Skydive thrills adventure
People
Neil Cooper stepped out of a light aircraft above Adelaide at 15,000 feet for a “fantastic” adventure he says he’ll remember forever.
Neil, who lives at Southern Cross Care’s Mount Carmel residence, toyed with the idea of skydiving for some time and decided it was time for action.
Accompanied by an instructor from Coastline Skydive, the 75-year-old left his walker behind and checked in for the skydive which involved gearing up in a harness and taking a pre-jump safety briefing.
After Neil kitted up in his gear and boarded the light aircraft, it was off on a scenic flight while the plane moved into position near the ocean and the jump spot.
When his jump time came, Neil first swung his legs out of the aircraft’s open door before taking an adrenalin-pumping free fall that saw him travelling at an estimated speed of 220 km/h for well over a minute.
When the co-joined instructor pulled the ripcord, the neat parachute was released behind them, and this took the adventure to its next and more serene pace. This enabled Neil to take in the jaw-dropping panoramic views of the city, hills and coastline on what was a clear and sunny Sunday one could literally see forever.
He even got to steer the parachute for a time too, before the tandem skydivers neared earth and landed gently on sand at Semaphore Beach.
Waiting with excitement at ground level were Neil’s nieces Amie and Emma who had been watching from the local surf lifesaving club as Neil first appeared as a spec high up in the distance.
Neil said he didn’t experience any significant pre-flight jitters to speak of, and he was very comfortable with the jump and landing. He’s well read and did his research.
“It’s less dangerous than driving a car down the street,” he explained.
To get ready for the jump, Neil’s Health and Wellness coach at Southern Cross Care Stacey Lee said they worked on strength and endurance training.
“We practised breathing for when he’d be airborne and to settle any nerves,” she explained.
“Neil was particularly good at pushing through the hard parts of exercise. He was very determined to do everything.
“We’re very proud of Neil’s efforts during training and skydiving.”
Neil grew up in Panorama, on Adelaide’s southside. He went to Colonel Light Primary School and then Adelaide Boys High.
He concedes he may just have a bit of an adventurous streak. After all, he climbed the Himalayas in 1979-80, deciding to go on the trek at the time after seeing an advert in a newspaper and attending an information session before heading over.
The Himalayan trek took him to places where he was half-a-day away from any help should he have needed it at the time.
It was bitterly cold there too, especially at night on the trek, with Neil resorting to sleeping fully clothed and wrapped in his sleeping gear just to stay warm and get sleep before the next day’s walking.
An avid reader and bit of a film buff with an impressive DVD collection, Neil also has an interest in Australian and world events, military topics and how things work. Now he can add skydiving to the list.
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