S.B. resident celebrates 90th birthday by skydiving

A lthough most people at the age of 90 tend to slow down, Aaron Rosloff had a completely opposite idea.

To celebrate his birthday on July 3, Rosloff decided to go skydiving for the first time. Inspired by a parasailing adventure over Acapulco 40 years ago, he said he was tired of waiting for an opportunity.

“I always wanted to do it. I’d rather do that than walk up a 6-foot ladder. It’s safer than standing on a ladder,” he said.

The Kendall Park resident first seriously considered skydiving in June 2009 when he visited Israel, but the then-88-year-old was told he would need a doctor’s note in order to jump out of a plane at 13,500 feet.

“In America, I was told all I need is money,” he said.

He visited a few airports across the state and settled on Freefall Adventures in Williamstown in Gloucester County, which would provide a snack bar facility for a birthday party to follow his jump. Though the weather that weekend didn’t look promising, the rain stopped and the clouds cleared in order for the plane to take off.

Accompanied by his friends Michael Weiss of Kendall Park, Hadas Elami of Middlesex, and Gary Bergman of North Brunswick, Rosloff attended a prejump class to learn the protocol of jumping out of a plane tandem to an instructor, who had taken 12,000 jumps thus far.

“It was a complete waste of time. The moment I left the plane I forgot everything,” he laughed.

The jumpers also had to sign pages and pages of contracts, Rosloff said, to give up any rights should something happen; other than that, there were no prohibitions about his age or health.

Once ready, Rosloff said he was not nervous or concerned at all. The freefall from the 120-mph moving Otter plane dropped him at 100 mph for about 3,000 feet, after which the following mile descent lasted about five minutes. With his arms crossed he spun around for a second or two until the jumpmaster released the stabilizer, at which point they coasted down through the air.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN GOTTESMAN Aaron Rosloff greatly enjoyed his first skydiving attempt on July 3, in honor of his 90th birthday. “The second that I jumped out the door I said to myself, ‘This is it,’ ” he said. “There was no more concern getting on the plane than getting on the subway.

“It’s a very exciting moment, looking down at the horizon and at people [waiting for you]. I’m pretty good with words but it’s very hard to describe it. You have to do it, you have to experience it.”

However, Rosloff said he felt cheated since the plane could only cruise at an altitude of 8,000 feet due to the cloud cover. So, his freefall from the airplane only lasted about 15 seconds. “But now that I’ve done it, now I’ll see what I can do next time,” he smiled.

Prior to his jump, Rosloff was introduced to Pico, whose father owned an AT6 airplane on-site. Rosloff, who was a crew chief for theAir Force during World War II, had mechanically maintained similar planes.

“When I climbed into thatAT6 … it was an emotional experience I would not have anticipated,” Rosloff said. “When I sat in the cockpit… it took me back 65 years as if it were yesterday.”

Yet the most gratifying part of the day, according to Rosloff, was the fundraiser he held for the South Brunswick Food Pantry. Good friends with coordinator LouAnn Wolfe and her husband John, he has always supported the food bank, either individually or through his Rejoice! Jewish festival each September.

With the help of Ben Gottesman, who designed the website www.aaronsjump.com, Rosloff has already received $2,000 in donations.

“If I had known my 90th birthday was so much fun, I would’ve done it long ago,” he smiled.

As for his next birthday, Rosloff said, “if I turn 91, that’s enough.”

Photographs and a video courtesy of Bobbi Binder and Gary Bergman can be viewed at www.BnaiTikvah.org. Under the “Giving” heading, look for Social Action/ Food Drive on the left side.

To make a donation to the Food Pantry, visit either website or mail a check to the South Brunswick Human Intervention Trust, P.O. Box 190, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852, Attn: Social Services, Memo: Aaron Rosloff.

For more information on the skydiving facility, visit www.FreeFallAdventures.com. Contact Jennifer Amato at jamato@gmnews.com.