scargill

Hello there! I'm thinking of buying the HC37e (in the UK) to start my camera flying with. Does anyone have any experience of this camera? What are the most important features I should be looking for on a camera? I have downloaded the spec from the sony page - it doesn't have 'DV IN' but I can make do without that! Any advice welcome! Many thanks!

Hi Ross! I'm in the process of looking for camera + helmet at the mo! I'm looking at a Sony HC37 currently £150 in the sale in Argos! SImilar in size to the old PC range. 2K composites have a new helmet out - the FF3 - which I'm thinking of getting too. Price for the shell inc box is £200+vat if you order before end of Jan! Sales pitch over! I think a decent price for new gear for a first timer! If anyone has any feedback on either of these products I'd be glad to hear it! Infact thats why i'm looking here today to see if anyone is using them already! See ya at the AGM if ur going!

I had my belt confiscated over Xmas by security at Stanstead UK. I have been through there with it as hand luggage many times before and its not been a problem. They gave me the option of paying to store it in left luggage for the duration of my trip - cheek! I explained I'd travelled with it before, I even tried the whole 'well I called in the week to double check that I would be ok to carry it and was told it would be ok' line - but they didn't really give a sh#t. I now have a new belt and have to take it to Perris in 3 weeks - I hope Heathrow and Manchester are less hassle!

Short but sweet question I know.... Most of the time my head's up concentrating on the 4-way - but on the rare occasions that I jump by myself and get to look around (whilst keeping a firm check on my altitude - before someone asks why I'm looking at the world) I'm amazed at how beautiful the world can be from the air...Which places have taken your breath away and made you think WOW?

Hey...! I take offense to that Ms Tate lol!

Wow I've never though Nige could be so serious ! Nice bit of film tho!

So Guys, all very exciting - its the ESL finals this weekend (Spa, Belgium)! As usual there is quite a large GB presence - good luck to all of the GB teams - especially the Dido's....and of course Polaris! So Team GB for the Sprit this year then guys.....what do you think.....?! Praying for blue skies (and calm seas on Thurs morn for the trip over lol!) x

Was just there this w/e for the BPA Artistic Roadshow, managed 9 jumps! They are having a big party the weekend after you are there on the 24th! Otherwise you need to round up a load of jumpers and head into Lancaster as there is no bar. The bunk house is basic but comfortable and much better then some I have been to in the UK. Its where I started jumpin so I have a soft spot for BK's!

Thats where I started jumping - they are all really friendly and fab scenery too! Make sure you get up there before 30th Sep to jump the Porter before it goes back to France! Make sure you get a video too! Enjoy it!

Yeah hows the car lol?!?!?!

Visit Http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/ukfreefly/ to learn more about and register for updates on UK Freefly (I think that should work!). I recently had some coaching from Steve Newman of Bullet Freefly School, Langar. He was great - I'd definitely pay them a visit! Euphoria are good too, as are Space based at Hib. Also a relatively new school is Avalore at Black Knights, also worth checking out. There is also a BPA Freefly Coaching Roadshow at Black Knights on the weekend 10/11th Sep - coaching for slots only from Rob Silver, Steve Newman and Avalore - bargain!

Quote: "FWIW - my Sabre opened fine after i stopped messing around with "tricks" (rolling cells into the nose etc) and just learnt to pack it properly....." Same....I used to roll the nose, push it right back, slider right out, roll the tail.......... Then I had to use a packer one day and got the most amazing opening. They told me not to do any of above, just push nose back a little (but still so cells are showing) and pull the slider right out.........in the last 50 jumps i've prob had one slammer, it used to be 1 in 7/8. It goes against everything I have ever been told about packing Sabres, but seems to work for me! (I have a 150 by the way)

Thats not how it was intended to come across, appologies if it did.

Ok without wanting to dig myself an even larger hole...! Ok I admit I made the error of saying this without the 'but I appreciate I've only been in the sport 18 months, therefore my opinion mustn't count for much etc etc etc' disclaimer - and that is entirely true. I haven't been around for long hence experience is all relative - and you (and the other respondents) will be in a far better place to comment - I know that. I didn't read your post properly, so I appologise for that. I would have been pretty annoyed too - I thought the reason you didn't get on a lift was because you didn't have your docs in order. Anyway, that aside i stand by the point that people who couldn't jump had only theirselves to blame for not having their docs in order - but I understand why they might have thought they could get away without it last week if previously it hadn't been an issue (I wasn't aware that this had not been a problem in previous years - which would be due to my lack of time in the sport - which is not my fault (everyone has to start somewhere) so just don't make my lack of knowledge about some things a personal issue - because if people don't tell me then how am I supposed to know). To me a deadline is a deadline - your car insurers wouldn't say it was ok and agree to pay up for an accident if you just posted your renewal that morning - so why should skydiving be any different? They were just trying to protect the interests of the jumpers as far as I can see - but maybe I am wrong. I guess that 3-4 lifts a day is what I have come to expect from UK skydiving - admittedly I have only been to 4 DZ's in the UK, and with the exception of Hib the past weekend didn't seem anything worse then I have experienced anywhere else - hence my post. So is it Hinton, or is it UK DZ's in general that are going down hill - I don't know so tell me. I'm not being sarcastic here - I know I haven't seen much relative to you guys - so if you know somewhere thats great, you can pack in the jumps, you don't get bumped off manifest for tandems then tell me........but even my experienced jump friends tell me similar stories of other places that I haven't visited, and some of them have been jumping 20 years or more. btw - no I wasn't the blonde in the freefly pants.

