A GROUP of parents and teachers have jumped from an aeroplane at 15,000 feet to raise funds to complete an amphitheatre woodland area at Hatherleigh Primary School.

Seven members of the intrepid Woodland Flyers took the plunge, literally, in a freefall tandem parachute jump at Dunkeswell Aerodrome on the Devon-Somerset border on Mother’s Day (March 31).

Among them was Donna Lewis, chair of Hatherleigh Primary School PTFA, who came up with the idea to raise £4,000 to pay for more seating around the amphitheatre which is used for storytelling and performances.

‘It was the experience of a lifetime,’ she said. ‘The freefall bit was the most scary. We were falling at 120 mph and it went on for 60 seconds but it felt like an hour at the time, it really did seem to last forever.

‘The actual parachute bit, though, was amazing. I’m glad I did it and the others are too.’

This was the fourth time that the group had travelled to the aerodrome in the hope of doing the jump.

They had originally planned it for the autumn of last year, but each time they were thwarted by the weather.

‘We have spent days and days up at Dunkeswell waiting for the right weather conditions,’ said Donna.

‘There has to be no cloud and no wind and preferably no rain. This time we got there at 6am and were there for most of the day waiting for the cloud to clear.

‘A lot of groups went home but then it cleared at 4pm so we were all able to jump.

‘Our friends and family were watching us from the ground. Everyone said the same thing afterwards, that it was a brilliant experience.’