Unfortunately for me, I had to fly through Toronto.  I nearly missed my flight to Las Vegas because of the long wait at customs.  Thankfully, an agent let me skip the line.  I relaxed in my business class seat as the plane flew south.  I enjoyed the meals and filmed a terrific lightning storm with my smartphone.  We didn’t fly through it; we passed it on the left.  The plane landed safely in the late evening.

I thought my problems were over, but I was proven wrong when my luggage didn’t appear on the baggage carousel.  I wasn’t the only one.  I filed the necessary report with the airline and hoped my luggage would arrive before I had to return home.  The airline gave me a bag containing a razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and an extra-large white shirt.  Thanks.  I left the airport with just my backpack and the clothes I was wearing.  I didn’t get to the hotel until 2am.  At least my room wasn’t given away.

My first full day was devoted to firearms.  I returned to Battlefield Vegas to shoot 18 different guns.  Advertised as the “Counterstrike Extreme Package”, I fired pistols, submachine guns, assault rifles, a shotgun, and a sniper rifle.  You can view the videos on my YouTube channel (Parts 24 – 41).  Originally, I wasn’t supposed to fire the Micro-Galil, but my instructor let me, because there was a defect with the regular-sized Galil.  As always, I had a blast!  The gun that surprised me the most was the Desert Eagle.  It’s a large pistol with enormous recoil.

I revisited Battlefield Vegas’s outdoor museum of military vehicles and snapped a lot of pictures.  The staff then gave me a free ride to my hotel in a Humvee.

I picked up my rental vehicle and drove to a nearby WalMart to buy some clothes, snacks, and sunscreen.  The temperature in mid-June is ridiculously hot!  I pondered on whether to send the clothing receipts to the airline for reimbursement.

The afternoon was spent at The Range 702, another indoor gun range.  I went there to fire one gun.  Well, actually, four guns . . . at the same time.  The weapon system is called “Quadzilla” and it’s four M4 assault rifles rigged to fire using one large custom-made trigger.  Each magazine held 25 rounds, so I fired 100 rounds in a few seconds.  You can view the video here.  The experience was awesome.  I’ll definitely return for another go.

I only had one activity planned for my second day, and it required me to drive 45 kilometres southeast of the city.  Gunship Helicopters gives thrillseekers the opportunity to shoot guns from a moving helicopter at stationary targets.  I chose “The Door Gunner Experience,” featuring the M249 SAW.  I’m familiar with the support weapon, having fired it twice at Battlefield Vegas.  This was also my first helicopter ride!  You can view the videos here.  I didn’t mind that the gun jammed; it just meant more time in the air.  The whole experience lasted 7 minutes.  Totally worth it!

I returned the way I came and stopped at a large service station in the town of Jean.  The rest stop is called Terribles and the staff always greet people walking in with a loud, “Welcome to Terribles!”  The store was showcasing the white car that was used in the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me.  I looked around, snapped a few pictures, and bought a few snacks.

That's a lot of candy.

My next detour was Boulder City.  I checked out the Hoover Dam Museum and had a dam good time!  A lot of work went to building that engineering marvel.  (The dam, not the museum).

A third-party delivery company delivered my suitcase to my hotel.  I retrieved it and took it to my room.  Nothing was missing.   

Porsche 911 Carrera S.

The third day was all about cars.  Dream Racing is located at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and offers a wide variety of expensive cars to drive on a racetrack.  My original plan was to only drive the Lamborghini Huracan GT, but the staff convinced me to practice first on a Porsche 911 Carrera S.  The discounted price sealed the deal.  Customers are required to watch a safety briefing video and be driven around the track before they step into their selected car(s).  A coach rides along giving instructions.  Click here to view the driving videos.  To make a long story short, I had fun.  I just need to improve my standard driving skills.

Lamborghini Huracan GT.

I enjoyed a delicious steak lunch at the Triple 7 Restaurant & Microbrewery at the Main Street Station Hotel & Casino.  I’ve eaten there before.  I’m glad I showed up when they opened because there was a very long line when I left.  I hate waiting in lines.

Triple 7 Restaurant - Steak Lunch meal.

