A local organization that promotes fellowship among veterans will once again offer veterans the chance to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.
Heroes on the River will host its annual event from July 22-24 at the New Market Airport with skydiving expertise provided by Skydive Shenandoah.
The event is free for combat veterans, active-duty military members, and their families. Skydive Shenandoah provides instructions and orientation to participants.
What started out as a two-day event has expanded to three days with the goal of having 150 people jump out of a plane while strapped to a trained skydiver, Heroes on the River founder Adam Packham said.
Last year, about 60 participants jumped out of a small Cessna plane, but this year the organization hopes to use two larger planes to carry more people.
The extra day will also allow for more time to camp at the airport during the evenings, an aspect of the event that brought veterans closer together last…