Backintothesky

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Posts posted by Backintothesky

  1. Watched this last night:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOI6N1dJ8Yk

    I don't think this does anything healthy for the sport of BASE jumping and in turn skydiving. It makes anyone involved look like a crazy drug addict who can't live without a fix.

    It left a sour taste in my mouth. Yes skydiving is dangerous and BASE is even more so, but it's documentaries like this that can have people deciding that BASE should be completely illegal everywhere to "protect people from themselves". The same reasoning some people have for banning drugs.

    I cannot imagine a single whuffo watching that documentary and not going "what a selfish bunch of crazy addicts". Whilst it may be the sort of image Jeb Corliss and co wants to project to the world, it will only damage the sport in the future and as a result skydiving.

  2. 0.42/43 :D

    HAHAHA oh god that was brilliant. Thank you so much. Made my day...

    malooper

    I posted this on Facebook but since the general audience doesn't know anything about skydiving, this video isn't as funny to them so I thought I'd share with you all. Maybe it's just funnier to my instructors and I but I hope you enjoy and get a chuckle or two!

    I was never coined "graceful" that's for sure! :D

    And for the students out there, you can learn from my mistakes! ;)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGuTRCI-7Ds

  3. Nice spin! ;)

    Normally line twists on a huge student canopy aren't going to kill you. Static line students have line twists on virtually every jump thanks to the prop blast spinning the bag around. No need to cut away. Were you spinning around or was the canopy flying relatively straight?

    Put it this way you did the right thing by pulling after being unstable for more than 5 seconds, you kicked out of line twists and you managed to safely land off in a small field. Good job!

    Technically none of us should survive jumping out of a plane. Don't be so melodramatic ;)

    dkvkb

    http://youtu.be/jMrGXCEIikk

    I've never posted this publicly before. I've only sent this to a few people in emails. Last year, I did 3 tandems and then this jump. The rest of the story is that I was spinning so fast in the freefall, I got line twists after I pulled. Then it got worse and I knew I was going to die. I should have cut away, and I definitely will next time. That time, I pulled the risers and kicked out of it. I got stable at 1000'. I couldn't find the drop zone (later found out I was about a mile north), so I was able to land safely in a small field. I know I should not have survived that jump. But I am excited about starting again. I am posting because as I get closer to my start date (next Friday), I am getting more nervous about the freefall. I did spend 2 hours in a wind tunnel last month, and I was finally able to maintain stability. I have been working out, reading the manual, and trying to be calm. And I am starting from the beginning again on Friday with the first jump course. Any suggestions on how to stay calm for the coming week?

  4. You're not a horrible person, you are right to question 1 relatively small event - in the history of human cruelty 9/11 is nothing. It's also worth remembering how many other lives has 9/11 taken in the last decade. The 2 wars, americans, british, french, afghan, iraqi and everyone who has fought, died or simply been murdered because of one attack?

    I think the reason it sticks in the US psyche is because it was so shocking and the first large scale foreign attack on US soil since Pearl Harbour.

    There is less of a "thing" about 7/7 in the UK because

    1. It was smaller

    2. more importantly we have been dealing with this shit for a long time. We had the IRA try to kill us and I remember as a young boy growing up under the threat of bombings on the mainland. The evacuations, the closing down of the grand national, the murders of members of our parliament....

    You guys haven't really had to deal with any of that, so 9/11 was a bit out of the blue for you.

    That said, 9/11 was a horrible event and my heart goes out to all those lost and their families. Horrible horrible event and I can still remember where I was when I heard and watching it go down on t.v.

    But you are right to suggest that perhaps the response has been a bit "over the top" in the last 10 years costing many more lives (inc. lots of American lives). I think we are starting to see the backlash from that in public opinion (and now British political opinion) re. Syria.

    FlyingRhenquest

    Yeah the 9/11 attack was bad and all, and I don't mean to denigrate the people who died that day, but we lose ten times that many people to gun violence and ten times that many people to automobile accidents on a yearly basis and shrug it off.

    Checking the list of things that are likely to kill you, the numbers for "accidental fall in your residence" sits somewhere between 15000 and 30000 per year for the USA. I actually just lost a co-worker to a household accident this year.

