AFF level 5: Sat 31 Aug 2013

Solo dive exit with Paul so *meet Lucille*, he says. I have a weight belt with 12lbs in it!  Need to remember to keep arms out to stabilise as per practice on the creepers with Fletch after level 4 (don’t pull them in to try and turn) and also to hard arch.  Advice from Paul is to be brave and push my body slightly out of the plane. Right arm outside door, leaning back against plane, then push myself out to present my chest to the wind. My canopy is now a Navigator 260 so finally dropped down a size so maybe I’ll manage to head into wind a bit better.  We’ll see!

 

So, I ignore the door monster as usual by focusing purely on the exit. It’s going to be hard to push myself out into the wind but Paul is there, so I won’t be on my own.  Feels a bit weird not to have him holding onto me but no worse than any of the other insane moments when I have thrown myself out.  Like, all 4 of them, lol! 

Check-out – OK. Out – in – out – hard arch. Feels exactly the same as before, a bit easier with no-one pulling on me actually. The weight belt definitely helps with the arch, it’s pulling my hips right down and I’m stable and coming round to the left to my heading.  A few minor adjustments to stay on course, then Paul is there and I’m attempting to do some turns and stop them.  First one way, then the other.  Much better after the practice with Fletch but the time still runs out too quickly.  I shake my head “no more” at 7000’ and lock on at 6000’. 

My landing was slightly off (have now done 3 of the ploughed areas around the grassy landing area, lol) but not by much. Flared at right time but a little too fast so a slight roll on landing.

Awesome day – 4 levels completed – what a result!!

Don’t think I want to know what tomorrow has in store, it’s definitely beer o’clock!

We went out for dinner to one of the pubs in the village and had bubbles to celebrate, with a fabulous meal.  I was so exhausted I kept keeling over against the wall and practically falling asleep.  Was back in our tent with a heat pad on my aching back, crashed out cold before 10pm so Rich went off to the fire pit to have a few beers with the gang :-)