Well, D-day has passed and on Sunday we jumped out of a plane in aid of PACE.  We were rained off on Saturday, so another early morning was had on Sunday to try again. 

There was a vast improvement in the weather on Sunday and were told that we were good to go, the clouds were disappearing and blue sky was coming through.

We had seen 1 flight go up on Saturday morning before the rain set in and this helped to allay any fears in the landing side of things.

At 11.00am our flight was announced, so we made our way to the hangar to get kitted out in jump suits and harnesses (and silly hats!!).  We met our instructors Ricky (Jane) & Alf (Adi), who would be attached to our backs and controlling everything as we are hurtling through the sky at speeds upwards of 120mph in freefall! Ricky was great at keeping my nerves at bay and taking the fear away. We flew up to 12000 ft (2¼  miles) and then the big moment came when we had no choice but to leap! We were in freefall for about 30-40 seconds but it was quite surreal in the fact that you didn’t feel like you were falling (I know it sounds weird).  Once the canopy was deployed, it went from being very noisy to being completely silent and were then able to have a normal conversation. The views were incredible and were able to see for miles around. We floated around for a while and after about 5 minutes we came in to land.  The landing was very gentle and easy, there was a sigh of relief in being back on the ground in one piece!  Jane was the last one to land from our plane and the grins on our faces told a story of elation, adrenaline and desire to go back up there and do it again.

It was the most amazing experience and will be doing it again next year!

 

We are raising money for a local charity called PACE. 

PACE is a wonderful charity, based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, which transforms the lives of children aged 6 months and above, with physical disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy. For this event, we will be raising money for “The First Steps Fund” which supports early years children, up to 4 years of age. PACE is in its 20th year and we will be helping them to reach more children and their plans to provide bigger and better facilities.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

We would appreciate any support you can give. It will truly be appreciated.

Many thanks

Jane & Adi