Nicodemus

Thanks for the comments - I didn't really mean to start a discussion but I'm glad I did. Yes, I think it would be great if Gath designed a 'proper', massive head protection stlyee helmet. A surf helmet is not tailored for skydiving and shouldn't be expected to provide protection for all events that may happen in our own sport. But it would be great if they did a helmet that would pass some kind of safety standard, for us jumpers. To be honest, I'm a bit dubious as to the impact protection offered by many of the other skydiving specific helmets around, too. Surely there's a reason why cycle/motorbike/protec helmets are the size and have the thick padding that they do. How would they compare in a comparison with one of the popular skydiving helmets around? For me, it's a balance between protection and practicality. I'm a tunnel rat, and am looking for a helmet that offers reasonable protection whilst still being comfortable to wear - both whilst flying and while spotting from the door. If I can use it in the air too, that's great. Safety is my biggest concern, but I haven't found a helmet yet that doesn't need a compromise. I bought a Protec snowboarding helmet, but having a small head found the shell is standard size and the liner is really thick, making it stick out from my head. There's too much wind resistance and as soon as I get in the tunnel the air moves it around on my head. Gath helmets are nice low-profile lids. If, and only if the new one gives better protection than the standard it may convince me to use it at work. If I bash my head on the wall, though, I don't want to wish I was wearing something else!

Cheers Jairo.

Just seen these on the (currently being revamped) Gath website. Has anyone seen/used one? What do they look like without the weird 'Luke Skywalker' visor thing? Most importantly - do they offer better head protection than the standard Gath? Any info appreciated.

Nope, but that's nice! To whoever suggested the BBC archives, I found out about www.bbcmotiongallery.com which is great. There are a couple of clips there which I think are from the same section of the programme I was remembering, (5317-3 is close) although the exact shot (Carving swoop without wings flapping, long surf with rooster tail) isn't there. Thanks for the hint tho!

I'm trying to find a clip from a nature documentary I saw once on British TV. I know it's a long shot 'cos there are so many of these things on telly but if you know what the program was please let me know. The bit I saw had a bat doing a perfect canopy-style swoop over water. It carved down to the surface and swooped with one claw/paw in the water making a rooster tail the PD team would be proud of! I knew straight away it just HAD to go on a skydiving vid. Any ideas? BBC maybe? What series/episode?

like back to back ? It's a pity there's no video available online... Yep - can we please have some footage from the artistic events put up online somewhere pleeeaaaase? It was great being able to see the routines on the website for france 03. Oh - and does anyone know why funkflyz aren't competing this year.

Far too sensible, Flunky... Bedford is such a beast we've actually blocked the tunnel from doing it's real max speed. This is done mechanically, for safety - it would be much, much too fast if we didn't - it's a BEAST! With the current safety restrictriction in place, our customers have told us we're about on a par with the fastest new S.V. tunnels. Does anyone know how fast AAC goes? In video clips the flyers are often wearing baggy suits, but is that just because its not always cranked right up? How fast could the air at an L1 tunnel go if it was directed into an indoor flight chamber, with walls? Dawn?

One of the ones that come on the back of trucks, I guess. 60mph on the open road, probably.

This is a convincing argument and I like the explanation. I thought I'd mention though... A VERY experienced freefly coach came back to visit us in Bedford recently after spending some time in S.V. tunnels. Soon as he turned up he flew, SOLO, and left the chamber talking about how 'soft' and freefall-like the air is in Bedford. How different to S.V. air it was. (This is not a plug. I don't mean to say 'better' or 'worse'. Just 'different'). Now, I've never flown in a S.V. tunnel, but I get to talk to a lot of people who use both theirs and ours. Their opinion seems to be the same. In both tunnels the air feels good - but ours feels, well... different. Softer. (I don't mean less responsive. Just softer somehow). So, I don't know the reason, but, yes, your average flyer (well, Fabian isn't your average flyer but you know what I mean) does seem to be able to tell the differerence, even if flying solo with lots of space left for the air to flow around him. Hmm...

GOOD English food is really, really good. There's just a lot of bad stuff about, which gives us the bad rep. Especially in Bedford! (Out of interest I did actually find somewhere close to the tunnel that does awesome English pub grub. Their card is pinned to our noticeboard. Best if you're not veggie, though!). Gorgeous outside today! Just been drinking a cuppa, out on the roof. I should really be at the DZ...

What oosskis said.

Tunnels are really amazing, fun, educational training aids. Your flying abilty will skyrocket with a combination of tunnel time and a good coach. Everyone should use them! But they're not 'skydiving'. They're freefall machines. You can practice freefall skills in them. That's it. Which is brilliant. But... If you were a Brit and were into golf, and the world's greatest golfers suddenly started coaching at your local driving range, you'd jump at the chance, and I'm sure your swing would improve loads, and that would be cool. But you'd only get better at one part of your sport. In one type of environment. So... Would you still be tempted by a nice golfing holiday in Florida, on one of the world's best courses, where you can meet friends, relax, enjoy the weather, demo some new clubs, show yourself how all that driving practice has improved your game in general and, well, PLAY GOLF, not just practice it? Or would you spend the whole winter teeing off over and over and over in the UK? I'd do as much UK based training as possible, then TAKE THE HOLIDAY. And I'm not even INTO golf...

So... Babylon coaching at Bodyflight Bedford on Monday... Mike and Jon from Alchemy coaching here 15th - 19th March... Steven Blincoe coaching here 2nd - 4th June... The U.K. is GOING OFF!!! I LIKE working here...

Just in case you missed this on the Wind Tunnels forum... http://www.worldchallenge.info/