I was there this weekend and half of my mates couldn't jump because they had not got their renewal. Yes they were unhappy, but at they accepted they should have been more organised. Get over it and stop trying to lay the blame on others because you didn't get your act together 6 weeks ago when the renewal form came out. If you had been killed then the skydive community and the press would rip the DZ apart for not being safety conscious enough and stringent enough with checks. Seems like a no win situation. If you have been out of the sport for however long anyway then what is one more week. Also you mention they could barely fill a lift.......funny how for each of my 3 jumps on Sat I had to wait hour because the manifest was so full........ I am relatively new to Hinton and the staff and jumpers have always been extremely helpful and friendly........seems like you had a bad day, but don't go mouthing off to the world thats the place is completely shit....as its not. I've been to worse DZ's.

Just got back from Lillo Fab DZ, good crowd of people, currently 1 Twin Otter and a Porter - soon to have a Beech. Not much else in the town, but so long as you are with a good group of mates you can't fail to fall in love with the DZ! Great for a long weekend! Have also visited GAP in france and that was cool too!

I'm relatively new to the sport, but I agree with you. I think it is essential - esp when you are exiting a plane you are not familiar with. Maybe someone with more jumps/experience of different planes would disagree? But if they think why do it, ask them why not? It only takes a few mins and will get you a few extra points on your dive - by ensuring the exit is smooth. You have enough things to think about in the plane without having to think about how you are gonna get out of the door! It probably isn't so much of an issue on 2/3 ways - but anything bigger I think needs time dedicating to position in the door and presentation to slip stream.

Where exactly in the Midlands are you? I live in the Midlands close to Stratford and I jump at Hinton - which is definatley worth the journey - its only 25 mins from where I live! In relation to your original message - I have heard about this - I know much the same as you - opening around March time if it gets the all clear, no idea what planes. I heard that once a month there might be clearance for 20000ft (but could be just speculation) - not sure about altitude at other times. Where did you hear about this PM if you'd rahter not say here. I believe it operated some years back as a DZ so the infrastructure is in place already.

Thank you for your explanations and advice! As WARP is the only route offered at my local DZ I think I'll be sticking to that - but will also look out for opportunities at other DZ's where I can get some additional coaching, even after I have gained my FS1. I did a few 2 ways with a friend at the weekend (who is also a camera flyer, which was handy for de-brief!). We worked on forward movement and fall rate which went well. I was also followed out by an instructor on one jump and they both commented that I was falling down the tube - so I feel more confident about starting WARP now. Thanks again!

QuoteIf you'Re not too confy with your french, I'd say stick with the largest DZs: Lapalisse and Gap will have some english speaking folks no doubt. Gap has awsome views too. I've just got back from Gap a few weeks ago - FANTASTIC!!! There is an English instructor out there called Kevin Hardwick and a few of the French guys speak a bit of English too! I went as a student and had no problems - so don't worry about your low jump numbers! And the views are fab too!

Hi I'm moving to the Hinton area in the middle of September so it will be my local DZ and i hope to be there most weekends! I usually jump at Black Knights where I met a few of the Hinton 8 CREW team a few weeks back. But it would be great to be put in touch with some people at my own level! I came down about 2 weeks ago to check it out, seems great but must say I will miss BK's!!! Details: Vicky Scargill 40 Jumps - A license Currently doing WARP

I've recently completed RAPS in the UK and am keen to start some RW coached jumps. My dz (and most dz's in the UK i think) use the WARP system for this so thats the system i'm going to start with. But, I hear the name Skydive U talked/written about quite a bit and wondered what the difference is? I've asked a few people this before and they simply say its similar to WARP and thats all I need to know, but if its so similar then why does it even exist? There must have been a need for coaching using diff methods etc for someone to have gone to the effort of developing the program?!! Appologies if this sounds like a stupid question, but would just like to know the differences, advs/disads of the different programs! Thank you!

This happened to me recently! I was told to do practice pulls which slows the spin down. Also trying to turn in the opposite direction to the spin should stop it too. I was doing this on RAPS (British static line system) so had no instructor following me out. I decided to invest in one jump with an instructor who also filmed me to see what the problem was. It was quite clear that my arms were all over the place - too high and uneven, hence the spinning! Loads of people told me not to worry, that the involuntary turns would just stop, and they do! So don't worry, you'll sort it! (I know its more money but try and get your next jump on video as it really is worth it to help figure out what you are doing - plus, just when your family think they have heard everything there is to know about skydiving, you can show them the video and annoy them some more