If someone suggested you jump out of an airplane, would you do it?
Meghan Ryan’s cousin, Ryan Dongelewic — who also happens to be her best friend — made that suggestion as they were both approaching their 18th birthdays. Once that day arrived, they arranged to take the necessary instruction at a small airport near their homes in upstate New York. After learning the basics, they took their first tandem jumps — connected by a harness to an instructor. Safely on the ground after that first leap of faith, they agreed they couldn’t wait to do it again. And again. And again.
Ryan ’20 (PHARM) is currently a pre-pharmacy student who will begin full-time work in the School of Pharmacy next year. A native of Colonie, New York, just outside of Albany, she first set her sights on becoming a pharmacy student at UConn when she was in high school.
“I had a strong math and science background, including AP courses, and I knew I wanted to do something in the sciences in the future. Pharmacy seemed to offer a lot of career options, and I wanted to stay in the Northeast for college. The UConn School Pharmacy has a great reputation so it was only natural to apply here.”
Plus, she adds with a smile, she knew UConn had a sky diving club.
Ryan’s acceptance included a space in the ‘Special Programs in Pharmacy’ cohort which is an opportunity for highly motivated students to take advantage of seminars, research opportunities, and special events that will help them achieve their academic and career goals.
Following a freshman year in which she concentrated on her studies – including courses required for a business minor – Ryan joined the UConn Sky Diving Club last September. She explains that in order to make solo jumps, novice jumpers have to prove their proficiency through a variety of stages. First, two instructors accompany a student, making sure the rookie is not spinning out of control or regretting the decision to jump in the first place – too late at this point! Gradually, as proficiency increases, only one instructor accompanies the jumper.
Finally, after demonstrating skill at maintaining a stable jumping position, being aware of the altitude at all times, and knowing what to do in case of emergency, the trainee is allowed to make a solo jump. This means leaving the plane at about 13,500 feet and pulling the parachute cord at about 4,000 feet. The result is about a minute of free fall time before the canopy is deployed, with the person floating freely in mid-air.
Of that first jump on her own, taken on October 22, 2017, Ryan says, “My first solo jump was exhilarating and liberating. Since I didn’t have to demonstrate any abilities to an instructor, I could do what I wanted, giving me an incredibly freeing sensation. During my freefall, I was able to take the time to really appreciate how much fun the sport is and how much freedom it allows.”
Ryan is nothing if not adventuresome. In order to dive without supervision, a person must be licensed by the United States Parachuting Association (USPA). Licenses are awarded at four levels, depending on the complexity of skills a jumper can demonstrate. The first – or A – license requires a minimum of 25 solo jumps as well as passing written and oral exams.
So what did she do right after she got her A license in mid-November? She attended the National Collegiate Parachuting Championships held the next month in Lake Wales, Florida. Although she now has the nearly 50 jumps required for her B license, Ryan was pretty much a neophyte when she accompanied her fellow UConn Sky Diving Club members to the competition.
She says, “UConn was competing with teams from UMass, Kansas State, and Fort Lewis College as well as West Point, the Air Force and Navel academies, and schools such as Georgia Tech, Kansas State, and Northeastern. The team did really well. I was probably the least experienced jumper in the entire competition because I’d only completed 27 jumps at the time.”
In Florida, Ryan competed in two events. One involving two jumpers from the same team – called 2-way – and another involving accuracy. Although she didn’t place, she said she had a blast and can’t wait for next year’s championships which will be held in Arizona.
Ryan says that the UConn Skydiving Club is a competitive club sport that uses the Connecticut Parachutists drop zone in Ellington as its home base. In addition to actual jumps, the team also travels to Sky Venture in Nashua, New Hampshire where they can experience ‘indoor skydiving’ in a wind tunnel.
“We have a great membership,” Ryan says of her fellow sky divers, “and everyone is so supportive of everyone else.” For those who have been thinking about making that first jump, she says visit the club’s website, attend their meetings, and maybe ‘you, too’ will find that jumping out of a plane is the most fun you’ve ever had.
As an amusing (to some) aside, during Spring break Ryan was seen sporting a sling on her left arm as a result of a tumble while snowboarding with her (you guessed it) cousin Ryan. Her main concern? Having her broken collarbone heal in time to start parachuting again in the spring.
