Not a cloud in the sky, and ice on the ground, but having not jumped for 7 weeks, the colds not going to stop me. Ive got new winter gloves to try out, a new (2nd hand) audible altimeter to try out, and most of my B license paperwork is done, I only need ‘Spotting’ and my canopy control sorted, and jump numbers. Im only here for the morning, so have to get at least one jump in. Im manifested for the 2nd lift, the plan for the jump, some somersaults, backflips, turns, and hope the audible doesnt scare the crap out of me when it starts beeping. I now open my canopy at 3,500 feet, so I’ve set it to go off first at 4,500, again at 3,500, and the emergency alarm at 2,500. Get all kitted up, and im going to be one of the last solo jumpers out of the plane, so I wont get my go at Spotting this time round, but theres plenty of time.

In the plane on the climb up, I was a lot more relaxed than I normally am, I dont know if this was the extra thermal layers I was wearing stopping me from getting the shivers that I normally get. We get to 12,500 feet, and the door opens, and a few jump, and im heading for the door, BANG! theres the feeling, I knew it was there somewhere, 5 seconds later, and im pointed out, and dive out of the door, curling into a somersault as i go. After a few spins, somehow manage to turn the front flips into backflips, before stretching out and stabilising. Do a few practice pulls, some 360 turns and a couple more backflips, before pulling at 3,500 feet.

As the canopy opens, and i begin to slow down, i hear my alti beeping in my ear, id forgotten all about it, and didnt hear ANYTHING at 4,500 feet, yet when i tested it before fitting it into my helmet, right behind my ear, it nearly blew the side of my head off. The canopy opened smoothly, so i now try a ‘Rear riser turn as an avoidance manoeuvre’ this is where you grab one of the risers that connect your harness to the canopy, and pull it towards you, causing a fast and hard sideways turn, thats another signature on my paperwork 🙂 I head towards the landing area, and circle around for a bit, before making my final approach. I misjudged it with the wind, and landed about 30M further from the landing area than id hoped to, but, this is still a LOT better than some of my first landings, a few hundered yards off target, as i come to land, i flare just right, and do a perfect ‘step’ onto the ground landing 🙂

Back in the building, i remove my audible alti from my helmet, and turn the screen on, and its logged my exit altitude, opening altitude and other information, so that all works, and, my hands are not numb, so the gloved worked well too 🙂

Another jump, and another signature on my paperwork towards me getting a B license.