BigBUG

In two hours :)

Try Safire 2. Way softer openings, less resistance on the toggles and risers, ability to recover almost instantly if shit hits the fan but you managed to hit the toggles. I did more than 1000 jumps on Safires, with wingloads from 1.5 to 1.9, and it flies beatifuly. Hope this link will work, this is Russian social network, but you should be able to see video without logging in. This is my home DZ 10 years ago and the guys saves himself with a Safire 119, WL ~1.7. See the 'instant brake' feature in action :)

Hi everyone, I decided to create this little poll, trying to figure out what suits today's students best and what is their goals when they are looking for a tunnel coach and tunnel time. I have to say that I try to incorporate everything in a coaching. I do believe that you should start moving around as soon as you have some basic knowledge in this particular position - your skills will become better way faster. On the other hand, if you are skydiver and know perfectly well what you want from the tunnel (like, I want to work on my HU docks or my HD transitions) I probably shouldn't be concentrated on completely different stuff like carving? So I decided to ask tunnel flyers here - do you have a specific plan when you are looking for a tunnel and a coach? Please share your opinions. It will help us to be better coaches and in the end helps you to be better flyers. Thanks.

Just to let you know guys, if someone want to do a trip in short terms - there is a big camp cancellation due to student's skydiving injury, so we have some good time available in first three weeks of October (normally we are full for 2 months ahead at least). So, if anyone is interested, pm me.

You'll feel yourself pretty wealthy :) Not in Moscow (still most expensive European capital) or central Saint-Petersburg tho :) But seriously, it is good time to go to Russia. Cheap transport, rather cheap hotels, and cheap tunnels :) Choose Freezone or Flystation, whatever suits you best - you'll be satisfied.

Besides coaching - I'd recommend take our 10+1 hr offer if you already consider to fly 7 ;) (you can fly 5-7 of them and let the rest to be on your deposit for next time or share with someone or whatever else but you will have 1 bonus hour;) Regards) I second this. And thanks for good words, guys :) NWPoul is a Pavel Skvortsov mentioned above, by the way. Timur is no longer with the company.

next time stop by Saint-Petersburg and fly in the best Russian tunnel :) if we only could have a nice DZ as well... :/

Ours :) www.flystation.net 310 Eur/hour in beautiful 14-feet machine with super smooth wind is really hard to beat :) Maybe that's the reason why Flynamic, Martin Kristiannsen, Dave Reader, Rafa, Marius and other world's best coaches fly here more time than local flyers :)

yeah, big monopolies never contribute the safety of the customers, as we all know. like, they always inspect and maintain motor fixtures, so it could not fall right in the flying chamber :) Who said Orlando? No no no, it probably was one of these cheap-ass clone tunnels, it could not happen in patent-protected and monopoly-owned tunnel, right? Seriously, though. I am working in ISG-built tunnel, but we just bought it - it is not a franchise and we are not connected to ISG anyhow. I have detailed experience with Freezone tunnels - 12 and 15 feet from SkyVenture. I have flown in 15+ tunnels around the world. Technically ISG design is more safe and better. It is easier to maintain. I would like to have more power and round glass tho. Also, working conditions for instructors in Europe are much better than US. Over-regulated IBA rating system does not actually contribute much to safety. Sad to see that european TunnelInstructor.org is going the same direction right now - more money for ratings, less actual safety and skill. Monopoly is bad.

Small tunnel and the building itself will be closed from May for a massive renovation. Big tunnel probably will be working still.

yes my students had some 30+3 hours, best hotel, top restaurants and plane tickets - and still saved serious money compared to Singapore and Australia. Also, bulk coaching discounts ;) Saint-Petrersburg (for Flystation) or Moscow (for Freezone) are great tourist's attractions as well. 50% of our flyers are foreigners and more than 50% of them are return customers.

i do not want to offend anyone, honestly but from my experience people who said 'oh, tunnel flying is BS, give me real sky' usually are experienced skydivers with pretty sloppy technique, they had tried it, suck big time (which is pretty normal) but instead of changing their approach and learning the proper stuff (yes, usually they need to start from the very beginning), they blaming the tunnel. I have been there, first time in the tunnel after 700 skydives and even some medals, and oh boy I was terrible. I never had a student as bad as myself. Now I am an instructor and hopefully not the worst one. But I remember my humiliation and urge to just leave my rig at the tunnel's hotel and drive away and never return. One of the worst days of my life.

yup, it is called flying. for the reason :)

about injures - heard a story long ago about guy in some US tunnel who was doing some tricks on the ceiling, caused stall and emergency stop, but instead of going down while he still could, hang on the ceiling rails and tunnel went to complete stop. Eventually gave up and fell, broke legs. I suspect this is not a true story though. 4-way VRW experienced blackout in UK, minor neck/shoulder traumas.

