86-Year-Old Checks Skydiving Off Bucket List
By: Chelsea Rarrick
Updated: September 3, 2012
A love for airplanes came at an early age for Utica resident, Carmen Guarnieri.
So it was only natural for him to take his passion to the sky.
At 86 years old, Carmen made the jump to skydive for the very first time last week.
"It's been on my mind for a many years," he said.
When first hearing that an 86-year-old took that kind of adventure, his age might come as a shock.
But to Carmen, it's just another check off his bucket list.
"It really is easy. People think, oh, you're going up in the air free falling and you hit the ground. It doesn't happen! My instructor does it 15 times a day, so if they can do it, why can't I do it," said Carmen.
Age might just be a number to the Utica resident, but that didn't mean there weren't things running through his mind during the big jump.
"You're traveling at about 120 miles per hour to begin with in the aircraft, and then when you hit the flip stream, and falling into the air, that's the part you remember the most," he said.
And while the memory is there, Carmen says the experience was over before he knew it.
"This all happens within 15 minutes, so sometimes I think did I do it? I have pictures to tell me I did it, but the experience is so fast," said the skydiver.
So does this mean a second jump is in the works for Carmen?
"If the occasion came, I'd do it again. That's how easy it was!" he said.
So it was only natural for him to take his passion to the sky.
At 86 years old, Carmen made the jump to skydive for the very first time last week.
"It's been on my mind for a many years," he said.
When first hearing that an 86-year-old took that kind of adventure, his age might come as a shock.
But to Carmen, it's just another check off his bucket list.
"It really is easy. People think, oh, you're going up in the air free falling and you hit the ground. It doesn't happen! My instructor does it 15 times a day, so if they can do it, why can't I do it," said Carmen.
Age might just be a number to the Utica resident, but that didn't mean there weren't things running through his mind during the big jump.
"You're traveling at about 120 miles per hour to begin with in the aircraft, and then when you hit the flip stream, and falling into the air, that's the part you remember the most," he said.
And while the memory is there, Carmen says the experience was over before he knew it.
"This all happens within 15 minutes, so sometimes I think did I do it? I have pictures to tell me I did it, but the experience is so fast," said the skydiver.
So does this mean a second jump is in the works for Carmen?
"If the occasion came, I'd do it again. That's how easy it was!" he said.
