Skyliving_Dave

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Gear

  • Main Canopy Size
    170
  • Reserve Canopy Size
    170
  • AAD
    Cypres

Jump Profile

  • Home DZ
    Hibaldstow, UK
  • License
    C
  • License Number
    104388
  • Licensing Organization
    BPA
  • Number of Jumps
    226
  • Years in Sport
    3
  • First Choice Discipline
    Formation Skydiving
  • First Choice Discipline Jump Total
    170
  • Second Choice Discipline
    Freeflying
  • Second Choice Discipline Jump Total
    30
  1. Interesting thread guys, and reminded me of a picture I took last year. I was coming out of a meeting at work and for the first time noticed a painting I must have walked past half a dozen times without even looking! I think my mind just dismissed it as random corporate artwork but it's actually a 14 way with smoke! Very impressionistic but I like having a big picture of skydiving at work
  2. Management accountant in a chocolate/candy factory in the UK. If you've ever drunk mineral water or coffee or eaten chocolate, breakfast cereal, yoghurt or pet food then some of it was probably ours. -------------------------------------------------- 'Everybody needs a mate called Dave'
  3. I always thought patches on my suit would be a bit lame at my numbers and it's definitely cooler having them on my bag. My golden rule is that I only ever have patches that are relevant to me. I would feel pretty lame having a head down patch or a katana patch as I can barely fly head-up and would doubtless femur if I tried to jump a katana. Whenever I get given patches I don't want I just pass them on. I've put a picture of my gear bag on so you can see what I mean (and because I love it!). The top left is from my university skydiving days - I designed the patch and was president of the club in my final year. I have a patch from Ringwood brewery because I love their beer and have had a barrel of Ringwood best at a couple of my parties. The union jack one is pretty obvious and I do in fact drive a mini cooper - an old school one of course There's also one for Hibaldstow, which is my local DZ where I learnt to skydive and have done most of my jumps (from 15k ) The two at the bottom are also favourites - I did my first CReW jumps a few weeks ago at a coaching roadshow and we built an 8-stack on Sunday. The BPA awards those patches to people who have built a 4/8 stack and they will be in pride of place once I get round to sewing them on! I actually blagged my gear bag from the sports office at the uni. I was in there sorting out minibus hire for a DZ trip and they were going to throw it out as it had been lying around for a couple of years without an owner. I thought it looked rig-sized and it sure was, so I got a gear bag for my favourite price... It has proper back support and a hip strap unlike most skydiving specific bags so is good if I ever have to walk further than the car park with it. Plus it takes my rig, helmet, two jumpsuits, three pairs of gloves, video tape, log book, three pairs of goggles, two audibles, bungees, pullups, and other random crap including a nurses garter and a pair of novelty y-fronts. DZ parties - don't ask It's fair to say that my gear bag has more sentimental value than my rig - and I know which will be with me for longer. -------------------------------------------------- 'Everybody needs a mate called Dave'
  4. What's that all about? Why should fun jumpers be seen any differently? The sport couldn't exist without DZOs, packers, instructors and so on but neither could it exist without regular punters who make their money elsewhere and spend it on jump tickets. I think fun jumpers can feel very distant from the BPA as they don't have much directly to do it with apart from competitions and a painful cheque once a year. The accounts show a drop in memberships over last year and I'd happily bet a frosty beer that a lot of those people were fun jumpers. Nigel, if I've got the wrong impression here then please tell me. I just think sometimes throwaway comments can be telling and that one jumped off the page at me. Are you a fun jumper? Do you make some money from the sport? What do you think could be done to keep people upbeat and involved? Just pick a couple and answer them -------------------------------------------------- 'Everybody needs a mate called Dave'
  5. Ok, this has been bugging me for some time now. Often when I view a thread for the first time it takes me to the middle of the thread rather than the beginning. Now I could understand it taking me to the end, ie the most recent, but why the middle? Sometimes it might take me to a third of the way down page seven of twelve or just to half way down the first page or whatever, there seems to be no pattern to it. It's irritating as I have to wait for the page to load then click on the first page or scroll up. It happens in Firefox 1.0.7 and also in IE6. I stress again that it does this in threads I have not previously viewed. Can anyone shed any light on this? -------------------------------------------------- 'Everybody needs a mate called Dave'
