The jump

It's rare that I put my life in danger for anything or anyone. The most daring thing that I have done in the past is probably ride a roller coaster which considering all the safety measures to which fairground owners must adhere is probably not all that dangerous.

This Saturday just gone however all that changed when I took part in a mass skydive at Langar airfield in Nottingham. The skydive was on behalf of and in aid of the National Hereditary Breast Cancer Helpline and we did it for two reasons; firstly to raise awareness that a number of NHS Primary Care Trusts around the country go directly against NICE guidelines that they should help fund this important service to the tune of £422 a year and secondly to cover the shortfall that these non payers leave. If you want to know more about the charity you can read about it here: http://www.breastcancergenetics.co.uk/

After arriving at the airfield late and dealing an awful lot of confused people I was instructed to wait. There was a lot of waiting. Eventually my name was called, I was introduced to Milko my tandem partner and I got all trashed up in my blue jumpsuit and strapping.

Before I knew it I was sitting backwards on the floor of the aeroplane with about ten other people and we were off. It took about fifteen minutes to climb up to 13,000 feet. We saw the airfield get smaller, Nottingham appear below us and finally the clouds were below us and the sun was shining brightly. The final minutes before the jump went by so very quickly. The aeroplane flattened off and the engine became very quiet. The door was slid open, we were washed with very cold air and the plane was filled with bright sunlight. Within seconds my flying companions were moving towards the back of the compartment and two by two dropping out into the sky below. This was when it struck me that i was about to do the same. I was the last to jump. Milko and I moved to the edge of the opening, I wrapped my legs under the aeroplane, waved at the camera man and we fell out into nothingness.

Freefalling for the first time was shocking. For forty five breath taking seconds we fell at 130 miles per hour through blue, through clouds and towards the fields below.

Before I knew it Milko had pulled the cord and the parachute opened. We slowed with a sudden jerk and we were hanging in the air. After adjusting the straps and adjusting my sinuses with a quick nose blow I started to regain a sense of being conscious of my surroundings. It took about four minutes to float back down to the ground where we landed with a bit of a stumble.

It took me the best part of an hour to feel normal again - for the travel sickness to ease and for me to begin piecing the whole experience together. The further away from the jump I get the more exciting it seems.

It's taken me five days to say with conviction - yes, I would do it again.

Want to watch it? Here you go - Skydive