50 Seconds To Live

- Robert Kiener

A LONG WITH A DOZEN or so other trainee sky-divers,Christopher Jones is packed tightly into a Cessna 182 as it flies over the western Australia countryside just south of Perth. It’s just after 4 p.m. and this will be Jones’s fifth jump in his Accelerated Freefall program and his first time jumping solo, without being tethered to an instructor.

As the plane climbs through the clear, crisp November skies, Jones goes over today’s jump procedure in his mind. His heart is racing but he’s confident that he is ready for his first solo jump. “Stay calm,” he tells himself as he readies himself for the jump by ticking off the maneuvers he has to make.

Just after the plane reaches 12,000 feet, a green light begins flashing in the plane’s interior, a signal that the pilot has given his okay for the jump to proceed.

Jones’s instructor, veteran parachutist Sheldon McFarlane slides open the plane’s side door. He motions to Jones to take up the “ready position” near the door.

Although he is cocooned in a helmet, goggles, blue jumpsuit and two parachutes (a main and a reserve), Jones winces as he feels the cold air rushing into the plane. The whipping wind is so noisy that he can hear nothing but his own heart beat. He is nervous but is focused on McFarlane, who will guide him through this first solo jump by following—and observing — him as he freefalls to the drop zone some two miles below.

As he clambers into position, holding tightly onto a rail above the open door to brace himself, he stumbles a bit but feels reassured as McFarlane firmly grabs him by his sturdy black parachute harness and steadies him.

Remembering his training, Jones begins the pre-jump cadence he’s learned:

“Check in,” he says and gives a thumbs up to McFarlane, indicating he’s ready to jump.