The Grand Bend Sport Parachute Centre has helped Robert Land Academy students and staff members get a taste for flight for many years and we couldn’t be happier that despite the loss of Bob Wright, Mary is continuing their proud tradition of initiating students into the world of parachuting.

Two of our students, Steven Tang and David Cheung travelled with WO R Harkness and Capt Dyson to the shores of Lake Huron and the Grand Bend Sport Parachute Centre. TO get the opportunity, the boys had to be 16 years of age, watch the film “Victory from Above” and write a 500-1000word essay about the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion. The boys were then subjected to the Canadian Forces Para Fitness test (mile run, chin ups, sit ups). The students needed to be cadets in good standing, have marks high enough to miss classes and be recommended by their Coy Comd.

On the first day training consisted of learning to orient themselves to the ground in the air, how the parachutes and redundancies worked, drills for exiting the aircraft, drills for landing, how to work the parachute in the air and emergency procedures for all contingencies.

The next day the boys were quiet, but excited as they re-drilled exiting procedure.

First jumper was Tang who did great on ground drills. Steven jumped from 10 500 feet. Some claim that he hugged the plane strut before jumping, but no video evidence. He executed a VERY good landing.

Our second jumper was Cheung who had a great exit but our only injury when he scratched himself on corn stalks in a local corn field – yes there is video evidence!

WO Harkness had a great jump and said he did not bruise his butt upon landing in the correct spot. Well done to our jumpers who though anxious, having a perfectly good airplane and all logic dictating otherwise, jumped, soared and excitedly landed to high-fives and congratulatory smiles.