Update: On the 19th April 2015 Carol successfully completed a Tandem Skydive from 11,000 feet (1,000 feet higher than originally planned), from the Black Knights Parachute Centre. One challenge down, two to go.
The first of my 10,000 feet challenges is a Tandem Skydive. I will be jumping, weather permitting, in April 2015 from a centre near Lancaster.
The British Parachute Association describes this type of jump as follows:
Tandem parachuting offers a quick and easy introduction to free-fall using a dual harness system. You are securely attached to an experienced tandem instructor who takes charge of vital functions such as opening the parachute and landing safely. Weather permitting, you will exit the aircraft from around 10,000 feet, experiencing 30 seconds of freefall, which is quite a rush! At 5,000 feet, the instructor deploys a huge ram-air parachute designed for two. You can have your choice of a gentle or thrilling flight to the ground, where you should have a soft landing.
I don’t know about you but when I read this my heart starts racing. I know that I don’t have to do any physical training for this challenge, as gravity does the work for me, but I might need to psych myself up to actually exit the aeroplane. 10,000 feet is a long way up, and I’m not all that great with heights. For example, I have never managed to psych myself up enough to jump off those high diving boards that you get in holiday water parks. But I’m very excited about experiencing the thrill of free-falling at around 115 mph. I just hope I don’t black-out!
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Carol's 10,000 feet Triple Challenge 