On Sunday June 16th, Margaret Baker (SI Bolton and Vice President of the region) and Victoria Smerdon (SI Widnes and President Elect of the region) took to the skies to do a sponsored skydive for the North West Air Ambulance.
Margaret writes:
At 15,000 feet the earth is a beautiful place and from the inside of a perfectly good aeroplane is a sensible place from which to view it. The plane will turn soon and return safely to earth, descending slowly and gracefully to the runway so far below, so to sit back and enjoy it would be a very good idea.
Then again, one could open the door and jump out; freefall 10,000 feet at 125mph and open a parachute at 5,000feet to float gently down to the ground.
Sounded good to me.
How does one describe that? The instant of falling from the plane, the point of no return, the rush of air, its strength and power, far stronger than you. You are alone in your own strange, alien world, invisible to those on the ground so far below and all you can do is lose yourself in the experience.
The rush, all too soon, gives way to a more gentle descent with the parachute opened, control is returned as our known world approaches. The ground becomes familiar, the antlike beings become recognisable and the landing field approaches at an alarming speed. Feet up (or else!) for a gentle slide on your bottom to a halt. (Well that’s the theory.)
Then the realisation and glance skywards– did I really just do that?
“What was it like?” “Were you scared?””What did you think as you sat in the doorway of the plane?” “What did you feel on the way down?” “What was the freefall like?”
Well – why not try it for yourself and see!
