When I was about to jump off the aircraft from 10,000 feet, I was a bit scared, just like anyone would be. A lot was going on in my head but I took that leap of faith. While flying amidst the clouds, my mind was totally absorbed in admiring the bird’s-eye view of Narnaul, when suddenly the altitude meter on my left hand caught my attention, we were about to enter the 3,000 altitude range; we were getting closer to the ground. My heart was racing but the landing was smooth, it felt like I was slipping down from a slide,” says 30-year-old Pradeep Kumar, who came from Hyderabad to Skyhigh, India’s only international skydiving drop zone located at the Narnaul airstrip, Haryana, two hours from Delhi. Around 3,500 have done skydiving with Skyhigh so far. Recently, TMS visited their drop zone to take a closer look at the experience it provides.
After the landing, Kumar took a few seconds to gather himself and fathom the stunt he had pulled off. He had opted for a Tandem Jump, and had been safely strapped to the instructor -- in his case, Soundara Rajan, an ex-Air Force officer. Having worked for over 20 years in the Paratroopers Training School in Agra, Rajan has trained over one lakh military parachutists and has done over 3,000 jumps in his career. At Skyhigh, he is nearing 1,000 Tandem Jumps.
“Skydiving is safer than riding a bike. I have been doing this for decades now but have never suffered any injury,” says Rajan. “It is important to understand that if you listen to your body and stay committed to the basics and ground rules of skydiving, you will be safe.” In India, Skydiving is operational from September to April.
Elaborating on the safety measures, Rajan continues, “Skyhigh drop zone is affiliated with the United States Parachute Association (USPA). Our aircraft and SOPs are certified by the Government of India, and we use the most sophisticated equipment – Sigma Tandem Parachute Systems -- available in the global market.” Skyhigh has four kinds of parachute backpacks, from for beginners to experts. As you unlock each level with experience and jumps, the backpack gets smaller.
Skydiving and safety
While Rajan was giving us a demo of the parachutes, a trio of solo jumpers, who were waiting for the weather to clear up, joined the conversation. It was their first time as well; however, they had opted for a Static Line Jump–individuals take the jump alone after going through a two-day training programme and a written test. When asked whether they are anxious, 25-year-old Vishal Rana says: “Not at all. I am confident that I will be safe. If the parachute doesn’t open, there is always a reserve parachute in the skydiving backpack. Even if that doesn’t work, there is a mechanism in the backpack that will automatically pull out the parachute once the body is below the 3,000 altitude range. So, under any circumstance, I should be safe.” He adds: “Thinking that skydiving is unsafe just because it is being organised in India is a very colonial mindset, and I am glad it has not affected me.”
Getting the Cessna
With the intention to provide a better experience and expand the adventure sports community in India, Skyhigh recently brought a new member to their drop zone – Cessna 182, the most popular skydiving aircraft in the world, all the way from California. As the aircraft is comparatively smaller, the pilots took stops in seven countries, including Canada, Portugal Spain, Egypt and UAE, to refuel the engine.Cessna 182 is the first skydiving plane in India, which is known for its strong hauling speed and reliability. It can carry four to five skydivers to altitudes of 10,000 feet in less than 20 minutes, something other aircraft struggle with. Rajan tells us, “With Cessna 182’s arrival, Skyhigh will now be able to cater to a larger audience. And, along with the static line jump, it will also provide training for the accelerated freefall jump, most likely by the next season.”
Team Skyhigh
Skyhigh, the brainchild of Rudra Bhanu Solanki, has been operational in India since 2016. Initially, he started the drop zone in Aligarh before moving the base to Narnaul in 2019 with co-founder Digvijay Singh. Over the years, they have received significant footfall with people travelling hundreds of kilometres to reach the city only to experience the jump. The list also includes one of the Bollywood stars, Chitrangada Singh. Solanki says: “Just like any other extreme sport, skydiving is a high-risk activity.” Having done skydiving in one of the biggest drop zones in the world, in Arizona, he believes, “Those who don’t jump, will never fly.”“The fear among people is understandable and justified, but at Skyhigh, we take all possible precautions from a safety point of view. I won’t say our facility is better, but it is on a par with all the international standards,” he adds.