Margaret Morford skydiving

System · October 2003

I've been bugging Margaret Morford to post a picture of herself, since she was bugging everyone else to. Well, here it is:

[url]http://www.hrhero.com/forum/margaret_skydiving.jpg[/url]

Yes, that's really Margaret, jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. She's doing a tandem dive, where the instructor is strapped to the student's back to prevent the jump from ending with a big [i]splat.[/i]

She asked me to post this while she's in New Orleans for the Advanced Employment Issues Symposium. And she says she's wearing her HR Hero T-shirt under the jumpsuit.

Pretty impressive, if you ask me.

James Sokolowski
HRhero.com

sonny · October 2003

WOW. . Who's going to top this one??

blw · October 2003

Skydiving is something I definitely want to do. Parasailing as well. It looks like she is having a blast and I am jealous!

cebudragonlady · October 2003

Did Margaret really skydive into New Orleans? And I thought our airport traffic here in Southern California was bad! Pretty impressive...maybe Margaret can go on the space shuttle next !

Chari

Don D · October 2003

Now that's about as neat as it's gonna get! I'm impressed too! Now I know what Beagle can do to entertain those dull managers....have Margaret 'chute in and land in a circle center stage! Then roll down a huge banner from the ceiling that says, "HR Folks Do It Right Every Time!"

Parabeagle · October 2003

Great idea, Don. And if she doesn't land in the center of the stage or the chute doesn't open, I can do an impromptu session with our managers on filling out incident reports. x;-) Actually I'd love to be able to do something like this, but I'm afraid of heights.

scottorr · October 2003

Amazing - this is something I could nevr do. I'm assuming this will make it into the second half of the calendar?!

marc · October 2003

Wow. Must have been exhilarating. Well done Margaret.

San Francisco · October 2003

Very cool picture. How was it taken? I have parasailed after a few tequila shooters in Mexico, but skydiving would be terrifying to me. Good for her!

Elizabeth

Shadowfax · October 2003

Ok James. I can think of no greater dis incentive for the rest of us to post than this ostentatious, bodacious, supercalifragetcetcetc display of macho
mom-ism! Way to go Margaret! But, James, if the instructor is to avoid the jump ending in a big splat, shouldn't he be on the bottom not the top?

Don D · October 2003

I suspect it's HIS parachute that's about to deploy, and for that, he must be on the top.

SDDCHR · October 2003

It looks like you're pretty high up but I noticed the instructor is already checking his altitude. Obviously you didn't select this instructor for his capabilities of ensuring a safe dive? Were there other motives? Looks like you had a blast!!!

Parabeagle · October 2003

No, I think he was checking his watch. Either out of (a) boredom or (b) wanted to know how long it was until breaktime.

Ruby Tuesday · October 2003

Great picture Margaret! I went skydiving twice in the past year and although many thought I was crazy for jumping out of a perfectly good plane, just as many more wanted to jump themselves. It's the most exhilerating feeling and the view is incredible.

Did you get a video? I got a video so that I can someday show my great grandkids just how crazy their grandma is/was. A co-worker's mom jumped with us this summer and she was 79 years old!

Leslie · October 2003

Wow that is way cool. I look pretty lame just leaning against my car. And definitely Scott - I'm working on the last six months of the calendar. But, if a bunch of pictures happen to come flying in I may have to make two - men then women of the HR Forum! x:D

Margaret Morford · October 2003

I just returned from New Orleans and appreciate all of your comments. It was truly the scariest thing I ever did! I told my husband (who kept trying to talk me out of doing it) that my insurance was all paid up and that if something happened, he'd finally be able to get that trophy wife he'd always wanted! I wasn't sure I was going to do it when I stepped up to the plane door. Everyone, who had jumped out just seconds before, were tiny dots the size of a pin head below me because they fell so fast. We did three summersaults coming out of the plane before we could stop the spinning.

To answer everyone's questions:
I did not know the tandem instructor before I went. I simply asked for the tallest guy they had. I wanted his feet to hit the ground long before mine did!

I do have a video, which shows the three summersaults out of the plane doorway as well as the landing.

We jumped from 14,000 feet.

Margaret Morford
theHRedge
615-371-8200
[email]mmorford@mleesmith.com[/email]
[url]http://www.thehredge.net[/url]

Dasher · October 2003

Wow Margaret, your jump is great!

There is nothing like jumping out of a plane -- and living to talk about it. I did it for my 30th birthday (way long ago). Wish I had a photo to post of it, but I only have one of me on the ground all suited up and looking like a scared rabbit. Oh well, I still recall the BIG noise, wondering if my chute would open or if I had to open the backup like they taught us, the freedom of flying, the beautiful scenery and the awesome landing. Gee, I might just do it again.

Oh, BTW I did not have a helper -- had to jump out on my own.

mjindra · October 2003

Dasher, I'm with you, jumped on my own, after six hours of training . . . "What to do in case that first chute doesn't open".

I'm glad I did it, but in my lifetime since then I've fallen off the roof of my house and spent three months on crutches. Won't be jumping out of planes anytime soon.

I like Margaret's method a little better anyway, with a cute guy crammed up against me. x;)

Margaret Morford skydiving

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