Group Captain Kamal Singh Oberh (retd) and Lt Col Satyendra Verma (retd) are among India's leading BASE jumpers.
The Telegraph asked them about their feelings in those few seconds when the chute had yet to deploy. Or was is it too brief a while to think?
This is what they said
Oberh
For the first couple of seconds, all you think is about the chute and its opening. In skydiving, there are two parachutes. A reserve one is meant for an emergency if the original fails to open. But in a BASE jump, we have only one chute. Because the jump is from a much lower altitude than skydiving, there is neither the time nor the distance for two parachutes. After the chute opens, all you think of is landing safely.
The Telegraph
Verma
Many people have asked me how it feels in the sky. Is there a sense of the insignificance of human beings in the larger design of the universe? I tell them everything seems very philosophical after landing. During the jump, all that I focus on is landing properly. Because, only then can I go for the next jump. But from the top, the view of Calcutta is amazing. All the majestic colonial structures and the verdant greens of the Maidan are very impressive.