My first parachuting was good, but nasty. This was the old fashioned round parachutes. During training, I was very uncomfortable in the simulation parachute equipment, and wanted to make it clear to the instructors such that they could tell me how to resolve the problem. But they behaved in a manner in which you could not get one bloody single word out. So I had to go to the limits to shut them up to tell them what was going on. Then they gave me shit for not telling them about it before hand. Bloody bastards. Anyhow, it was a very windy day, and the landing area was not a soft grassy area, but was hard soil that was as hard as rock. Anyway, off we go up into the sky and reach the proper altitude and position. Out I jumped out of the airplane and then counted the passing seconds to myself up to the right number to the point where I knew I was to open the parachute. All went well in that department. I still have the old VHS recording of my exit. Then I eventually hit the cement like ground. OUCH, but no bones broken ! Others were not so lucky. Soon ambulances were showing up to attend to the not so lucky.
