skytash

Did 3 in a day a while back and didn't even need to grab myself a plane to do it. 1st load at Sebastian, driver to Lake Wales for a lunch time jump and then last load at Z-hills. tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

just booked my space today and now have to read everything here to learn at least something about CReW before I go. Anyone else going? tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

I'll be down there the week-end 8th/9th/10th December. If you just 'forget' to get back on the ship for a week we could meet for a drink! tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

so when is the camera guy going to chip in to say he'll keep you company as long as he can video you being alone? tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

and having been an manager in the UK, Germany and South Africa, I have to say the labour laws here in SA are very much in the workers' favour rather than the employer than even in Germany, let alone that capitalistic Thatcherite country I call home at times! tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

thanks

perhaps I've been putting on weight which is leading to higher wing loading reducing the incidence of this opening pattern. tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

What kind of harness do you have? Mine is articulated and I tighten my chest strap up quite a lot. When I release the chest strap the slider just sails on down. I used to have problems with the end cells, but with around 300 jumps on it now, I don't anymore. I usually reach for my rear risers just after opening anyway to make sure I can steer away from any other canopies if I need to, and have found that when I've needed to use them, the slider comes down even without loosening the chest strap. tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

I love that story and agree about your views on charities. At the Kenya boogie this year I met someone who works for Oxfam and in the past, I have given people presents from www.oxfamunwrapped.com. I asked him how that worked from his perspective and whether that money really gets spent on chickens, donkeys, water buckets and teachers etc. He explained that it was very difficult for a project manager to get hold of oxfam unwrapped money as it could ONLY be spent on the specific items, no staff costs could be charged against the funds raised this way. He finds that very frustrating as he would love to get some of the objects which are given as unwrapped gifts, however has no way of paying for the logistics and staff to necessarily get it to the right people all the time. At times, it is easy enough because other projects are going the relevant places and packing in 100 mosquito nets can be done, some of the other things can be harder though. Having had that conversation with him, I've decided that once again, people I love and want to give presents to will get oxfam unwrapped presents from me as they actually already have enough money to buy themselves the things they need. I should look into Secret Santas in London though as that may also be a good thing to give myself

Hope you had a great day and are celebrating all week-end!

From Kenya rather than SA, still Africa though. tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

I'm really pleased to see your post and the one from 3331. Being in completely the wrong part of the world I couldn't offer any help to SARLDO and was hoping someone else would. Like others said, been in the situation where as a group we decided that if we managed to get a linked exit to work, we'd count that as 15 points . A more experienced jumper offered to do a couple of 2-ways with me and paid his own slot. The only request he made of me is that I 'pay it forward' and do exactly that for someone else who needs it once I could fall straight down the tube. I've kept my part of that bargain so far and hope to keep doing so. It makes me sad to think that there aren't many out there that do this anyore. Then you two restored my faith in skydivers remembering the help they got when they were 'young' and passing it on to others. It's one of the things I really love about our community and there are probably lots more out there who think this way than I thought! tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

If you are going through Geneva, my house isn't that far of the track to come over for a nice cuppa tea tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

you'd be welcome to swing by my place on your way, just let me know which of my two places you want to visit to make sure I'm actually there tash edited to add: just checked a map not sure if either of my places are actually between NY and CA . You'd have been welcome if they were Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

I'd have thought there is a reason why she isn't putting out, which should be dealt with before going somewhere else... tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

There is the national BEE requirement for employment here, BEE being Black Economic Empowerment and is a form of positive discrimination. It means that in some industries and professions white males have a hard time finding a job, as companies try to increase their quota of non-whites. I believe that may be the reason why so many white South Africans have emigrated. The people are very friendly and welcoming here. I've only been here a few months and already made friends here who I'll hopefully be in touch with for the rest of my life, even if I don't see them too often. I found the crime fear quite dibilitating at first until I saw my first unattended package. When I realised I was the only person who thought it may be a bomb it dawned on me that what I consider to be normal having lived in London for 10 years is not normal to others; in the same way that things here are considered normal that I wouldn't have thought as normal before (does that make sense?). I would definitely recommend spending some time in SA, it's a beautiful country with many fantastic people, great red meat (if that's what you are into) and to me feels like in an amazing transition period. Considering the kind of country I was born in (SA in the 1970's) it's a completely different country in many respects but in others just the same. tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

works in the reverse too, traded my tunnel instructor for a TI and he's also still the same person tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

Leave the guy be. He's just horny! Chanti: shhhh, u'r giving away my secret!! lol we all know it's just because I won't be around PSC for a while tash ps - I'll pm you if there is an extra person on the load next week Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

I did a fair amount of time learning to sit in a tunnel, and found the transition into the sky quite straightforward. Mind you haven't done a sit-fly out of a plane with a coach yet since, so may be scooting all over the shop tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

my understanding of copywrite is around making money from other people's IP. So selling a CD would be a violation, but just having a copy of something already on the internet somewhere else on the internet should be ok. Perhaps an IP lawyer can fill us in. On the fact that things may go out of date, perhaps it's worth adding links to those manufacturer website that have manual on them rather than the manual itself? I guess the older ones aren't that likely to be out of date . And now that you're a greenie - perhaps worth making a sticky link to the repository (somehow that sounds like toilet humour, but isn't meant to be ) tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

you didn't give those of us who are from many places and about it the option for multiple entries . SA and UK citizen who spent more than half her life living in neither of these two countries. In fact Oz is the only continent I've never lived on (or visited for that fact). tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

you should be able to identify that you are over the place you should be - it depends on who is evaluating you and signs you off! tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

my gut feel is anything over £100k is very good. Mainly 'cos I haven't got there yet! tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

Ultimately it is up to each skydiver to be content with the spot. Some people are content to rely on others, so will follow the lead, which could be the green light or the jumper before them. I always use the 5 - 10 seconds before I exit to check for other aircraft at least, I usually already know where to find the LZ from the overall view from the windows of the plane. As you become more familiar with your own DZ and what it looks like from the air it will also be easier and faster for you to work out where you are. I found that sitting at the door and watching everything as we climb, noting certain landmarks etc made it faster for me to find the LZ on exit. I understand you concern about a plane of 20 people, however in my experience it is rare for a plane of 20 people to consist on 20 separate exits, ie there will be groups. If someone half-way through the exit order asks for a go-around as they feel that the plane is too far from the spot, many pilots and DZs will allow this. There are some that don't, and I prefer not to jump at a DZ like that. Refusing too jump because you weren't comfortable with what you saw out of the door was in my view exactly the right thing to do. You weren't comfortable, so you didn't jump. The pilot respected that opinion and allowed you to jump from a point you were comfortable with. Sounds to me that your home DZ is one that I would prefer to jump at ! tash edited for spelling Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

it's probably because they have memory problems.. we hammer into our guys heads that the MUST mention the deductable and to cover their butts they often say it first to get out of the way. Not a nice way to treat customers though and our telephone guys would get marked down for that. Obviously the guys in the field don't have their conversations recorded or monitored for quality purposes, so nothing we can do about them. tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe