Via TED talks (“Ideas worth spreading”), Yves Rossy talks about flying as only he can:
TED is well-worth keeping an eye on for “Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world”. TED began as a conference bringing together people from Technology, Entertainment and Design. Occasionally, a politician speaks at their events: here’s Rory Stewart calling for an end to the war in Afghanistan.
Here’s the proof (I’m bottom right in the photo):
In the last year, I had only jumped 10 times: politics had simply consumed all my time. Eventually, I decided I had to keep on living, so I put in a short weekend’s jumping.
The country’s problems are huge. They were before I was an MP and they will be afterwards. In the meantime, now and then, I am going to keep making time to live.
I enjoyed two skydives at Weston on the Green this afternoon, in cloudless skies.
For the first, I floated out stable, looking up at the plane, before surveying from freefall the constituencies represented by John Howell MP and the Prime Minister. It’s a slightly flat landscape for my liking.
For the second, I exited sitfly before rolling onto my back. My transitions are still unstable and I back-flipped several times before spinning wildly upside down. Tunnel time required perhaps… I pulled high, 5500 ft, and enjoyed the view under canopy.
Not a bad way to relax – now to that email.
I have learned that the British Parachute Association‘s magazine, Skydive, is featuring me next month, including this photo:
There’s a rumour that I may be the first skydiving MP. I don’t know if it is true but, in any event, I wish I had more time for it.
The sky is looking particularly spectacular at the moment. Hey ho – perhaps next weekend…
Uploaded a new photoset to Flickr – Empuriabrava, Oct 2009:
Here’s another favourite – a well-formed 5-way formation, high above the canals of Empuriabrava:
Five-way assembling (click to enlarge)
Once the wind subsided, we had a great day. Eight jumps, knocked out as fast as possible: first an eight-way, then five-ways when three lads left for the airport.
More photos when I’m not behind a filter blocking flickr.
Skydive Empuriabrava occasionally suffers a phenomenon knows as the “Tramontana”: a strong wind from the mountains. It’s been blowing since we arrived on Wednesday but it is forecast to subside today or tomorrow.
In the meantime, this is as close as I’ll get to a skydive:
Skydive Tramontana
It’s still a great place to be and, with broadband available, I can get some work done. Maybe tomorrow…
Oh, and I recommend lunch here:
Just uploaded a few shots from Hibaldstow. Here’s the bus to 15,000 ft:
In the end, I made eleven jumps this weekend, seven yesterday and all good fun. Here I asked a tandem cameraman to shoot a solo exit:
Exit Steve
Originally uploaded by stevenjbaker
I find I must make way too much effort to match my fall rate to the average skydiver, particularly in big formations (which fall slower), so here goes the diet…
