News
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Flying high
Chris Arrowsmith will by flying high – again, and again and again…when he attempts 12 solo skydives in one day.
And if the weather is on his side he hopes to make more jumps to raise money for the Isle of Man branch of the National Autistic Society this summer.
Chris, who is head of the Dispute Resolution department at Simcocks Advocates, said: “In October, I will be taking part in my 12th Great North Run, which is a little over 12 miles. I tried to think of another 12 things to do to help raise money for the local branch and came up with the idea of 12 jumps.
“1 in 70 children in the Isle of Man is impacted by the Autistic or Aspberger’s spectrum, so this is a real problem for a very large minority. However, early intervention, appropriate education and assistance can make a significant difference.”
Chris will be paying for the hire of the plane and any related costs so all the money collected will be passed on to the local charity.
Chris said: “It is an amazing experience to jump out of a plane just once in a day. So far the most I have managed when jumping from 13,500ft is 11 in any one day. I am hoping to complete at least 12 a day by jumping from a lower height to try and speed things up!
“The sensation is nothing like falling – it is much like floating in a ball of air. Once you are taught, and properly understand, how to relax and control the movement of your body position, any hint of being scared disappears and also with training and experience, landing is never usually a real problem.”
Weather permitting Chris is planning his marathon event at St Andrew’s Parachuting Club in late July under the watchful eye of his instructor, Scotty Milne, a former team leader of the Red Devils and Sergeant Major in the Parachute Regiment.
