Then came the landing, for which I had had weeks of practice, knowing that the impact with the ground was equivalent to jumping off a wall twelve feet high. When parachuting though your body is oscillating as well as descending which presents some difficulty in judging the swing as the ground rushes towards you. It is not unusual, particularly when there is a brisk ground wind, to see the trainee dragged roughly along the ground for many yards before being able to take control and collapse his parachute. This is done by turning the developed canopy into the wind by manipulating the guide lines of the harness, thus allowing the air to spill out. The harness is also fitted with a quick release box, which, when screwed completely round and given a sharp knock would spring open enabling the parachutist to drop out of his harness in the event of landing in trees or over water, when it would be essential not to be bogged down with equipment.
