Looking at the forecast throughout the week, it was touch and go if the skydive was going to go ahead. Some may have welcomed the reprieve whilst others would have been disappointed, but the weather came good!
With beautiful clear blue skies, the team was given the go-ahead to travel up the M6 and into Cockerham to the Black Knights Parachute Centre.
Arriving at 10 am, we excitedly registered with the instruction to wait for the safety briefing announcement. This came only a short time later. All 8 taking part took their seats in the briefing room to view a video showcasing how to exit the plane, the 60-second freefall, the full time in the sky (4-5 minutes), and of course how to land, and most importantly enjoy and smile throughout the experience.
Safety briefing over with we settled in to wait for the next call to be harnessed whilst watching other skydivers taking off for their moment of madness.
Once again, we did not have to wait long! The first three were called to meet their instructors and put on their harnesses also checking they had the ability to lift their legs for landing. This was it! The brave made their way to the waiting Black Hawk upgraded Cessna aircraft and climbed onboard.
The climb to 15,000 feet seemed to take forever with the instructors regularly showing the height on an altimeter whilst the ground seemed a lot further away and then the sound of the engine changed. Destination reached!
Before any hesitation could be made, the instructors shuffled their way to the opening in the aircraft, one after the other, and launched themselves with the Pierce team member attached out into the Lancashire sky.
The rush of adrenaline freefalling up to 144mph cannot be put into words but once the parachute opens you are surrounded by spectacular views. To the North, you can see the Lake District, to the South, Blackpool, East, Bowland, and to the West, the Lancashire coastline.
The descent over the last 2000 feet is serene with the occasional roller coaster drop as the instructor steers you towards the landing area.
Click each name to view the highlights videos for Hazel, Shannon, Lauren, and Lewis.
The team took on this brave challenge to raise funds for Lancashire Mind and so far have raised a fantastic £6275! If you would still like to donate to the team please visit our JustGiving page
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