So many tandems again after this bad weather… Brucie squeezed me in with some students and a single tandem, but one jump was my ration for the day.
Front loop exit at 10 000 ft to stable in box position. Practice pull on a new rig – 210 sq ft from the usual 280 – then into mantis.
Knee turns left and right – much easier than in the the tunnel – then entered cloud at 7000 ft. Locked onto altimeter for safety and tried to stay on heading. Emerged from cloud at about 5500 ft. Turned and moved forward to miss the next cloud, shooting down its side.
Locked on at 4000 ft and pulled at 3500 on heading. Stupidly reached for the risers during deployment, catching the right riser and giving it a tug. This is initiated a stable but rapid turn, throwing me out to the horizontal, so initially I thought I had a malfunction, probably a line over or a released brake.
Examined the canopy while in the turn and found it ok. Picked up the brakes and stabilised heading into wind. Turns left and right and practice flares to prove the canopy all complete by 2500′: safe as houses (!).
A really lively canopy with my weight under it. Fast turns, quick to flare, quick to accelerate again. Flew a reasonable 800/500/300 circuit to land slightly off the wind to the right. I was reluctant to turn low on this canopy so I prepared to thump in sideways. In the event, the flare was good and I just stumbled onto my knees, christening my new suit 🙂
Picked up a validating signature from a Red Devil who instructs at the DZ and Supermoto’d home to pack for Wildwind.
I don’t know: the glamour is endless.
