During my holiday in Gran Canaria (read my post on Gran Canaria) I got to do a fantastic tandem skydive experience.
As you can see from the photo, the tandem skydive is to jump with a parachute from an airplane in flight.
The difference from the classic skydiving is that he jumps tied to instructor who does everything he :)
This means that we must not do any preparatory course in order to do tandem skydive and do not need any prior experience ... you just have the courage to throw himself!
I have discovered the existence of the tandem skydive by accident, reading a flyer in my hotel in Playa de Ingles, Gran Canaria (Canary Islands).
Having always been tempted to try at least once the jump with a parachute, I immediately made us a little thought, but it took several days before deciding to book :)
The price was quite expensive but affordable, so my reasoning was:
"Do skydiving would cost too much, I should take a course and do not even know if I'd like. Here I have the opportunity to try the experience similar to a launch alone and I can do it in a place with a wonderful view."
So ready, come and go: I called Paraclub de Gran Canaria and I booked my first experience in a tandem skydive.
Luckily for me, this school of parachuting also had a person who spoke Italian, which was very helpful to me to define the details and take away any doubts.
The Paraclub de Gran Canaria is aerodrome El Berriel, an area a little 'further north than where I was, but no problem, they came to get me close to the Dunes of Maspalomas, just a few minutes walk from my hotel .
After a short course where I the basics have been explained, and after being harnessed for good, I was taken to the aircraft.
It was a small plane of maximum capacity of 5 persons, including the pilot.
The flight lasted about 15 minutes ... I do not know exactly, the time in these situations is very relative :)
We arrived at a height of about 10,000 feet (about 3000 meters) and we launched into space!
I must say that until you have not opened the plane's door was quiet, it was like taking a classic flight, maybe just a little 'more uncomfortable.
But when they opened the door and suddenly came a strong wind, I realized I was going to throw me into the void and I had a few second thoughts: p
The first to launch was the other guy who was with me, for him it was the second time, so it was less concerned about myself.
I watched its launch as a review of what they had told me shortly before in English (the Italian guy did not come with us all'aerodomo), since with my little Inglese did not understand every detail to tell the truth: p
Anyway, got to my turn, I have to put my foot on the step outside the aircraft.
An immense effort because of the wind and fear, but in the end we flagged as expected and everything went well.
The free fall was about 40 seconds, in which we achieved a speed of 220 km per hour.
That is, a nice adrenaline rush, even if I did more afraid when the instructor opened the parachute and there was that feeling of coming up.
Then I do not know, maybe the glasses that protect from the wind have a little 'made less real than this experience, almost like being behind a screen ... I said almost, eh: p
Below is the video of my launch, brutally censored for reasons of privacy, so maybe it's not the best ... but it's better than nothing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4LOqbLaaj4
This however is the video of my landing, filmed by a very nice Swiss tourist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAgUJ6CWk7Q
As you can see from the video, we landed on the Maspalomas dunes, so it was a hard landing but soft :)
Overall it was really a nice experience and if it were not for the price I would have rebuilt right away :)
The boys of the launch clubs were very polite and professional, as well as sympathetic.
Who knows, maybe in the future I will again tandem skydive.