Celebrating 80 years... by jumping from a plane

By Jillian Kellerman and Jim Palmer

Ray Hiedeman skydiving on his 80th birthday on June 23, 2024. Contributed photo

On June 23, up 13,000 feet in the air, Ray Hiedeman, of Nimrod, Minn., celebrated his 80th birthday by executing his first tandem skydive.

Ray remembers being a little nervous when got up in the plane.

“But if you aren’t nervous, there is probably something wrong with you,” he said.

The anticipation heightened as the plane leveled off and they prepared to jump.  

“We were on a bench in the plane and slid down the bench until we were by the window,” he said. “When you got to that point, you didn’t really have a choice anymore ... you were going out of the plane.”

Among the views above the clouds, Hiedeman said he enjoyed feeling the moisture on his face as he went through the clouds and the sensation of slowing down when the chute opened. He said it felt like he was going up.

“It was a really  nice free fall,” he said. “and an easy landing.”

Ray wasn’t alone in his birthday jump. 

Three generations jumped from the plane that day. Hiedeman was accompanied by his two granddaughters, Jordan and Lauren, who were also jumping for the first time, and his son Darrell, who was completing his second jump.

Ray pictured above the clouds as he leaves the small plane on his jump from 13,000 feet. Contributed photo

Hiedeman’s desire to skydive was fueled by his son Darrell completing his first tandem skydive in Utah in 2001.

“I have thought about skydiving for quite a while,” Hiedeman said, “But really the idea of flying goes back farther. When I was a kid, I always dreamed of flying. I wasn’t thinking about skydiving, but I thought about flying.”

This also wasn’t the first time Hiedeman had been in a small aircraft. He flew in a helicopter among the treetops as a member of the military police during the Vietnam War.

Ironically enough, the jump was initially scheduled for June 22, the day before his birthday. Rainy weather moved the jump to June 23, his 80th birthday. 

Having been blessed with good health, Hiedeman said he feels fortunate to be able to do things like this.

When asked if he would do it again, Hiedeman said, “At this point, it kind of feels like ‘been there, done that,’ but you never know ... maybe I’ll do it again when I’m 90.”