The anxious group of observers look skyward as they hear the little Cessna’s throttle cut back. Five figures from within the plane begin their plummet towards earth, free falling 6,500 feet at a rate of 110 miles per hour. Then, an explosion of brilliantly colored canopies fill the bright blue sky and the windchildren of Nashville Skydiving begin their graceful descent, swirling, spinning and rocking gently above the skies over the Logan County Kentucky Airport. The sky is filled with their euphoric voices yelling “oh, yeah!” and “Hi Momma!”. Within seven minutes the rush is over and the boys are tapping the bobo doll target with their feet as they once again become earthbound. They gather their parachutes together and begin walking towards the airport, eyes still glowing, discussing the choreography of their newly finished dance when once more all eyes are skyward and someone yells “Buzz Time!!”. The little Cessna, piloted by their mentor Harry Rooks swoops overhead just above the flag pole, then ascends, circles round the airport and is finally stilled before us. Out steps an excited but weary Harry Rooks, bringing to a close a strenuous but fun filled day with Nashville Skydiving at the Russellville Airport.

Today the daredevil Rooks added three more to his over 7,000 jumps. In this illustrious career he boasts far less injury than most tennis players. Since his first military jump on Nov 10 1958, Harry’s safety record has been outstanding, with only two sprained ankles being the extent of his injuries, from what when shown disrespect can be an unforgiving sport. In addition to his safety record, this independent, free spirited man stands out among his colleagues as a true pioneer in the revolution that began in the mid 1980’s when Tandem skydiving was introduced to the world. In fact, Mr. Rooks was the first person in the world to own a tandem parachute system! Privy to topsecret development by Strong Enterprises, Harry had just sold his Key West Charter boat business and was contemplating his next life’s challenge when Ted Strong invited him to witness the Tadems first prototype jump. Immediately he envisioned the revolution he was to be Pointman for and put his money on the table, relinquishing the sea to take to the skies.

The Tandem jump includes the rush of free-fall and silent elation of the canopied descent – but a qualified, experienced instructor is harnessed to the skydiver and they descend as one. After it’s introduction in 1984 as Harry puts it, skydiving was no longer for the “courageous and stupid” it was open to all who dreamt of taking flight. In fact, aside from countless thrill seeking young men and women, Harry has tandemed with two paraplegics, a blind man and an 80 year old woman! Embraced by Harry’s harness, anyone can rest assured their body will drift groundward lightly as a feather, safely in the arms of a master.

How did our community come to be graced with this presence? In 1984 with the Tandem System’s release pending, Strong Enterprisers chose five disciples to spread the art of Tandem throughout the world. Each were trained as Examiners to represent the company and travel their territories training Tandem Instructors. Harry Rooks was assigned the skies east of the Mississippi. Being centrally located, he chose Springfield Tennessee as his hub and Nashville Skydiving was born. In his spare time, he taught Skydiving at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville and traveled throughout his territory training others to follow in his footsteps.

For the last 14 years his pleasure has been his full-time job and the last two of them have been based in our own Logan County. The relocation of Nashville Skydiving to Russellville Kentucky was the result of a common persecution in the skyways. These free spirited sportsters are branded The Hells Angels of the skies by much of the aviation world, who view the spectacular acrobatics of the wind dancers as merely obstacles in a flight path.

Steve Wilson, proprietor of Russellville airport is not among those full of ill will toward the windchildren. In fact, in Wilson, Harry found that old fashioned Southern Hospitality and mutual respect so rare today. He got a key and a notepad to record his fuel consumption, they take care of each other, so Harry and the other skydivers have a home.

While the United Parachuters Association is the only sporting aviation body which governs itself, the world of Tandem is ruled by the FAA. An instructor such as Harry has vast qualifications to insure the safety of individuals airborne in their care. Strong Enterprises and the other two companies now manufacturing Tandem Systems set their own rules and regulations and the FAA back them. If an examiner violates even the smallest safety guideline they are stripped of their certification. Among Harry Rooks’ credentials and titles are: 3rd Class Medical, FAA Certified Rigger, Commercial Pilot, Tandem Examiner, and Tandem Instructor. After 39 years, he has complete knowledge and experience with every facet of his business from packing the parachutes to working on the plane engine.

Long time friend, Frank Knapp pilots the plane for many of Harry’s Tandem Jumps as well as other types of Skydiving jumps offered by Nashville Skydiving. This typical day in the Logan County Skies involved both inexperienced Tandem Jumps and Skydiving by a group of four more experienced divers. David, Chuck, Brett, Curtis (Curtis Williams of the ongoing karaoke contest at Southern Lanes in Bowling Green) and John spend most of their weekends with Nashville Skydiving. When you own all your own equipment as these men do, the cost of a dive is only $15 dollars. Though the initial investment may be several thousand, this is relatively inexpensive in comparison with other such high thrill sports such as snow skiing. The four are working with Frank Knapp, quite an accomplished jumper in his own right, and Harry towards forming a Skydiving Team for competitions and shows. Frank has won a multitude of both accuracy and acrobatic Skydiving competitions including style, canopy stacks, freestyle and body flying. He also has been the dramatic kickoff to sporting events, grand openings and events of all types in a variety of personas from Santa Claus to Elvis. He is a member of the POPs Club (Parachutist over phorty). Flying was in his blood, with a father who taught Cadets to fly in WWII and a mother who is herself a pilot, and at 82 years old, one of Harry’s Tandem students. He too is a pioneer in his profession as one of the first twenty to compete with the new rectangular, semi rigid, wings rather than a round parachute. It was this innovation in canopy design that changed the landing from a cannonball like plummet to the ground to the feather light landings I saw.

