He set a record when he became India’s first BASE (building, antenna, span and earth) jumper, plunging from a 450-ft tower in Delhi four years ago. Today, a wing-suit flyer and professional skydiving instructor, this former army man continues to defy gravity, as he periodically jumps off iconic structures like the KL Tower in Malaysia, the Perrine Bridge and the Grand Canyon in the U.S. and the TV tower in Delhi.
Trained in Kuala Lumpur, Lt. Col. Satyendra Verma, a native of Meerut, began BASE jumping as a natural progression from skydiving, something he had been doing after he left the Indian Army. “It was a way to test my confidence. It is usually done by experienced skydivers. In skydiving, you usually have two parachutes that are controlled by a device which opens the chute in case the diver fails to do so at the right time. In BASE jumping, though, the height is much lower, hence the reaction time is less; also you carry just one parachute,” he explains, adding, “Everything depends on your preparation.” Satyendra Verma was recently recognised for his achievements by Mountain Dew in their ‘Naam Bante Hain Risk Se’ campaign.
As a skydiving instructor Satyendra, says he used to enjoy the thrill experienced by his students. I went to Malaysia in 2009 to train in BASE jumping. I learnt to pack the parachute according to the height and plan the descent according to the ground conditions.” Satyendra feels BASE jumping has taught him to react quickly to different situations. The daredevil, who undertakes at least 10 jumps abroad every year, says that it is hard to get permission for such feats in India. “Some of my most memorable acts have been the first one in Malaysia, followed by the jump in India. I sometimes freelance at camps in India, and one day hope to set up a skydiving institute,” he says. For now, though, Satyendra has several buildings on his list and some Himalayan cliffs too.
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