  6. A couple things: As you look around, you may see the cut-away main still floating down... Also, a reserve wont have the d-bag / pilot chute behind it... Well, that's a good point, you do get mostly white reserves. Another good indicator it's a reserve would be that it's incredibly clean and pure white. Well, I hope it would be! Never seen my reserve (it's got one jump on it) but I hope it isn't covered in dirt! Oh yeah, and if you're close enough see if the jumper has any handles in their teeth -------------------------------------------------- 'Everybody needs a mate called Dave'
  7. Well, I guess some of them don't jump that much but if they've paid the £100+ membership fee then they must be active to some extent, or have too much money... -------------------------------------------------- 'Everybody needs a mate called Dave'
  8. There was about sixty of us university students from the UK went out to Seville a couple of months ago. The DZ is great and they do indeed have the SMG out there. It takes ten people to 15000 in about 13 minutes, so no complaints there. The cafe on the aerodrome does some really nice sandwiches too. Seems a shame not to go when you could get there in ten minutes! Have a good time
  9. -------------------------------------------------- 'Everybody needs a mate called Dave'
  10. You get more time in the day too! I mean look at me - I worked eleven hours at a heliport today and I'm doing the same tomorrow. It's now 2am and I'm writing an essay for my degree. Thank goodness for the night time! -------------------------------------------------- 'Everybody needs a mate called Dave'
  11. Well, I know of somewhere... Air rifles are unrestricted in the UK if you're over 16. I've used one to shoot pigeons, rats, squirrels and magpies that were being a nuisance in the garden. Much cheaper, quieter and more discreet than a .38 or an AK47, though I'm sure they're much less gratifying. We aren't allowed handguns in the UK but rifles and shotguns are ok if you have a license. I have a few shotguns for rough shooting and clays but haven't used them for years. Just thought I'd chime in as a British gun owner. -------------------------------------------------- 'Everybody needs a mate called Dave'
  12. You want humour that spans the Atlantic? Ok, let's see how well I can remember this one: (From a daily newspaper article in the U.S.) Jim Daley, 32, of Missouri has become the first American to grasp the concept of irony. This happened to him while holidaying in the UK. There he was, marvelling at something older than 100 years when a friendly local commented to him 'Great weather, isn't it?' 'Sure,' replied Jim. So, Jim, what happened next? 'Well, after a second or two something dawned on me. I thought to myself, 'hold on now, Jim, no WAY is it great weather! It's raining!' It then dawned on me that the other man's mistake was in fact deliberate. After being confused for a while I realised that the British man had been using irony. I have to say, I was stunned!' Well, dear reader, there you have it. We've heard this word 'irony' before but it never made sense, and we just didn't have the time to think about it. Jim, an all-American father of two has become the first of us to understand. He also tells us he's begun using irony himself, at home and in the workplace. Is that right, Jim? 'It sure is! I'm so excited I've been using irony all the time! For example, just the other day I was out in the garden barbecuing some food. When I got back from fetching a beer I saw I'd burnt the steaks to a crisp! I was cross, but then I remembered irony. I turned to my wife and said, 'great weather, isn't it?' -------------------------------------------------- 'Everybody needs a mate called Dave'
  13. That's very true, one of the other pleasures is to insult someone so it goes right over their head and only the person you want to understand gets it. The targeted person simply has the uneasy feeling they missed something and the two conspirators can bask in their superiority. Remember, Schadenfreude ist die schonste Freude. You can live by a motto like that. Now then, just leave the eloquent and subtly pejorative application of the English language to us. It's our language so rest assured it is in good hands with us. We'll do what we can do to keep the Geordies away from it as well. Dave
  14. Shouldn't be that big a deal with your jump numbers. Talk to the CCI at the dropzone you go to. They'll suggest you practice reserve drills, maybe do a suspended harness drill as well. After that I'm guessing a solo or maybe two would be an idea to get yourself airborne again, and maybe don't jump with newbs until you know you aren't too rusty. I do a solo first if I've had a couple of months off, though that's only happened a couple of times. Wow, and that's the opinion of someone with half your jump numbers! Shoot me down if you like, but that all seems sensible to me. I'll be at Hibaldstow this Saturday so if you make it up there then great, maybe I'll see you! -------------------------------------------------- 'Everybody needs a mate called Dave'