Flying High
Anna Tuten
April 23, 2012
Filed under Features, Top Stories
Imagine yourself peering over the ledge of a plane—13,000 feet in the air. North Augusta High School Spanish teacher, Julio Avila, recently did. He was recently featured in the North Augusta Star and, during his interview, was asked what he would like to do that he had not yet done. He answered skydiving and booked a trip for several weeks later. Señor Avila went skydiving in Andrews, South Carolina on an Air Force Base. There is a network of vendors with whom you can book trips throughout the region. Immediately before jumping out of the plane he felt, “excited, happy, and full of anticipation.” Sr. Avila is obviously an extremely brave man. Looking back he said he is very glad that he did it and is already booked to do it again soon. When asked if he would recommend skydiving to others, Sr. Avila said, “Yes, if you like heights and hate amusement park attractions. It would be a nightmare if you don’t like heights.”
Would you ever go skydiving? Senior Rachel Economos thinks not. She says, “I’m not a fan of airplanes or diving out of one to my death. It should be called ‘skydying.’” Perhaps a little too dramatic but possibly true. Approximately 1 in 100,000 skydivers will die from the sport each year. The number may seem frightening but in reality skydiving is much safer that simply riding in a car. Senior Charity McClain agrees with Rachel. When asked if she would ever go skydiving she says, “No. I’m terrified of heights and falling.” However, senior Andrew Fritch disagrees. He says, “It would be a fun experience to do something as exciting as skydiving. It would be a thrill rush to be that high in the air. Live your life and do what you can while you can. YOLO.” Well said. Personally, I think skydiving would be exhilarating and freeing as well. But not all are made out for such endeavors. As they always say, to each his own.
If you’re interested in skydiving, Sr. Avila suggests getting a group of 2 to 5 people together and going for it! Check out http://skydivecarolina.com/ or http://www.sciway.net/tourism/gliding.html for more details.
