Feb 28

Jump 157, Solo

After yesterdays cold clouds, today its a lot nicer, but still cold. Im only here for one late afternoon jump, and to see if i can get a bit more stable in my slight head down tracking position.

We get to 12,500 feet, and im out first, again, to dive straight out and away from the plane, but once again fail to hold the position and fall over. I try a few times, before getting stable, then deploying my pilot chute at 3,500 feet, and having a nice uneventfull landing

Feb 27

Jump 156, Cold Solo

Its a bit chilly on the ground, but nothing that a few thermal layers cant fix. I know the coldest part will be sat in the plane on the way up, as ill be near the door. On the way up, we go through some broken cloud at around 6000 feet and above it, lovely blue skys, and when youre in the sun, its nice, when youre not, its cold due to the wind.

We approach 12,000 feet, the lights on and the doors open, and ill be first out. I dive out onto my back, watch the plane go, then turn and track away from the plane, into a slight head down position, but, i cant hold it and flip over, so i try again, a few times.

Approaching 700 feet, and hit some cloud, and its instantly freezing cold. My hands freeze, my lungs are cold, my legs are cold, everything is freezing cold, in an instant, painfully cold. Watching the altimeter, 6000, through the cloud now,5500, beeping from the audible altimeter in my helmet 5000, 4500, 4000 feet, more beeping, 3500, wave off and deploy my pilot chute.

My canopy opens, and within a few seconds my helmets visor has completely misted up, so i pop it open, my hands are painfully numb, but, i collapse my slider (which i have only recently started doing) and get some hard turns in to try and get down faster, out of this cold air.

Un uneventfull landing, where everyone said the same thing. Everyone who went through cloud, froze instantly. Everyone who opened under the cloud level, noticed how much colder it was by the time they had landed

Feb 13

Jump 155 Solo

Diving exit and roll onto back, before flipping back over and going into a steep track, and holding the position for nearly 10 seconds. A few turns and a bit more diving before deploying at 3500 feet and a pretty uneventfull landing