Lok

Nice post, nice advice!!! I got first my coach rating, then senior rigger, now I am doing camera, packing tandems in my local small weekend aeroclub.....hope one day I'll try for my AFF rating, beacause I really like to help new people who want to skydive. Skydiving is a dream!

Yes, there is one skydiving club which opened 2 years ego. They jumping weekends and midweek on afternoon (military dropzone...no problem you can enter and jump with your id or passport ). They have a C-182 turbodiesel fast at 12000ft.....jumpticket price is 25 euros. I never jump there but many friends of mine did, and they told me that is like paradise........the dropzone is close to the beach, food cost like 4 euros for a full meal, and hotel (close to beach also) 15 euros for skydivers. here the website for more: http://www.skydivecrete.gr/ Good luck

Excelent article!!!! Many thanks for the find jockerfly Fly free Patrick..

Thanks for make them clicky, the first in not working through.....some prroblem with the website maybe... You can watch it here in 2 parts: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/patrick-de-gayardon-hommage-1ere-partie/2769946190?icid=acvsv1 http://video.aol.com/video-detail/patrick-de-gayardon-hommage-2eme-partie/4224515402?icid=acvsv1 http://www.bpa.org.uk/skydive/pages/people/gayardon.htm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/37449.stm

13 April 1998.. ttp://www.wat.tv/video/patrick-gayardon-chute-l-extreme-ab43_aah0_.html http://www.skydive.tv/dvdpatrick.htm http://www.skydive.tv/patrick.htm http://home.nordnet.fr/~paramag/archives/n132/article/article-us.html Yesterday Aeroclub of Megara in Greece had organize Jumps from 10500ft -13500ft...... weather was very strange was cloudy (Because of a cloud came from Sahara desert) but clear until 18,000ft...............!!! we manage to jump ...Patrick was with us... Hope one of those Big dropzones in Europe or USA to organize a boogie in living memory of Patrick de Gayardon.. Edited by slotperfect to make the links clicky.

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I also got a PM.....so the Problem with my card solved. Thanks to Dropzone.com which help me to contact USPA!! and MANY THANKS to Lara and Clint for their time and effort.

I've been an "USPA member" since September 2007, I lost my membership card on November, apply for a replacement card never got any new card, never any reply to my e-mail. (they say in their website that they'll send a replacement card, if someone lost it) I decide to attend a USPA coach rating course this March, I send to USPA money to get IRM and SIM 2008, never got them, never got any reply to my e-mails.............then I e-mailed to Course Director, he spoke with them and finally they send me my books in one week time with a crap response e-mail with apologies!!!! I have experience from BPA membership as UK was the place I start skydiving, and I honestly say that USPA service is absolute crap in comparison with BPA except the magazine delivery.. I would be happy to pay $250 BPA annual membership for ever if There is that huge difference in Service and reliability. Good luck my friend to get in contact with USPA!!!!!!!

Many Thanks for your help, I'll speak with Chuck or Jamie when I'll be on Zhills, if they'll have some time for me???for some coaching jumps.. I am planing to do RW jumps, but I haven't got problem to do 10-15 coached canopy piloting jumps (Weather permitting). Regards

Many thanks for your advice. Here in Greece, there is Only a weekend club which close during the winter, and another which works occasionally Sundays. There aren't any canopy piloting coaches and skydiving activities are really rare. I'll be in USA (Zhills) this February for 2 weeks, I'll see if I'll find any coach available? Many thanks Stratos

Many thanks for your advice and encourage!

