Unfriendly UK dropzones

[skytash 0]

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I don't think your problem is the U.K. Just that dropzone. Find another.

I'd say 50/50.

There are some decent DZ's in the UK where you can be treated fairly and have a good laugh, but there is absolutely nothing, nothing that compares favourably to an efficient and succesfull US or mainland European DZ. The national culture of over-regulation and all powerful instructors is everywhere.

In my experience, the efficient and successful UK DZ's are friendly and some small club DZ's in mainland Europe are very, very unfriendly. I'm thinking is to do with the ones that are successful and efficient than the ones that are in the UK.

There aren't quite as many successful and efficient DZ's in the UK. Because of our weather we tend to attract fewer skydiving tourists than say California, Florida or southern Spain. As a Brit, you tend to see your local DZ (which may not be the efficient/successful one) but only ever see the efficient/successful ones in the US, so are not always comparing like with like. Just a thought.

Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

[jakee 1,255]

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In my experience, the efficient and successful UK DZ's are friendly and some small club DZ's in mainland Europe are very, very unfriendly. I'm thinking is to do with the ones that are successful and efficient than the ones that are in the UK.

There aren't quite as many successful and efficient DZ's in the UK. Because of our weather we tend to attract fewer skydiving tourists than say California, Florida or southern Spain. As a Brit, you tend to see your local DZ (which may not be the efficient/successful one) but only ever see the efficient/successful ones in the US, so are not always comparing like with like. Just a thought.

I've been to a good sized portion of the turbine DZs in the UK, and all of the biggest ones. I've had a friendly welcome at all of them from the local jumpers, and at some the staff were friendly too. At others though, the regulation culture and the added responsibilities that the BPA gives CCI's, instructors and JMs over normal jumpers often seems to create an "Us vs them" kinda vibe.

Also, (straying away from the main point of the thread) I have been to one UK DZ (one!) that seemed to operate at anything close to it's maximum lift capacity. Lack of communication, organisation and any sense of purpose or urgency results in most UK DZs throwing away multiple loads every single day when there are jumpers queued up and waiting to go.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?