At more than 2 ½ miles above ground, the view is remarkably similar to what one sees on Google Maps.
Once one exits an airplane at that altitude, the ground zooms in seemingly as fast as a computer mouse can scroll in for a close-up. Rather than the silent glide on a computer monitor and the delayed focus, the world comes into rapid focus as the air whips noisily by at 120 miles an hour. A drogue chute eventually slows the speed to 60 mph, which is scantly noticeable in the thin, cold air.
After falling from 14,000 feet to 6,000 feet in the span a minute, a cord is pulled, releasing a parachute and instantly enveloping its occupants in blissful tranquility for a gentle six-minute descent to terra firma.
That scene plays itself out dozens of times a day just southeast of Sealy at the Gloster Aerodome, a small grass airstrip where Westside Skydivers Houston is based. One of two skydiving companies serving the Houston area, Westside has been steadily growing in the last 17 months it has been open for business here.
“It’s nothing like you see in the movies,” manager Austin Ely said while describing the skydiving experience.
Everyone experiences a tandem jump their first time, meaning they are strapped to an instructor. Anthony “Pinky” Gelleny, 24, is a certified tandem jump instructor for Westside.
“I’ve wanted to jump since I was 16,” he said.
On his 18th birthday – the minimum legal age to jump – his friends found excuses to bail out on him, but he forged ahead.
“When I got the first time out of the way, I got addicted,” he said.
He is now the veteran of more than 1,500 jumps, which is a small number in the industry. Westside owner Joe Johnson has leaped out of a perfectly good airplane more than 12,000 times.
“In all honesty, it’s incredibly safe,” Gelleny said.
Safety is the top priority at Westside. The second is to have fun – lots of fun. In as much time as the instructors spend going over safety and procedures, they put an equal effort into making the event memorable with their enthusiasm and humor. Much of it is captured on video for those customers who desire the memento of the event.
Tandem jumps account for most of the business. Johnson said they did 4,400 tandem jumps their first year in Sealy. He hopes to bring that number of to 15,000. He said many try skydiving once just to say they did it. Others make it hobby.
“For 18-year-olds, it’s a rite of passage,” Johnson said. “For the 50- to 70-year-olds, it’s their bucket list. For the 25- to 40-year-olds, it’s something to do on a weekend.”
He said while most instructors are male, the majority of customers – about 60 percent – are female.
“Women trust people more easily than men do,” he said.
Ely said it is not uncommon for someone to use skydiving as a means to a wedding proposal. Westside even keeps a “will you marry me” banner on hand for such occasions.
“The girl jumps last so she can see the sign in the air around 1,000 feet,” he said.
There are many reasons people take the risk and the plunge. Chelsia Collins of Houston recently celebrated her 30th birthday by taking a dive with her friend, Nicole Hayward.
“It was on my bucket list and it’s my birthday,” she said when asked why she took the tandem jump.
She said she wished she had done it earlier in life.
“It was a rush and scary too,” she said. “One we were in the air it was not scary anymore. It’s actually serene, peaceful.”
“The initial jump was scary,” Hayward said. “The parachute thing was the best part.”
Javier Ortiz, 38, of Odessa recently made his 18th jump and is on his way to earning his A class license.
“I love it; you feel so free,” he said.
Ely said the build-up to the big moment adds to the adventure.
“That’s what it’s all about, the anticipation,” he said.
Once a person is in the air, they are committed to the moment.
“Once you jump there is no getting back into the airplane,” he said. “You just as well enjoy the ride.”
Those who get hooked on the adrenaline rush can take steps to earn a license and increase their skills and thrills. There are four classes of skydiving licenses – A, B, C and D. An A license requires a minimum of 25 jumps and is a certification to jump at any facility, called a drop zone, in the country. A D license is awarded to instructors.
Those interested in doing solo jumps and getting an A license must first do two tandem jumps and take a ground course. It’s all part of the Accelerated Freefall Program offered at Westside Skydivers.
“The first jump just gets your knees in the breeze,” Ely said.
With each jump, more skills are learned. The more advanced the skydiver, the wider variety of aircraft they can jump from and the more they can do in the air. Students can learn to use wing suits and sky boards, do formation dives and more.
Ely said the company currently has a Cessna Caravan that can carry 14 people and two Cessna 182s that carry four people each. The runway at the airport was recently extended and Westside Skydivers is constructing a new hangar on the west end of the main strip. It should be open in mid-summer.
In addition to Westside Skydivers Houston, Johnson owns Westside Skydivers Minneapolis in Minnesota. The Minnesota operation started four years ago and the Sealy site opened in 2012. Johnson said the Houston market was ripe for a new skydiving company.
He said the Minneapolis market of 3.5 million people is served by four companies. The Houston market of more than 6 million was served by two – one of which went out of business last year in Eagle Lake.
“Houston has an independently strong economy compared to the rest of the country,” Johnson said.
Johnson, 42, used to work for Qwest Communications, but found the lure of the skies too much to resist.
“I just quit one day and never looked back,” he said.
He holds the highest ratings and can jump into ballparks and stadiums and often does so carrying the American or Texas flags. He has jumped in 10 different countries and had the distinction of being the first civilian to jump into Rice Stadium.
“The sport’s been good to me,” he said.
Places where people can parachute are referred to in the industry as drop zones. Sealy has one and the other is in Rosharon for Skydive Spaceland. There are only about 10 currently operating in Texas according to the U.S. Parachute Association.
Learning to skydive can be expensive. The first tandem jump is about $200. The price can drop with successive jumps, depending on options taken by the student. Licensed skydivers with their own equipment can take a jump for about $20 to $25.
To learn more, visit www.westsideskydivers.com or call 888-758-JUMP.