You are right, but I update my profile every 25 February, as is the anniversary of my first jump.....25 February 2001. My First jump was on 15 April 1999 but was military so I don't count them, through were very different, mostly low altitude jumps with combat equipment using T-10 round canopies or MC1-1B steerable round canopies. During 2001-2002 period I did 7 Raps and 5 AFF jumps. During 2002-2003 period I did 4 AFF Jumps and I stop for the next 3 years due to many problems, ralating with my AFF progression but also with other personal problems, with work and study. So I came back on 2006 and during 2006-2007 period I have done 47 jumps (63 in total). I'll see now on 25 February 2008 how many jumps I did in the last season. I must say also that I am very good under canopy and I have already done 20m+ ~60 feet swoop with my Hornet using only toggle input... I don't say that I am a skydiver natural talent..................of course I am not that guy. Took me 5 years training and effort to get stable in Free fall, but I can Honestly say that I am good under canopy. In 4 January I were to Dubai for one day (I am working at the moment for Olympic Airlines), I did 2 Jumps in this amazing dropzone and I rent a Pilot 190 for my jumps. It was more difficult to pack it than Hornet (even both are ZP) but PILOT opens super soft and was flying really nice. It was very strange, no collapsible pilotchute but it has collapsible slider and DIVER LOOPS!!!!!even if it was rent gear and had big risers and rings!!! I found that it was much easier to turn with front risers if you have diver loops.... I did a front risser 360 degree turn and the speed and loss altitude was incredible... Again I calmed down on aproach and I had a soft Landing. I want now to change my HORNET warned risers and lower lines and put new risers with diver loops.. I understand with all the above comments through I just learn that one unexperienced jumper in one Skydiving club here in Greece had a horrible accident during a Landing with his brand new NITRON 120. He didn't die but he brake his face, as observers told me, and was unconscious for some time. So I am not interest to downside any more for the next years (even I can easily put a smaller canopy in my container) but I want to learn to Fly my Hornet really well.......just this BEST REGARDS

Thank you very much for the advice. The problem was that I was trying to turn using front risers, without release the brakes, or with released brakes but pushing the front risers at the same level of toggles. I found from old threads about Hornet in this fantastic forum, that there are two options: 1) Adjust my brake settings or 2) release the brakes, hold them, and push the front risers on the level of connector links. In my last two jumps I'll try 2) and I was surprised of how fast and smooth my Hornet turn...... I did a 360 degree turn and I lost a lot of altitude. Thanks everybody for the advice.....I'll do a lot of practice in high altitude (measuring times and loss of altitude) before I get close to the ground.... I love my Hornet

Dear all, I have a Hornet-150 as main canopy. I have 106 sport jumps right now and I use this canopy from jump number 47. I love it, is very fast and is swooping even without any turn input, just if there are very light winds. I loaded ~ 1.3 If you use rear risers or toggles is turning very fast... I have jump in the past with a Sabre 120, Sabre 150 and Sabre 2 170 and in my opinion (from the very little experience I have) my Hornet outperform them by far. I have jump also side by side with a Stilleto 150 and my Hornet got me down much quicker and make bigger swoop (always with nearly no input) .....(the Stilleto jumper was much heavier than me). I love it, but the problem is that recently I start practicing turns using the front risers and this canopy doesn't respond very well???? I put a lot of force trying to turn with the front risers and the turn is very eratic and slow. When I just push the front risers, it respond well and accelerate, but if I try to turn??? not much response... So any advice "how somebody can turn fast the Hornet using front risers??" from people that flown the Hornet in the past or current????? I'll much appreciate it.

I did 0 jumps, this is usual for many of us leaving in Greece, with the Greek state do its best to f..k skydiving and all the other air sports and general aviation activities............but also many other negative reasons... Normally we jump once every 2 months average....... No problem, we'll travel in Spain-USA-UK to bring our jump number up....we haven't got other option even if we love so much our country.

Well Done Marios!!! Get your rating and Best wishes to the future. Marios really loves skydiving and helping new peoples to the sport, he deserves this rating. I know him personally, is a really good flyer ever here in Greece unfortunately we don't jump so often.

During my first 7 RAPS jumps I don't remeber canopy size. During my AFF, I was jumping PD 210-280sqft. During consols, I was jumping PD 210 and Fury 220 until jump number 34 (I got my A certificate on jump number 33). From 34 until jump number 47, I was jumping a borrowed Sabre2 170sqft. From 47 and after, I jump my own Hornet 150 wing loaded 1,26 (I weight 189lbs with rig and full equipment). I have over 40 jumps with this canopy, and I can say that is an absolute beautiful canopy, high performance and very ease to pack. You can ease swoop it in light wind conditions, without any riser input. I have jump with both Sabre2 170 and Sabre 150, and I absolute love my Hornet. Outperforms both, in my opinion. I don't think that is a problem one young jumper to fly it, as fare as he is a bit careful. Too bad is not anymore in production.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1PE0AWljn0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xItCreQzQ4

