FIVE Kent Regional News and Media Mad Devils launched themselves out of a plan to raise cash for our charity of the year. Mad or just very courageous? Read Melanie Eastwoood's diary and find out for yourself ...

By Melanie Eastwood

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   Prepare for flight: The Mad Devils with their instructors.

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   Dishelved but in one piece: The Mad Devils, Angie, Natalie, Antony, Melanie and Christian

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   Aaaaaahh: Antony makes the leap and enjoys every second.

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D-DAY arrives and the intrepid motors.co.uk and findaproperty.com team, oh and Zippy our mascot, arrive at the Kent Regional News & head office at 09.00 hours, with the sudden realisation there is no getting out of it! Oh my God!

Out of the morning mist two shiny black vehicles come into view, a rather lush Toyota Hi Lux and a Rav 4, kindly sent by Mark Cowell of Motorline Toyota in Ashford, along with two dedicated drivers, to chaperone us for the day. They seem rather like armed guards in case we try to bolt.

After knocking back what was probably our last latte, complete with treble sugars to get the adrenalin pumping, we set off on our 45 minute journey, and what we wondered may be our last, to Headcorn.

Arriving at Headcorn Aerodrome at about 10am, we met up with our family and loved ones, did they know something we didn't? Also there was our photographer for the day, James Langton Way, Stuart Minty marketing manager for The Kent Cancer Trust, Clare Moffat head of national sales Northcliffe, and our motors and property manager Andy Standing, or jump co-ordinator extraordinaire, as we like to call him.

After checking in we all went for our briefing, with the rather mad but very funny Clem, one of the Headcorn instructors. With our smiles slightly forced and nervous throughout the talk, we all wondered what the hell we had let ourselves in for!

We were then told that unfortunately there may be a long wait ahead of us due to low flying cloud! Safety laws insist that you can see the ground from the plane!

I was sure we would get there whether you could see it or not! So we all decided to race to the cafeteria and fill our bellies, not a good idea I hear you all say!

We spent the next few hours amusing ourselves along with the rest of the airfield by doing a variety of mad things. Acrobatics from our school days, handstands, headstands etc, and then seeing who could fit a Mars bar in their mouth sideways! This title was finally taken by Maria Hurley our lovely motors team leader just edging out Claire Moffat in a close contest.

As the day drew on it looked more and more likely that we would not get to complete our mission, and although initially we would have done anything to get out of it, we now were overwhelmed with disappointment of having to return to base without a jump in sight.

Just when all seemed lost, the clouds parted and the sun shone down on what appeared to be a gorgeous summer evening. Then suddenly across the speaker came these immortal words: "Eastwood, Drake, Wiltshire, Ward and Barrett! Get your kit on!". Oh my God. We were actually going to do this. Panic! Help!

All kitted up in our "fetching" but rather tight jumpsuits, we strode across the airfield like Maverick and the gang from the movie Topgun! "Bagsy I'll be Kelly Magillis!" I said.

We were then introduced to our instructors. These men were going to save our lives, well at least we hoped they would! (I had taken out insurance just in case anyway.)

As we neared the plane we knew this was it, but instead of fear we were strangely excited. We bundle in, packed like sardines. As we began our climb to 12,000ft, our instructors talked us through what was about to happen, (as if we didn't know!), most of which was lost above our heads as our eyes became glazed to the fact that we were fast approaching the point of no return.

Suddenly the door flew open and the pressure in the cabin changed, this was it our 15 minutes of fame, well slightly less than that. We would soon be freefalling at approximately 170 mph (in my estimations we would be hitting the deck in roughly a couple of minutes!). One by one we took it in turn to dangle our bodies out of the speeding aircraft with only a rather large hanky strapped to our instructors back for comfort!

And then it happened…… to each and everyone of us, the most amazing time of our lives! Can you imagine dropping a rock from a high building, that was us flying downwards towards the earth, as the ground grew closer our screams melted away and our grins grew wider! Awesome doesn't even begin to explain it. After around 40 seconds the parachutes opened and the whooshing stopped, peace and quite surrounded us as we floated to the ground and the sunset in the distance.

