This is the last jump of the day, and if i can land within 30M of the blue flags, will mean ALL of my B license paperwork boxes are ticked, and ill only need one more jump to comeplete everything needed for my B license, which also means i’ll be able to land on Swanseas Southern landing area 🙂

I slightly change my usual rolling exit this time, i dont even know why, but i started the roll out of the door further back in the plane, put my hands on the edge of the step, and launched myself, half upside down and half rolling, out of the door 🙂

After opening stable, did a few 360 turns, followed by a few backflips and some more 360s, before once again facing into the wind before deploying the canopy at 3,500 feet, and once again, found that i had quite a bot of ground to cover. I held into the wind untill i was past the landing area, then at 1000 feet, turned for the wind to take me, before turning back to be dead in line with the flags.

Looking at my ground speed, im not going to make the flags, so i pull down on my front risers, this gives me more forward penetration, but at the cost of height, so i leave them go after a few seconds, before working out my landing spot, then pull them down slightly again. Im now at around 300 feet, and unless i do something drastic, this looks like its going to be a good landing, bang on target. I give a little more pull on the front risers before at around 150 feet, see that im going to land right between the flags. I give it a little break, which pulls me backwards slightly, but, as i come in to land, and flare, im right between the 2 flags, which are only about 10M apart, YESSSSS!!!

Only one more jump now stands between me and my B licence, and landing on Swanseas southern landing area, hoping for good weather next weekend 🙂

After the last jump, manifested straight away, and pre-declared the landing (and said that EVERY jump i do today is a pre declared landing) and now i know how strong the wind is, and to get myself into the wind ASAP when safe to do so, im sure i can get it this time, the plan for the freefall is just to have fun, but this jumps about the canopy landing mainly. Im going to be first out, so i also get to once again have another go at spotting, then the all clear is given, and just as im about to roll out of the door, i get a helping hand for a bit of extra spin :). I hold the roll for a good 5 seconds, and open up, still loads of altitude, do a couple of backflips, and once again, the first one goes sideways, followed by a bit of tracking, a few more backflips, a bit more tracking, some 360s and then set myself facing into the wind, and deploy at 3,500 feet

Once again im into wind and the landing area is in front of me, so i stay pointing in the same direction for the whole descent, not turning once, riding into the wind all the way, untill im eventually past the landing area, at around 800 feet. I look back to the landing area, only slightly behind me, and make a turn, the wind catches me, and i turn nearly instantly back into the wind, with the landing area now below me, and hold into the wind, slowly dropping, this is going to be close to the pre declared landing area. I land, and turn and collapse the canopy, this is also a 230 compared to the 240 i jumped last time, so it took me a little firther forward than i expected, but, i get given the thumbs up, it was a successfull pre declared landing, YESSSS, only one more to go, but, i need 2 more jumps to get to 50, and im only able to get on one more jump today, and itll be the last lift…..

As i only need another 2 sucessfull pre declared landings, ive declared this one right from the start, even though its my first jump of the day, and looking at the canopies that were landing while im waiting to be manifested, it looks like the wind is quite constant.

Get eared up and ready to go, and make mental notes of the wind direction in relation to the sun, then we’re in the plane, and up in the air. I do my now normal rolling exit, and open stable after a single roll, i then flip over onto my back and keep that stable for a few seconds before flipping back over onto my front. A few backflips, even though the first one went very sideways, just for fun, followed by a few 360 turns, before deploying my canopy at 3,500 feet.

The canopy opens, but the slider is stuck over half way up the lines, and the end cells are closed, so i grab the steering toggles, and give a few good hard pulls, the end cells open, but the slider remains stuck where it is, and no amount of pumping the toggles is releasing it. The next thing through my mind is that im experiencing my first malfunction, so i let go of the steering toggles and check my altitude, im still above 3,000 feet, so have time and height to make a decision if im going to cut the canopy away or not, but as a last resort, i grab hold of the risers, and shake the life out of them and pull them about, and it works, the slider comes down the lines and they expand fully, but, during all of this, the wind has been behind me, and im now quite a distance from the landing area, at 2,800 feet, i turn towards the landing area, and ride into the wind all the way. I make it back to the landing area, but im around 50M short of the pre declared landing zone

Afterwards, while speaking to Tom who was on the ground watching, he said that if i had turned into the wind before trying to sort out the slider, i wouldnt have had as much ground to make up and would have landed within the declared zone, but, at the time, in my mind, sorting out the problem with the canopy had the top priority, even though i would have been able to turn, and then sort it out, but, this is another lesson learned so it was a successfull learning jump, even if it wasnt a successfull pre declared landing jump

This jump will make today the most jumps ive done in a day since being in spain, 6 jumps in a day, that means i now have a new record to beat 😀

The plan for this jump is another pre declared landing after edging my way closer, and to stay stable on my back for as long as possible, so I dive exit the plane, straight down, and turn onto my back, and stay there, keeping myself stable, and checking my altitude every few seconds. I turn back onto my front at around 5,000 feet, then deploy my canopy at 3,500 feet.