    Since 9/11 we've put billions of dollars into preventing terrorism without a whole lot of justification that those measures are actually achieving anything. Perhaps there are some lower-hanging fruit we should be going after.

    And yeah, I know saying that makes me a horrible person.

  5. I probably would realise that i scared the shit out of them and could have killed them. If someone screams at me in another context i would ignore them till they calmed down. In that situation I actually think the OP was being quite polite given the circumstances.

    billvon

    >Sometimes being a "Douche" is the only way to get you point across

    Or it can guarantee that the person doesn't hear you.

    Consider if you made a similar mistake. Would you listen more to a screaming douchebag or someone who told you in a more rational manner about why they were concerned about what you did? Many people have filters that filter out douches (I do.)

  8. Hey, genuine question here. Obviously your a Christian, would you mind explaining why you decided Christianity as your religion? Out of the worlds religious/spiritual beliefs, what made you think that Christianity was "the truth"?

    RonD1120

    ***

    Quote

    When you are saved you are guided to make decisions for Christ instead of for self.




    So basically you try to act like Jesus by that I mean you would look at a situation and think what would Jesus do if he was here? and do that instead of what you might have wanted to do?

    If your a good person, i am assuming here correct me if i am wrong that the voice of your conscience is what guides you do as Jesus would have. or is there another way to make sure you act correctly?



    The way it is usually explained is that you allow Jesus to act through you. If you act like Jesus you are simply playing a role. There is no conviction. When you surrender to Jesus you receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides you.

    In the beginning it is sometimes difficult to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit as distinct from the voice of your own conscience or the voice of a demonic spirit.

    The Holy Spirit will always guide you to a greater, stronger relationship with Jesus.

  9. Wow, you must have been SOOO bored today! ;)

    PixieUK

    Because I'm bored with tedious paperwork today......

    We have free-vend tea and coffee at work, supplied from vending machines. We also have mini cartons of UHT milk and sachets of sugar supplied for those who bring their own supplies of tea and coffee.

    I watched someone put some sugar into his tea, then pick up two cartons of milk and walk back towards his desk. No problem with that - then a random thought struck me.

    If he didn't actually put the milk into his tea when he got back to his desk, but put them in his pocket and took them home instead, would that be theft?

    He is entitled to take the milk, he is entitled to drink it, is it legally / morally wrong for him to take it home? (I'm not suggesting in any way that he was going to do that, it was just a random thought that occurred to me!!)

    I have some thoughts on that but was curious to see what other people think (assuming anyone else is also bored :D )

    Edit: Just to add, by mini-cartons, I mean about a couple of teaspoons of milk, not half pints!

  10. Yep, you are absolutely right. It's not a logical point, but typically whuffos aren't thinking logically when they tell you that you are definately going to get killed skydiving and how crazy you are to be jumping out of planes.

    A little reminder that they expose themselves to risk of death everyday and that lots of sports they think are "safe" can kill as well is a good thing for cooling down their rather aggressive assertions.

    Of course it is not the same thing (though I would like to see the number of fatalities per year against number of participants for RC flying), but a little statistic like that can help them see that their beliefs about what is dangerous and safe might be wrong/misguided and then you can have a serious conversation about the real dangers of skydiving (which are never as high as they think they are - I met someone who thought the fatality rate for skydiving was 1 in 10 jumps!)

    quade

    ***A fatality last month as well. As cynical as it sounds, it's statistics like this that help us put the dangers of our sport into perspective for whuffos. "you can get killed skydiving." yep but you can also get killed flying toy copters :-/



    You can get killed by just about anything.

    The thing that matters are the odds. The odds are you'll be killed skydiving before killed by an RC helicopter so your point isn't exactly valid with respect to explaining how "safe" the sport is.

  11. Poor guy.

    A fatality last month as well. As cynical as it sounds, it's statistics like this that help us put the dangers of our sport into perspective for whuffos. "you can get killed skydiving." yep but you can also get killed flying toy copters :-/

  12. Like people have said, the general public view skydiving as a thrill ride.

    They don't view it as a sport because they think all you can do with skydiving is fall straight down-they have no idea about bodyflight.

    It's really vexing to see DZs that just offer tandems because 1. It perpetuates this mindset and 2. If every DZ did that our sport would be over in a generation.

