UKFSChick

I've been asked to do a write-up for an article for the non-skydiving media on the possible benefits of skydiving as a health and fitness pursuit. I know from experience that at a certain level skydiving can really help work your upper body, and a high degree of flexibility and stamina is required. Does anyone have any links/ hard facts and /or anecdotal evidence (that I could possibly even quote if you don't mind?) on how skydiving has been of benefit in these areas? Personally I think that any physical pursuit is much, much easier to stick to (and see the benefits of) when you really love it - like skydiving :) And it's less boring than the gym. Thoughts and comments greatly appreciated- or PM me if you'd rather. Cheers, Emma

Anyone know if there are any slots still available on these camps, or extra dates announced yet?

Maybe this PR exercise didn't go exactly as people would have liked, given some of the opinions on here. I don't know, I didn't see it. But I do think that in general Airkix and its staff should be applauded for getting skydiving and tunnel flying some of the best publicity it's ever had, since they opened in November. I can't think of anything that has had a more positive effect overall on how the sport of skydiving is perceived by the public than Airkix - which, unlike other tunnels at present, is heavily promoted and targeted towards non-skydivers. Most people don't even have a clue what skydiving actually is, until they come across Airkix on their TV screen and in the major press. It's only Airkix that is bringing what we do to the media and the public in a way that is genuinely accessible to them, and that they can understand and participate in. If Airkix get it off target once in a blue moon I think we could cut them some slack. The growth of skydiving in the UK (i.e. new entrants)will probably be powered more by Airkix than anything else over the next few years, and that can only be good for everyone involved in our sport, from DZ managers to tandem masters, AFF instructors, teams seeking sponsorship and so on. It's Airkix being so jam-packed with whuffos that is actually allowing people to get a taste and feel for what we love about the sport - instead of reading about cut reserve risers, alcohol and drug-fuelled DZ parties, and lethal Cypress fires in sensationalised tabloid journalism. Joe Public isn't really very interested in skydiving world records, National Championships and other aspects of the sport that we hold dear. They are interested in things that either entertain them (sensationalism) or pertain to them - in this case, tunnel flight targeted at them. Maybe after a few years of Airkix that will begin to change.

Every Tuesday night, Team Airkix Formation Skydiving team is offering free FS coaching for skydivers of all levels at the Airkix tunnel. It may also be possible to arrange alternative coaching times at no charge on request. We cover everything from basic body position to 4-way and will do our best to fit in with whatever you need to work on. Go to www.airkix.com for more info or contact us or the tunnel direct.

Just up: http://www.skyventurecolorado.com/skydivers/camp_0306.php

Ummm...does your team mate not have internet access, or do you have some other reason to believe he won't read what you wrote about him on a public forum? Or would you rather he read about himself on here instead of having a rock session where you get this stuff off your chests in private? Teams can be tricky, everyone has to be sensitive to each other while you let stuff shake down...

I've since heard that Neal Houston (Airspeed) will be in the UK coaching with Gary from Jan 16th - 20th. Gary will be around longer, from 13th - 22nd - available for team/ individual tunnel coaching on a first come, first served basis. There won't be any 'official' camps or promotion as such, this is a word-of-mouth last minute thing. PM for contact info :)

This is fantastic...thanks Jan. I'll pass the url on.

Gary is also back in the UK and doing a lot of FS coaching at Airkix from 14th - 22nd Jan, he is planning on having another Airspeed coach with him, TBC. They will do camps on demand and one-on-one coaching, 4way etc., pretty much whatever people want. Best to contact Trevor or Simon Ward at Airkix, or send me a PM if you want Gary's email.

Good for her. I guess the Knights picked up a trick or two after getting spanked by a girl at Nationals...

I am quite old tho... Allegedly...as does my old school salt!

