By: Lori Steffen Skydivers – Most people say we’re crazy. Some say we have a death wish. Psychologists say people with an inclination to take high risks are a necessary part of the continuation of our species. We are people from all walks of life: students, blue-collar workers, engineers, doctors, nurses, you name it. What we have in common is an affinity for a high-risk sport, skydiving. Some also participate in other sports like scuba diving, kayaking, rock climbing, or skiing. There is a sense of camaraderie among us, a sense that we understand a greater truth that is missed by most people. Mentally, it is an incredibly refreshing break from “society”. Skydiving is a super stress reliever. When you are skydiving, you focus on that skydive and nothing else. This keeps away all the distractions of life. No room for stray thoughts or worries here. The intense focus and the pump of adrenaline leave you feeling mentally and physically…

Skydiving at one time was a sport or activity for only the military or extreme athletes. On many levels it still is, but with the popularity of tandem skydiving the thrill and adrenaline of skydiving is able to be enjoyed by anyone. If you want to jump from an airplane or learn more about skydiving, read below or read about tandem skydiving. In 2012 approximately 500,000 people all over the world made their first Tandem Skydive. With tandem skydiving an inexperienced person is attached to a very experienced skydiver who processes’ a Tandem Instructor Rating. This allows people from every walk of life to jump from a perfectly good airplane. Tandem skydiving is the easiest and safest way to jump from airplane. The experience last about 27 minutes from the time you take off in the plane til you land under a tandem parachute with your instructor. The training for a tandem skydive usually takes around 15 minutes. You’ll learn…

By: Robert H. Van Aman, Pilot I often get asked what my job is like. My short answer is, “exciting”. However that doesn’t seem to do it justice. First a little about myself, I’ve been a pilot for 14 years. I have had the privilege to fly planes as small as a two seater, to as large as a 50 passenger regional jet. This by far in the most exciting job I’ve ever had. The people I work with are great and getting to fly everyday is never a bad thing. The best part about this job is the people I get to meet. These people come for various reasons, excitement, adventure, to cross something off their bucket list, or to conquer a fear. I have even seen some people come as a way of saying good bye to loved ones or to propose to their sweetheart. Whatever their reasons I get to be a big part of their lives.…