A lot of people flinch at the thought of climbing a ladder to change a light bulb, let alone jumping out of an aircraft at 4,000 metres. For non-acrophobes, skydiving is an addictive pastime that provides the nearest possible experience to flying like a bird.
SkyDive Dubai has had countless satisfied customers for its tandem parachute jumps over the Palm Jumeirah, but when Dick Corbit took the leap of faith on Wednesday it was a special occasion.
It was Mr Corbit's 86th birthday - making the Second World War US Navy veteran from Blanchard, Idaho the oldest client in the company's history. In fact, the previous record holder was a callow youth of 73.
And at the end of the experience, Mr Corbit - who also set up two of his four daughters for the fall - exclaimed: "Let's do it again, it was amazing." His only worry was whether his shorts had been stained by the grass when he landed.
The obvious message here is that you're never too old to achieve your dreams. That doesn't mean we should all take up extreme sports, but there are other, more achievable challenges - like summoning up the courage to change that light bulb.
