adamUK

Unfortunately your "friends" were assholes who were using you for what they could get before reverting to type. Folk like these can be found all over the place. The trick is to spot them but it is not easy. Especially if you are a generous person.

Sorry to hear that. My experience in all sports is that it's not the skill, or the conditions or where you do what you do that makes it the most fun.. it's who you're with. I've been snowboarding in absolute crap conditions and still had a hoot because the crew we were with were great. Same for skydiving. Our DZ is tiny and the overall skill level is low but we have a good laugh because there's a good crew. Once that's gone then it's no fun anymore.

Another option: You might be able to get the pilot 188 zpx (aerodyne's low bulk fabric) into the same container as a pilot 168. I get a great flare from my pilot 188.

In the UK about $12/hr.

2k composites do a retrofit cutaway system but not US-based unfortunately. http://www.2kcomposites.co.uk/2kc-button-cutaway-7-p.asp

If that is the case then I will do the night shift. It will be probably cheaper than flying in a land based tunnel. I'd be responsible for the ship arriving late I'd be such a drain on the power supply.

Holy crap. I'd be bankrupt after that holiday. Hope it's got enough power for head down.

I've been jumping 9 years off and on. My weight is the same as yours and I jump a 190 sq ft canopy. Just sayin'.

Awesome. Maybe they should have used yak dung fires on the set for added authenticity. Great to see those zero cams able to support 5 climbers through a leader fall.

It's all explained here

Normally tunnel instructors get you to learn backfly before sit because that the default 'bail' position (if you bail to a belly then the higher wind speeds in sit could cause injury). Then they'll often do back to belly and belly to back transitions so you can then go from your back to a sit. After that they'll get you onto sit. In 2 hours ? I dunno. It depends on how fast you learn but you might be getting into sit in 2 hours. With 77 jumps though it's well worth concentrating on belly flying. It's all 'body flight' whether it's on your belly, back, sit or head. Being a great belly flyer will make you a great freeflyer and also enable you to learn FF skills more quickly. The other thing is see if you can split your 2 hours over at least 2 days. Don't go in for more than 5 x 2 min rotations and leave an hour between sessions to recover, debrief, eat, etc. If I'm doing a day then I don't do any more than 40 minutes. After that I am usually knackered and it's really hard progress when you're tired. Especially sit for the first time I found to be a killer on the arms and shoulders. One final thing if you've not got one yet, get a coach. I've burnt hours in the tunnel not getting anywhere (having a blast though!). Having a coach to give you drills, a brief, watch you then good debrief is worth the money. They normally cost £150-£200/hr. Have fun! It's very addictive.

This ^. Don't end up hating both a job and hobby that you used to love.

Wow. No diffuser, no settling chamber. Turning vanes at the top just basically a duct. Surely Chinese engineering students do some basic fluid mechanics?

The main difference is the frame rate. I think the contour roam 2 has a higher frame rate for the 720p resolution.

Are you the Jo that's into Muay Thai?

Haha. Yes. Atard is a big yellow tunnel ninja. I put 10 hours of tunnel on my mortgage. I'm paying it off over the next 20 years. I kid you not.

My video would have 4 of the 5 minutes head down on the net trying vainly to get some lift. Who the f**k would want to watch that?

There was an interesting article in the Economist on this topic too.

Also: British Paperwork Association.

Many companies I work for have the vendor split the bid in 2. One with the prices and one without. The ones without the prices are evaluated by the technical team. Only those that pass are then evaluated on cost. This always seems like a good idea to me - you get what you want. "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten" - attributed to Benjamin Franklin.

You're much further than I was after 5 hours.

Ask around or put an ad in the 'tunnel time' bit of DZ.com. If you're solid in, say, sit then offering to pay half tunnel time would be welcome by most. 30 minutes a day is enough for me. I've done 45 a day but that was morning, afternoon and evening. I find open face okay. I wouldn't spend all that cash on a new lid just for the tunnel. Definitely. I don't know about US tunnels but Airkix includes coaching with the cost of the tunnel time. Don't be in a mad rush to get onto head down straight away. Get a good FF suit or tunnel suit. They get some hammer.

I like this one

Not too much slower than the Lockheed version.. Or at least it feels that way.

I can imagine the long spell of silence that follows that remark..