Have you ever imagined what it feels like to fly? Skydiver Patrícia Pombo, 46, is a professional in this area. She has been jumping from high altitudes for 22 years. To find out more about the daily lives of those who experience these many adventures, which feelings are experienced when jumping from a plane in free fall, and how to become a skydiver, reader Bernardo Q., X years old, interviewed Patrícia as a junior reporter for this edition of Joca.

“When we fly, we feel free, we see the world in another way, we make friends, and the adrenaline keeps us alive”, said the parachutist, who is an instructor at the Boituva Paraquedismo school in Boituva (SP), about flying. Below, check out the chat between her and Bernardo.

Why did you choose to be a skydiver?
I did the double jump [jump performed with two people where one of them is a trained instructor] on a weekend adventure. When I set foot on the ground, I knew I wanted to do that for a living.

What was your first skydive like?
On my first jump alone, I was very anxious and scared. After all, even though I was prepared, jumping alone means a lot of responsibility. I confess that I cried from all the emotion.

Is there any preparation before jumping?
If you just want to try it, there is the option of doing the double jump, where you jump attached to an instructor who goes through all the procedures. In this case, you do a quick training while inside the plane to learn the free fall and open parachute positions. If you want to practice skydiving as a sport, before your first jump you will have to take an eight-hour course. During the course, you will learn everything about the equipment, the system that opens the parachute, the malfunctions that can occur at the time of the jump, as well as what to do in each case.

Do you get scared before jumping?
Yes, everybody gets scared before jumping. Fear is what makes us respect the process, practice all the steps so that the jump is carried out safely. It is very important to keep the equipment in good condition, to be healthy and to not drink alcohol before jumping. To stay healthy, I eat and exercise like any other athlete who is focused on a good performance.

How does it feel to be “flying”?
All skydiving communities have been looking for a word to describe the feeling [of “flying”] for a long time, but to this day nobody has been able to come up with one. It is an emotion like no other. We often say that we are the only ones who know why birds sing.

Is it fun to skydive?
Yes! When we fly we feel free, we see the world in a different way, we make a lot of friends, and the adrenaline [hormone released by the body when we feel fear or great excitement, for example] keeps us feeling alive.

From what height do you jump?
My jumps are done from 12,000 feet [the equivalent to 3,657.6 metres in height – higher than Pico da Neblina in Amazonas state, the highest point in Brazil, which is at a height of 2,995.3 metres].

When you land, how do you feel physically and psychologically?
Physically there is a feeling of relaxation and euphoria, because a lot of adrenaline is released during the jump. Usually, as soon as we land, we want to go on another jump right away. Psychologically, I feel peace, it seems that we leave our problems and frustrations in the clouds, literally.

BOX

In a skydiving jump …

… the speed reached during free fall exceeds 200 kilometres per hour.

… you spend about 45 seconds in free fall, with a closed parachute.

… the open equipment part of the jump lasts between 4 to 7 minutes before landing.

Questions
1) What altitude does the skydiver who was interviewed jump from?
a) Slightly higher than a 12-story building
b) 1,400 metres
c) Close to 3,600 metres
d) 12,000 metres

2) Would you like to skydive? Why?

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