With the call of ¡°Standby!¡± the butterflies in my stomach start to dance.

Effortlessly, my instructor, Kazuki Suzuki, steps out. As I follow him, letting go of the doorway, the sheer force of the wind takes my breath away. All I can do is gulp air. Flight suit billowing and cheeks jiggling, I try to adjust to this remarkable, indescribable feeling of weightlessness.

Within seconds, adrenaline kicks in and I recall the pose I need to adopt; it was carefully explained by Suzuki during pre-flight training. By straightening my legs and holding my head up, I¡¯m soon steady, but keeping my arms up and out proves tricky. Luckily, Suzuki is by my side, guiding me.