Uluru is a unique rock formation, bang in the middle of the outback, almost at the centre of the Australian continent, in the desert province of Northern Territory. From now on, the descent is gradual, allowing me enough time to savour the delights of the outback from this vantage position. After about 30 seconds of free fall, Aloïs yanks the parachute open and suddenly both of us turn vertical with a jerk. Although the earth is speeding towards me at 140 km/hour, I feel I am floating in eternity in fact, there is a sense of indescribable tranquillity. Aloïs taps me on my shoulder asking me to stretch my arms, Kate Winslet-style in As I begin to make sense of my bearings, I find myself horizontal presumably Aloïs is floating somewhere above me. It is then that I realise that I have already fallen quite a distance. I catch a fleeting glimpse of the underside of the plane which seems to have shrunk in size. There is a rush of adrenaline and a sensory overload, a sensation like no other. In the next few seconds, I am spinning in the air, hostage to the elements that whirl me around mercilessly. The decision to let go-of control over life and limb-is not a conscious one anymore. I cross my arms over my chest, arch my back, tilt my head backwards, mimicking the shape of a bent banana. “Banana, banana!” Aloïs screams in my ear, hoping to be heard above the din of the vicious wind. I swing my legs out of the aircraft and feel giddy instantly. ![]() I mutter a silent prayer and fervently hope that Aloïs had not been doing drugs the previous night or nursing a hangover. This is the moment of reckoning, the Rubicon I am about to cross. The roof is inches above the head with little room for manoeuvre.Īloïs nudges me towards the open door where I am supposed to dangle my feet outside the plane. This plane can seat exactly two people, stacked like two teaspoons, legs stretched flat in front. I have my doubts, though, considering his youthful face and impish smile. He claims to have successfully completed more than 3,000 tandem dives so far, most of them in France. Aloïs has recently relocated to Uluru, all the way from his native France. Aloïs, my tandem guide from Skydive Uluru, slides open the flimsy door of the plane to let in a savage gush of wind that almost knocks us out. Our tiny tinbox plane is already cruising at 15,000 feet (4,572 metres) and it is time to jump off. But there is no time to admire the spectacular views. From this height, it seems every bit as iconic and seductive as the posters make it out to be. On February 8, Shaw surrendered his entire force.As the first rays of the rising sun caress its smooth flanks, Uluru glows red-hot against the surrounding flat scrubland. Confederate commander Colonel Henry Shaw retreated to the north end of the island but had no chance to escape. Burnside attacked, and his force overwhelmed the outer defenses of the island. They were met by about 2,500 Confederates. ![]() On February 7, Burnside landed 10,000 troops on the island. The expeditionary force arrived at Hatteras Inlet on January 13, but poor weather delayed an attack for three weeks. On January 11, 1862, Burnside took a force of 15,000 soldiers and a flotilla of 80 ships down to the Outer Banks. In August 1861, the Yankees took two key forts on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, paving the way for the campaign against Roanoke Island. ![]() Union General Ambrose Burnside scores a major victory when his troops capture Roanoke Island in North Carolina.It was one of the first major Union victories of the Civil War and gave the Yankees control of the mouth of Albemarle Sound, allowing them to threaten the Rebel capital of Richmond, Virginia, from the south.ĭuring the war’s first winter, Union strategists focused their efforts on capturing coastal defenses to deny the Confederates sea outlets.
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