Skylark

Friend doing AFF next week in Empuria. What's the cheapest insurance he can get? He doesn't need a whole year BPA membership...any thoughts and ideas most welcome. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

...and I haven't jumped for 2 years. Will start jumping again in 2 weeks. How much of a re-train will I need? Check out jump? Ground school again? Or will I be ok? "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

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Well? What can I expect...last one I went to was 2002. Anyone else coming? "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Is there a UK forum? Where is it? "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

There's been a lot of crap written about this as well as Felix's alleged 20 second freefall from 700ft. Journalists always seem to get things wrong. However, I'm a journalist with 252 jumps (including a few wingsuits) and I'm looking for two UK BASE jumpers to feature in an anonymous news item for an international news channel. I'm looking for someone that will give me exclusive access to film them jumping from a 'B' location in the UK. All identities will be disguised. If anyone's remotely interested, I can be found here: [email protected] If you're not interested, please don't fill up this thread with pointless replies about how journalists shouldn't be trusted etc. I've been jumping for several years. ML. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

When I first saw 'Lord of the Skies', I knew I wanted to skydive. Ade, you were my inspriation and I've you to thank for almost making me broke, too Hey, he's probably having a bit of a chuckle with Patrick, right now. And I want a bit of wingsuit coaching from them both when I get there with them... SL. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

I still don't understand all the fuss...what on earth is the point of *landing* a suit, when the most important thing is actually *flying* one? So you land a suit without using your rig. So what? Rig, no-rig. It makes no difference to the actual flight of the suit and the flying experience, which, lets face it, is what the suit is all about. If Jeb wants to throw millions of dollars at this, go ahead. I just wish someone would throw this amount of dough at a project that designed a suit that could stay-up for 15 minute flights or more at a time. That would be truly amazing. Simply choosing a different way of getting safely on the ground once the flight is over? Yawn! "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Anyone else going last two weeks in July? "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

I have over 250 jumps but haven't jumped for 1 year. Can I easily start jumping again? Or do I need some sort of check-out jump / training? "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Does anyone know what happened at Beiseker recently? Something happened, possibly an incident, but the discussion is currently being censored by the moderators. Unless there is a very good reason for hushing this up, I think we ought to know. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

http://www.baserigs.com/docs/photo-video/video/docs/EGquad.MPG The BASE jumper in this cliff appears to float vertically a few seconds after completing his somersaults. Can anyone explain this? "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Why the fuss over landing a wingsuit? To survive, you would have to travelling so slowly and gently, it wouldn't be much more different than landing a 39 canopy. The ultimate dream is to actually TAKE OFF AND FLY a wingsuit, from the ground. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Ok, to settle a disagreement with someone I love (who just happens to be a school-teacher) can someone tell me why heavier jumpers fall faster than others, when, according to science books, a brick and a paper-clip should fall at the same speed and hit the ground at the same time? "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

I've been away from Skydiving for far too long and I miss it I've heard a lot about these videos: Congratulations to the 2003 BASE VideoFest winners: 1st Place - Jeb Corliss for his documentary "A Year in the Life". Highlights included NYC hotel jumps, canopy collisions with waterfalls, and some amazing aerials. Jeb won a cool Oakley backpack and a 5-pack of MiniDV tapes. 2nd Place - Tony DiCola (Donk) for his Norway wingsuit videos from this summer. The most talked about scene from this video was Harry P. flying next to the waterfall. Donk won a Raptor Bellymount Camera Platform by Vertical Visions. 3rd Place - Johnny Utah for his "Huge" video showing the TF 19-way jump and Moscow tower leaps. The 19-way video was amazing, showing many different camera angles. Of course, it was also amazing because I was on the load (shameless, self-promotion). Johnny won a Bridge Day 2002 video and 8x10 photo enlargement of his Bridge Day 2003 jump. Most Entertaining - Bertrand Cloutier for his video showing all the cool things you can do with your face and mouth when a 120 mph wind hits it just right in freefall. Also, there was a cool leap off a moving vehicle off a small bridge into water. Bertrand won a Bridge Day 2003 hat. Can anyone tell me where I can purchase any of this stuff on DVD or whether it's on the net? Particularly the waterfall clip. Are there any other new DVD's that can rival Soul Flyers? "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

This is a question for all Americans out there. Im curious whether you realise how much the world hates you and what you consider the reasons to be. NB I dont hate America or its citizens per se, although I consider it has rather unusual foreign policies. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Hes a hero because he was distinguished by exceptional courage, nobility and strength. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

I'm not convinced. Proove it to me. t Because as human animals we have an inbuilt, genetic safety mechanism to naturally fear death. If we didnt, wed all be killing ourselves as soon as life took a turn for the worse and the human race would perish fairly soon. To overcome any intense fear takes a degree of courage. Jumping out of a plane is a good example. How frightened were you when you made your first skydive? What exactly were you frightened of? Dying? To make a firm decision to die and journey into the unknown, in the vain hope that the unknown might just be preferable to life itself, is the bravest act any human can make. A true, tragic hero. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

I'm sorry, I can feel compassion for him and for the pain he must have been in. I can wish that there was something that someone could have seen and done. I can even understand to a degree his wish to end his life. And I certainly don't consider him to be an "idiot". But I cannot come anywhere near comprehending your refering to him as a "tragic hero". That simply beggers belief. I doubt youre brave enough to kill yourself. It takes a considerable modicum of guts and conviction to take ones own life. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

It seems people are falling into two camps: those that are horrified by what happened and wouldnt have been able to handle filming something similar for themselves, and those that understand that life is hard, people kill themselves on a regular basis and life goes on. All skydivers muse about death, not least because we save our own lives on a regular basis. It doesn´t mean we all have a death-wish, rather that we´re simply more in touch with our own mortality. People who dont skydive and who would never, ever throw themselves out of a plane, are usually low-sensation seekers and find death or thinking about the consequences, rather harder to handle. Alistair wanted to kill himself, he wanted to do it during a skydive, he wanted it to be filmed for the world to see. Its customary to grant a dying man his last wish. Lifes hard and it´s a tragedy he felt miserable enough to want to end it all. But award him the respect for being brave enough to go through with it. In my eyes hes a tragic hero, not an "idiot". Were all going to die eventually, some simply choose to go sooner than the rest of us. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

"Please do me a favour by filling in the rest of your profile, including your home DZ. So that I can avoid it. I have no desire to share a DZ, let alone a plane, with someone with your attitude" I wouldn´t kill myself in front of you or anyone else. Suicide is usually a very private affair, unless one is feeling so much pain they need others to see what they´re going through. Perhaps this was why Alistair died on camera, in the hope that his ex-gf would see it and feel guilty. His skydive suicide wasn´t the first and it won´t be the last. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

There´s a well documented case of a Polish air stewardess who survived a freel fall from 30,000 feet without a rig. Search the net and you´ll find it. It happened within the last 20 years or so and as far as I know, she´s still alive today. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

How do you know how he felt? It was his life to do what the hell he wanted. If he wanted to have one last skydive before he died, good for him. If I wanted to kill myself, I´d probably go this way too. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Was supposed to fly my first suit today, but grounded due to weather problems. Keep your fingers crossed for tomorrow for me, everyone "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Yes it is. Is it available online anywhere? I´m only asking as I´ve started to get complacent about my jumping, feeling over confident. It´s only by watching malfunction videos and reading skydivingfatalities.com that brings me down to earth. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience