Would you jump out of a plane at 12000 feet, putting your life in the hands of a stranger? If you are that way inclined, you should consider dedicating your moment of madness to a charity! This was my first organised attempt at fundraising and that aspect worried me more than the skydive itself. However, after building up the courage to ask friends and acquaintances I was amazed by the results. Generous contributions poured in from both predictable and unlikely sources, and the words of support made the experience a very special one indeed. As a result, I will make much more of an effort to contribute when others undertake their own challenges in future. My sister and I had both independently harboured a desire to do a skydive for many years, but we only recently realised this was a shared ambition and agreed to do it as a joint venture. A Tandem jump took all the safety and training concerns away, arranging the jump was surprisingly easy and before I knew it the day was set for May the 4th. After a 6am start we arrived at Headcorn Aerodrome on a beautiful spring morning. Following a simple registration process, we were confirmed as physically capable of performing the jump and provided with the necessary instruction to make sure everyone safely completed the event. The venue has decent catering facilities so we were able to wait our turn in comfort and reduce the chance of an upset stomach, which was not an appealing prospect! Watching a series of small prop planes taking off and landing started to bring home the reality of what was in store, and we observed fellow jumpers drifting down to land in a field right next to the runway. Although we didn’t visit the museum, there were plenty of historic and significant aircraft on show, so I was quite relieved to see that our plane was a little more modern! Before long we were called to the muster point to get ready, changing into a very fetching jumpsuit and strapping on a confidence inspiring harness. Please, if you ever find yourself in the same situation, make sure you sensibly adjust undergarments and are comfortable, otherwise you may regret it later! Boarding the plane I still felt quite normal, although this was the point when I expected my nerves and animal instinct to shout very loudly! My instructor was very reassuring and inspired confidence, which was quite useful when the door was opened and it was time to throw yourself out. The free fall lasted for about 30 seconds and was far less scary than I expected. I was able to relax and enjoy the unusual sensations, before being rudely jolted back to reality when the parachute was deployed. This is when the well adjusted harness becomes a significant factor! Another couple of minutes passed while we drifted through clouds, went into a controlled spiral and prepared for landing, which was smooth and easy. Although the jump itself was over quickly, I will never forget the day and wonderful sense of satisfaction generated by doing something for a good cause. I wonder, what is… NEXT!!? May the fourth be with you! Majid Barnaby Burch