Images by Wendy Smith & Everest Skydive Team
Everest Skydive – May 2010, Shyangboche DropZone
The event went as follows:
16th May, 2010 – 1 lift
Test jumps for Everest Skydive 2010 were performed at Shyangboche at 9:35 AM (local time). 1 solo and 2 tandem jumps were made from above 20,000 ft.
Wendy Smith (New Zealand) jumped solo from 27,000 ft, while Bibek Pandey (Nepal) made a tandem jump with tandem master Tom Noonan (USA). Likewise Ful Man Tamang (Nepal) too jumped tandem with Dr. Ryan Jackson (UK).
17th May, 2010 – 2 lifts
The jumps were held at 8:15 AM (local time).
First Lift – James Robert (UK) & Ryan Jackson made test jumps from 18,000 feet. Nik Halik (Australia) made a tandem jump with tandem master Tom Noonan from 29,500 ft. Wendy Smith jumped solo as Camera Flier from 29,500 ft.
Second Lift – Jean Claude Mario (France) did a test jump from 18000 ft and Tom Noonan jumped solo from 25,000ft. Dr. Ryan & Dik Bahadur Khirsina (Nepal) made a tandem jump from 25000 ft.
18th & 19th May, 2010
Jumps cancelled due to bad weather.
20th May, 2010 – 1 lift
Jean Claude Mario (France) took Myriam Mura (France) on tandem jump, while James Robert (UK), Ryan Jackson (UK) and Wendy Smith (New Zealand) made solo jumps. The jumps were made from 29,500 ft.
Everest Skydive 2010 – Updates
As per the news received from Shyangboche, jumps were held at 8:15 AM (local time) on 17th May. James Robert (UK) and Ryan Jackson made solo jumps from 18,000 feet, while Nik Halik (Australia) jumped tandem with tandem master Tom Noonan from 29,700 feet.
Everest Skydive 2010 Test Jumps Successful
Test jumps for Everest Skydive 2010 were performed on 16th May 2010 at Shyangboche at 9:35 AM (local time). 1 solo and 2 tandem jumps were made from above 20,000 feet.
Wendy Smith (New Zealand) jumped solo from 27,000 feet, while Bibek Pandey (Nepal) made a tandem jump with tandem master Tom Noonan (USA). Likewise Ful Man Tamang (Nepal) too jumped tandem with Dr. Ryan Jackson (UK).
Everest Skydive on Action Asia Magazine
This article & picture on Everest Skydive were published in Action Asia’s March/April issue.
Click for larger image
Highest Drop Zone landing with Everest Skydive 2009
October 29, 2009: Explore Himalaya Travel & Adventure is pleased to announce the successful completion of the Everest Skydive 2009 program.
On October 28, 2009 a skydiving event was held at Gorak Shep. During the event, world skydiving champion Wendy Smith from New Zealand, Global Angels ambassador and tandem master Tom Noonan and Wing Commander Jai Kishan from the Indian Air Force, made a successful landing at the Gorak Shep, Kala Patthar plateau, lying at an altitude of 17,192 feet (5,242m), right beside Mt. Everest. This is believed to be the highest skydiving stunt performed over highest drop zone in the world.
The operation was carried out from Fishtail Air’s AS 350 B3 helicopter flown by Capt. Sabin Basnet and Capt. Deepak Rana. The dives were performed in the morning of 28th Oct, 2009 between 7:30 to 9 AM. The helicopter took off with the skydiving team from Shyangboche airport and flew to a height of 23,000 feet before dropping from 21,000 feet at right air layer.
Prior to this event, seven skydivers from the Explore Himalaya skydiving team had performed solo and tandem jumps at Shyangboche (12,350 feet) on 16th and 17th October, 2009.
On 16th October, Five members skydived from a height of 25,000 feet .Tom Noonan (USA), Ian Bishop (Australia) and Jai Kishan (India), made solo jumps at 10:30 AM (local time). In the second group, , Wendy Smith (New Zealand) jumped solo, while Ganesh Pandey (Nepal) made a tandem jump with tandem master Tom Noonan (USA) at 12:30 PM (local time).
On the second day, ie 17th October, Wendy Smith (New Zealand), Jai Kishan (India) and Mery Noonan (USA) made solo jumps from a height of 27,500ft at 8:30 AM (local time). While Everest summitter, Pujan Acharya (Nepal) made a tandem jump from a height of 29,300 feet, with tandem master Tom Noonan (USA) at 10:30 AM (local time).
The jumps over Shyangboche were made from Tara Air’s Pilatus Porter aircraft, flown by Capt Jack Sparrow (UK) and Praful Baidya (Nepal). Capt Jack Sparrow, an experienced pilot, has performed more than 4,000 lifts (flights for skydiving) for skydivers in Europe and is preparing to launch a skydiving club in Thailand, which will be the first in Asia.
As a continuation of the Everest Skydive 2008, the Everest Skydive 2009 program was organized by Explore Himalaya with the help of Nepal Tourism board to promote Nepal Tourism Year 2011.During the event, all the skydivers sported the logo of Nepal Tourism Year 2011 on their jumpsuits. The visuals of the skydiving event will be distributed worldwide.
After the success of Everest Skydive 2009, Explore Himalaya is planning to establish Skydiving as a prominent tourism product of Nepal. More events shall be launched to mark the Nepal Tourism Year 2011.Very soon, skydiving tests and commercial operations will be performed in Pokhara. With due support from all concerned, we are planning to organize a team of Nepalese Civilian Skydivers for aerial events to be held in 2011’s Nepal Tourism Year.
Finally, we would like to thank the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Ministries of Home, Defence, Forest, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Tara Air family , Fishtail Air family, Sagarmatha National Park, members of the Skydiving ground team from Explore Himalaya and all concerned who have contributed in making the Everest Skydive 2009 a grand success. I would also like to thank the companies Javelin Suntath , Aerodyne, and Performance Design from the US and Vigil from Belgium for providing parachutes and equipments. Summit Oxygen from United Kingdom for supplying the oxygen system and Capt Jack Sparrow who flew all the way from UK to perform the skydiving flights.
Everest Skydive from 29,300ft
Nepali Everest summitter, Ms. Pujan Acharya made a tandem jump from a height of 29,300ft. at Shyangboche this morning. The jump was made along with tandem master Tom Noonan (USA) today (October 17, 2009) at 10:30 AM (local time).
Wendy Smith (New Zealand), Jai Kishan (India) and Mery Noonan (USA) made solo jumps from a height of 27,500ft. at 8:30 AM (local time).
With this jump, Wing Commander Jai Kishan, who is a Parachute Jump Instructor of Indian Air Force, based at Air Force Station, Agra, became the first Indian skydiver to make the highest jump in the Everest Region.
The jumps were made from Tara Air’s Pilatus Porter aircraft, piloted by Captain Jack Sparrow (UK) and Praful Baidya (Nepal). Today’s jumps concluded the Everest Skydive event organized at Shyangboche by Explore Himalaya.
Congratulations to the skydivers!
Explore Himalaya’s Skydive Team will be back soon in Shyangboche for another round of this great skydiving adventure, Everest Skydive – the highest skydiving adventure in the world.