TrickyDicky

Theres only so much you can learn from reading on here. Most of the stuff you want to know you can only really learn and understand from actually doing it. Anyone could tell you how to do turns/backfly/sit/headdown on here, but its pretty worthless information compared to flying and being coached at the time. Also, Im not an instructor or tunnel rat and neither do I work at a tunnel, but Id be very surprised if they would teach you to backfly in the tunnel until you are fully controlled on your front. and in reply to: " I reserve the right to learn the way that I am learning and from who I want to learn it from." That could be a very dangerous attitude. Always do what you asked/told to from a qualified instructor. If you go around selectivly ignoring people, especially instructors, you could end up missing very important advice. Dont be another statistic. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

AFAIK, slinks only replace the metal rapide links you have already, so should work for anything. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

Reminds me of this this video on skydiving movies from my DZ in england. http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=1437&string=skydog UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

Remember what you feel just outside the door is not just the plane speed, but prop wash aswell. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

I hope you mean £18 UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

I know theres a nice vid somewhere of fabian and cathy from babylon, and a few others, doing a 6/7 way head-down spinning star in bedford. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

There is no actual requirement to "sign" or record the fact a check has been done by or for anyone A licence and above. All students must be checked by an instructor and signed for. It is the responsibility of the JM to ensure everyone has been checked. Some DZs do this by having everyone signed for, but I know of at least 2 (big) DZs that dont use signatures. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

Basically it should eventually lead onto all foreign jumpers not needing to take out BPA membership (assuming their 3rd party insurance covers them, which most organisations do) Atm, forcing them to get BPA membership is silly as its just insuring them twice. You also dont need to be a German citizen to get their membership. This covers you worldwide (incl US and Canada) for just over £1m (BPA insurance only gives you £100k cover abroad, excl USA/canada). It also only costs 70 euros/year (~£50) when we pay £112 for mux less cover. Now, Im not exactly sure what would happen if everyone took out the German membership? They'd still be covered, so why get BPA membership? Hopefully all this will give the BPA council a kick up the arse and get some decent insurance and modernise. They didnt seem too pleased to see this go through. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

The £1 increase is for the BPA part, not Insurance. Insurance is same price this year. But german jumpers no longer have to pay BPA membership to jump at BPA Dzs. I can see this opening a BIG can of worms. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

Technically (although not legally), you dont need to wear a reserve. So would you question someone now for not jumping without one (ignoring BASE). If you were careful about packing, no reserve needed. Then you start wearing a reserve, your packing gets sloppier. But I think most people think wearing a Reserve is a good thing, whether you're the best packer in the world or not. I dont see the problem with people saying "I wont jump without an AAD". I dont quite see the device dependancy. Why are people so annoyed with it? I really think the arguments about not being altitude aware are anythink like as heavy as losing altitude awareness. I know 2 guys doing head down. Lost altidude awarenes and both had 2 out. One guy even filled his trousers. I dont think he remembered he had an AAD. But think. If you wear an AAD when was the last time you thought, while having a mal "Well, Ive got an AAD, so I wont bother getting my reserve out myself". We all fuck up from time to time, its only human, so why not just have it for that fuck up? UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

Jumpsuits are useful because trousers/shirt can come untucked and cover handles. A jumpsuit cant do this. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

Ive heard some people wont fit windows deliberatly to force people to actually lift the flap and look at the pin, making sure everythings ok, not just what you can see through the window. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

Leeds have a very good skydiving club and they jump at hibaldstow, which might be closer to you than langar. I personally think its the best DZ in the UK too and theres a big uni crowd there (leeds and york, plus couple of others I think). UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

In the UK I have been in several 206s and a 182, some with roller/fabric doors and some without anything. I have never seen a pilot wear a bail out rig in these aircraft. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

I think the biggest thing to remember is: If they ask about the cypres, dont use the words: Bullet Explosive Cutter When describing how it works. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

Its on my CV, under interests, along with music/drumming/being in bands. Mentions that I ran the university club (management things), part of a 4-way team (motivation), we took gold at a regional grand prix (successful) and I want to be an AFFI when I grow up (instructional abilities and long term aspirations). I dont tell them there were only 6 teams in the junior catagory, weather meant it was only over 1 round and was at the end of the season. Its something interesting for them (and me) to talk about as they probably havent talked to anyone about it before, so its something away from the ususal stuff. I think Its good for them to know how well I can convey information aswell. So I think most of it isnt about skydiving, getting hurt, not being able to work at all. Its more about job/life skills they are looking for. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