The next two weekends, 5-6 May and 12-13 May we'll have skydiving activities in the only current dropzone in Greece, MEGARA, just 20 miles from Athens International Airport. Normaly the dropzone is open for civilians only on weekends, but this time the jumptickets we'll be supercheap 27 Euros (normal price 40 euros ) The aircraft will be a leased C-208 Grand Caravan 16 places fast with his crazy greek pilot. The dropzone is simply the most beutifull in the world, so come and join us for some memorable skydives in Greek skies. We'll be USPA Greek instructors and coach on board for free coaching (mainly FS) plus USPA safety chairman and other USPA instructors come all the way from United States just for thoose two weekends. We'll be also amateur parachutist cameramen around who will be happy to take some skydiving footage for you. For any more info regarding directions from the airport and accomodation contact: [email protected] or just ask me, or ask any other skydiver from AEROMEGARA the people at the dropzone are superfriendly. ps: A boogie for this summer is on plan from 17 until 27 August with 25 euros jumpticket and two C-208 available, but more about this later.

For some reason (forum regulations) I can not edit my previous post........as I said the break between my AFF level 3 and 4 was 2 months (and not 3 as I said in my first post in this topic). That was enough time for me to got nervus, but I met students parachutist, who took their AFF course in France ,after big break from their training, and jump immediately with one only instructor assist them......and they did well... So, generally talking the only problem with my AFF course was me, did really bad and I was a poor student after AFF level 3. I totally agree through with Chuck that maybe a repeat on AFF level 3 could have benefit my case, and I strongly recomend not big gaps between AFF training and levels. Also one more edit!!! I start AFF octomber 2001 and finish April 2006, so 4 years and 6 months course!!!!!!!!!! Also here some educative videos I found in youtube, regarding AFF goes bad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC-CTwe-7dI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdogsTlYGnY AFF instructors are the most capable persons in our world........they jump outside an aircraft!!!!!!!!with a first timer (who sometimes he/she never been before in an airplane) with only one day ground preparation!!!!!!!!!! and they have no clue how thoose first timers will react in this fantastic enviroment of 10,000+ft above the ground????and what they must expect from every student????........but they keep training new people in the sport using the same method (AFF), and many times they work with no money. RESPECT

Congrats Marios for your award ( Back at Megara, we are all proud for you) and your 100 jump+!!!!! Unfortunately No jumping the easter weekend in Greece. You did well, to escape in Tortuga.

Chuck Thanks for your reply, you are totally right. There are many things that went wrong with my AFF course but at least, at the end, I finished it, and I am free now to carry on with the sport. I checked today my logbook: My AFF level 3 was on 19 November 2001 and my AFF level 4,5 was on 18 January 2002. So about two months brake and not 3 months as I mentioned before (I'll edit my previous post later). You are tottaly correct about re-do my level 3 after 60 days off. This is maybe the only faulse the Dropzone did to me, but maybe they didn't want to charge me for retraining and they thought that I can carry on with no problem. The main and (probably) the only problem from this AFF tragedy, was me, through there is an extensive list of stupid things I have done. Did the ground school and came back after one week to do the first 2 levels, then left again and came back an other day and so on..............even I had pay the full course. Could easily took off a week from the university through was start of academic year ( no problem to don't attend lectures) and finish the course in 5 days as all the people are doing. Never took particular interest to read the forecast. Arrive to the dropzone sometimes too late, when the last lifts were all booked...........etc,etc,etc,etc... As I said before I wrote my AFF experience, because i think is educational for students parachutist, to avoid repeating the same stupid things I have done......and maybe for AFF instructors, how to thread students under similar circumstances, so all the students/instructors will be safe and all the training courses will finish smouthly ( with no drama) even with some delay... This can be a particular problem, especially for dropzones working only weekends, where are sometimes big intervals between student training and AFF levels. I'll believe always, that AFF instructors ( thoose who graduate their course and are up to standars) are supermen, and superwomen. An AFFI never lose its rating, maybe he can do some reevaluation jumps if for some reason,have one or more years to do AFF dives with students (my opinion).

