It feels like I have always been a skydiver. I made my first skydive in 1967 and stayed very active until 1974, with 1,200 round jumps. I resumed again in 1994, and have been enthusiastically at it since, achieving more than 3,500 jumps to date. Lots of records and record attempts with Parachutists Over Phorty Society (POPS), Skydivers Over Sixty (SOS), Jumpers Over Seventy (JOS) and soon to be Jumpers Over Eighty (JOE)!
My grandson, Gage, has a disposition that is normally careful, cautious and planning. But as is my nature, I always try to add a bit of fun and adventure to our lives. Over the years, Gage; his sister, Isabel; and I would frequently climb a ladder up to our garage roof and sing “Up On The Roof” as loudly and as off key as we possibly could—all for family fun. When Gage was seven, we went to the wind tunnel in New Hampshire for a family adventure. He was willing but far from enthusiastic about it. But he not only did well there, he enjoyed it, along with his parents, his sister, my wife and myself. This may have been a harbinger of things to come.
A few years later, an iFly wind tunnel opened in Paramus, New Jersey, so we planned another fun family adventure day. Lots of whooping and hollering. I explored the idea of making a tandem with him sometime, but no returning enthusiasm headed my way. So, imagine my surprise when last summer, Gage (now 20 years old) said he’d like to make a tandem! “Woo hoo,” I said. “Let’s go now!”
First, Gage did a refresher tunnel session, just to confirm it was a good idea. He loved it and did real well. In fact, the experience made him even more enthused to try the real thing. In early August of 2024, we booked an appointment at Skydive Sussex, my home drop zone. The entire family joined the ground crew to watch and encourage him, and help him create a memory he’ll have for the rest of his life.
Gage, his tandem instructor Kenny, the videographer and I helped him get through the pre-jump jitters every newbie experiences. We kept the energy level stable in the plane, watched as a couple of groups preceded us out the door, and then it was our turn. Out we went. He did beautifully! And his first skydive was extra special as it included a four-way round!
That 21-year-old kid who made his first skydive in 1967 could never have imagined sharing his love for the sport with his grandson over 50 years later. What a wonderful event for us, a day neither of us will ever forget.
David Benjamin D-18163
Kinnelon, New Jersey