What it is like to jump out of an aircraft daily

For most people, jumping out of an aircraft is a once-in-a-lifetime thrill. But for some, like 31-year-old expat Leigh Kempen, skydiving is a lifestyle and a chance to practise her adrenaline-pumping passion for a living.
Now an instructor at Skydive Dubai, Kempen has amassed over 11,000 skydives over a career which began when she was a young girl in her native New Zealand.
"I started skydiving at a very young age. I did my first tandem at the age of 13 and from that very moment I was addicted," she told Khaleej Times. "I began training for my skydiving licence as soon as I was old enough and went on to complete a diploma in commercial skydiving which helped me to work and play in the skydiving industry."
Prior to taking on her role as a teacher to newbies or less experienced skydivers, Kempen actively competed in freestyle skydiving, which she described as "a mixture of dance and gymnastics in the sky".
In the years since Kempen began participating in the sport, Dubai has grown exponentially as a global hub for skydivers, especially since the foundation of Skydive Dubai with the support of Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Price of Dubai.
Since then, the emirate has hosted a number of competitions that have attracted the cream of the crop of the skydiving world. For example, in November, Skydive Dubai's Palm Drop Zone was host to the 5th Dubai International Parachuting Championship, which brought together over 1,000 skydivers from around the globe.
"When I learned how to skydive at the age of 16, to be honest I had never even heard of Dubai. All the top skydiving was done in America and Europe at (that) ... point in time," Kempen said. "I became aware of Dubai as a place to skydive when my husband Rhys came here for a canopy piloting competition in 2010."
Why Dubai?
Kempen said she found Dubai to be a perfect place to settle into a life of professional skydiving. She enjoys the sense of community she has discovered among the multinational group of skydivers that now call the city their home, she said.
"Since that time, we both wanted to go to Dubai as they made skydivers feel very welcome, and provided a terrific working environment. It is quite a different experience to many other places to skydive around the world.
"I love the freedom, opportunity and the people you meet in skydiving, especially in Dubai. You meet people from all over the world and learn about different cultures and backgrounds. We all come together in the sky and share something special and it shows that it does not matter where you come from - you can always enjoy skydiving."
Kempen noted that Dubai's year-round blue skies and modern facilities mean that skydivers can train all year, while in many parts of New Zealand, Europe and North America, winter brings an end to the skydiving season.
"The weather is normally good, so this means skydivers and teams can do a lot of training and get coaching from the top skydivers and learn and progress very quickly," she said. "Also, the views are amazing." Kempen's main job now is as a "tandem" instructor, in which she is attached with a harness to a novice skydiver. Larger than average parachutes are used to support the weight of two people. All of Skydive Dubai's tandem jumps take place over the Palm Jumeirah.
"I love being able to take first-time jumpers and share that experience with them," Kempen said. "When someone tells you that it was the best thing they have ever done, that is very special moment and almost a daily occurrence.
"Everyone tells me that I have the best job in the world and I completely agree."
In the future, Kempen believes that Dubai will continue to grow as a skydiving hub, driven by the sense of adventure and innovation displayed by the community of parachutists here.
"It is great to experience the growth of Skydive Dubai and Dubai itself while we are living here. Skydive Dubai is constantly growing. The skydivers here are pushing themselves and others to be the best and to try new concepts and ways of flying. Skydive Dubai has grown rapidly and the future is very bright ... The actual future here is most likely greater than what I can imagine.
"I would like to see more local female skydivers become involved in the sport and give it a go."
bernd@khaleejtimes.com