What goes up...
On the 22nd August 2021 our brave co-founder Colin was part of a group raising over £7500 for KEMP hospice by jumping out a plane at 12,000ft.
This is his story.
When we arrived at Hinton Airfield, near Banbury just after noon, the clouds were holding steady over the airstrip and during signing in the outcome didn't look good for being able to make the jump that day - apparently people booked in that morning were still waiting and despite two breaks in the clouds they weren't sufficient to get the plane up and the people out. Most of the morning folks had re-booked for another time, but since we were here we might as well stay for the safety briefing.
The instructor Steve took the safety briefing inside the hangar and went through what was going to happen and assured us it would be great and as easy as falling off a log.
A very tall log.
After the safety briefing we went back outside and stared at the clouds.
In what seemed like not too much time at all there was a hint of blue sky.
'Noble to the manifest hut...'
A list of names crackled over the tanoy and we were assembled and harnesses attached. I was paired with Steve who took no time at all to inform me that he wanted to do things a little differently to the safety briefing... that's all fine by me as long as we're still taking the parachute.
The plane taxied into position and we all piled in.
It was cramped inside - at least 10 people wedged inside some students, instructors and tandem jumpers. Steve hooked himself up to me and then clipped into a small clip on the side of the plane which he joyfully referred to as the safety belt which we'll unhook at however many thousand feet and if anything goes wrong after that, well, we'll use the parachute.
The plane took off and I was educated on what 'crabbing' was as the plane went sideways. Buffeted around the plane circled and climbed. Circled and climbed.
I'm not keen on flying even when it's business class.
A red light came on.
Then an amber light.
Then green as the roller shutter came up and then people started disappearing out the door at 12000ft.
The wind wasn't too loud, the temperature was reasonable - the jumpers before me were a student and two instructors - one instructor appeared to be standing outside the plane as the student went through her checks.
" In. Out. In. Ouuuut..."
And then they were gone and Steve propelled me to the exit.
Steve was still in the plane as I dangled outside. Head back legs tucked under the fuselage and off we go...
Before we took off I thought I'd have a go at recording this event on my Garmin watch.
I think from the Heart Rate it might be just about possible to identify when we exited the aircraft...
The initial stomach lurch subsides quickly to warm wind rushing in your face and a vista of clouds and fields.
About forty seconds of freefall - but it's over so quickly and Steve's pulled the 'chute. It takes about 1000ft for the parachute to open... that's about 5 secs and then you've gone from approximately 120mph to 20mph and experienced about 3Gs...
Floating among the clouds is serene.
Now Steve and I can hold a conversation and he explains the dangers to aeroplanes of flying through clouds as they are disorientating. He then steers us into a cloud to demonstrate. Everything is light grey, quiet and now I have no sense of where I am or how high we are...
We exited the cloud and floated down to earth - I had a go at steering but we'll leave that to the experts.
The ground rushes up and then we touch down. It's over but the adrenaline is still pumping and I can't stop smiling.
I've chosen to raise money for KEMP Hospice, the only hospice in the Wyre Forest area as they provide a much needed service. The bereavement support is a fantastic service in maintaining wellbeing and mental health which are the areas our business Human Everything is a huge advocate of.
