Seville: Clear blue skies lure sky-diving thrill seekers
"If at first you don’t succeed, sky diving is not for you.”
As you can imagine, one of the more frustrating aspects of sky-diving training in the United Kingdom is that it is completely weather dependent, so rain, low cloud ceilings and high wind gusts make for A LOT of waiting around. That is why, once I completed my AFF Level 8 jump and two consolidation jumps in the U.K., I decided it was time to head for warmer climates where I could use my time a bit more wisely.
Less than a year ago some instructors from Skydive Unlimited decided they wanted a place where people could train and jump year-round, so they moved to Spain and opened a branch just south of Seville on the coast. Lucky for me, one of the low-cost airlines out of Stansted flies into Malaga, only an hour from Seville, so I sent an e-mail to let them know I was on my way, hopped on a plane, rented a car in Spain and drove to the coast.
Former British Army Red Devils Parachute Display Team member Allan Hewitt owns and operates Skydive Spain, which is designed to cater for all types of jumpers. Although he’s logged more than 10,000 jumps and trained hundreds of students, both military and civilian, over his 20+ years of experience, Allan is better known for a company he started in 1994 called “Sky Science,” that initially focused on rigging and repair services.
The company is now involved in all the areas that come under the sky-diving “canopy,” from simple rigging work to complicated appliqué canopy artwork, canopy repairs and relining. It also does specialized equipment development, sales and service, such as the powered parachutes used in the James Bond movies “Tomorrow Never Dies” and “The World is Not Enough.”
But Allan doesn’t stop at providing cutting-edge ideas and equipment to the sky diving and film industries. In a classic Bond moment during the most recent film, “Die Another Day,” Allan floated past the Union Jack hanging over Buckingham Palace into a perfect downwind landing as a stunt double for Bond nemesis Toby Stephens.
And apparently the film industry has taken notice of Allan’s expertise in the Bond films as he has also provided equipment and done stunts for “Tomb Raider,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “The Avengers,” and “Notting Hill.” In fact, Allan just returned to Spain in May from finishing up base-jumping and parachute stunt work for “Tomb Raider II” in Hong Kong and Kenya.
The bright side of sky diving in Spain, in addition to fair weather and fine food, is that if you jump with Allan Hewitt, he’ll let you play with some of his movie props during your down time. I got a thrilling ride in the powered parachute used in the Bond films and it was like being able to experience the tranquility found once the parachute is pulled and the canopy lulls above.
The only difference is that, instead of enjoying the peace and the view for 10 minutes, I got to experience it for more than 30 minutes and soar like a bird. Instead of just drifting towards the earth, we could dip down and skim the grasses, then climb above the treetops and beyond, until all we could see of the local villas was their red tile roofs. Now that’s star treatment!
While in Spain I was able to complete seven jumps in two days, and I probably could have done more had I not been so sore and exhausted by the end of those.
A little tip that no one told me before I started sky diving — after the first few jumps, you WILL be in pain and you will most likely have bruises on your inner thighs. The bruises occur where the parachute harness straps put the majority of the canopy pressure. The pain is mostly in your spine from having to strain against the G-forces to keep your back arched and your body stable during the freefall. And the exhaustion? Well, combined with every other aspect of sky diving, the sheer amount of adrenaline and emotional energy it takes your brain to get your body into that plane, out of that plane, and safely landed on the drop zone is amazingly draining.
For those who want to do a sky dive on their own but are not sure whether they want to go through the entire AFF course, Skydive Spain, can break the payments up so each individual can do as many or few jumps as he or she is comfortable with.
For example, to just do AFF Level 1, it would cost £375. Those who would like to do the complete AFF course must pay a total of £1,350, but this does not include airfare to Spain or hotel accommodations (although both are relatively cheap and you can usually save money and leave by being able to get more jumps in less time due to fair weather). Again, these fees include all training and equipment.
Whether you choose to sky dive in the U.K., elsewhere in Europe or back in the States, just remember, sky divers are “good ‘til the last drop,” so check the various training centers and pick the one whose instructors are thoroughly qualified and experienced and whose equipment is in top shape! Better to shell out a little extra cash than end up a crater in some drop zone.
If you are interested in heading to Espana, you can go to www.skydivespain.com on the Web or e-mail Allan and his staff at skyscience2@aol.com.
Safe and happy sky diving!
