ScoopUK

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Gear

  • Main Canopy Size
    190
  • Reserve Canopy Size
    196
  • AAD
    Vigil 2

Jump Profile

  • Home DZ
    Fermo (Italy) / Sibson (UK)
  • License
    A
  • License Number
    105948
  • Licensing Organization
    FAI
  • First Choice Discipline
    Freeflying
  • Second Choice Discipline
    Formation Skydiving
  1. Glad you had fun chief. If anyone else fancies giving it a go at anytime, particularly the UK contingent, get in touch and if I can help in any way I will. Maybe it's the logistics of going from the airport to the DZ you want to know, who the contacts are, accommodation etc. Nothing in it for me, just spreading the fun times around
  2. Interesting, true to an extent. The more people overtly preach safety the more it becomes background noise and we tune it out. Anyway... enough of that being serious lark
  3. Glad to hear you enjoyed your tandem so much. Good luck with your AFF.
  4. Didn't your parents teach you not to bow to peer pressure. Man the fuck up! ... Safety third!
  5. I think it was remarkable how relaxed you were and enjoying the moment. I'm sure I tend to look full of focus and straining like a little kid taking their first steps, but I guess that's kinda what I am in this world. I shall have to start reading the psychology part of your book I have rather than the canopy flying bit!
  6. This is now not very far away for people like me who have to make plans around work. If anyone else fancies it I hope to see you there.
  7. Just go for it. My first jump back after 6 years was really intense. I was screaming and whooping and hollering in freefall. What a rush! Renew your BPA and get yourself down your DZ to get some refresher training. It was pretty painless for me.
  8. As a young apprentice not earning much money I gave up a few years back after getting my A licence as I felt I couldn't progress and got frustrated. In the UK there are loads of restrictions on what you can do as an A licence holder, ie can't jump with someone unless you have FS1 / FF1 qualification or are being coached FS or FF etc (at that time, think might be able to jump with D licence holder now). You try and find a coach and they expect you to pay their slot AND a coaching fee. When you're already paying £25 for a jump ticket it becomes expensive particularly if you don't really have an interest in FS but are just doing it because you have to. The there was the weather to contend with. The alternative was to get a cheap flight, go abroad and do what you like on holiday meeting and jumping with loads of cool people and actually having fun. Back again now because the calling was just too strong. Got more money nowadays too. Still going to have to rethink my progression. Having fun = retention. Jumping through hoops = people leaving.
  9. Thanks, I've already ordered one and was wondering how long it would take. I have asked the dealer I bought it through but they haven't replied to my emails.
  10. Anyone ordered a Vigil 2 recently? What's the current waiting time? Ta very much.
  11. To give you a scuba diving equivalent you should, in theory, only be able to buy certain gas mixtures on production of qualification card proving you are competent. Oxygen as a decompression gas, trimix for deeper diving or even nitrox can kill you if you don't understand the theory or don't have the practical skills to handle the gas planning, contingencys and switches safely. Then there are rebreathers which could kill you in the same way and many more... It's very similar to flying a high performance canopy. The reality... anyone can buy whatever they want if a shop doesn't check (most don't), if they do check you can get someone else to buy it for you or buy second hand or if its gas you can pump the gas yourself or get someone to have you cylinders filled for you. There are some conscientious retailers who wont sell to you but they are rare. In any case it'd be far too complicated and costly to implement and manage. How would you define wingloading when we know it's not linear? The stock answer would be 'refer to Brian Germain's chart'. Whilst I respect Brian that is one persons assessment of the WL situation and even that is very complicated with various exceptions and anomalies noted. (BTW - It looks very much like it's based on scuba diving decompression tables, perhaps because his wife is a diver?). Besides which, I thought we had freedom in our developed modern democratic countries? We seem to be getting more and more regulated and looked upon by authorities. Bottom line - You can't protect people from themselves. Not in a free society.
  12. Joe Jennings started with only 80 jumps and I'd imagine camera equipment was still fairly bulky then. Just playing devils advokate.
  13. Hi, I'm turning to the community as I haven't yet got a response from my container manufacturer (pre-empting the smart arse stock reply). Hopefully they are busy building my gorgeous rig rather than answering stupid e-mails I've read many times that as a rough rule of thumb you can generally go up or down a size of canopy (assuming its a like for like type of canopy). My container is sized for a specific canopy which I have already but I may buy another as I just fancy a new one and I've been offered a good deal which makes it more worthwhile. The new canopy I'm looking at, depending on which packing volume figures you believe, may be larger in volume anything from 4-29 cu in. Is this a possible issue or no problemo? I don't really have an understanding of how much 29 cu in is in my head. Ta very much
  14. Once you are in the air you'll have all the room in the world. That can't be beat. Just imagine that if being surrounded by sweaty skydivers is getting a bit too much.
  15. You might find it better if you can get to a DZ mid week rather than a weekend when it's busy. Hopefully you can get up on a load that isn't full then. It can get cosy on a busy day. This is the inside of a Twin Otter: http://danieljamesmurphy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/PlattsmouthSkydiving-017.jpg If you're sat on a seat do you think you'll still have a problem? If it's an aircraft where you are sat on the floor all wedged against each other I would imagine that would be more uncomfortable for you.