EXCURSIONS | Roberta Codemo
When Brian and Tracey Meade’s air conditioner went out, club members showed up with two window units. The club is the Mid-America Sport Parachute Club, based out of the Taylorville airport. “It’s like a family,” Tracey said. “Everybody helps everybody.”
The laid-back family atmosphere makes this the best drop zone in central Illinois. According to Greg “Baglock” Palmer of Alsey, one of the club’s 10 certified jump instructors, “We take the time to get to know people.” Skydivers come from all over Illinois and Missouri to jump and enjoy the camaraderie.
Palmer has been a club member for 19 years. A friend of his at work asked him if he wanted to jump. “I told him he was crazy.” However, he decided to give it a try because it looked so awesome. He has logged 3,400 jumps, and is an A.F.F., tandem, static line, I.A.D. certified jump instructor.
Michelle and Emily Eckhoff of Springfield have wanted to go skydiving since a family vacation to St. Pete’s Beach, Fla., where the two went parasailing. “Mom has always talked about wanting to skydive,” Emily, 19, said. “I told her I want to go too.”
All first-time jumpers must sign a waiver and complete a 30-minute class, which includes a video and jump instruction. You must be over 18, in good physical condition and not weigh over 225 pounds. Safety is the club’s main priority. All instructors are certified by the United States Parachute Association. “We’re not a bunch of crazy people jumping out of airplanes,” Palmer said.
Tandem skydives are popular with beginners. On a tandem jump, the student is attached to the front of the instructor. You exit the plane at 12,000 feet, and experience 45 seconds of free fall before your chute opens. You learn to read the altimeter, pull the rip cord and steer and land the parachute.
Michelle, 40, jumped first. “When there’s danger, moms go first,” she said. She admitted she was a little nervous, which is normal.
Brian Meade, a certified jump instructor from Girard, walked her through the jump. “Arch your back, hook your legs around mine and cross your arms in front of you. If you get nervous, just focus on the arch.”
Meade has been jumping for 10 years and has logged 1,500 jumps. A bunch of people where he worked decided to go skydiving, and soon he was hooked. His wife, Tracey, has made 11 tandem jumps.
