You probably played this game in grade school with your friends. One friend stands behind another and the person in front crosses their arms across their chest. They let themselves fall without trying to catch themselves. The person behind them will put their arms out to catch the person falling. The whole purpose of this game is to make yourself trust the person behind you completely to not let you fall and hit the ground.
The Alternative Trust Fall
You have to have a lot of trust if you’re about to jump out of an airplane. Skydiving is the ultimate trust fall.
They start off by asking your weight and height to pair you up with an experienced and certified skydiver. Then you step out onto the platform to put all of your gear on. As the instructor is suiting you up, they explain exactly what you need to do and what is going to happen during the experience. They will prepare you physically and mentally. Almost all of the instructors have jumped over 3,000 times with no errors. This fact alone should make you feel a bit safer already.
When I went skydiving, my instructor had jumped 10,367 times with one error. The error was that his first parachute he pulled got tangled, but he was prepared for anything, and pulled his second shoot that helped him land safely on the ground. This made me have a lot of trust that he not only has experience, but knows how to react in a high stress environment.
Once you’re all set up, the small airplane will come around and pick up anywhere from 6-12 people. The plane will take off and away you go, soaring up into the sky thousands of feet in the air – 13,000 to be exact.
Once the plane levels out, the instructor will take your harness and attach it to theirs. You will get a pair of goggles and a pep talk if you start to get nervous.
Place the Trust
When it’s your turn to jump, you and the instructor will walk to the open door and wait for the green light to go. At this point, the only thing you can do, is trust. Placing trust in the instructor and in the gear. You’re physically attached to a professional skydiver and since they are attached, your life is connected to theirs. This should give you a little more comfort as well.
The very last thing you need to remember is to have fun and enjoy the ride! Letting go and putting your full trust in the instructor will make skydiving an experience of a lifetime.
Trust Fall
Ever heard of a trust fall?
You probably played this game in grade school with your friends. One friend stands behind another and the person in front crosses their arms across their chest. They let themselves fall without trying to catch themselves. The person behind them will put their arms out to catch the person falling. The whole purpose of this game is to make yourself trust the person behind you completely to not let you fall and hit the ground.
The Alternative Trust Fall
You have to have a lot of trust if you’re about to jump out of an airplane. Skydiving is the ultimate trust fall.
They start off by asking your weight and height to pair you up with an experienced and certified skydiver. Then you step out onto the platform to put all of your gear on. As the instructor is suiting you up, they explain exactly what you need to do and what is going to happen during the experience. They will prepare you physically and mentally. Almost all of the instructors have jumped over 3,000 times with no errors. This fact alone should make you feel a bit safer already.
When I went skydiving, my instructor had jumped 10,367 times with one error. The error was that his first parachute he pulled got tangled, but he was prepared for anything, and pulled his second shoot that helped him land safely on the ground. This made me have a lot of trust that he not only has experience, but knows how to react in a high stress environment.
Once you’re all set up, the small airplane will come around and pick up anywhere from 6-12 people. The plane will take off and away you go, soaring up into the sky thousands of feet in the air – 13,000 to be exact.
Once the plane levels out, the instructor will take your harness and attach it to theirs. You will get a pair of goggles and a pep talk if you start to get nervous.
Place the Trust
When it’s your turn to jump, you and the instructor will walk to the open door and wait for the green light to go. At this point, the only thing you can do, is trust. Placing trust in the instructor and in the gear. You’re physically attached to a professional skydiver and since they are attached, your life is connected to theirs. This should give you a little more comfort as well.
The very last thing you need to remember is to have fun and enjoy the ride! Letting go and putting your full trust in the instructor will make skydiving an experience of a lifetime.
Related posts
The Role of the Leader in Team Development: Setting the Stage for Success
Turning Your Group Into a TEAM
The Circle of Trust: Building Trust in Leadership