Hi I find this thread searching around and reply even I am not an AFF instuctor, just for my experience during my initial AFF dives (as a student) back on the days (2001/2002 in UK). Hope read my experience be good for both AFF instructors and student parachutist. I start AFF on Octomber 2001, did AFF 1 and 2 the same day and everything went perfect. Did AFF 3 one month later, and everything went perfect except a very slight involved turn to one side. I then didn't jump for about 3 months because of a very bad weather winter, small days (late arrival to the dropzone due to distance from my accomodation). When finally I went for AFF level 4, my personal instructor was not available as he was teaching AFF to new student. I was going to jump with an other instructor and I was very nervus because of the 3 months lay-off.....I have a perfect exit as before, but after the Instructor released me, I get unstable and start tubling. He was superb, in my side always catch me and smiling to me, then I was able to get back from backfly on the stable position and pull by 5500ft. When I landed, thank him for the life save, we had a debrief, and the instructor told me that we'll go to jump again AFF level 5 ( 4 and 5 are practically the same told me, so no need for rejump). The next dive in the same day, was going to be memorable. I was still nervous and during ground rest I was always practice stable position in the floor with hard arching continuously for 40-50 seconds. When we went back on the altitude, I had a perfect exit, and when the Instructor released me, I was in perfect stable position (hard arching like the practise I have done in the floor), like I was skydiving for years........The Instructor was so fucking huppy, that released me and came in front of me in a distance about 5-6m for me. Then after few seconds I get tired from arching hard and the one leg starting play, then I get in involved turn which very fast went to a spin... I have seen many videos from bad aff student up to world class skysurfers and I can honestly say that no one outperform me in spining. I must perform about 70+ 360 degree complete turns between 11,500ft and 8000ft (approximately, exit altitude was 13,500ft). The problem was not only the spining, but in fact my legs went up quikly first, and still remember shocked the instructor as I was removed from his area very quickly turning at the same time before starting the incredible spin. During the spin, I was sure that those were my last seconds in life, that everything is over, and that was my mistake to get involved in this sport. I was not able to read my altimeter, I was not able to look around (was like been inside a tunnel) I was starting take funny posistions thinking that the spin will stop but nothing happens, I did a first attempt to pull the ripcord, but that was for some reason impossible.........then I went on a last attempt puting a lot of force, and finally pull..... The chute (spring system) opens through I was on belly fly (but spining like mad) and the twists stoped on my risers (canopy was a PD210). I was still falling fast as the chute was half their area until I cleared the twists. Then I looked at my altimeter and was 7000ft. Due to high winds I land off the dropzone, doing several miles cross country to find a road to land after the valey. After my landing I thought skydiving is not for me, a truck from the dropzone collect me and we went back to the airfield, I smiled to instructor, he signed my logbook and this was the last lift for the day. The next day when I waked up back in my university room, I remember my eyes were green all around with a red cyrcle each and this take one month to get off. I never learned why happens that, doctor told me 'from the pressure'? My next 4 AFF level 5 rejumps (one month later after my eyes cleared) went bad. This time with my personal instructor. I was perfect in exit, pull always by myself but was unable to be stable the entire dive. I have lost my confidence, simply. The instructor was a superman always correct me from spin, tubling, back fly spin and combination of both. He simply save my life 4 times even I pull myself. Then he told me to do a skydive just stable possition (no turns etc) and relax. I refugee, and dissapear for the next 4 years!!!! I came back 2 times made the ground school then desapear again. The third time ,winter of 2005, the CCI told me that is a waste of time and money for me to go back to the airplane............and that a windtunnel in UK was in final stage before open!!!!! After 48 minutes in Bedford with my personal Instructor I finished AFF in 5 jumps in April 2006, 5 years and 6 months after my AFF level 1

Yes, exactly Langar Boogie 2, superb place, superb people, read the reviews in dropzone.com. The top jumpship of the earth beech99 (15,000ft+ in 10 min with 19 skydivers on board) and his crazy pilot will be there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFb7KNeh7Eg Good luck..

Thats just unfair. Sheep do have standards you know. OK, Greek then. If make'em Greek, then you and your gang in Iraq learn to swim FAST because there are a lot of sharks in Persian Gulf...