By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

Overton resident Barbara Erwin with her tandem skydiver Giulianno Scotti parachuted far above the Moapa Valley in an experience of a lifetime last month.

It was finally time to check off an important bucket list item for one Overton woman last month. And it might never have been done if not for the support of a good neighbor and dear friend.

For a long time now, 75-year-old Linda Erwin of Overton has wanted to do something unusual for her age: go sky-diving. And on Saturday, March 26, she got her chance.

We had seen the jumpers all the time from our house coming down over the airport, Linda said in an interview with The Progress last week. It always looked like it would be so much fun. So I was like, Oh my gosh, I would really like to do that!.

But the idea proved much more difficult than expected. The local touring company Skydive Fyrosity, which offers tandem skydives out of Perkins Field Airport in Overton, usually takes people up two at a time. And Linda felt like she would prefer the support of a friend going along. But it was difficul finding anyone to go with her.Most people think you are crazy when you invite them to do something like that, she said.

Barbara Erwin (right) and her friend Nathalie Gottschalk (left) pose for a photo in the Skydive Fyrosity hangar before their skydive experience out of Perkins Field Airport.

A little over two years ago, Linda finally found a neighbor friend who agreed to jump with her. The two made an appointment with Skydive Fyrosity to make the jump together on the same day. But the bells of fate struck an unexpected blow that week.

We were due to jump on a Saturday afternoon, Linda said. And about 24 hours prior to our jump, on a Friday at 1 pm, the Governor announced a shut down of all non-essential businesses due to COVID. We were so disappointed!

Lindas bucket list item was put on hold. In the meantime, the neighbor moved away. So Linda was left to search for another jumping partner.

That is where Overton resident Nathalie Gottschalk came into the story. Nathalie was a former neighbor, and a friend to Linda. They ran into each other at Christmas time last year.I was just going by her house to deliver some Christmas cookies, Nathalie said of Linda. And somehow all of this started in motion!

During the visit, Linda told Nathalie about her dilemma: that she wanted to fulfill this long-held wish, but couldnt find a partner.She expressed concern that she was getting older and there was a very limited window for her to do it, Nathalie said. And she couldnt do it by herself. She needed someone to support her.

Now, Nathalie was clear that skydiving was never something that she had ever yearned to do. It was not on my bucket list at all, she said. I always said that there was no way I would do that. These people are crazy!

But something in the way that Linda asked her, made Nathalie soften a bit about it. I told her to call me when it started getting warmer and, if she still couldnt find anyone, we could think about it.

Nathalies husband Jean was very supportive of her having this experience. He kept encouraging me and telling me not to worry about it; that I should do it, Nathalie said. He said that this could be my birthday present. But I said, Yeah, but I want something else for my birthday present, not this!

Even so, when Linda contacted her earlier this year, Nathalie made up her mind to support her friend in realizing her long-held dream.

The two met at the airport on the day of the jump. Lindas husband and a large number of her friends and neighbors came to see her make the jump. Nathalies family came as well.

The two women were met by Skydive Fyrosity owner Sammy Vassilev who gave them instruction and got them equipped to go. Then they set off in the small airplane that would take them to jumping altitude.It took maybe 15-20 minutes to get high enough to make the jump, Linda explained. That was probably the longest part of the experience.

Nathalie admitted that she was pretty nervous. It was very hard for me, she said. But I just tried to focus on being supportive to Linda.

Finally it was time to take the jump. Nathalie and Sammy were the first to go, followed shortly by Linda and her instructor, a Brazilian skydiver named Giulianno Scotti.

Linda said that the experience was like nothing she had ever experienced before. You drop for maybe a minute or so and then they open the parachute, she said. Then you just float down from all that way up there for maybe 6-7 minutes. The views are just incredible from up there!

Linda said that she would definitely do it again if she had the chance. I dont know why anyone would not want to do it, she said. I would recommend it to anyone.

Nathalie was a little less eager to repeat the performance. But she added that skydiving was an unexpected pleasure for her.I wasnt expecting it to be so peaceful out there, she said. I mean you can breathe normally, and I could just feel the air around me. I cant describe it. But it was a beautiful experience!

Both women praised the Skydive Fyrosity operation and how well they were treated throughout the experience. They are so competent and you can tell that they are very safety conscious, Linda said. Sammy was wonderful! I would really recommend this experience for people because it is just really cool!

Linda was overjoyed to find that Nathalie had a good experience with the jump. She expressed gratitude to have such a good friend who would join her in the adventure.It was like a dream come true for me, Linda said. And I was so pleased that Nathalie was willing to do it with me.

The rest is here:

Two Friends Have Bucket List Experience - The Progress - mvprogress