Like the last descent, i keep the landing area behind me and to my right, and i only turn right to catch the wind, then left back into the wind. After a few turns, ive lined myself up so im at around 800 feet, ready for my last turn with the flag about 500 yards behind me, and about 300 yards to my right. I turn right, so the wind takes me, keeping my eye on the flag (after checking for any other canopies around, and above, me), then when im in line with the flag, i turn left back into the wind. The flag is just in front of me, but nearly directly below me, I hold keeping into the wind, flare and land, and turn and collapse my canopy, and I’m about 20M past the flag 😀 its a successfull pre declared landing, on my last jump of the day.

I know itll be another 3 weeks untill i get the chance to jump all day again, as long as the weather allows, but, im now only 4 jumps and 2 more pre declared landings from meeting the requirements for my B license 🙂

After the last jump, this is going to be another pre declared landing, but the plan for the freefall itself is to just try different body positions, and keep myself stable. Im due to be second out again, with a group leaving before me, the group leave, and about 10 seconds later, so do I. I dive exit, and get stable, then slowly turn a full 360 degrees trying to spot the group who exited before me, with no success. I throw a few shapes just to see how my body reacts, and keep myself stable, whilst keeping aware of my altitude, and when im around 6,000 feet, start to see the canopies open of the group who exited before me, over to my left.

I open at 3,500 feet, to be greeted with one end of the canopy closed, and im starting to turn, i reach up, grab the steering toggles and give two good hard pulls, which makes the end pop open 🙂 and i head to my holding spot, which is quite a distance from the landing area, turn into the wind, and look straight down, and, im not really covering any ground at all. This tells me that for my final approach, i really need to be nearly above where i want to land. 2,000 feet, turn so the wind takes me closer to the landing area, and turn back into the wind, and once again, look straight down, not making much forward ground at all. 1,500 feet, another turn with the wind, then turn back, and look straight down, and the same again at just under 1000 feet. At 500 feet, i turn so the wind takes me and prepare to line myself up with the flag, turn back into the wind, and im a little further away than id like to be, so pull slightly on the front risers, and while this does get me further forward, it also drops my height a little faster, so at just under 200 feet, i ride it out the rest of the way in, and land about 40M from the flag, a good standing landing, before turning and collapsing my canopy.

Its another failed pre declared landing, but its also another jump closer to the 50 marker 🙂

For this jump, ive pre declared my landing, meaning i have to land within a 30M radius of the blue flag in the landing area. In the plane on the way up, i decide that ill just chill out with some 360 turns on the way down and concentrate on getting my landing on target, on the last jump i was just over 30M from the flag, so im confident i can get closer this time, for my 3rd of 5 pre declared landings on my paperwork.

As im right in the door, and will be second out, i ask Rob, whos an instructor, and the jumpmaster, if i could have a go at spotting, as on my last go, while i was successfull, there was more cloud about then there is today, he says ‘sure no problem’ and for me to tell him when we are directly over the dropzone. The door opens, my heads out, and a minute later, i give Rob a thumbs up, and he confirms 🙂 I move back to let the first group of jumpers out, and i follow shortly after.

In the door, i turn back into the plane, and just fall backwards, out of the door 😀 watch the plane vanish, before flipping over, and practising some turns, as well as de-arching, and arching hard to feel how my body feels in these different positions.

I pull at 3,500 feet, and turn straight into the wind. I hold my position untill around 2,000 feet, before turning and heading towards the landing area, then turn back into the wind, with the landing area behind me, and to my right. I look straight down, im moving forward, but only slowly so i turn again, then turn back into the wind directly over the landing area. Im now at 800 feet, with where i want to land below me and to my right, this is all going to plan perfectly. I turn right, get taken by the wind, and immediatley turn left, and am perfectly in line with the blue flag right in front of me, but, im not moving forward enough. I pull the brakes slightly to try and extend how far i’ll reach, but, as im going into the wind, this has the opposite affect, and actually blows me backwards, so i reach forward and gently pull the front risers a little. At about 150 feet, i know im not going to make my target as i simply dont have enough height left, so i keep heading towards the flag, and land about 45M from it. This is an unsuccessfull pre declared landing, but, it is a tick in the box for extending the range of the canopy using the front risers.

