Thijs

I think that this might be a factor. I rarely say anything at the dz (they simply don't let me speak there, or they just ignore me). However, on the internet forum I used to speak a lot (not anymore since I'm permanently banned there). However, the other dz's from Flanders are also on the same board, so just changing dz might not help

The contact button on their site doesn't seem to work anymore. Can anyone give me any contactinfo? I don't know these guys in person.

Here you don't need to have a licence to be able to jump with other people. You just need to be off student status (which I am). I never bothered getting a license, since I don't need them over here.

Thanks, but I don't think that this is really a solution. I would like to be a bit current, so I can't really travel that far.

Hi, Is it possible to demo the PF trackingpants and jacket somewhere around Belgium? I am thinking about buying a suit, but want to fly one at least once before I buy something. Thanks Thijs

December last year, I decided to take a temporary break from jumping. I had the feeling that I wasn't getting anything done on my jumps, I didn't feel that I was really progressing. However, my main reason for taking a break, was that I didn't get along with most of the people at the dz. I didn't find many like-minded people to jump with. A lot of people are laughing with me quite often (especially on the Beglium internet forum) and I have the feeling that most of them never take me serious. Maybe because I'm just 19 people think I can't say anything. I don't know what to do with jumping anymore. I don't want to go back to my dz. Should I just stop jumping? Or maybe stop jumping for a few years (maybe untill I'm out of school)?

Before I jump (edit: I mean boarding the plane) I figure out a flightplan in my head that I want to follow and where I want to land. Once under canopy, I try to follow the orginal plan, but change it whenever neccesary (being far from the dz, other traffic, changing wind conditions, etc)

No tandems, and I did SL. There is something that scares me about tandems... I think I felt more comfortable doing SL, then doing tandems first.

The main reason for using a D-bag is to keep the lines in place, and to avoid that the canopy starts to inflate prior to linestretch. If your canopy starts to inflate prior to linestretch, you can get severly hard openings. With the D-bag this is simple not possible, unless ofcourse the stows come loose prematurely. Do a search for "line dump" I think it is called. The same thing is accomplised in a base rig, just with another method (tailpocket). If you don't use a D-bag, it is also not possible to have a baglock. A baglock isn't that great of a deal in skydiving, since you still have your reserve. Also, try to pack a new ZP canopy in a container without a D-bag. You'll understand the benefit of using D-bags in skydiving . I'm not a fan of converting Skydiving rigs into BASE rigs. There are really good BASEspecific rigs, so why use a not so good modified skydive rig?

Thanks for your post. Just to make clear. I'm not saying that it is entertaining to see people hit the ground and get hurt. He never had a bad landing while jumping these canopies (atleast, the ones I saw). But, you could clearly see that he was not in control of the canopy. The canopy was flying with him, instead of the other way. While standing at the side of the landing area it was amongst jumpers more like: "Let's see how X lands that canopy again." Everbody knew he wasn't doing smart things. The only person who didn't understand this, was X himself. But as pointed out so many times, sometimes people only want to hear what they want to hear. Obvious, seeing someone hitting the ground painfully is not entertaining. Thijs

I just went back and read my first post. I don't see where I say that I don't follow the rules, or that I discard good advice. Example. Here in Belgium you can only jump with a camera if you have 200 jumps. You can do two things with this rule. You can follow it, or you can interpret it. What is the philophosy behind this rule? Cameraflying poses extra risks then ordinary jumping and people who are not ready for camera jumping shouldn't jump with a camera. But! It is not because you have 200 jumps that you are ready for jumping with a camera. So, instead of putting on a camera on your 200th jump, you should go and talk to camera people first. Note that if you don't talk or think about this, you are perfectly in line with the rules! The same applies for canopy control. Last summer a jumper at our dz crashed hard into the ground when he started his front riser turn way to low. He did everything by the rules, still, jumping is finished for him. Another jumper at our dz. 1000 jumps. About 10 years experience. Jumps normally a sabre 150. All the sudden he starts demojumping 80 to 90 sqft cross-braced canopies. For his jump numbers he followed rules, but, what he did wasn't really smart jumping. Lucky for him he got away without injuries. His landings were, well, entertaining... It gets really 'interesting' when even the instructors start breaking 'the rules'. Rule here is that no jumping is allowed when you don't have ground visibility below 3000ft AGL. Couple of weeks ago, cloud base at 800ft, ground visible at 1500ft. They still jumped... (and half of that load were instructor, TI, AFFI...) For me this is not about breaking the rules or not, it is in my opinion not smart jumping. Period. Naturally, I think twice before asking those people for advice, and I think twice about what they say. Yes, I have an opinion about the rules, about the regulations and about our trainingmethods. What on earth is wrong with having an opinion and discussing about this? Even if I only have 80 jumps and just because other students don't talk about these kind of things. I don't say I'm right. If I'm wrong, talk to me and say WHY I'm wrong. I'm so tired of the attitude: "You're wrong, it is like this because I say it and I have more jumps then you." So, instead of just telling me this, tell me why. Common attitude at my dz. Some time ago there was an online discussion on our public board about jumping small and fast canopies and about the regulations about this. I gave my opinion and I got all kinds of shit over me. Other jumper with 4000+ jumps had about the same opinion as me, but he didn't get the shit over him. Life is fair, isn't it. Maybe I get treated the way you describe, because I'm not a sheep, that nicely follows the rest. At some point in time I get bored of trying to make a serious discussion with some-one more experienced, if I don't get a serious response. Oh, how nice I'm not invincible (you want to see the pictures of my downwind adventure when I met a concrete pillar? That was my third jump. and that downwinder was definitely not intentionally!). I never had the "I'm invincible" feeling. In everything I do I'm extremely careful. I made my point I think. Rules are just rules. Without a good interpretation they will not get their wanted outcome. Sincerely.

