Tandem Skydive - Saturday 12 July 2008 - Handy Hints

When: Please refer to your letter of confirmation for details of the date of your jump. If you are jumping on a Saturday or Sunday you should arrive at the airfield as close to 8.00am as possible, as the day is run on a ‘first come first served’ basis. If you are jumping on a midweek day you should arrive at 9.00am. In both cases if the weather is looking bad you may wish to wait until you have rung the parachute centre (01354 740810) before you set off.
Weather: Watch the weather forecast the evening before the jump. Ideal conditions are winds of 23mph or less with gaps in cloud cover. If in doubt please ring the airfield after 8.00am on the morning of your jump (01354 740810) You will be advised of the weather situation and accordingly what time to arrive at the airfield. If the weather is unsuitable for jumping, another date will be arranged at your convenience.
Where: The airfield is situated 15 miles north of Cambridge. If using Sat-Nav or internet mapping use the postcode PE15 0EA. From the A1 at Huntingdon take the A141 towards March. Continue on this road past Chatteris until you come to a right hand turning in the village of Wimblington (opposite Wimblington Church) which is signposted Downham Market and also has a brown sign saying ‘Microlight Centre’. Take this turning and then the first right after about 500 yards signposted to the airfield. Continue along this unmade minor road for about 2 miles and the airfield is on the right hand side. enhance hint: this road is quite rutted and not really suitable for low slung sports cars!
Clothing: Warm comfortable clothes including soft soled shoes (trainers). Helmets, jump suits and gloves will be provided. enhance hint: You may find it helpful to bring a change of clothes.
Procedure: Once you have registered there will be a 20-30 minute film and briefing session on what equipment you will be using, how to board the aircraft and most importantly how to exit the aircraft in a stable face-to-earth position. The parachute centre will then aim to complete your jump as soon as possible but with lots of other people waiting to jump and factors outside their control such as the weather and air traffic control some delays are going to be inevitable. Our advice is to take something to read, be prepared to spend the day chilling out and don’t expect to be home until mid evening. enhance hint: don't make any other plans for the day or evening that you can’t change.
Facilities: Snacks and drinks are available on site as are toilet facilities. You are welcome to bring a picnic. The bar opens at 8.00pm after the last flight has landed. enhance hint: it is important to drink lots of water so you don’t dehydrate. No alcohol is permitted until after the last flight. We found taking a chair/blanket to relax in and even a gazebo or sunshade if the weather is very sunny makes all the difference. There is room for football or frisbee. Most importantly take and use sunscreen - the breeze is deceptive and it’s very easy to get sunburnt even on a cloudy day.
Photography: A video/DVD and or still photographs may be available for your jump. The cost at the time of writing is £85 for video or still photographs or £125 for both. DVD £125 or DVD and still photographs £145. You will be shown an example of a DVD as part of your briefing session.
Accommodation: You may camp at the airfield free of charge or stay in the airfield house for a small fee. Local hotels are also available. Please contact the airfield for details of other local accommodation if required.
Insurance: We strongly advise you to consider taking out personal insurance for your jump via your broker or www.parachutingcover.com.
Finally: You are welcome to bring friends or family to watch and it's great to have their company, support, and applause when you land, but please remember the facilities are fairly basic and not really suitable for young children who may quickly become bored. Parachuting is an all day activity and you may be at the airfield until 8.00pm. Look forward to the day, there will be many other people trying parachuting for the first time and the more you relax the more you will enjoy it.

If you are lost or going to be late, please call the airfield on 01354 740810.