Harry is also a competition jumper from way back and has a house full of trophies, awards and medallions to prove it. In fact he has never been to a competition that he hasn’t walked away from with a trophy. Accuracy is his forte. The control one gets from the new rectangular parachutes is a vast improvement over the round chutes of yesteryear. The target for accuracy jumps is only 16″ wide with a bull’s-eye the size of a quarter. Hits are measure electronically within a centimeter! According to Harry out of 10 jumps in a competition, the best jumpers “zero out” every time!

As with masters in other fields, Harry’s proficiency was apparent at a young age. Beginning by jumping out of his parents barn into haystacks, by age 14 Rooks was diving off 80 foot cliffs at the nearby stone quarry. At 18 he met a paratrooper through a fellow lifeguard and realized in an instant that there was a career that could fulfill his “need for altitude”. He joined.

In all the years of diving, there is a moment remembered as the most exciting – a “major choke factor” jump. 1964, the days of round shoots when accuracy was somewhat of a gamble. He jumped into a baseball field in the middle of a major metropolitan area. In descent, he was surrounded by skyscrapers and interstate. In the end, he steered his way safely to the pitchers mound.

Now, Harry lands among the serene pastures of Logan County. Today was a typical day for the instructor. Throughout the day, as Harry would take the next Tandem student into the airport for suit up and instruction, Frank would whisk the experienced divers away for their next fix. Among the First time jumpers today were Russell, Greg and Eric. Russell was there to activate his adrenaline flow. Young and enthusiastic, searching for that ultimate natural high. When his feet touched the lawn and Harry unhooked him, it appeared he had found it. He jumped in the air, shook his fists and yelled “hell yeah! It was awesome!” He scooped up his waiting mother and spun her around then raised his arms like the mighty Kong once again. He’ll be back.

Eric, son-in-law to the third jumper, was somewhat more sedated by the experience, you might even say stunned, but no doubt he’ll live to tell many about how cool the experience truly was. Greg (pictured on cover photo by Steve Haynes), as Eric and Russell, was duly impacted and will be back, as will his wife, who’s ready to give it a try. Of the three he was the only one with prior experience in the military on a Static Line 10 years before (Static Line Systems were the less experienced skydivers only option in previous years. In this system a students parachute is triggered by the jump from the plane. The obvious drawback is you lose the rush of free-fall and as any thrill seeker would tell you that just doesn’t cut it).

Anybody can call Nashville Skydiving (615-672-2855) and have this experience. Harry will even train you to solo jump if you want more. You simply go to the airport and meet the guys with your entourage of family fans and Harry takes you in the back room and hooks you up. Every inch of the gear and safety precautions are shown and explained to you as he clips each hook in place. Then you walk out to the plane and have a dress rehearsal of the coming event. Then you take to the air. Once up you kneel close to the door Harry says “OK we’re outta here”. Then, in the words of Rob Simbeck from What If The Parachute Doesn’t Open?: Before I knew it, Harry was starting the rocking we’d practiced, once right, once left, then right again as we let go and plunged earthward. My left hand held just an instant too long, and we tumbled a few times as we started what I could tell instantly was a much higher speed proposition that I’d imagined.

My job at this point was to tuck into fetal position so he could get us stabilized, but I found I was thinking very slowly. Or rather that time was moving very quickly. All I seemed to be conscious of was the fact that I was heading facedown at a very great rate of speed, and that the skin on my face was being blown back the way it does when you stick your head out a car window at 70 miles an hour, only harder.

Finally we were stable, and Harry deployed a little 3 1/2 foot drogue chute designed to slow us from 200 miles an hour to a mere 120. As I spread my arms into the classic free-fall position, I could feel every mph of it. Experienced skydivers like Harry can fly their bodies like airplanes and are in total control in any position. My mind was pretty overwhelmed with much more basic activities though and flying my body, like taking in the scenery, simple hadn’t been an option yet. I think one or the other was about to make its appearance into my consciousness when Harry said, “Pull the cord. …This was the part he had not prepared me for. I pulled the cord, and was yanked straight upward by the Puppet Strings of God. There was an incredible tug at my chest and shoulders as we went from 120 mph to about 20 in a couple of seconds. Then suddenly the wind, the noise and the tug of the straps were gone. The air and earth were still, and there was silence. An incredible peace had descended. Where we had had the aerodynamics of a brick, we were now suspended on thin, Dacron lines from a 31 feet by 11 feet piece of air filled nylon, floating like a huge dandelion seed…

For posterity, when it’s time for first time tandem jumpers to get in position, Curtis will step out of the plane and hang on the wing in wait. He wears a special helmet with a camcorder strapped to it and will dive beside you filming the entire episode. Stepping on to the wing, free fall and the canopied ride, the entire event packaged to mail home to mom! When you get back to the airport you instantly relive the entire experience via the television. Truly quite a trip for an afternoon in Russellville!

Kim Mason is the Content Manager of the Amplifier which was founded by her in 1995. She serves as Executive Director for the BG International Festival and designs websites. www.kimmason.ky.net