Wigan-born skydive ace aims for new heights

And so it was for the Wigan-born thrill-seeker when he and three other expert parachutists joined forces to take over and upgrade a school for the sport up in the North East.

Infuriatingly the Covid-19 lockdown intervened after just four days of trading at Sky High Skydiving in County Durham, but the 35-year-old - known to everyone as Taf - is philosophical about the setback, saying that it gives them time to set the place up good and proper.

Taking over Peterlee Parachute Club in Shotton Colliery is certainly a dream come true for Taf and marks a new chapter in a remarkable career.

Born and raised in Pemberton and Hindley, Taf’s love of skydiving came at the age of 21 when his then girlfriend bought him a tandem jump as a present. As it happened that jump never took place, a friend telling Taf that far more exhilarating would be “accelerated freefall.”

He took up the challenge, met instructors and was hooked, undergoing training first in the Lake District and then Spain to finish off his accelerated freefall course.

Taf mastered a sport which began to dominate his life. He began both representing his country in competitions and working as an instructor in climes ranging from the US and Puerto Rico to Kenya, Dubai and most countries in Europe. He is also an ambassador for three firms that make skydiving equipment which also takes him around the planet.

So what is it that attracts the former Pemberton St John’s Primary and Abraham Guest High pupil to such a death-defying vocation?

He said: “The first few times I did it. It was for the pure rush. I am, without doubt, an adrenaline junkie. It is a risky sport but you try to make it as safe as possible.

“But now I do it just as much because the skydiving community is so tight-knit. You become part of a family and it’s also good to know you do something that most people don’t. Now it’s a passion. It’s like asking someone ‘why do you go to a rugby match?’ It’s so much about the social aspect of the game as well as watching teams compete.”

And from a practical point of view, skydiving is so much more than just jumping out of a plane.

Taf, who now lives in Chorley, said: “Just when you think you’ve conquered everything in this sport you discover more.

“Every experience is a different one. Think of the views. I was 10,000ft up and got a great one of the last ever space shuttle launch from Kennedy Space Centre for instance. Hanging from a parachute is very different from observing something through an aeroplane window too.

“There are masses of different disciplines: formation, aerobatic skydiving, canopy rides and wing-sailing to name but some of around 16. And there is the pleasure in teaching all this to other people.”

Which is where the new business comes in. Taf, whose girlfriend is also a skydiver, has teamed up with Bryn Chaffe, Mike Evans, and Nicky Johnston for the venture.

He said: “All these guys are highly qualified skydivers and have been in the sport much longer than I have. Compared to them I’m the novice so I handle more of the business side.

“Sadly at the moment we are in shutdown. We’d only been going four days and had three days of jumps when the restrictions came in, which was a big disappointment. But it does give us time to get things sorted out.”

Another of Taf’s business interests is the seasonal Fireworks shop in Newtown which his dad set up 40 years ago.

The Sky High Skydivers is also teaming up with another “jump zone” in Lancaster so customers from this area won’t necessarily have to travel so far when normal services resume.

Peterlee Parachute Centre, now trading as Sky High Skydiving, has been at Shotton Colliery since 1987. Tandem jumps for fun or charity are offered plus the chance to learn to go solo and gain globally recognised licences.