Put it through the buckle once, but forget to loop it through the buckle. It should be fairly obvious to anyone else. Just get someone to have a quick once over your gear every time you get on the plane. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

Its an old rule. I think it stems from older full faces that didnt have the visibility they do now. Just they cant be arsed to change it. Also, you cant jump wearing a frap hat (you have to wear something on your head - UK rules) or jump a pull-out till you have your C. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

Be careful when doing AFF abroad. I dont think 3 Days is enough time to get it done. Spain can also have as bad weather as we do in winter/spring. A group from uni went to spain last april for a week and only got 1.5days of skydivable weather. Also, if you go abroad and dont finish, its one hell of a hassle finishing it back here, and more expensive. If you go back to spain to finish, then you need tog et back quick (difficult if ou need to take time off work/earn airfair etc) else you'll prolly go back some levels. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

Its the same in the UK, must hold a valid Licence before you can get the next. Until you have your B (50 jumps + CH2 + JM1), you cannot jump a full face helmet or jump without an AAD. C (200 Jumps + another qualification eg FS1, FF1) licence entitles you to jump with a camera and become a S/L instructor and tandem inst (with 800 jumps + 8hrs ff) D(1000 jumps) you can be an AFF inst. People in this country now are taking longer to get their B licence because CH2 is required, which involves briefs on flying with risers, along with practice at this and landing 10 times within a certain distance of a target. JM1 includes stuff on packing, jumpmastering, flight line checking, spotting and an OPS manual test. With busier instructors getting briefs for these things is getting harder. And as most spotting is done by the pilot nowadays practicing it (the requirement involves spotting from at least 10k) is getting less practical. I think its all a good thing as it forces people to learn stuff that they might not. With it comes benefits (full face, camera, jumping without AAD ). UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

(Im sure these have been posted many times before) If people ask "What if main fails" I go for: "then use your reserve!" Then people ask "what if the reserve fails" I either use: "Then you die" which normally shuts people up or "Take your shoe off and stick it up your arse" "Why?" "Cos when they find your body the'll be really confused!" or "Grab the grass on the way back up" "Why?" "Cos its the bounce that kills you" if I want a confused respose. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

I know fo people buying all new (or nearly new kit) then buying some cheap 2nd hand main to do some jumps on, then sell it on for nearly what they bought it for. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

Once you've stopped being a student skydiver, you will probably start to get your own gear. So Jumps are only £20/jump. But you'll have spent £200 on a jump suit, £3000 on a rig, and you can pack for yourself (you may be able to subsidise your jumping by packing for others/centre kit). Ive been jumping nearly 5 years, and Ive only done 350. To be fair, I have just finished a 4 year uni course, and paid for alot of my jumps (especially this year) packing static line rigs at £4/pack. There is a Diploma in skydiving run in new zealand that costs NZ$9000 that pays for all your training (AFF), 250 jumps ontop and then teaches you to pack, fly camera, freefly, RW and how to run a DZ. I think its a 12 month course, and you have to pay upfront. Its designed for people like yourself that want to do everything (well, just the basics) quickly. But dont rush it. You'll get hurt. + My friend just started base jumping. So far, he said the average cost of his BASE jumps have cost far more than his average skydive. BASE course + helcopter rides = expensive. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

If you have your rig insured for loss/theft, you may wanna check your policy. Im sure some policies (at least in the UK) cover your gear for loss or damage anywhere including while in use (with enough excess to not cover a reserve repack or lost free-bag), except if it's stolen from/with a car. Silly I know, but nice to know where you can leave it. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

Yup, and you cant opt out either. Annoys some people Yup, its pretty poor. Apparently only 1 insurer will insure the BPA at that level. Its been asked why cant we lower the limit and/or do what germany does. In germany, I think they have only about 1m euro cover, but they get full worldwide cover too (incl. US & canada) and they only pay 45e/year which covers membership AND insurance. Then this goes down after a few years like a no claims bonus. But then instructors pay a much larger premium of a few hundred euros/year, but when they're being paid to instruct, this cost should be at least covered by what you get paid. Germany they dont have the litiguous society like US/UK. If you did your first jump and broke your ankle, unless it can be proved to be the fault of someone else (the only real way would be to prove bad training) you cant claim anything like time off work or whatever. In the UK this happens and they claim, only for the insurers to pay out straight away. Madness. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.