![\"Photo](\"http:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/files\/2013\/01\/IMG_5414-260x195.jpg\")
<\/a>Wright State’s Herb Dregalla (in yellow suit) skydiving with an Army Golden Knight<\/p><\/div>\n
The 65-year-old Dregalla had never jumped before; never even thought about jumping.<\/p>\n
But he got his chance after being nominated by Wright State Army ROTC Commander \u00a0LTC Maria Emery and then invited by Major General Jefforey Smith, U.S. Army Cadet Command Commanding General, to be the university\u2019s representative at the US Army All American Bowl.<\/p>\n
University and community educators and leaders are among those invited to the annual game for outstanding high school football players to build meaningful and lasting relationship with their U.S. Army counterparts.\u00a0The relationships enable the Army to help these leaders in strengthening young Americans mentally, emotionally and physically.<\/p>\n
Among the activities for VIPs swirling around the game were target shooting with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit and skydiving.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought, \u2018That\u2019s a cool thing. I\u2019m going to try to do that,\u2019\u201d Dregalla recalled.<\/p>\n
So on Jan. 6, Dregalla donned his skydiving gear and hopped aboard a twin-engine otter for a tandem jump. He buckled himself to a Golden Knight, and the two duckwalked their way to the aircraft\u2019s open, six-foot-wide door.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re first on the door, with your toes hanging out; that was the only scary part,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
At the count of three, the two took a 14,000-foot leap.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most interesting thing is that there was absolutely no perception of falling,\u201d Dregalla said. \u201cThere\u2019s a 120 mile-an-hour wind hitting you in the face and you have a definite perception of going fast, but not of falling.\u201d<\/p>\n
The two were in a free fall for about 45 seconds before the chute opened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only time you\u2019re aware of the ground is as you\u2019re really getting close. But by then, you\u2019re floating down,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was a gorgeous day. You could see everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a soft landing in a field, the whole thing was over. Dregalla said he would definitely do it again.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an amazing experience,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
He felt the speed and the wind in his face. But he didn\u2019t feel like he was falling. He was\u2014from 14,000 feet at 120 miles an hour. Herb Dregalla, Ph.D., interim associate provost for Undergraduate Studies, dropped from the Texas … Continue reading