Project XRW: Jonathan Tagle

My View of a Jump

It’s always fun and exciting when you get to experiment with new flight characteristics, so when I was asked to join Project XRW I literally jumped at the opportunity. You always learn so much when you’re able to push the envelop of skydiving in a controlled environment. And what better place to do it than Skydive Moab, in Utah.

Until we did the first few jumps, we were all kind of stuck in our own heads wondering if it was really going to work. It all looked good on paper, but was it really going to work? With just 2 jumps under our belts we started to feel the confidence boost. Then jump after jump it just got better and better. Admittedly, the initial visuals were a bit awkward to get over. Just watching Jeff fly his wingsuit right next to me, while I was under a perfectly good canopy, was strange at first.

The second day of the project was amazing. We had perfect weather and amazing scenery over Mineral Bottom and the Sorrel River Ranch. Jeff and I were really starting to loosen up, so we began to challenge ourselves with the interactions. On the last jump of the day Jeff maneuvered his wingsuit right up into slot for me to grab his harness. I was so excited, I yelled in his ear… “I gotcha!” Shortly after that, Phil Peggs came over and docked with Jeff completing a 3-way formation. We all had big smiles on our faces.

I want to thank Raise The Sky and Operation Freefall for organizing this event with the generous support of Sun Path, Tony Suits, and Skydive Moab. I feel great to be part of a project that raises awareness and supports programs to stop sexual violence in our communities. Special Thanks to Jeff Nebelkopf, Phil Peggs, Taya Weiss and Eli Bolotin for their expertise in making this project a success.

Looking forward to the next chapter in XRW.

-jt