I visited Start Skydiving for my first ever jump. My friend researched all the places within a few hours drive of Columbus. He was impressed with the reviews & safety record of Start, so he booked us a jump. Although I was a little nervous, I was quickly calmed by the professionalism of the entire staff. They were courteous, knowledgeable & willing to answer any questions we had. There was little time between our sign-in & the first steps towards our jump. I received sufficient time with my instructor before I got suited up & harnessed. Gila was very excited to learn that I had never jumped before. He made sure I understood the process & felt comfortable in the gear. We watched a short training video & went outside for our plane to taxi back in. There was little wait time before we were directed to enter the plane. The plane loaded up & we were off. During the brief ride to altitude, Gila again walked me thru the procedure. The gate was raised & we began to exit. I watched excitedly as my friend dropped a few passengers before me. When it was my time, Gila counted down & I fell. It was incredible! Gila warned me before he pulled the chute. It got a little crazy at first, but once the chute was opened, we peacefully glided back to Earth in about 6-7 minutes. Gila once again walked thru the landing. We stuck the landing & slid to a stop. Once unbuckled, I gleefully enjoyed the "astronaut walk" back to the hanger, exchanging high-fives & outcries of excitement with my friend who had returned to Earth just prior to me.
It was slightly cloudy that day, so visibility was not the best it could have been. I would say that was the only downside, and it had nothing to do with Start. During the fall, I was told you could usually see Cincy, into KY & also Wright-Pat Airbase.