    Now look at the understanding the general public have of proxy flying thanks to people like Jeb Corliss. It's ironic that people understand BASE more than skydiving these days. We need skydivers as popular as that.

    And I fucking hate it when people ask "omg you can jump by yourself". I wanna slap them and the entire staff at whatever DZ they went to in the face. The DZ should have educated them and they should have opened their eyes at the up jumpers on the DZ and the fucking cameraman in free fall with them.

    Although actual students going through progression can ask some stupid questions. I remember going through RAPS progression and I was on 5 second delays. I was the only free fall student on the load, the rest were static line. One of the dope rope students asked me where my SL was and I told them I was on free fall. We go up and jump. As I'm the last to exit, I land last. And as I land this same student looks all excited and says "omg you had a malfunction". I say no and ask him why he thinks that. He replies "cos your canopy has a pilot chute"!

  15. Hey,

    It was a couple of years ago, but at Airkix Bedford I got 10 minutes for about £165

    Hope that helps.


    PixieUK

    A few days ago I found a link from somewhere on this site that took me to a price list for different wind tunnels, and now I can't find it. Can anyone help?

    The Airkix website is broken - I can get to the front page but get server errors when I try to find any details about costs or facilities

    Thanks :)

  17. Hey,

    I've done some time in the Bedford tunnel - the staff there are really nice (or were 2 years ago ;-).

    I got an extra 2 minutes in the tunnel from them because I was buying in bulk - I'm sure they could come to some cheaper arrangement in the event you took option 3....

  18. Hey mate,

    Just my 2 cents. You want to avoid a "tandem factory". By that I mean where everyone goes to do their tandems and tandems are prioritised over fun jumpers.

    When you've finished your AFF you will probably want to keep jumping at the same DZ you learnt at - and you don't want to find that suddenly you find it hard to get on a load because they only want student jumpers and tandems (aka money makers)

    Check with the USPA on DZ B - they should have a list of affiliated DZs in the US.

    Obviously go with the one that is affiliated, but if they are both affiliated then perhaps DZ B is more focused on the fun jumper???

    Divulge the DZ names on here - you'll probably get a quick answer.

    Notarock

    Just want to run this by some experienced people.

    I recently have decided to do my AFF after a tandem jump this summer. Although it started as a "check off" jump, this experience has turned into a passion to pursue further.

    I have set up a date for the next "training tandem" as well as been in contact with this DZ as to when next class for AFF is going to start, and I'm prepped to join.

    I have obviously (by posting on this site) been trying to reach out and learn as much about skydiving as I can in between:)

    So the issue is this:

    Since looking up information on skydiving online, I learned that there is actually a different DZ just a few miles down the road from where I live...

    This newly discovered DZ is actually cheaper for their AFF, is on the USPA list, and is obviously closer!

    The DZ I was intending on doing my AFF (and where I did my tandem) is just under 2 hours away from me and it cost more.

    So what is the issue you say, on a very obvious decision?

    While DZ A (where I did the tandem jump) is very well known. Everyone in my state has heard of it. Everyone that has done a "one time" bucket list jump has done it here. I feel a connection to them and the people I met. Perhaps my weakest point of in favor of this DZ is their website which is very professional, and highlights their safety standards and USPA rating.

    Even USPA has a special mark on their website next to this DZ for being a training center.

    DZ B, while around the corner from me....I've never heard of. Hell, I didn't even book my tandem there when I was randomly choosing a place on the internet because it didn't come up in my search. When I click on their website it seems amateurish at best. It has no mention of being recognized by USPA, safety information or the like...

    I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but I guess I am. It lacks local reputation, and while cheaper, it requires you to be a member at it's DZ to jump (aka fees). Perhaps it's simply a bond that I formed from my first jump at DZ A that is poisoning my mind!

    What would you do???

    I'm in Michigan, if anyone wants to help out or has more specific advice bring it on! or message me:)

  19. Start BASE jumping. If you make your own gear (I believe it's difficult to buy the gear from manufacturers without the right experience and references) then you can avoid all the USPA problems.

    I'll keep an eye out for you on the Blinc Fatality List - what's your name?

    mx_maniac

    I am a man of many many hobbies. Skydiving is one of them.

