Nearly two million people go skydiving each year in the US, but it’s still pretty rare to see a family-of-four take the plunge together.

That’s what Steve Thomson, the President of Mailboxes Unlimited, recently learned when he took part in the daring adventure with his ex-wife Norma, and two sons Nick, 21, and Kenny, 20.

They recently signed up to sky dive over Ithaca, upstate New York, while visiting schools in the area for son Nick, who plans to start a master’s degree programme.

Not only was it a special experience for the family, but the staff at the diving office were also excited about the feat.

Ms Thomson said: “The people at the place where we did it, I think it was called Sky Flyers, they were really interested that we were doing it together.

“They said ‘Let me take a photograph of you’, because they haven’t seen a whole family do it before. They have groups go, but not where it’s a mother, father and two sons.”

The Thomson’s were inspired to do the extreme sport as a family, seeing that Mr Thomson and his son, Nick, had already done it before.

Mr Thomson said: “I went skydiving ten years ago for the first time in Boulder City, Nevada, and my son who was at Florida State University he sky dived about a year ago in Florida.

“We both liked it and wanted to get the others in on the action.

“Norma is usually a chicken and doesn’t scuba dive or do anything with us, but she was determined to go skydiving this time and we joked about who would throw her out of the plane first.”

He said it was a great bonding experience for the family, who have remained close even after he and his ex-wife divorced.

“What was special about it is when we got out of the plane at 10,000 feet in the air and you free fall for 5,000 feet before the pilot pulls the parachute.

“We went skydiving in the [autumn] when the leaves are changing colour, so you are looking at all the season’s colours, orange, red and yellow.”

He described it as an “adrenalin rush” when you first step out of the plane.

And said the toughest part is when the pilot flings the door open and gives you the necessary instructions before you make the leap.

Mr Thomson said: “For me the best part is that the whole family did it. That is kind of cool, whether you play golf or go scuba diving, snorkelling or skiing, it’s really nice to do it together.”

He recommends for people to seize any opportunity that comes their way in life and said: “Whether in business of in anything you do it’s an opportunity and was something we considered safe.

“The percentage of people that get hurt skydiving is far less than the number of people that get hit by a car.”