It depends of design of the tunnel. Our tunnel (flystation), like other ISG tunnels (Voss, Flyspot etc) does not stop momentarily even with a complete power loss. Actually one oof the drills on the instructor's course was engaging an emergency stop while candidate is flying above the glass. I believe modern iFly/Skyventure tunnels acts the same way. Bedford tunnel shuts off instantly, on the other hand. And do not know how Hurricane Factory / Aerodium behave. There was a video of stall (big-way headdown) and emergency shut-off in HF tunnel, but stall is a different story - power already dropping down significally before the shut-off itself.

Seeing bigger, taller tunnels being constructed constantly, being conscious of flyer height in the wind is a topic I don't believe should be overlooked. Wondering what everyones thoughts are on this? ************** I'm not as experienced as many of the guys at ISS. My own experience is telling me that altitude alone is a rare reason of injures. when we usually have bruises and (rarely) broken bones? 1. layouts. 2. bad recovery from high-speed static flying fail (headdown or headup) 3. 2- or more way collision and funnel. 4. ? All broken bones I ever seen in my home tunnel belonged to professional flyers or instructors. And I am talking about world-level flyers - Inka Tiito or Ramsy for example. My own worst was broken little finger so I need to pump up my skill :) Obviously, altitude restrictions were not part of the problem here. So, I am up to anything that improves safety. But I honestly think that these restrictions are excessive and, even worse, could substitute complex evaluation of safety of flyer (or coach!) with simple-and-yet-wrong rule 'respect the lines!'. Just like they prohibit 270-degree turns on some DZs just because.

it is open and flying!

no. She is 4th in total score but 2nd in Musical round. Which is good because this is what she valued most and worked hard for. Good day for our tunnel anyway :) I still ain't getting the judgement in freestyle anyway. All of performers are over the top, this girl Maya is what freestyle should be for me - blend of dance, gymnastic and flying, new incarnation of Dale Stuart. Gillaumo is fantastic as well and this boy Lukas will kick everyone ass in next few years. Just awesome.

Warriors just shredded it to pieces. Incredible speed, whole new level of it. I need to seriously reconsider my flying style :( Also Dubai's 4way free routine is beautiful. No surprise in 2-ways - I was pretty sure Fillip and Ramsy will take the gold. USA have their own competition on the exactly same dates and traditionally 'these yankies' value their own stuff over european events :)

I'd say that it may be reasonable to just make an instruction course for your buddies in one of the existing tunnels. Iran, as any Arabian country (and as any country of course), is specific, so persons who will work with customers will need to know the language, to know and respect local habits and traditions etc. And, to be honest, I suppose that some just will not want to go because of the current political situation and war nearby. Any physically fit and mentally sane :) person could be trained to be a good first-timer instructor in 2-3 weeks. So I'd say - take enthusiatic skydivers or just some good people who already know the language, know how to treat custoners properly - and train them in any good tunnel. For example, Flystation just hosted a training of French instructors and last month we finished with our own new staff, 4 guys, 2 girls.

>The reason for that is because there are way more skydivers than >tunnel instructors. >There is stupid in all walks of life! that's right, but for single jumper chances to encounter stupid skydiver who could endanger his life are way higher :) exactly because this disproportion :)

I've seen more stupid LOing from people with 500+ and 1000+ skydives. Some of them directly and ultimately ended up as a death of one, in one case - two, skydivers. So jumps number are nothing in my opinion. You could have 100 jumps, but you know how the equipment works, how to apply safety measures, how important planning is, you hangin out with the best of the sport and getting all the vital information from the first hands. AND you could outfly anyone and explain proper technic to anyone since you know how our bodies actually flying. I have 3500+ jumps and I will never ask LO about his jumps number if he is doing right things, from my opinion. And again, there are way more stupid skydivers than stupid tunnel instructors.

i expected 'canopy control'!

>there are things that you'll never learn in a tunnel. like what, for instance?

define 'good' :) and there is sitfly and there is headup.