    Between my other hobbies and life obligations, I just don't have the time or money to go skydiving constantly like some people do. Ideally I'm more of a once every 6 months type of guy. So far I've been about 15 times over about 5 years, and completed AFF.

    Anyways, I keep getting slapped with a bunch of stupid rules. Like...

    1. My DZ always wants to me to subscribe to this stupid uspa membership, and get this worthless magazine. Waste of money, is this really needed?
    2. My DZ does not want me to wear a gopro on my helmet. They claim I need a B license? Really? Is this a requirement, or is my DZ being lame? Its just a set it and forget it camera which does nothing to affect performance. In fact, you learn better when you can review your jump later.
    3. When its been awhile since my last jump, they want me to do coach jumps. Another DZ claimed if it even goes 30 days past my last jump I need coach jumps, said some USPA requirement or something. Really? Not trying to sound cocky or anything, but even if its been 6-12 months, I know what I'm doing, I haven't forgotten anything. Whether its been 25 days, or 12 months, its no different.

    So what's the deal? Are these sort of rules standard all over, or are my DZ's just being lame? Are there ways to get around any of this stuff?

    Its spoiling the hobby for me. I just want to go for an occasional jump, and wear a gopro to film it, without dealing with a bunch of BS, extra charges, re-doing coach jumps, etc.

  20. billvon

    >seriously how hard is it to pull a red handle?

    Hard enough that a few people every year can't do it to save their life. I've known the best in the business be unable to do something that seems so simple here on the ground.



    Ultimately there is no real way to prepare people for it. Even deliberate cutaways have a third canopy as backup. The real thing is do or die or do and still die.

    Perhaps more people should become more familiar with the reserve packing system and learn all the measures in place to prevent the reserve malfunctioning. Maybe even watch their reserve being repacked.

  21. sundevil777

    In my opinion, there is a problem with fear. The fear of cutting away (or just pulling reserve) and having to actually count on the reserve working. It should not be surprising, fear is natural and of course there is a chance the reserve won't work.

    How to counter this natural fear? I think this fear that can make jumpers of any level of experience take too much time/altitude trying to fix a mal must be acknowledged. This fear must be discussed in the open so that when facing the need to chop, a person remembers how the fear of implementing emergency procedures will kill them - that they need to do it now so they will not die. Usually, there is actually no need to look at an altimeter to confirm the need to react.

    If jumpers come to understand the natural tendency to not want to have to use emergency procedures, understand how that can kill, then it is more likely that an individual will not fall prey to the fear that will kill. A MARD or RSL will not fix this.



    I think this is a good point and not one ever discussed.

    I remember once my canopy suddenly diving to the left quite violently upon opening and I remember the sudden terror that hit me - I distinctly remember thinking "oh shit I don't want to have to cutaway".

    It was a temporary problem with the canopy and it fixed itself within a second but the jolt of fear was very intense.

    Ultimately I was ready to cutaway but there was intense fear of doing so and some noticeable hesitation.

    Once you've already got something over your head is it sometimes tempting to try and fix it rather than "risking" a malfunction on your last chance canopy? How many people hesitate to cutaway a bag lock? Probably none, but plenty hesitate to cutaway a line over or otherwise "slow" malfunction...

  23. I mentioned to a couple of friends that I was starting skydiving again and they said they'd done a tandem in New Zealand.

    But, they seemed shocked that I have always done my jumps solo (RAPS progression) and basically said "so your jumping again to take people on tandems?". Essentially they seemed to think skydiving was like bunjee jumping for the most part - a thrill ride and that skydivers just took up tandems.

    Had to explain to them about relative work, freeflying, accuracy, CRW and the fact that it is a sport! Plus they had no idea that skydivers could actually fly their body in the air. :S

    Obviously there's a limited amount of time TIs can spend with their passengers, but I would have thought that maybe a quick video explaining that if they liked their jump they could do RAPS or AFF and then pursue the various disciplines within the sport...

    The only thing I can guess is that they jumped at a tandem factory over there and thus the TIs didn't really see the need to enlighten them.

    I guess each dropzone has its own way of doing things - what do you guys do with your passengers/in the briefing? Do you explain the sport or just figure that most won't be interested in anything more than a one off?