Trim and Grin
It was 46 sq. ft, before, I, or should I say my mother trimmed it down to 30
sq. ft.
OK the morning of the drop, with my prototype (Icarus EXTreme VX 30).
The pilot refused to take me at first, said he disagreed with assisted euthanasia, told him I was kidding about the size of the canopy, OK he said in you get. (wink).
Luckily the jump-master had his foot on my shoelace, otherwise I would have been out over Sheffield, nerves I guess, just can't wait to ride this little baby.
Jump signal go. "One thousand, two thousand, three thousand". Come on he said OUT.
The reason I'm a little nervous sir, is I'm jumping on a thirty square footer. You love a laugh Ground Diver he said pushing me out.
"One thousand, two thousand, three thousand".
DEPLOY.
CHECK, jeepers no arresting sensation, I'm still doing about 70mph. seriously thinking about using the reserve here.
At 200 feet pull hard down on the toggles it said on the destructions. Hell fire what a swoop, I have climbed back to drop altitude.
After 19 of the above manoeuvres, I decided, I cant land this thing safely. Quite a crowd has gathered on the DZ.
I'm going to have to use the reserve, OK top of the swoop, cut away. Pull reserve. "oh for f**k sake NO"
You know the reserve is usually smaller than the main, well the same applies to the Icarus EXTreme VX 46.
I decided to land an arse burner,
260ft of Zoysia- drought tolerant later, I stood up to a thunderous round of applause, for some reason one jump suit leg had turned orange.
It was five weeks before the windsock was renewed.