Senior thrill-seekers leap from plane

Press, 20 February 1989, Page 7

Senior thrill-seekers leap from plane

By

DEBORAH McPHERSON

Leaping out of a plane harnessed to an experienced parachutist was a thrilling initiation to tandem parachuting for two Christchurch senior citizens. A Sumner identity, Mr “Crowbar” Jack Brooke, aged 72, and his friend, Mr Roy West, aged 68, tried parachuting for the first time yesterday at Pudding Hill, near Methven. Tandem jumping is a newly popular sport in the United States, catching on in New Zealand, in which a passenger is hooked to a qualified parachutist for the jump. Mr West and Mr Brooke each had a turn at being harnessed to a tandem master jumper and friend, Mr Rob Noble, of Christchurch. Mr Brooke gained his nickname from friends after an escapade last year in which he chased a burglar from his home with a crowbar. “We’ll be calling him Jumping Jack from now on,” said Mr West. Mr West said leaping from the plane at 9000 ft and free-falling another 2000 ft had “felt terrible,” but

was a great thrill all the same. “With free-falling we were all inside out and upside down with the noise of the wind roaring past,” said Mr West. “But once the big parachute opens it was all quiet and we drifted like a leaf to earth. I’d really recommend it. “It’s not something I thought I would ever do, especially at this age, but it was great.” Each jump had gone without a hitch in perfect weather. Mr Noble, aged 40, has made more than 700 jumps in many different countries. He is also an experienced plane and helicopter pilot. For tandem jumping, Mr Noble used an outsized 425 sq ft parachute. Most are half that size. The thrills for one tandem jump cost $145. Mr Noble said the sport had gained in popularity in the United States only in the last three years, and more recently in Europe. Since he started the business in Christchurch a month ago, Mr Noble had taken 30 people on a tandem jump.