I headed over to Speed Vegas in the afternoon to enjoy a two-lap ride-along in a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat.  A professional stunt driver speeds & drifts around the racetrack.  I admit the experience wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be.  I think it’s because the driver behaved like he had done this so many times that he could do it in his sleep.  That put me at ease.  The ride-along felt like a theme park ride.  You can view the videos here.

The focus of the fourth day was a bulldozer and throwing axes.

I returned to Dig This!, “The World’s Heavy Equipment Playground”, to experience the thrill of driving a CAT D5K Bulldozer.  My instructor showed me where & how to use the controls and guided me through a few activities.  I drove two figure-8s around two large tires, dug a trench, drove over the excavated sandhill twice, and then filled the trench.  The whole experience lasted 90 minutes and was fun.  I have video footage of the experience but didn’t have enough time to upload it in time for this post.  I’ll let you know when it’s on my YouTube channel.

I went to In-N-Out Burger for lunch.  I just had to.  Three years have passed since my last meal and the fast-food chain is exclusively located in the western USA . . . and Texas.  I ordered & enjoyed their Combo #3 meal.

The afternoon was all about throwing axes at tree stumps.  I returned to Axe Monkeys and threw axes for an hour.  I think I’m getting better.  I’ll let you know when the videos are uploaded to my YouTube channel. 

June 21 was a explore-The-Strip-on-foot kind of day.  I didn’t have any activities planned.  I just loaded my backpack with bottled water, sunscreen, and some snacks, and walked up and down The Strip, photographing the hotels, attractions, and anything else I found interesting.  I made it all the way to the Stratosphere Tower.  I caught a cab back to my hotel. 

I hope the USA government doesn’t come looking for me, but I had a clear view of the JANET building from my hotel room.  JANET stands for Just Another Non-Existent Terminal, and it services the white jet planes with red stripes.  These planes ferry government workers between Las Vegas and Area 51 daily.  Personally, I would have picked a different colour scheme.  The white & red paint make the planes look North Korean.

The only interesting thing I did on my last day in Las Vegas was watch the movie Jurassic World: Dominion at a movie theatre.  The movie was good but the sound was too loud.  I clocked it at over 80db during the action sequences!  (Noise above 80db can cause hearing damage).

My journey home was its own adventure.  A taxi dropped me off at the airport in the morning.  (I returned the rental car the day before).  Checking in and getting through security wasn’t a problem.  I stayed in a business class lounge before it was time to board.  The flight to Toronto was uneventful; I just enjoyed the views from my window and enjoyed the business class meals.

And then the problems started. 

The plane was delayed on the tarmac for about 20 minutes because there wasn’t a gate available.  Getting through customs was alright thanks to newly installed self-serve machines.  I passed the time in the Maple Leaf Lounge.  My next flight was fully boarded when a stewardess announced that it was cancelled.  At first, the announcement didn’t register with me, and I shook myself, thinking I was imagining things.  The loud collective groan of the passengers convinced me otherwise.  I think the flight was cancelled because the airline couldn’t find pilots. 

Everyone disembarked.  A few passengers loudly voiced their displeasure.  I was rebooked the following morning.  I returned to the Maple Leaf Lounge, stayed a bit, then left with everyone else because the lounge closes at midnight.  The staff need time to clean and restock.  The lounge would reopen at 5am.  I roamed the empty hallways rather than stay in a hotel room.  I saw a few people sleeping on benches & chairs.

I finally boarded my flight home at 7am.  I photographed downtown Toronto and Downsview Park with my cell phone.  I was thankful my luggage travelled with me.

Toronto, Canada.

I slept in until the afternoon.

In case you are wondering, I didn’t gamble.  The casinos along The Strip still let patrons smoke inside and the smell is unbearable.  The ventilation systems are not enough.  If the casinos want me to gamble, then get rid of smoking indoors.  Otherwise, I’ll have to wear a hazmat suit.  Then again, I’m not a gambling man.

Returning to Las Vegas was the perfect way to start my summer of 2022!     

To Be Continued . . .

Update: Sorry for the long wait.  I finally uploaded the videos of me at Dig This! and Axe Monkeys.  You can check them out here: Big Dig Bulldozer and Axe Monkeys.  Enjoy!