HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1978-08-17, Page 17imes-Advocate
Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 second section /
August 17, 1978
Faith in cloth and strings
must for area parachutists
1
LANDING ON TARGET — Wes Marshall, an experienced
jumper, makes a last minute steering adjustment before lan
ding on target at the Grand Bend Parachute Club landing
field.T-A photo
r
■/
in between.
“When you jump you start
counting arch thousand,
two thousand, three
thousand, four thousand, and
check. You then look over
your shoulder and if you
don’t see anything up there,
you won’t. You then deploy
your emergency chute,” Bob
Wright tells his Saturday
class of beginners in this
matter-of-fact manner.
The idea of leaping out of a
plane with only cloth and
strings for protection doesn’t
seem to bother the student
jumpers.
“I’m not nervous, I’m
excited,” said Bob White,
London, before his first
jump. “I can’t wait to do it. It
is something I always
wanted to do.”
Student jumpers use what
is called a static line for their
first few jumps. The line
releases the parachute
Jumping out of a plane at
3,000 feet may not be
everyone’s idea of a
Saturday afternoon’s en
tertainment, but the activity
is catching on in the Grand
Bend area.
The Grand Bend Sport
Parachute Club has trained
70 people since the
parachute season started in
April, They expect to be even
busier in the fall.
The cost for the thrill of
jumping from a plane over
the Grand Bend area is $75
for the first jump. Those who
want to try it a second time
only have to pay $12.
The first jump fee includes
a $50,000 insurance policy to
cover any damage a
parachuter might cause
when he hits the ground, or
some more valuable object.
It also covers the mem
bership fee for the Canadian
sport parachute association,
equipment rental, in
struction, and the plane ride.
Once a person owns his own
equipment the cost is cut to
$2 a jump.
But before anyone takes
the first lunge that person is
'given a five-hour theory
course and two hours of
ground practise. The course,
taught by experienced
jumper Bob,Wright, covers
everything from how to get
out of the plane safely to how
to get back on the ground,
and everything you should do
Staffa folk
enjoy play
By MRS. J. TEMPLEMAN
Staffa Womens Institute
members, their husbands
and friends, attended the
production of “Oklahoma!”,
Wednesday evening at the i
Huron Country Playhouse.I
Mr. & Mrs. Tom Scott are |
holidaying in the Western
provinces.
Miss Darlene Templeman
accompanied, Mr. and Mrs.
Jim Neilson, Stratford, on a
trip to Ottawa last week end.
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Maver,
Exeter visited recently with
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Miller.
Barbara Templeman is
holidaying for a few days
with the Martyn girls,
Russeldale.
automatically when they
jump so their only concern is
exiting the plane properly
and getting into the proper
position. More experienced
jumpers free fal£ and then
pull a ripcord to release their
chute.
The parachute student
jumpers use allows them to
travel forward at five miles
per hour. They can change
directions by pulling on one
of two cords which turns the
parachute either right or
left. The cords,, known as
risers, adjust panels in the
back of the chute to cause the
turning motion.
Every jumper has two
chutes strapped to him. The
back chute is the regular one
used in the jump, and the
front chute is used for
emergencies. If a jumper
counts to the check point and
there is no tug from the chute
then he is in trouble.
If the chute totally
malfunctions, the
parachuter from a 3,000 foot
jump only has 15 seconds
before he hits the ground. By
the time his count is done, he
has only ten seconds left and
can’t waste any time opening
his emergency chute. If
everything runs properly
they hve a 2’/2 minute ride.
Although there is an in
creasing number of people
trying the sport, not many of
the jumpers stay with it very
long.
“The vast majority of
people don’t stay with it. On
the average they have one
jump and quit. They just
want to experience it once,”
said Bob Wright.
One of those who came
back for a second jump was
Kelsey Lawson, London.
“I didn’t feel apprehensive
before my first jump. I felt
secure with the training they
had given me,” he said.
Lawson said he didn’t have
time to be scared on the way
down.
“There are so many things
you have to do and
remember that you don’t
have time to think about it
until you are back on the
ground.”
Recently the Grand Bend
Club equipped their jumpers
with radios. An instructor on
the ground tells students
which way to turn in order to
land on target. If the in
structor fails to get radio
contact, he uses a large red
arrow on the ground which
he points in the direction he
wants the parachuter to
turn.
A parachuter falls about
four feet a second. If he is
facing properly into the wind
thejolt upon landing is equal
to jumping off a picnic table.
The ride down is longer.
LAST MINUTE CHECK — Wes Marshall checks over Ron
Williams' equipment before Williams takes his second
parachute jump. Seventy people have taken the first jump
course at Grand Bend since April. T-A photo
1978 Honey Crop
Hwy. 84 3 Miles West of Hensall
per [b.
Bring your own containers
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A
aiscowr
SPECIAL PRICES ON 2 & 3-Piece Suits
CHARGEX
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