A new thrill experience

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 41, 3 April 1984, Page 7

A new thrill experience

Several 'daring young men' got a 'bit of a buzz' • hen, for the first time in eir lives, they took a deep breath and jumped out of an aircraft from an altitude of 3,000 feet. But this was no sudden and foolhardy urge to 'make like a bird' ... it was a calculated action for which they had been practising and were well prepared for. Of course the parachute helped too! This new thrill scene took place two weekend's ago over Selwyn Ward's Raetihi airstrip when about a dozen people gathered to participate in - this breathtaking sport while others came to watch them from the ground as they made their leaps from 3,000 ft (850m) above. •The occasion was a visit to I Waimarino bv the Central Parachute School in Palmerston - North. Pilot Mike Foley flew a Cessna 1 72 belonging to John Plank up the Raetihi airstrip where he was joined 'by the Central Parachute School's jump-

master, Kevin Cottrell, of Palmerston North. On Saturday the intending jumpers attended a series of lectures, were shown the parachute equipment and were given a demonstration of technique before practising themselves using a static harness suspended from a beam in the Waimarino Gliding Club's clubhouse. Then it was the real thing ... the B1G jump. In teams of four — pilot, jumpmaster and two jumpers — they clambered aboard the Cessna and took to the air, climbing to 3,000 ft over the drop zone. It was Kevin CotrelPs decision, as jumpmaster, to pick the most favourable

time to give the order to jump and to ensure a safe exit from the aircraft. Each jumper exited separately and the aircraft then completed another short circuit to position itself for the next jumper. Kevin Cotrell jumped last each time so that he eould be on the ground before the aircraft landed to prepare and check the next two jumpers. Those who jumped for the first time were John Vlaanderen, Michael Wilson, Russell Edge, Robert Milne, Kohler Ulrich and Simeon Moss all of Ohakune, John Cawdron of Karioi and Ian Campbell of Taihape. The Central Parachute School plan to visit the Waimarino again in a month's time.