Not really enthusiastic about this jump but hopefully it’s
the final one and then I will qualify.
And then I will see where to go from there. Not happy about the winds – we have a rare
occurrence of wind shear, with the wind changing direction at 5,000’ so we’re
going to be put out of the plane in what from the ground appears to be
completely the wrong place. I get
several wind briefings, just to make sure I know what I am supposed to be
doing. Chris M’s advice is to pull a bit
higher than normal if I’m not comfortable, so I decide I’ll probably pull at
5,000’. People are landing off all over
the place so the jump run has been changed a couple of times – probably won’t
make that much difference to me, I’ll do my usual trick of hovering in the
holding area and then I should be under normal wind conditions.
Totally non-eventful jump.
Not even particularly nervous, just wanting to get it over with. A tick in the box. And hopefully a reasonable landing. Free fall went fine, usual stuff of doing a
few turns, a quick track, some attempts at side slides, one of which made me
wobble a lot so I obviously did something a bit odd with an arm or leg. Was weird going in the opposite direction to
the wind sock but I had expected that from the multiple wind briefings, so it
was more of an observation than anything else.
Pulled at 5000 and did my usual canopy checks, got to the
holding area without any problems and tried to determine a respectable landing
pattern that might avoid yet another talking-to. And it worked, to a point. I didn’t land where I wanted to but it was on
my feet and I didn’t mess anything up.
Feeling very deflated even though it’s only late morning. Had a go at front riser turns and ended up
doing pull ups. I don’t think the canopy
even noticed! Found out later that
student rigs are loaded differently to other rigs so it’s unlikely I will be
able to do anything with the front risers, despite Chris’s declaration that I
should be able to make turns on them before downsizing a canopy.
Back at manifest after dropping off my rig, and I learn that
the winds have picked up a little and are still quite flukey, so students are
on weather hold. But that doesn’t
include me. Chris tells me to complete
my paperwork for my CH1 and my A licence application form and then I can
continue to jump as a qualified jumper, as I am no longer a student. I didn’t know I needed passport sized photos
for the application, so I end up traipsing off to the nearest service station
to find a photo booth. I completed my
CH1 exam last week and brought it with me, so all that is left is to hand
everything over with my card details (£15 admin fee) and my application will be
sent off for me on Monday. Such a
bitter-sweet moment. I’ve done it, I’ve
passed and I’m quite pleased with myself for sticking with it, but don’t feel
any real joy in the achievement. Too
many emotions churning around, along with the knowledge that my landings are
far from the standard I would have hoped for by now, so I drift back out into
the sunshine without bothering to manifest.
And other people start asking “How did it go? Did you get
your CH1 signed off? Are you qualified now?” and it starts to feel a little
more real. I smile and tell them yes, I
now have my A licence, though I stop short at calling myself a skydiver. I don’t feel like a skydiver, I make too many
mistakes and get lots of ‘review sessions’ from the instructors. I don’t feel confident in my ability to land in
the right place and I don’t feel comfortable that I will know when to get out
of the plane when there is no-one to despatch me.
Chris has told me to get myself a hook knife as I should
wear one now that I am qualified, though apparently I’m only to use it as a
very last resort, for a line-over on a reserve.
If I get a line-over on a main, I should cut-away as previously
instructed. Rich has bought one for me
as a ‘well done’ present but I have very mixed feelings as I take it from
him. I am not at all certain that I will
continue, I definitely don’t want to jump in conditions that are not considered
ok for students, especially on my bus of a student parachute. So I feel at a bit of a loss.
A call comes out for catchers to help with landing tandems
so I go to assist and that turns out to be pretty easy and a lot of fun. A chance for some camaraderie and some
gratitude from the tandem instructors, and a different perspective of the
landing field. I realise that this is
the first time I have ever stood here without a harness on – I have never
watched landings from the landing area itself, only from the other side of the runway.
The day passes and I get more congratulations from people as
time goes on, but I feel a bit of a fraud, smiling and joking with them
all. I have no intention of jumping
again today, I’m really not in the right mindset. I buy beers later and try to ignore all the
comments about how I need to start on my FS1 coaching jumps straight away. I am forever under scrutiny for my landings,
there’s no way I’m about to put myself under the cosh for my free fall
too!! Next step will be CH2, if I
continue – solo jumps with the sky to myself, and learning how to land
consistently. 
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