The Flying Ham Fam

Here’s another fun adventure we enjoyed over this past winter, during Coivd… skydiving. After going parasailing, the girls had mentioned how the “fear-factor” was no biggie, and that they’d like to try skydiving sometime. So, I called them on it and booked a tandem jump at Skydive City in Zephryhills, FL. Coincidentally, about 28 years earlier, it is where Gretchen and I had gone for one of our first dates while students at UCF in Orlando. Back then, on a total whim, we jumped in the car and headed over with a couple of friends. It was such a blast! Although we had not been skydiving again since then, we remembered how awesome Skydive City was! Their safety record is (still) spotless, their facilities fantastic, and their instructors are super cool, highly skilled and very accomplished. Best of all, they take you up higher than most places – over 13,000 feet so that you get to experience over a full minute of freefall at 120 miles per hour. The day that we went this most recent time was in January, and it was bitterly cold by Florida standards (40 degrees?). Not the norm! But it was also sunny, clear and beautiful! Gretchen didn’t go up this time– just Kendall, Kaelyn, and myself. Needless to say, the girls did great, just as they always seem to do whenever I challenge them. They had a blast and I imagine they’ll be headed back with friends, soon! This was an awesome Father/Daughter experience, one I’m sure they’ll never forget. I know I won’t!

Father and daughters after skydiving at Skydive City in Zephyrhills, FL
After the jump… Super proud of these two! Fearless, after all!
Family taking skydiving class, getting ready for a jump
How to jump out of a plane for no good reason: The Ham Fam, gettin’ prepped by the pros at Skydive City in Zephyrhills, FL
Two girls pointing to a "Danger" sign before skydiving at Zephryhills, FL
Yeah, it’s all fun and games BEFORE the jump…
Father with daughters headed up in plane to go skydiving
Going up!!!… Way up… Over 13,000 feet up!!!
Skydiver about to exit airplane on a tandem jump
The moment before the jump: Ready or not!… Don’t be laughing back there- you’re NEXT! See ya’!!!!!
Girl laughing after just exiting the plane on a tandem skydive as plane turns away above the jumpers
Here… We… GO!!!!…..
Skydiving girls falling, as plane above them turn away after exit
Hey, we’re not inside the plane, anymore!
First time jumping from an airplane
You can keep your eyes open and your mouth closed, or your eyes closed and your mouth open. Either way, you can’t beat the feeling!
Girl screaming, falling at 120 miles per hour on a tandem skydive at Skydive City in Zephyrhills, FL
What??! We’re only going 120 miles per hour!!!
Girl about to exit airplane for a skydive, standing at the door looking down
Not so tough, now, are you?!!!
Skydivers free-falling on a tandem jump
Above the clouds, and flying high! In the words of the great Tom Petty: “Now I’m freeee… freefallin’!!!….”
Two women skydivers on a tandem jump in Zephryhills, FL about to deploy their parachute
What goes up must come down… and yanked back up in 3… 2… 1…
Women on a tandem skydive jump at Skydive City in Zephyrhills, FL
Once below the clouds, the ground starts coming up pretty quick, but it’s a nice view…
Tandem skydiving at Skydive City in Zephyrhills, FL
Major G-Forces right here.
Skydiving in Zephryhills, FL
Not having any fun at all…
Freefalling for over a minute - Tandem skydiving at Skydive City in Zephyrhills, FL
Freefalling for over a minute – 0ver 13,000 feet up
Watch with heart monitor quickly rising from 52 to 120 BPM rate
Can you tell when the jump happened?

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