From us all "The Mad Devils", I think this was probably the best day of our lives and to better it still we did it all for charity and with the help of all our generous sponsors we have raised nearly £6,000 towards helping find cures for cancer with The Kent Cancer Trust.

It's still not too late to donate, please visit us at www.justgiving.com/krnmjump or send a cheque to our office in Canterbury.

Oh and by the way watch this space, we have decided to do it all again by White Water Rafting and hope to double the money.

To be continued………………………………..

WITH THANKS TO

The Mad Devil's would like to thank their sponsors:

Michael Howard, MP

Roger Gale, MP

Ann Widdecombe, MP

David Jones, Hythe – in memory of Susan May Jones

Mark Cowell, Motorline, Ashford

Invicta Gas, Whitstable

Invicta Windows, Whitstable

Whitstable Glass, Whitstable

Wholesale Plastics, Whitstable

Mark Russell, Whitstable

Home Choice, Whitstable

Aquasphere, Tankerton

Freeway Scooters, Whitstable

Meadow Grange, Blean

Quality Walls & Floors, Whitstable

Wheel In, Whitstable

Wolleys, Whitstable

G. E Newbury, Sittingbourne

Paul McGirk, Parkland

Nick, Autocare, Herne Bay

Staff at Wilmoths, Folkestone

Poppet, Courtney Cars

Perry's of Canterbury

Weight Watchers, Lydd

Serenity, Tankerton

Staff at A2 Tyres, Sittingbourne

Sams Garage, Wincheap

Tobins, Wincheap

Jason at Lewis Carpets

Carpets4less, Wincheap

Phillipa, Topps Tiles, Wincheap

John, Town Cars, Medway

Steve at Higham Garage, Medway

Martin & Kelvin, Millfields Garage, Lydd

Perry Cowling, Dymchurch Car Centre

Jennette Brown, Margate

Geoff & Jenny at Folkestone Motors, Folkestone

Terry, Dymchurch Car Centre, Dymchurch

Mark, Riviera Cars

Tom, Dover Ford

Chris Smith, Folkestone

Jackie Chaney, River

Linda Brisley, River

Hannah Drew, Medway

Richard Budd, Folkestone

Craig Wild, Medway

Clare Moffat, Motors.co.uk

Brian Green, Canterbury

Nikki & Tony Ward

A Wellard, Rye Auction Galleries, Rye

Kevin Wall, Rye Auction Galleries, Rye

Paul, Quayside Antiques, Rye

Lorraine, Quayside Antiques, Rye

Julie, Tenterden,

Norm, Rye

Enid, New Romney

Elsa, Halcyon Days

Jane Bennett-Smith, Lydd

Tom Smith, Lydd

Carly Reade, Deal

Elliot Rawlings, Dover

Tracey Hammond, River

Alan Short, Thanet

Liz Pitkeathly, Cornwall

Kim Paroni, Richmond

Greg Esson, Dover

James Tebbs

Lee Dixon, Thanet

Emma Dyer, Dover

Tracy Windle, New Romney

Steve Lowe, Canterbury

Michael Pelosi, Norcliffe Media

Kathy Bailes, Canterbury

Jane Langstaff, Canterbury

Julian Fagg, Ashford

Ollie Sanderson, Motors.co.uk

Fit Fencing, Whitstable

Barry, Howard Blinds, Whitstable

Chatfield & Goodall, Whitstable

Meridian, Tankerton,

Gatefield Sounds, Whitstable

Mortgage Source, Whitstable

Oxford St Bookshop, Whitstable

Champs, Whitstable

Granny Smiths, Whitstable

Georges, Whitstable

Mastercraft, Whitstable

Gleaming Window Cleaning, Whitstable

The Best, Tankerton

Wright Flooring, Tankerton

Ian Johnson at Living, Whitstable

Debbie Thomas at Fireplace Warehouse, Canterbury

Richard Brown – Money Shop, Canterbury

Mel added: "We would also like to thank all those who have sent donations to the paper, we couldn't have done it without you. Thank you so much. We would also like to mention the fabulous instructors at Headcorn Parachute Club, who got us all to the ground safely, thank god! And also Dominc King at Radio Kent and Andy Walker at Invicta FM, who kindly gave us valuable airtime."