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Organizations New club takes to the sky
Organizations New club takes to the sky | New club takes to the sky |
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| Written by Sohana Kutub | |||||
| Monday, 02 March 2009 07:25 PM | |||||
 Skydivers and instructors file into a Twin Otter airplane Sunday at Skydive Dallas, on the outskirts of Whitewright. Forty members of the Skydiving Mavs Club made the 90 minute drive to the northeast Texas town for what would be many member’s first-time jumps. (The Shorthorn: Michael Rettig) Jumping out of a perfectly good airplane was the plan for the Skydiving Mavs Club last Sunday at Skydive Dallas in Whitewright. Flying almost 14,000 feet in the air, only to have the side door opened with the intention of jumping, was a first-time experience for most club members. Antriksh Luthra, an aerospace engineering graduate student and first-time skydiver, said he was scared but excited. “I feel like I just came from a different world altogether,” Luthra said afterward. “All I kept thinking was, ‘I want land!’” He said a roller-coaster ride is nothing compared to skydiving. “You’re mind registers nothing except that you’re going to die, because there’s nothing down below you,” he said. “And that idea makes it thrilling.” Friends and family of Skydiving Mavs’ members could participate with the club. Beth Jensen, a regular jumper at SkyDive Dallas, said she’s made about 530 jumps. “Skydiving is the most stress-relieving thing,” she said. “When you’re up there, you’re not thinking about anything but having fun and saving your life. There’s no work, no bills to think about while you’re up there.” The Skydiving Mavs Club was started in spring 2009 by mechanical engineering junior Chris Johns and environmental biology junior Joe Mowery, who both have two and a half years of skydiving experience. The regular cost for tandem jumps at Skydive Dallas is $229, but club members paid $159 on Sunday.  First-time skydiver John Montalbo and his tandem instructor Will Caldwell glide through the air to their landing zone Sunday over Skydive Dallas. Nonstudent Montalbo and his girlfriend came from the university to skydive with the Skydiving Mavs Club. (The Shorthorn: Michael Rettig) Several universities have established skydiving clubs that compete at intercollegiate competitions. Johns would like UTA to eventually recognize skydiving as a sports club — like the fencing club — so members can compete at a national level. Amidst the fun that skydiving presents, it can also be dangerous, as outlined in the waivers that Skydive Dallas requires participants to sign. Johnny Kuczaj, Skydive Dallas general manager, said most injuries and fatalities occur with experienced skydivers who are more likely to push their limits. “There are two or three injuries per year, mostly ankle injuries, usually during an improper landing,” he said. “There were no fatalities last year, however there was one fatality in 2007 and one in 2005, and they were both experienced skydivers.” Kuczaj said while skydiving can be a dangerous sport, it can also be safe. Three security devices are packed to ensure safety, the main and reserve parachutes and the Automatic Activation Device (AAD) – which automatically deploys the reserve chute at a certain altitude or pressure. A short training class before the jump includes learning about malfunctions, and proper exiting and landing techniques. Inexperienced skydivers must jump attached to an instructor in a tandem jump, and after about a minute of free fall, the instructor pulls the parachute. The whole jump lasts about six minutes. Business freshman Glen Gay said to expect a dry mouth and tingling skin after skydiving. “If you want to go skydiving, go with Skydiving Mavs,” he said. “Because there’s a discount and beer.” Participants aren’t allowed to drink before a jump, however. “But there is beer,” Johns said. “It’s just waiting.” Learn MoreFlight ReportViews: 2076 | E-mail
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 28 April 2009 06:26 PM ) | |||||
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