THE WOMAN WHO FELL TO EARTH
"I travelled down to Auchterarder on Friday 9th July and stayed in a B&B. The next day I was up really early and got down to the field for our training session. The session lasted most of the day, and we were shown how to fold our parachute, how to leave the plane and how to land. The training was really thorough. The instructor went over it again and again to make sure that everybody had it precisely. There was seven people in my group and the guy was the kind of guy that makes sure that everybody has got it precise, and this isn’t just for himself but also for our own safety. They go into so much detail, not a thing is left out. We were then shown round the hangar, and shown the training room which also has a full size model plane inside for practice. We were shown how to put the gear on properly and how to land. Unfortunately, after the days training the weather conditions weren’t right, so we couldn’t jump that evening. I was so exhausted and sunburnt that evening that I slept really well." So started Roslyn Innes, Daredevil of Merkinch, on telling the News and Views, of her 10,000 feet leap for humankind, or at least jump for the Marie Curie Care Charity.
Roslyn, of Anderson Street, who was on her first plane journey ever, never mind that this was her first parachute jump, went on with her story:
"On the Sunday, I was up early again and we were given a briefing and a video to watch.
Then before I knew it, they said 'It’s You'. I couldn’t believe it was my turn! We had to put on our jumpsuits in the hangar and the harness and then we walked to the plane, I felt like running to it!
There were ten of us on the plane, I was the only one that had never done this before. Sitting on the plane I was really relaxed. Everyone was really nice. They were laughing and joking; it was really calm. The plane was so smooth. The only way I knew that I was up there was that everything was getting smaller. All I could hear was the sound of the engine. I was amazed that I didn’t feel nervous, but everything was so calm. I really enjoyed watching the clouds below us, the plane door was open, so I could see the clouds drifting by, and I could see the clouds down below us. Once the plane was at the right altitude, the pilot stopped and we stayed static for a while. He then went down into the correct height for jumping. You sit in order of when you are going to leave the plane. When you know that it’s your turn to go, you put on your hat and goggles - I started to laugh when I put the goggles on - then that was it, it was our turn. We waited for the word 'Go' and then we went!
I put my hands out and I was flying, all I could feel was the wind and I could hear the slight hum of the plane engine as it was getting further and further away. What an amazing feeling. The canopy goes up and everything goes quiet. Everything seems so still. It was a different sensation, it was just like 'WOW!' just totally fantastic and everything is so tottie. And then the fun really begins, we were twirling and nosediving, we went over to where we trained and waved at everybody on the ground. Then we got into position to land and before I knew it we had landed. It was over and done with too quick. I would have loved it to last longer. It was just fantastic, like PHEW!! I don’t know, it is so hard to explain. The feeling was indescribable."
Asked if she would do it again, Roslyn says "Oh you bet I’d do it again. I am a student at the Strathallan club and if I do another 5 jumps I will automatically became a fully fledged member, and be called a professional parachutist!" And what now for the Adventurer of Merkinch "Well, once I have completed my other jumps, I am hoping to become a self-freefall parachutist, which is falling solo through the air at 120 miles an hour. I think that would be fantastic." We can’t wait!!