SkyDive Botswana

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SKYDIVING SAFEST SPORT-NFILA

Skydiving or Parachuting can be very scary.

In fact, it is not everyone who can easily choose skydiving as a sport.

It comes with its own risks. One has to have a brave heart to do skydiving.

According to research conducted by James D Griffith and Christian Hart between 1993 and 1999, 241 people died while participating in civilian recreational skydives in the United States.

Despite scary fatalities, one skydiver in Botswana, Lt Col. Cyril Nfila said skydiving was an interesting sport.

Nfila started skydiving in 2002 at Rustenburg Skydiving Club in South Africa, where he also did his first jump.

He joined Botswana Defence Force (BDF) in 1989 and developed interest in skydiving after he was cajoled by his late friend, Garai Makaya.

“I started with Garai and we used to travel together to Johannesburg Skydiving Club and Rustenburg Skydiving Club.

He is the one who really pushed me to start skydiving,” he said.

In 2007, he joined BDF skydiving club and met the likes of Major General Mpho Mophuting, Monyaka Makuyaana, Modise Tlhage, Essop Mokgwathi as friends, who later formed Gaborone Skydiving Club.

“At Gaborone Skydiving Club it was me, Mpho Mophuting, Garai Makaya, Essop Mokgwathi, and George Bogatsu. You know, Gaborone Skydiving Club was started by friends who had the same vision of the sport in the country,” he said.

As time went on, Nfila and his friends were of the view that skydiving has to grow in Botswana hence they formed Parachute Association of Botswana (PAB).

The association was admitted to the then Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) in 2013.

He said BNSC had given them unwavering support since then.

At first, he said the sport did not appeal to many Batswana, but that has changed as many people want to do skydiving.

However, he said they do not have the capacity to train people adding that it was also expensive.

Quizzed as to how safe the sport is given that most divers have landed on trees and cars, Nfila said skydiving was the safest sport as safey was their number one priority.

“The reason I am saying the sport is safe, is that we wear two parachutes. There is the main parachute that is visible when I’m on the sky and on top of the main one, there is a reserve parachute, which is meant for in case the main one fails, then the diver can easily open the reserve one and safely land to the ground,” he said.

Opening of the second parachute, he said was very simple given that it was something that was taught during the parachuting course at the ground school.

At ground school, he said first time skydivers were taught amongst others, landings, aircraft drills and procedures as well as the exit and arch body position and count.

Still at the school, he said jumpers were also taught techniques of making turns in the sky and how to handle emergencies on air.

“Skydiving is the most disciplined sport, given that if anything happens on air, one has only seconds to act because one will be falling at a speed of around 200 km/h, therefore we don’t allow anyone who compromise safety,” he said.

Again, he said the sport do not condone people, who take alcohol ahead of diving adding that as a jump master, he had to ensure that discipline was adhered to.

Like any other sport, Nfila said skydiving had its own flair such as formation adding that a formation was whereby multiple skydivers attach themselves to one another by grabbing each other’s limbs or by the use of ‘grippers’ on their jumpsuit while free falling through the sky.

He said the World Record largest freefall formation, which was a 400-way was done in Udon Thani, Thailand in 1994.

To date, the 400-way formation is still the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale(FAI) World Record holder.

In his skydiving career, he said he would cherish the Makgadikgadi Epic, which was also started by him and his friends.

“Makgadikgadi Epic is sponsored by Botswana Tourism and it is growing in leaps and bounds, and thanks to all stakeholders, our events are measured by attendance,.SkyDiving is a crowd puller so most people who attend our events are attracted by parachutes,” he said. (BOPA)

SKY DIVING FOR STARTERS

I have always wondered what it would be like to fly. During my days as a small boy I used to run around with my hands spread like an airplane, simulating weird engine noises. Well, last weekend I got to fly for the first time and it was not by riding a plane. It was by jumping out of one. Yes, I did my first skydiving; my first jump.
Skydiving has always been of interest to me and when I heard the news that I was going to do it, I was overwhelmed by joy and excitement. However, skydiving or parachuting is not a joke. It requires an elastic patience, coupled with perseverance and total determination.

My assignment editor took an initiative and booked a slot for me at a Tandem event organised by the Parachute Association of Botswana in conjunction with some Tandem Masters from South Africa.
On the day, I arrvived at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SSKIA) at 8am.

Since skydiving is a wind-supported sport, the weather was perfect for the occasion.
After going through all safety rules, I had to sign my life away and waiver Tandem of any liability in the event of a mishap, injury or death.

I looked at the sky and it was clear, blue and sunny with cool breeze. I thanked God for the beautiful day and I prayed that the weather should not change before my jump.
My Instructor, Steve Bartels gave me a jump suit to put over my clothes.

The jump suit was a little loose but then he fixed the harness and it was looking fine.
He also fixed diving goggles on my neck and told me that he will give further instructions whilst on the plane. Our videographer took my interview and asked me several questions, if I was nervous and to whether it would be my first jump.

I was not nervous at all but rather full of energy and vigour like a determined soldier in the war front ready to defend his territory.
The instructor later gave me a five minutes skydiving training such as to cross arms, head back, knees bent, jump. I asked him only one question; “how many jumps did he do before?”
He smiled and replied, “I have done more than 8 000 jumps.”

His confidence when telling me about his jumps injected something in me; something I can’t explain. I had full faith in him.
Within some few minutes, we were taken to the airplane boarding area. The clock began moving very fast.

When I juped on the plane, I knew that the moment of reckoning had arrived and there was no turning back.
The door was closed. There were eight divers in the plane together with solo divers and two of us, who were jumping
Tandem with an instructor tied on the back.

At 5.8 feet, the cameraman asked me how was I feeling? That question made me feel a little bit nervous because I thought it was an unusual question for a first time jumper. The feelings of I had before boarding the plane soon faded off. I tried to fight my fear by looking through the window.
My instructor would time to time update me on what was going on and that I should relax.

He told me that we were going to go 10 500 feet, about four kilometres before the jump or free fall. Before one’s turn come for diving, they are encouraged to put their mind at ease by signing.
At 11 000 feet, a warning like a car ho**er wailed signaling that we are now left with few feet to reach the final feet of which the airplane door will open and we will start to jump off the plane.

At 11 500 feet, my instructor nudged me towards the open door. Standing at the edge of the door and looking out at the vast openness below, I thought it was the end of my life. There was anxiety and tension. Then the instructor said, “It’s time to go and GO!” I could feel the cool air on my face with the speed of 200km/h.
At that time, I could not remember anything from the short training I had before the jump.

The first few seconds of our free fall seemed to be a blur due to the sensory overload. My instructor then launched the parachute and I found myself peacefully floating towards the drop zone.
I felt like if we were floating on a cushion of air. It was a 26 second free fall. I heard my instructor’s voice as he unfastened the harness and asked if I was fine. He then asked me if I want some spin of parachute of which I affirmatively responded.

Then he spanned the parachute 2-3 times from left and right and it was fun. The parachute ride down took around 26 seconds and the landing was incredibly soft. The experience was nothing like I had imagined. It was one of the best moment of my life; which I could not express in words.
I am alive to tell the story and believe you me, I will go for it again. (BOPA)

The excitement is becoming palpable as the big day dawns ever nearer 😊👍🏿😊👍🏿

Makgadikgadi Epic An epic adventure awaits on the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans!

Garai coming in to land ... Flying a 155 canopy kindly borrowed from Patrick Loots.