I jumped for the first time on May 6th, 2015 and it was the first of many more to come. I brought along 4 other friends to jump but when we made reservations, we had to schedule at different times due to availability. That being said, the lady at the front desk put all of us onto the same jump- this was a pleasant surprise we noticed while waiting to suit up. We had a brief delay but it worked in our favor as we were able to jump right at sunset! Anyways, I jumped with Lonnie Kirk and I couldn't imagine a better person to be with for my first skydive. He was funny, reassuring, and did a great job with the wrist pics and film. He did some sweet turns, too. If you have the opportunity to go tandem with him, you're going to have an exceptionally good time! I got the Rock Star picture/video package and Mel did a fantastic job! I got 90 of the coolest pictures ever taken of me and I am so glad I got the video too. She's got a great vibe and is just a cool chick. I had one of the best experiences of my life jumping with Lonnie and Mel. I have a history of dislocated shoulders and continue to have a very loose right shoulder. Anyways, I dislocated my shoulder right as I stuck my arms out in free fall. Don't worry, unless you have had previous, severe shoulder injuries, you'll be fine. If you have, I would recommend keeping your hands on your chest straps. Despite this, it was still one of the top experiences of my life because of the actual jump and the staff at Start Skydiving. Once back on the ground the staff was INCREDIBLE. Lonnie, Mel, Rob (another instructor), and Jeannie (another instructor's wife, I believe) were right by my side until I eventually popped it back into place. Rob supported my head and back for close to 20 minutes and Jeannie held up my arm. Mel was right there to help with the situation and cut the tension with jokes and a positive vibe. Lonnie got me ice and stayed past closing time to give me words of support. Mel also stayed past closing to edit the video and pictures. I cannot adequately describe what the staff meant to me during that time. Lonnie, Mel, and Rob are absolutely world-class. There were several others, whose names I didn't catch, that gave me words of advice and support. Start Skydiving is very fortunate to have them as employees. I can't wait to get jump #2 under my belt!
