Tokyo Skydiving Club

I had a fantastic weekend back at the Tokyo Skydiving Club with all the guys and gals. I have been pretty busy lately so have not had the chance to get many jumps in recently. I was looking at my log book the other day and have now amassed over 100 jumps since I first began back in 2006. In fact, I have also managed to dig out a video of one of my first solo jumps. I was a bit wobbily but not too bad for a rookie!!!!
Saturday saw perfect jumping conditions. Being a meteorologist by trade allows me the luxury of being able to pick and choose the best jump days. Saturday was exceptional! 3 jumps in 7 hours so it was a very intensive jump day. I would have made 4 jumps but the Cessna Caravan had a rough engine and had to be hangered to have the fuel filter replaced. Still, I can't complain....

I've recently been thinking about buying a new rig. The rig (also known as a para/chute to the uninitiated) that I currently have is getting a bit long in the tooth and the stitching around the harness is beginning to fray. I've decided to buy the new Wings Ext chute....a few thousands dollars, but what the hell, with my recent pay raise that kind of money is small change. Unfortunately, I can't go skydiving next weekend as I'm playing a live gig with my bandmates in Roppongi - get in touch if you want to come along.

Oregon

This is my favorite beach in Oregon. I used to love walking my Labrador along the beach or playing beach volleyball with my friends in summer.

However, the beach also has sad memories for me. About 15 years ago there was a terrible storm and a boat carrying lipitzzaner horses sank. All the crew were ok but the horses drowned and their bodies were washed ashore the next day. From that day on, I decided to become a weather forecaster. After long years of study and working in some of the poorest countries abroad, my dream has now come true.