Should probably point out that strictly speaking these are not 'Airspeed' camps... Gary and Mark used to be on Airspeed and now dedicate their time to coaching...and I guess it shows! Sounds wicked, can't wait to get in there for some 2-on 2 (I hope!) next weekend :)

..but who thinks of their feet when you've got your back, hamstrings, pecs, neck, gluts to worry about too?? I've occasionally suffered from cramp in my feet in the tunnel (also calves and sometimes hamstrings), but never in freefall. As you say, no doubt it comes from holding a position for a long time. I'm more likely to get it if I'm less current and the muscle isn't used to it. Eating more salt and drinking lots of water can help - i.e. just have a bag of crisps before you fly. Or just spend more time in the tunnel and strengthen your pointy-toe position!

Just to be anal and highlight the specific adjective which qualifies this description as correct ...I think this would stand in a court of law?

So true and yet so elusive...

Good post. My team and I paid $100 to Pat McGowan at Perris for an hour of time, but as you say, that was literally an hour where he came in and flew with us, then left, rather than an all-day thing such as a camp. You have to be sure you compare apples with apples. Normally we hire our coach (Dan BC) for the whole day to do ground coaching too, so the thing with Pat was a one-off - but I think as one-offs go that was reasonable and seems to be the going rate (if it's what Ron charges at Orlando too). Coaches in general need to make their daily coaching fee of at least $250 - $500 (depending on if you are a regular/ local team). This means doing camps can work out really cost-effective compared to just hiring someone on a one-off basis. If, as a solo flyer, I hired a top FS coach for an hour of solid one-on-one tunnel flying over 2 days, flying 30 mins each day, with briefing/ debriefing in between, I'd be paying (if we take Perris rates) $700 for the 1 hr of time, plus minimum $350 per day for his/ her fee. I say 'minimum' because tunnel coaching of that intensity can be much more demanding on a coach than coaching 4-way from the ground all day, so you could expect to pay $450 - $500. So my total costs would be at least $700 + $450 + $450 = $1600 for one hour coached over 2 days. However when I did a similar thing as part of a camp at Perris (Gary Beyer/ Mark Kirkby) it was $975 for one hour coached over 2 days. That gives me a daily rate of $137.50 ($975 - $700 = $275/ 2 = $137.50) payable to the coach. Other similar camps charge more, but I'd say this is a fair rate for this type of coaching. So sharing the daily rate with the other campers saves you $$, and you get more value than just hiring the coach for a solid hour - since you have their dedicated attention over 2 full days. I guess the main thing when trying to compare prices is make sure you are looking at the same thing - it's variable depending on: - quality of coaching - total amount of time you receive from the coach - in air and on ground - how much time you want to buy - with bulk buying obviously giving you better rates.