I currently jump a Spectre 170 loaded at 1.12 (exit weigth about 191 lbs) for the last 15-20 jumps. My landings have been consistent, no problems etc, plaining out nice accros the ground, in high or no winds. However, when there are no winds, I'm going pretty fast accross the ground, maybe a bit to fast. I have been thinking recently about upsizing to a 190 (WL would then be about 1.0). For the people who have flown both Spectre sizes, pretty much around my WL, is the difference in speed of the canopy significant? I ask this because, before I jumped the Spectre, I downsides from a Quadra 190 to a Quadra 170 and didn't feel much difference in the speed of these two sizes. However, when I went to the Spectre 170, I felt that it flew much faster then the Quadra 170. Is just upsizing ok, or would it maybe be better to change the type of canopy I'm jumping? Thanks!

Ok, now I understand! Because I only have 80 jumps, 1 year of experience, and I'm just 19 years old, I know nothing and my opinion doesn't matter. You're attitude is the exactly the one that keeps me from going to my dz currenctly. There is just only one person there who I can have a serious conversation with. For the rest of the jumpers I'm just 'air' or 'loadfilling' there. Maybe I should just stop skydiving...

Many, many skydivers don't think enough. I see people with thousands of jumps do the dumbest things you can possibly imagine... I'm allergic to people who come here to tell "these are the rules". What happend to people thinking? In my opinion, blindly following "the rules and regulations" in a high risk sport as skydiving is extremely dumb, and shows that you probably shouldn't jump in the first place. Thinking for yourself, questioning authority, questioning "the rules", listening, asking questions, train a lot... will keep you alive. Ask something to an instructor. When he gives you an answer, ask yourself: "Does what he says makes sense? Do I understand why he says this? Why does he says A, and not B?" Don't be the fool in thinking: "oh, he's an instructor, he knows it better then me, so I'll do what he says." Thinking will not replace experience of skill, but losts of jumps won't replace thinking either. There are lots of people who got killed or injured following "the rules" Use your brain!

Not really, altough there are some people who try really hard to make it an extreme sport...

Pretty much checking every part of my gear on the ground and on the ride to altitude. Nonstop. Don't really have a checklist. I always compare my altimeter on the way to altitude with other jumpers altimeters, you never know the thing is not functioning properly anymore. I've seen noumerous jumpers exit without their goggles on...

I really have to try hard to be able to go to the bottom of our pool when I jump from the 10 meter platform. The pool is 5 meters deep. Taking into account that the jumper is never going to hit the water pure vertical (like cliff divers do), and that they have some canopy above their head, I would say that 3 meters would be enough. I wouldn't make it less then two meters deep. You're not going to see me jumping from 5+ meters in a pool of only 2 meters deep. Justing thinking...

18 and 3 months

Hi, I have a question for the manifest people who are here. 1) How do you get paid for doing the manifest? Cash, jumptickets... 2) Does the amount of payment depends on how long jumping continues, or do you get paid the same, even if it is raining all day. 3) Is your manifesting regulated with an official working contract? (don't know how to call it) 4) How big is your dz (maybe just tell which planes there are used and what there capacity is)? 5) Are you happy with your payment or not? 6) How is the general attitude of the local people at your dz towards the manifest? I did a search for this but couldn't find anything that really helped me. Thanks Thijs Deschepper

Well, if it can happen to someone with experience, it can surely happen to a beginner... Good thing gino is close to being immortal..

I know a basejumper who has done this on a wingsuit jump in switserland... That was some nice footage...

As far as I know, they have no real (physical) proof against her. She only fits the profile of a possible suspect, and that is it they have.

Hi, Does anyone know the title/artist of the second song that starts around 00:55? http://youtube.com/watch?v=agSxfzV4AkI&mode=user&search= I've tried searching using the lyrics but didn't find anything. Thanks! Thijs

I against I, from the Blade (2?) soundtrack

A better atmosphere at our dz....