Theres now only 6 jumps and 3 pre declared landings between me and my B license 🙂

After the last jump, and after speaking with another jumper yesterday, Darren informs me that as I’ve never jumped with another skydiver since getting my A license, he’d like to be my first 😀

We go through how to exit the plane together, what to do immediatley after exiting, and plan to just fall together, with a few turns, just to see if i can stay level etc, excited much? YEP!!

20 minutes later when its time to board the plane, the plan has evolved slightly, me and Darren will now exit as planned, Seamus, a 3rd skydiver will exit right behind Darren, and a 4th skydiver, Adam, will film it all and take pictures, this just keeps getting better 😀

In the door, we exit as planned, but the smoothness of it wasnt quite as planned :p after a little bit of upside down and turning fun, we get stable, then i see Seamus to my right getting closer. I let go of Darren with one hand, and the 3 of us link up, we then all let go slowly, and stay pretty stable, or, should i say, they stay stable with me, as i notice them both making small movements so we all stay together.

The next thing i know, im hearing a warning beep in my ear, only a few seconds ago we were at 9,000 feet, i look at my alti, 5,000 feet, so i turn, and track away, as planned, and pull at 3,500 feet

Under canopy, i head for the holding area, and turn into the wind, and look straight down to see how fast im moving forward, not very fast at all, so i turn closer to the landing area a few times, before starting my final approach at 1000 feet, and after my final turn into the wind, im dead in line with the blue marker flag, and land approx 30M from it, before turning and collapsing my canopy.

This was the fastest skydive ive done, in my mind, as it all seemed over so fast, one thing that struck me though, afterwards, was how much i was actually unaware of my altitude throughout the dive. I checked my alti 3 times, 10,500 feet, 9,000 feet, and when my audible went at 5,000 feet, whereas i normally see every 1k feet pass on my alti where i check it so often, this is something i will have to get used to doing when with others, but, this jump has made me want to start some FS1 coaching, where im sure itll be drummed into me, but, a mega fun jump, and, my first non solo jump as well 🙂

For this jump, im back on a 240 canopy, as theres now quite a few club jumpers and students all using the hire kit. After speaking with another jumper, im going to try recommended different body positions, which when jumping with other people, will slow your fall, or speed it up. I roll out of the door, and get stable on my back and watch the plane move away, before flipping over, and trying these body positions, before deploying at 3,500 feet.

After my last landing approach, ive taken some advise, and also have a radio. My main error last time was i turned left, and lost sight of the landing flags, that wont be happening this time 😉 apart from being told to ensure i keep the landing area on my right, and turn to the right for my final approach, the radio was unused, this was a much closer landing, with flare maybe 2 seconds too early, but still a standing landing

Turn up nice an early again, and get manifested for lift #2 🙂 and, im jumping a 230 (hopefully) for the first time. So far, EVERY time ive had a 230 on my back, ive not jumped, ive come back down in the plane cos of cloud, been held back cos of wind a few times, and theres a possibility that the wind may stop me jumping this time as well, wearing a 230, im just waiting for something to happen………

Everything goes well, im on the plane, up in the air, green light, and out the door 😀

A downwards diving exit, before levelling out and some 360 turns, followed by a bit of tracking, before opening my canopy at 3,500 feet. The canopy opened, and seemed to dive forward, for a second or 2 it seemed like i was horizontal, but it levelled out, a few practise moves and flares, then head back to the holding area. I get there fast, and turn into the wind, at 1000 feet, i look at the arrow (on my right) which says a left circuit to land, so i turn to my left ready for my approach. By the time i complete my turn 360 degrees, i know ive messed something up, the cross and main landing area are now much further to my right than i thought theyd be, and also further away from me than intended. Holding on into the wind though, i still managed to land on the dropzone, just not as close to the flags as id hoped. A good standing landing though, and FINALLY, i jumped a 230 :p

Turned up nice and early at the dropzone, as the weather says that the winds will gradually get worse as the day goes on, but, even though the northern landing area was in use, and i was all kitted up to jump a 230 for the first time and ready for checks to get on the plane, a few of us were told that the winds were too high for us, so a jump limit and canopy limit was put in place. Helped out catching tandems in the hope that the winds would drop, but, by dinner time, all jumping was cancelled.

I asked about my JM1 paperwork, which was checked, and had the JM1 sticker added to my license 🙂

The weathers meant to be better tomorrow, so, fingers crossed that ill hopefully get some pre declared landings in, and every jump is closer to my B license 🙂