Now those of you who have watched the channel
for a long time will know that quite some time ago,
now, about six years ago,
I actually went over to the States
to take a ride on a skydiving plane.
And I got on board the plane, we flew up to 15,000 feet,
dropped off a load of maniacs with their parachutes,
and then spiral back down to the ground.
The amount of comments on that video, people saying,
oh next time you need to jump.
What can I say?
But you guys have won basically.
Over the years I've been thinking for so long,
I need to be having to go at jumping out of a plane.
And that's exactly why I'm here today
at the Portimao Airport,
where in about an hour's time,
I'm gonna get shoved out of a plane at 15,000 feet.
I'm slightly beginning to regret my life choices
now I have to say.
I headed into the hangar
where dozens of young athletic guys
with swept back hair and ponytails
were preparing their oversized bedsheets
to go and jump out of a perfectly serviceable aircraft.
Check in consisted of me filling in a form
to confirm that I really was crazy
and that the skydive company accepted no responsibility
for any unfortunate demise, broken bones,
or large craters in the runway.
Next up I have to change into these lovely red pajamas.
I'm not gonna lie, actually (beep) it a bit now.
Oh my God, what am I doing?
Except for my super cool glasses on
I look like I'm involved in some sort of
nuclear test experiment or something.
We just had a briefing and they've told us
what we need to do and not do
so we don't break our legs or go plummeting into the ground
at 300 miles an hour, so.
Why am I doing this?
It was time
to get fitted into our harnesses,
which is the point that it all
started to feel quite real.
- [Camera Man] What's up man?
- Terrified.
(camera man laughing)
Still this guy seemed pretty excited.
(indistinct chatter)
My ride today was this Pilatus PC-6 Porter.
It was built in 2000 and it's flown for a variety
of skydiving schools in Europe and the US.
I was looking forward to getting a ride
on the rare PC-6, but slightly frustrated
that she'd be landing without me today.
Pretty soon the PC-6 was back on the ground
and in a boarding process that will give Ryan Air
a run for it's money,
who was soon climbing on board.
A short taxi later and we were soon airborne
for our one way flight to 15,000 feet.
(majestic music)
I do have to admit,
as much as it was really cool to be riding onboard a PC-6,
the moment it was kind of lost on me a bit,
as I was focusing on getting shoved out of that huge door.
We did get some nice last views of the old gulf
from 15,000 feet, though.
(hopeful music)
The climb to 15,000 feet seem to take forever.
Eventually though the doors opened
and the first willing victims
were shoved out to go hurtling towards the ground.
(hopeful music)
It was my turn and my stomach
was turning knots at this point.
(hopeful music)
- Tilt your head back.
- Okay.
- You're fine.
(majestic music)
(screaming)
I'd like to say
that soaring through the sky
like a majestic eagle was a magical experience,
but I don't think my face tells the same story.
(screaming)
The ear pain through
plummeting at over 10,000 feet per minute was excruciating.
My mouth was dry and I couldn't hear a thing
above the 115 mile per hour wind.
Still, at least I looked good doing it.
(rap music)
(majestic music)
With the ground rapidly approaching
I was looking forward to the guy pulling the parachute,
which would surely be a slightly more relaxing experience.
Or maybe not.
(beep)
The G-Force
when the chute deployed was insane.
My vision started to go
and as I stayed at the ground below me,
darkness started to creep in from the outside,
leaving a small pinhole of vision,
and I'd gone very floppy too.
I've since learned that skipping breakfast
before I went skydiving in an effort to not be sick,
wasn't perhaps the best idea.
- You okay?
- Yeah.
- Can you handle a turn?
- Gentle, gentle.
- Huh?
- Gentle.
- Gentle, okay.
Turning, gentle.
Okay I'll do like this.
- Aye, oh my God.
- Like that?
- Oh (beep)
I thought he said gentle.
- This was a gentle.
At this point
I think he was just having a laugh.
I started to come to a little as we got lower,
and now it's time to start worrying about the landing.
I learned that lifting your legs up
isn't quite as easy to do
when you're strapped into a harness
dangling from a parachute.
I was petrified I was gonna break my legs
when we touched down.
Well, this was it then, the moment of truth.
Was I about to start a long recovery
from broken bones in a hospital bed?
Or would I be running away from this airfield
Never to think about putting on a parachute again?
(speaking in foreign language)
- [Instructor] Up up up up up.
- Oh my God. - You okay?
(beep)
- I'm never doing that again.
- [Instructor] Eh?
- I'm never doing that again.
(Instructor laughing)
But still, at least the guys
had a pretty good laugh watching me.
- [Camera Man] High five me.
- I need to sit down, sorry.
Okay, that is the most terrifying thing
I have ever done in my life.
I am never doing that again.
Holy.
(laughing)
- So you're back.
- Yes.
- And?
- That's the worst thing I've ever done in my life.
(laughing)
Absolutely terrifying.
- But you've been banging on about
about wanting to go skydiving for years.
- I did when I was younger, I'm like nearly 40 now, Rach.
I'm used to the highlife and Qatar Qsuites
and first class traveling around the world.
I'm not used to being shoved out of a plane at 15,000 feet.
- So did you not enjoy any aspect to it?
- Like when it was done with,
and I was driving away from the airport.
(laughing)
It was quite nice because it was a nice and sunny
and I went to McDonald's and for my lunch,
but the whole experience was just, no I tell a lie.
The people there at Skydive7 were like amazing.
Like, proper good.
And I'm sure that if they had got somebody
who wasn't as much as a wuss as me,
then it would have been much better.
They wouldn't have had any problems with it at all.
I'm not really built for skydiving Rach.
I don't think I'm taking it up as a hobby.
- Yay!
- I think flying.
- Maybe you should have gotten.
- Flying the Cessna is gonna be best.
'Cause at least I get to land and you know,
I get to stay on board for the landing.
I'm really past the point of like
jumping out of a perfectly safe airplane.
- There's just no pleasing some people, is there?
You wanted to for years,
so I paid for it, I've got you done.
- Yeah, thanks, got me done.
Makes it sound like I've been neutered or something.
- No, I did that years ago.
- Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed watching me suffer today.
And I know Rach will do when she watches the video back.
And let me know what you think to it down below
and don't forget of course to subscribe,
because this is exactly the sort of crazy stuff
that we get up to.
Well, thanks for watching.
Take care and we'll see you next time.
Do you want to say it?
- We'll see you next time.