PUT SKYDIVING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST – BEFORE YOU KICK THE BUCKET!
Way back in the 1840s, the man who painted the world’s most famous portrait, the Mona Lisa, was also the first man with the vision of man’s ability to skydive. That man was Leonardo da Vinci, who was not only an artist but a musician, engineer, scientist and inventor too, and some of his sketches show a pyramid-shaped, wooden framed parachute.
Surely da Vinci would never have imagined that skydiving would become a popular sport. He could never have believed that a simple parachute would inspire people to pursue extraordinary goals – like the world record for the largest formation of freefalling jumpers (all 400 of them joining hands for six seconds over Thailand) or a four-year old becoming the world’s youngest jumper.
The modern history of the sport began in the late eighteenth century with a Frenchman, Jacques Farnerin, boldly jumping out of hot air balloons over Europe. During the world wars, parachuting was a necessary survival skill in the event of a plane crash, and it was really after the second World War that it evolved into an adventurous hobby. During the late 1950s and 1960s, the sport became more commercialized with the formation of official clubs and associations. The sport was initially perceived as a high risk activity, but as awareness grew, more and more people learned the facts and signed up.
So what’s the risk jumping from an aeroplane at anything from 10 000 to 13 000 feet above the ground? Well, we’re told that’s it’s less risky than catching a bus, which hardly rates as exhilarating! A typical jump involves between 45 to 60 seconds of freefall (around 1000 feet for every six seconds), then about five minutes of gentle descent, floating in incredible stillness and surrounded by breathtaking beauty.
Small wonder then that skydiving is on so many people’s bucket lists. And you need not wait until retirement to make that jump - or even longer in the case of 92 year old Herb Tanner, the oldest solo jumper on record or Frank Moody who waited until he was 101 to make his first jump!. It may not be you, but you may know someone who harbours a dream to skydive An online retailer that provides gift vouchers for a range of activities can give them wings.
Something as simple as a gift certificate could be the realization of their dream. Of course, basic requirements like being in good health and physical condition have to be met, but if you know someone who’s long harboured a dream to get their heart rate into the red zone, then a gift certificate for a licenced skydive is just the ticket.
No need to wait. Dare to dream. Sometimes dreams can come true – and by giving someone a skydiving gift, you can give them wings. Perhaps that’s why the Mona Lisa is always smiling – it could be that da Vinci told her of his dream that one day, man would fly with a parachute!
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