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So when they suggested their father, Gerald Paradoski, take a flying leap on his 70th birthday, they really weren't kidding.

"It's always been his dream to learn how to skydive," VanConant said. "I'm not sure why, but that's what he told my sister."

Paradoski's gift at his June 21 surprise birthday party was a parachute jump out of a plane at Tecumseh Airport.

His response: "It's about time!"

A self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie, Paradoski, of Worth Township, said skydiving had been on his "bucket list" all of his life.

"When I was in the service, I wanted to join the airborne," said the retired longtime owner of Brothers Tire in Croswell, "but I would have to have stayed in for another year. "I've always wanted to do it because, for one thing, I've never done it. For another thing, my dad wanted to - and never did. I admired my dad, and I guess it's a rivalry thing."

Paradoski's dad, Cas Paradoski, a Carsonville farmer, died at 91.

"He was tough, rough and loveable, but he was mean, too. He only told you once to do something, because if he told you twice, you'd wished he hadn't," said Paradoski, who now works as sales manager for Watson Builders in Lexington.

On the date of Paradoski's real birthday -- July 13 -- eleven family members crowded into two vans and headed down to Tecumseh Airport, located in the middle of a cornfield half an hour north of Monroe.

"It's this little rinky-dink airport next to a flea market," VanConant said.

Wife Judy had reservations. "I was nervous. I was quiet that day," she admitted.

Their trepidation increased as they neared their destination.

"The entrance looked like an alley. It was kind of scary," VanConant said. "I'm wondering what is dad thinking?"

When they arrived, a sign triumphantly proclaimed the airport to be "The Home of the Flying Hellfish."

"The pilot looked like he was about eighteen and had earrings and a 'do rag' on," VanConant said. "They looked like surfer dudes to me!"

Why Tecumseh?

Tecumseh Airport has the longest running drop zone in the state, the largest skydiving plane and the most up to date equipment.

Paradoski's youngest daughter Katherine Calamita won a skydiving session there at an auction fundraiser for the Darren McCarty Cancer Foundation. She never took up the challenge - but remembered the place when her dad confessed his interest.

"He had mentioned to her that he wanted to do it," VanConant said. "I was scared about it. But she said, 'This is his seventieth, this is something he wants to do. Let's do it for his birthday.'"

As for the Flying Hellfish, "that's just a sideline thing, a fun thing," said Bob Harris, airport employee, skydiver and freefall photographer. "It's an informal group that travels around and meets at different skydiving events."

The Paradoski clan arrived at 11 a.m.

Paradoski's "lesson" consisted of watching a video and five minutes of instruction. Then they made him sign a waiver saying he wouldn't blame anybody if something went wrong, VanConant said.

Then came a whole day of waiting because the wind wouldn't cooperate until 6:30 p.m.

Food runs had to be made to local burger joints and pizza parlors.

"But you know, we had the best day ever," VanConant said. "The family was all together and we just hung out all day."

Paradoski was to jump in tandem with an experienced skydiver named Pete Lutz.

Also going up were four other new jumpers, including a woman who was 68 years old.

"I loved it," Paradoski said. "You're in front, he's behind. You look out and think 'What am I doing here?' That's probably the scariest part - standing at the plane door and looking out. The next thing you know, you're freefalling.

"He pulled the cord at five thousand feet and the little chute came out. When the big chute comes out you stop dead in the air and then you're just floating down.

"When you're falling into the wind, it sounds like a hurricane. But when you're going with the wind, it's dead silent."

The family was as thrilled and relieved as their dad when he landed safely on the ground.

"I'm glad I did it, and I want to do it again when I'm eighty - like George Bush senior did," Paradoski said. "Better yet, I'll jump when I'm eighty-one. That'll make me one better than him."

The family is willing to accommodate this plan.

"Except next time we go back, we'll be more prepared," VanConant said. "We'll take a picnic lunch."