Parachutists Come To Townsend Airport
 | Author:
Matt Nelson
MT43 News Correspondent |
Parachutists Come To Townsend Airport
Matt Nelson
On Thursday, September 7th to Sunday, September 10th The DZONE SKYDIVING Company (https://dzoneskydiving.com) from the Three Forks Airport came to the Townsend Airport to provide opportunities for beginning parachutists the chance to jump out of an airplane, most for the first time. The runways at Three Forks are being repaved, so the company took their operations here. They fly two Cessna 182s. They will also be here this coming Thursday through Sunday. Townsend pilot Wade Litton offered DZONE the use of his hangar. All of the people jumping this past weekend jumped in tandem, meaning they were strapped to an excellent instructor. The short bios of these DZONE men can be found at (https://dzoneskydiving.com/montana-bozeman/).
Five of these jumpers sent in their comments, including Townsend residents Erick Sorenson and Mike Richter:
Erick Sorenson:
“I can't remember what we have already talked about regarding the jump. The chance to skydive over our own valley from our little airport just seemed too good to pass up. I wasn't sure I could actually jump out of the plane but it turned out not to be a problem at all. Eric Skroch was very matter-of-fact and direct in his instructions and description of the technique he would use so there was never a question of what to expect. At 14,000 feet we were much higher than I had imagined (half that of a commercial flight) but that actually made it easier for me because it didn't seem like the ground was a worry, we actually dove into the sky, who hasn't dreamt of doing that?” Also, “By the way, the instructor claimed this was the first tandem jump done out if the Townsend airport. Is there any way to know if that is accurate?” As far as I know, this is an accurate statement.
Mike Richter:
“The skydiving jump was an awesome experience that I had been wanting to do for a while and it was great that DZONE came to Townsend to do it. As you know it worked out that Erick Sorenson and I got to go up in the same plane and jump and we were the first ones to go. It was the first time I’d been in a small plane cruising over Broadwater County “What a great view!”
Celine Versluis and Mike Modert are newlyweds from Michigan. They wanted to come to Montana on their honeymoon, and do a jump while they were here:
Celine Versluis:
“Friday morning, I stared up into the sky in great anticipation and excitement as I watched skydivers float down from the sky near the DZONE Skydiving Center. Watching both new and experienced skydivers land with huge smiles and enthusiasm made me beyond ready to get up in that plane and jump. Even though I had been skydiving once before, I completely forgot how addictive the rush of adrenaline and bird's eye view can be, completely breathtaking. As soon as the parachute opened, I could not help but whoop and holler loudly, which felt like an understatement for the overwhelming amount of exhilaration I experienced. Whenever I hit the ground, I just want to find a way to get back up and do it again!
Mike Modert:
“With this being my first jump, I had very high expectations for how thrilling skydiving would be. As we were making our way up in the aircraft, all those expectations became real as I felt my heart beating faster and faster. When the door of the aircraft opened, the reality of being 10,000 feet in the air suddenly surpassed any thrilling expectations I had. I put my feet out of the aircraft with my instructor and we pushed off the aircraft, free-falling immediately. I felt raw adrenaline as we fell; I was trying to take in that feeling as well as enjoy the view of Townsend as we came down. When the chute opened, we calmly slowed up. My instructor let me take the reins of the chute, which may have been the highlight of the jump, as I steered us through the air for a bit. He took over again and landed us softly on the grass. All I could think about when we landed was “When can I get back up to do it all over again? What an incredible experience! The instructors were great as they walked us through the jump, I felt so secure jumping with them.”
Jamie Keller
“After having a hard couple of years, I decided it was time to do things for myself. So this year, my main focus is doing things that make me happy! I decided last minute to make one of my wildest dreams come true and that was to go Skydiving on my birthday! So although I didn’t get to go on my 40th, I got to go on my 41st birthday! It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever done! It was the most liberating feeling of freedom & independence I’ve ever experienced! The initial feeling of sitting at the open door of the airplane and that first front flip out into the open sky, and then free falling cannot be explained! I wanted to go again the second we touched the ground. I will say it was a life-changing experience. I will absolutely be going again next year and many more times after that as well.”
Article Images
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PhotoCredit: Credits noted in the captions
Image 1 Caption: Townsend Resident Erick Sorenson (in front) is with his jumpmaster Eric Skroch.
Photo Credit Erik Sorenson
Image 2 Caption: Newlyweds Celine Versluis and Mike Modert.
Photo Credit: Mike and Celine
Image 3 Caption: Mike Richter (front) is jumping with instructor Mike Missroon.
Photo Credit: Matt Nelson
Image 4 Caption: Jamie Keller
Photo Credit: Jamie Keller
