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A free fall into thrill
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Get the ultimate high. Literally
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The skydiving experts defy all rules of physics.
NORTHWARDS FROM the city, on the way to Yelahanka, lies Jakkur — an answer to the adventure buff's yearning for that rush of adrenalin. Along the runway stands the main office of Agni Aerosports, where some renovation seems to be in progress. Behind the building are some hangars that house colourful microlights and powered gliders. Parasailing is being conducted on the dirt strip that serves as the secondary runway. And then there are the young men, harnessing themselves, getting ready for skydiving.
Manish is an IT professional and spends a large part of his earnings on skydiving. "I do this not just to get a high, but also to bond with my fellow jumpers," he tells us: camaraderie at 12,000 feet above terra firma is truly extraordinary.
Arjun Jois works for a call centre. He loves to skydive. "There are quite a few of us who want to experience extreme situations like this," he says, adding there could be one small constraint: "Money is a big factor because each jump costs about Rs. 12,000."
While Manish has been jumping by himself, with his own chute and paraphernalia, Arjun does tandem jumps with the skydiving instructor. A tandem jump involves no prior training, as you are sort of piggyback riding — only it is in reverse and of course in the air. In the tandem jump, you are securely harnessed to the expert skydiver. And the rest is, well, plain sailing.
As you converse with the guys who have turned up, you learn they have done been through bungee jumping and scuba diving. And you realise that Agni Aerosports, a venture set up nine years ago by Capt. Arvind Sharma, a computer engineer, is ideal for the likes of Manish and Arun. There are many like them who would love to feel the heady rush of elements with help from Capt. Sharma.
As for the Captain himself, a fluke adventure course inspired him to set up a venture he thought would make flying possible for anyone who wanted to do it for fun. "Our main objective is to teach people to fly. We have some small, single-engine aircrafts, microlights, and powered gliders. We offer parasailing (where you are suspended from a chute tethered to a jeep) which costs very little to give you the experience of being in the air. We have projects such as cloud seeding. We are into manufacturing aircraft and have a 10-seater for chartering. The idea is to familiarise the common man with such sport and also make our venture commercially viable," Capt. Sharma informs.
As one watches the aerial acrobatics, one realises that the star is Santosh, the skydiving expert who seeming defies all rules of physics. Formerly a Corporal in the Air Force, and a member of the Air Force skydiving team, Dare Devils, Santosh has featured twice in the Limca Book of Records. With more than 800 sky jumps under his belt, he finds no difference between passion and profession. A yoga enthusiast, he performs the most intricate asanas in air — Mayurasana, Yogaindrasana, and Natarajasana.
Asked how affordable the sport is to a middle-class person, Santosh has a cryptic reply: "It is a matter of priority." It is obvious where his priorities lie. He has trained some 40 persons to jump fearlessly from the sky, reinforcing their faith in the gossamer strength of the chute to land them safely on Mother Earth.
Santosh's parting shot could be the guiding light for many restless souls looking for the ultimate adventure: "If sitting in the cockpit can be called flying, then sitting in the boat is swimming. If you want to feel the elements, leave the vehicle and start skydiving!"
Agni Aerosports can be contacted on 8560060 or 8565574.
MUKTA SINGH
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