‘It’s like being on top of the world’
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HAVING fallen in love with dropping 15000 feet through the air, Jonathan Burt said he is sky high after realising his dream.
The 30-year-old from Wick fulfilled his lifelong ambition when he became a fully qualified skydiver last week.
Saying that he has always had a head for heights, the offshore rope access technician passed his course while he was in Spain.
Jonathan, who currently lives in Motherwell, officially received his "A" licence from Skydive Spain at its airbase near Seville.
The former Wick High School pupil, whose mum and dad Louise and Angus live in the town, said that plunging towards the ground at great speed is the biggest thrill he has ever experienced.
Jonathan has participated in over 20 skydives since he first began over five years ago and has jumped in the UK and Europe. But he was so determined to obtain his licence, he decided to do his test in Spain.
"If you were to do the course in Britain, it could take months to get the opportunity to take part in a test," he said. "But with two friends I decided to go to Seville where the conditions are more favourable throughout the year.
"Before you can sit the test you have to carry out a number of tandem jumps where you dive with a qualified instructor. They assess you constantly while falling and look at your performance to make sure you are mentally and physically able to perform a jump on your own.
"After that you then have to do eight different jumps which you have to carry out successfully.
"This is not as easy as it sounds as there have people who have snapped their knees and broken ankles."
Jonathan’s skydives involved him jumping out of a plane from 15000 feet in the air – it only takes him just over a minute to reach the ground.
Despite of witnessing a number of accidents in which other jumpers have been badly hurt, Jonathan has
so far managed to escape serious injury.
He said that throwing yourself out of the sky is the biggest adrenaline rush he will ever have, although
he admits that there are always
doubts every time he is about to jump.
"I have been skydiving for over five years now and the more that I took part in it the more I caught the bug," he said.
"Freefalling through the air is the best feeling I have ever experienced. But I admit that I am always nervous just before a jump.
"When the door opens all that goes through my mind is that I don’t want to be here right now.
"There are times when I have felt like asking the pilot to take the plane back to the ground.But as you soon as you leave the plane and start falling, no feeling ever comes close to that.
"It is total freedom, it is like if you are on your own on top of the world. It is a weird feeling hurtling towards the ground, but one which is so wonderful.
After passing his test, Jonathan is awaiting confirmation of his full membership of the British Parachute Association.
He is now setting his sights on continuing his training by becoming qualified to dive with a wingsuit.
The suit enables skydivers to soar to the ground from 15000ft for over three minutes.
