Posted by: Jason Warren | May 24, 2016

Our guest blogger, Jason Warren, has leapt out of planes 860 times—and yet he’s secretly scared of heights. Jason describes the rush of skydiving and what drives him to open the airplane door and leap into the abyss.

What it feels like to jump out of a plane

Skydiving has phenomenally changed my life. Outside of my family, it’s my great life passion. It’s a huge adrenaline rush. The acceleration’s insane, like sticking your head out of a ridiculously fast car.

But then your parachute opens. Instant peace. Suddenly everything is calm and quiet. You’re falling, sure, but you don’t notice. It’s so flat in Saskatchewan, you can see forever. Magic.

Leap of faith

My first jump was July 21st, 2001. I remember it well because it was on my stag. Skydiving was something I always wanted to do. At the time, I was having trust issues. I didn’t trust myself or people around me, and I wanted to make an attitude change, take a risk, and do something major.

So my fiancée gave me an ultimatum. She said she’d rather be a spinster than a widow, so I could jump out of a plane at my stag but after our wedding, I had to stop. But I didn’t stop. I kept jumping.

And now I’m no longer married.

What skydiving teaches you

Skydiving teaches you the big lessons in life. It forces you to act alone. And it teaches you to focus and live for now. When I’m skydiving, I’m living in the moment, not worrying about tomorrow or yesterday. You get to sense life at such a high, more invigorating level.

Where to jump in SK

There are two Saskatchewan ‘drop zones’ which are safe & dedicated skydiving areas. I’m a Jump Master and Tandem Master instructor at Skydive South Sask at the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport. Plus there’s a second spot north of Saskatoon.

Saskatchewan’s a safe environment. Our flat, open fields make it one of the safest places to jump in the world. Here, if you make a mistake and miss your target, you’ll go for a walk instead of suffering a broken ankle by landing on a steep slope or rocky terrain.

5 best skydiving movies

My favourite skydiving movie is Fandango with Kevin Costner. I also like Point Break, Drop Zone, Cutaway, and I know three guys who did the flying scenes in Iron Man 3.

Movie myth-busting

TV and movies get tons of facts wrong about skydiving. Here’s what makes me laugh:

If there’s a hole inside your aircraft, you won’t get sucked out You can’t talk while skydiving Your freefall won’t last 5 minutes. More like 60 seconds. There’s no ripcord anymore, it’s a pilot chute you throw out. Nobody jumps with round parachutes anymore. They make for hard landings.

7 rules and tips for beginners

Make sure your instructor’s fully trained by the CSPA in Canada or the USPA. If you want to do it, you’ll absolutely love it. But if you’re forced into it, you’ll hate it. Take ownership of your skydive. People have died/been injured doing it. Accept the risk. Enjoy yourself. Your senses will be heightened. You must be over 18. Weather changes fast. If it’s not safe, we’re not leaving the ground. You can say ‘no’ right up until the plane door opens. After that, you’re going down.

Skydiving conquers all

It’s given me so much, it will give you so much. After their first jump, I tell all my students, “There are so few people who have ever or will ever skydive. You’ve taken a risk today, you’ve succeeded. Look around and for every problem you see that you think is insurmountable, know this...you jumped out of plane. Then you saved your life. There’s nothing you can’t do now.”

Whether you’re up in the air or roaming on the ground we’ve got you covered wherever you go.