First-time skydiver takes the plunge from 13,000 feet over Snohomish

By Amy Nile

Special to The Herald

SNOHOMISH — It’s hands down the best panoramic view of Puget Sound.

But it took a plunge from an airplane to see it.

I was 13,000 feet above the ground I covered as The Daily Herald’s east Snohomish County reporter.

Strapped to an instructor with Skydive Snohomish, I was ready to jump out of the souped-up Cessna Grand Caravan.

All I had to do was arch back, put my hands up and enjoy the 180-mile-an-hour freefall above Harvey Field.

As I took in the panoramic sights of the Pacific Northwest, I thought if something were to go wrong, this would be the way to go.

Looking out the plane’s plexiglass windows, it started to sink in. I was leaving this place and its people, stories and curiosities behind. After almost three years, this was my last assignment for The Daily Herald.

It was an appropriate walk off, or in this case jump off, to a job I got using my aviation experience as a foot in the door.

I’d wanted to try skydiving for as long as I can remember. When I was a flight attendant, I often wished for a parachute to bail me out of the boredom. That was more true on days when rude, needy passengers tried my patience, turning me into what’s known in the airline business as a sky hag.

Skydive Snohomish Owner Elaine Harvey tells nervous first-timers the same thing I used to say to relax white-knuckled fliers: Driving to and from the airport is more dangerous.

Harvey assured me her instructors are qualified and they carry two parachutes, just in case the first fails to open.

That said, accidents do happen. An Everett man, an experienced skydiver who was jumping solo, died in June after making an “aggressive turn” apparently causing his parachute to collapse into itself, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. It was a tragedy, but an uncommon one.

“I would send my grandma with any one of our instructors,” Harvey said. To calm another common fear, she told me she doesn’t know of anyone who’s wet their pants while skydiving. I’ll admit, that concern had crossed my mind.

However, most of my anxiety stemmed from the two photographers with lenses on me, not the actual jumping out of an airplane part.

To make matters worse, my instructor, Kory Simonsen, wore a video camera to document my experience, cheeks flap-ping in the wind and all.

Earlier, he assured me he’d “enthusiastically push me out of the plane” when it was time. True to his word, I didn’t have the chance to chicken out.

I scooted to the edge of the open cargo door, wrapped my feet under the fuselage and fell forward, face-first into the airy abyss.

My gut dropped but the Tower of Terror-like feeling didn’t last more than a second.

We were moving so fast, I couldn’t catch a breath. I, of course, panicked and forgot what I was supposed to do about it.

All I could remember was the photographer telling me to keep my head up so he could see my face. I kept trying to look at the camera but I’d have to put my face down to get air.

A few seconds later, Simonsen pulled the parachute and I could breathe easily again. He let me steer, going fast and spinning around in circles.

I could see for miles. The sunny day came with clear views of the surrounding snow-capped Olympic and Cascade mountains, including Mount Baker and Mount Rainier, Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands.

Seattle skyscrapers towered above the bustling city and sprawling suburbs, contrasting the pastoral patchwork of fields in the picturesque Snohomish River Valley.

The drop lasted about 90 seconds but it felt like longer before I pulled my legs up for landing. My first jump made 4,222 for Simonsen.

Skydiving wasn’t the adrenaline rush I expected. For me, it was the spectacular views that made it worthwhile.

The sights above Snohomish are unmatched in my travels of all 50 states and dozens of countries on five continents. “We believe skydiving provides a new perspective on life,” Harvey said. “It motivates you, excites you and pushes you out of the box.”

The view from the top gave me insight on another risk. I’m taking a gamble, leaving my home and job to write for a newspaper in Las Vegas.

For all I know, I could be chasing a mirage into the desert with hopes of earning a living in the news business. But if I don’t take the chance, I’ll never find out.

So whether it’s taking a leap from an airplane or trying a new pursuit in life, sometimes you just have to jump.

If you go:

Skydive Snohomish, 9906 Airport Way, Snohomish; skydivesnohomish.com; 360-568-7703

Cost: $225, upgrades available.

Age: Must be at least 18, those older than 65 need a note from a doctor.

Weight: Must be 220 pounds or less.

Clothing: Athletic.

Shoes: Lace-up footwear.