Hiya Dan, Just to add to what Tash said which is all spot on: 1. Is there anywhere that has an easy table to look up prices. Not that I'm aware of... But in general, the US is the cheapest, and you can expect to pay between $600 and $700 an hour if you buy in blocks of an hour or more. Some tunnels (such as Perris, California) give you a voucher for more time once you fly a certain amount of hours with them, a way of rewarding heavy users. The UK tunnels charge around 600 pounds an hour, again with discounts for bulk-buying. The up-to-date info is on each tunnel's website. When I have so little experience will a top coach really help. Absolutely. I would go as far as to say that you will potentially save yourself a lot of wasted minutes (hours?) and money if you invest in a great coach, one-on-one, from the beginning. There are very few (if any?) really excellent skydivers who haven't had a lot of one-on-one tunnel coaching. A good coach can correct mistakes as you make them and accelerate the pace at which you learn far beyond what you could manage by trial and error. You wouldn't learn to drive or fly a plane without close instruction...I think the same goes for learning to fly your body. The better the coach (at coaching as opposed to just at skydiving themselves), the faster you will learn. 3. How many hours should you do solo for. If you mean solo without a coach, I'd say just get in and familiarise yourself with the airflow (just one or two 2-minute flights should do) and then get a coach in with you. 4. Is there a minimum number of hours till, 4 ways As Tash says, it totally depends on your skills. As a guide though, top FS coaches like Gary Beyer and Mark Kirkby will generally take you in for some 4-way (ie two-on-two with them) towards the end of a 2 hour camp spread over 4 days, sometimes sooner. But this would be 4-way with coaches...if you wanted to go in with your friends, again it would depend on your respective skill-sets. You can't really measure it in terms of how much tunnel flying you've done, since your skills will also be impacted by whether you got coaching, how good the coaching was, etc. 5. Is there a minimum number of hours till, ff What Tash said. 6. If I was there for 1-2 weeks whats the max # of hours I should aim at. It does depend on how fit you are as to what you can cope with..Also, if you are really tired out you won't achieve your optimum learning. I would personally choose a coach first and take their advice on that, as they can see when you start to lose momentum and at what point the benefits of extra hours are outweighed by you being totally shagged out! The most I've flown is an hour a day one-on-one over 6 days. On Day 3 I felt like I was going to die, but by Day 6 I felt great again and overall leant an amazing amount....I'd do it again if I could afford it... Are there any other tips or tricks. Like 2 hours on 1 day off. Don't just buy a big block of time and go in and fly solid. Most people fly in 2 minute slots and switch in and out with other people. Sometimes the tunnel can arrange this for you, but that can be tricky, otherwise you would need to find someone to share time with yourself, or the easiest way is to do a tunnel camp as then it's all arranged for you. Between flights a good coach will also do some extensive briefing and video debriefing with you...on a camp this could mean flying half an hour will actually take you the whole day...For most people, 30 mins tunnel in one day is a lot, and you will feel quite tired. Three or four days in a row of 30 mins per day is fairly heavy going (but well worth living on Ibuprofen and Red Bull for the payback!) and that's the format which Gary and Mark's camps at Perris used to follow, although most people bought additional time in the evenings too. Or is there any tips like 1 hour coach, 2 hours solo. I'd limit the solo time as much as possible but it can be useful to go in for a few minutes at the end of the day to try out what you've learned. Any non busy times where you will get better coaching. That won't really make much of a difference, although time can be cheaper off-peak, ie mid-week daytime. Any times of year to avoid. I think Perris shuts mid-day during high summer and Eloy is extremely hot during summertime too. Hope that helps a bit, sorry if I repeated anything! Emma

Seems like ball-crushing is par for the course for the hardened tunnel coach, if you scan through some of these comments! (Tracie Harrison's feedback on Gary and Mark's soon-to-be-at Airkix November camps, near the bottom). Amazing how limbs can fling themselves unwilled into the most unwelcome of places in a wind tunnel. Maybe all coaches should wear a box, like cricketers? That would add an interesting 'look' to the camp photos...(And a new meaning to Block 16?!) Sorry, is this off-topic?

I agree with Liz...for most people the quality of coaching you get is what will determine how much you get out of a tunnel experience, whether that tunnel is in Orlando, MK, Bedford, Perris etc.. That's particularly true if you're working on personal skills one-on-one. You don't need 16ft to learn to fly your body...but you do need a damn good coach with plenty of coaching experience (for whatever the skills are that you're working on), empathy and intuition.

Hiya Adrian, I hear there are now only a couple of slots left on the FS camps with Gary Beyer and Mark Kirkby so it's worth booking soon... From personal experience I can say they are fantastic camps and a great investment in your skydiving skills. Emma

Nice, dude... I noticed, even if no-one else did Are there any blocks you weren't able to do? Is there a vid set up or did you have to hire a bloke with a hand-held? (And don't point out all the videos people have posted links to already cos my connection sucks aRse!)

And not to forget the awesome job by NW Express taking Gold in 8-way Intermediate by a comfortable 3 points. They were by no means the most experienced team in Inters so they put on an amazing performance (beautiful 22s!) and probably surprised a few people...Nice job! So as far as the 4-way Open goes....Will we be seeing the 2nd female World Champ in Germany next year and the first ever female 4-way Open World Champ? Is there actually going to be much competition in that category from the rest of the world?

Didn't Airspeed beat the Knights at 8-way one year 'back in the day' having done practiically no training jumps at all? Proves training is over-rated...

Ummm...Ron, correct me if I'm wrong (like you wouldn't anyway ) but isn't Fire just 1/4 of last year's Blade? So pretty much a totally different team? Or is it 2 or the same members, can't remember? Which is not to say they won't kick arse either way etc etc...

Yeh I agree, I burned mine.