Wendy and her crew during the Everest Skydive 2012.
Wendy Smith a well-known figure in the adventurous world especially, in the skydiving arena has recently completed her Everest Skydive 2012. Wendy with more than 19,800 skydives throughout the world has been doing the skydiving for 25 years. Wendy is a successful Chief coordinator of Everest Skydive since 2008. Apart, from the skydiving she is an experienced Ariel Photographer. Here is an interview with a Kiwi sky angel, Wendy regarding her experience during the Everest Skydive 2012.
About to jump from the B3 Fishtail Helicopter.
EH: It’s our pleasure to have you here after the Everest Skydive 2012. Wendy, how was your Everest Skydive this year?
Wendy: This year the Everest Skydive was amazingly different because we used the B3 helicopter for the first time. The helicopter put a whole different feeling in the Everest Skydive especially for two reasons. First, we can go a lot faster with the helicopter. Secondly, the advantage of jumping from the helicopter was not on to just one location, we were able to open up a new location at Amadablam Base Camp as well.
Admiring Everest.
EH: You are a highly experience adventurous figure, basically what makes you come to Everest every year to make the Skydive?
Wendy: Because, I am falling in love with Nepal.
Final jump from the B3 Fishtail Helicopter.
EH: Good to hear Wendy, how many solos and tandems were performed this year during the Everest Skydive?
Wendy: This year in the Everest Skydive, we had 2 tandems and 9 solos. We did the total of 64 jumps and 25 boards from the B3 Fishtail helicopter. It was an amazing year as we finished our jump programs in four days with an exceptional weather. This year we pushed back the Everest Skydive to the end of the October which was a very good idea. So, we were able to use very good stable weather which favored all day for jumping zone which we never had before.
A tandem jump.
EH: You have performed the Skydiving in the other parts of the world, what is the fundamental difference between Everest Skydive and Skydiving in the other parts of the world?
Wendy: Everest Skydive, the Himalaya is absolutely unique. It is the top of the world and unique to respect or appreciate trekking and acclimatizing to get to the destination where we take off from. Next we do a HALO jump which means High Altitude Low Opening with oxygen. It makes one of the most superbly special and technically sufficient and well equipped skydives in the world.
High in the sky, surrounded by high mountains.
EH: How do you feel flying high up in the sky not once, not twice but more than 19800 times?
Wendy: It is always exciting. It doesn’t matter whether you jump with new clients, experienced skydivers or with the crew, it is always exciting. It is always exciting because the mountains are very close surrounding you, it is an amazing visual.
In the air, inside the B3 Helicopter.
EH: Apart, from skydiving you also work as an Ariel cinematographer, how do you cope with such challenge?
Wendy: Okay, I also work as Ariel cinematographer with the Ariel camera on my camera helmet. I am responsible to bring those photographs and videos back down to ground as souvenirs to our clients. It is not easy to make photographs and videos high in the sky with the oxygen equipments on, heavy parachutes and thermal suits however; we have very experienced crew members from around the world in the Everest Skydiving.
Solo jump.
EH: Lots of people around the world keep an eye on the Everest Skydive every year, but some of them are able to make the final jumps on the Event. Wendy, what do you exactly figure out within the participant or client’s attitude just before the Everest Skydive?
Wendy: Well, the fact is trekking and acclimatizing in the Himalayas humbled many people. We have all the knowledge and the technology and we brief the people in the proper way and give them trust. Since the event is extreme we know the clients need confident and the crew always gives them. We support the clients very well so that this extreme jump becomes easier. We are happy that after the jump our every client goes with the smile on their faces.
Free fall.
EH: Who do you think is the credible side for the hard work and the successful conduction of the Everest Skydive since 2008?
Wendy: Okay, with Explore Himalaya to manage one of the elite adventures of the world has been very much successful. Every year we are learning and Explore Himalaya has been a very integral part of the Everest Skydive. Everybody, here in the Explore Himalaya are very much cooperative and we are more than happy to be the part of Explore every year.
Opening the parachute after the free fall.
EH:Do you have any special plans for the Everest Skydive next year?
Wendy: We are already excited for 2013. We are always learning in the Himalayas. The coordination between our crew and the Explore Himalaya has been exceptional. Apart from that Explore Himalaya has supported us with the Skydive in every possible ways. We are planning to implement what we learned all these years next year in the Everest Skydive to make this extreme event even grander and successful. Hopefully, next year in 2013 we will be able provide our clients greater time.
Enjoying the view before landing.
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