BannanaGirl

I used to view packing as a black art. Basically the more you watch and ask the better you will understand it. Have a go yourself and get someone to watch you and talk you through it. Once you understand the basics just keep practising. You also have a few ways of choosing to pack, the most popular being the pro pack (where you pack with the canopy draped over your shoulder) or Flat pack (as it says it is). As for the bag bit. I found a great method of getting it into the bag where I have control over the whole thing (Kneel on the slider end and s fold the arse end into the bag first) but again get an experienced packer or instructor to help you out first. It will come with time and most of all a bit of patience.

Hello there Buzz! Yeah you may think it seems excessive chopping my canopy and giving it some shit for me to sort out but I certainly understand how it functions more by getting intimate with it now, getting a method in place to sort it and going through line checks whilst laid out on the ground etc, reassembling the 3 ring release system, even gave my cutaway cables a quick clean too. I am 100% more confident now as a packer. I guess that is why it is done the excessive way. Practice makes perfect and knowledege never killed anyone did it? Either that or Geordie has it in for me. As for the avatar, that is the idea to look foxy cause I don't the rest of the time! xxxx

Hi Wayne, You are fast approaching the season where you will have more time on your hands to learn to pack. I have been packing for a few months now but have had serious issues getting it into the bag (do not ask!). However i have mastered that bit now! Anyway I made it my sole mission this weekend just been to achieve my packing certificate as the weather was naff. Whilst the others were consuming a liquid lunch I stayed on the OJ and headed back to the DZ to pack some more, test myself on getting twists and tangles out etc and then I did my packing test via my CCI once he chopped it and gave me a nice mess to sort out. Anyway don't panic so much. If it is jumpable, jump and get someone else to pack for now (but watch as they do it and ask questions) as you will have heaps of time this winter to do it. Packing is one of those arts that is not rocket science but just takes a bit of getting used to, the more you do it the better and quicker you will become. Any instructor should be able to assist you and being able to pack is one of your B licence requirements, just like JM briefs, spotting briefs. Just keep on at the folks that do the briefs etc. You won't get unless you ask. As a good will gesture a beer or two later on I would say is more the appropriate fee for packing lessons. Good luck Wayne and catch you soon buddy.

Hi Anne! How you doing girl! Welcome to the forums! What he said....... Basically what we were talking about and how I view it being a mum too. You can send yourself mad going what if, what if in many situations in life. Teaching a child to live their life is a valuable lesson. As long as they are not being neglected for your skydiving and you are safe, you will end up being that cool mum that everyone wishes they had. LOL. Not that you are'nt already! You know you can't get enough of it chick! See you at the weekend hunny! Di x

1:1 Had my first "off" landing miles away. Winds just picked up as we were under canopy and when I dumped I knew I was mega downwind. (insert swearword). Was fun though - kept me on my toes and glad I finally landed off as I was nervous about it. But well impressed that I managed to land backwards in a bit of field not covered in cow shit and especially in that wind! Got scared by the "young" cows in the field I landed in and had to swear a lot at them when they insisted on following me in a menacing manner and jumping up at me whilst I was trying to gather my canopy and make for the gate. Then met a friendly stranger who showed me the way back to the DZ saving me a longer walk through the lanes. Owe beer to that stranger should we meet again.

Holy moly! Metallica! Sandman is a great song but "One" was my all time favourite. Infact I love all of their stuff. I am inspired to go and put every single CD of theirs on at full blast and piss the neighbours off! I actually was listening to some old CD's the other day as I was sorting through what is now my sorry ass life and I was alarmed at how bad my taste was back then! Shit did I spy a New kids on the block tape knocking around in there. Oh no. no I did'nt! Oh fuck I did! Now I am going to have to put on the AC/DC CD to feel remotely OK about myself again.

I just recieved it as well!

I went to school with Edgar Wright (strange little fella but incredibly sound, bit like his comedy) and recently he has just filmed his second film called Hot Fuzz so if you like Shaun of the Dead you will like this I guess. I think it is out in the new year sometime.

The SMG is a bit like a Porter but from what I have been told a bit more cramped and I can see the character in that plane for sure, the smell of aviation fuel after refueling, the intimate getting to know my fellow skydivers armpit smells cause we are so squashed up. It is also like a big old climbing frame, great fun and has a nice big step, like being a big kid again. As long as you were not one of the last groups out and stuck down the back it is a cool plane. The Dornier has soul for sure, can't put my finger on it but I liked that plane from the moment I got in it. Quick as to altitude and pretty spacey as far as jumpships go. The only thing is if you are on the bench on take off you slide down it so you have to hold on tight to the person in front of you! Ohh lalala I definately want to jump the PAC 750xl and the Beech99 only cause they look so damn sexy. Does'nt really matter to me if they have personality or not, I only want to ride them the once anyway.

An Airvan!

FUCK you! Hey I was told about some guy who decided to kill himself by tying electric wire around his toes, lying naked on a bed with a broom handle to push the socket switch on when he was ready. Well.... As his toes are the farthest from his heart he actually did not suceed in killing himself cleanly and what with all the jolting about and that he could not switch the socket back off in order to sort the situation out. When they found him he had actually died from exhaustion and very severe body injuries inflicted by him thrashing around from the electric current. They worked out he must have been like that and concious for about 3 or 4 hours. There is a lesson here I think.

I know I have watched the actual jump bit now but I wanted to finish watching the series!!! Thanks anyway.

Is it repeated on ITV2 or something as I was zonked out by the first advert. I am bummed that I missed it. Hi Buzz by the way!!!!You filthy mouthed whore!

http://www.lanesunglasses.com/curv_z__sunglass.html Here's a link to american website that lists all the colours and types available etc so you can picture what they look like before buying them. Edit:- I can't make it clicky so you will have to copy and paste it into your browser. Sorry!

I love mine!

Give me a break dude! You would never ever date someone who would expect you to give skydiving up. Done it once, learnt a lesson and you are way too smart for that BS. Oh hunny....and you know how I feel about you don't you? It's only happy cause we make it that way. Start throwing in complicated realtionships and we're all screwed. Free love and beer is all we need!

Jump 27. Right toggle fired on deployment and wrapped itself good and proper up around my lines about a foot out of my reach. Slider was up and when I tried to control the canopy using my rear risers the slider came slamming down and the toggle went through the slider grommit out of my reach forever. Inexperience, my training, a deep spot and my own judgement that it was not a landable canopy and I could get f*cked up on it told me to get shot of it so I got rid of it at 2k. Only thing is I am grateful it was not like a funky high speed mal as my first...although I am sure it was a lot more funky than I remember it as it all slowed down as it was happening (like a car accident can do) and my rib still hurts when I am driving/sitting at a desk to this day and that was over 2 months ago now. God knows how that happened but it hurt the next day after my chop. Probably from the initial main opening I would have thought or the mental twists I had on my reserve. Who knows. A friend of mine managed to pack himself a line over the other week on jump 55. I think in a weird way he actually quiet enjoyed his experience. Sicko.

I totally agree with this post for how I feel about skydiving and relationships. In a nutshell I left my SO not long after completing my AFF but it was the skydiving that just accelerated my yearning to cutaway anyway. I am happy to be single for now but I do believe that as skydiving is such a huge part of my life and the DZ is my happy place...it will be inevitable that I hook up with another skydiver one day. But I am not thinking that far ahead yet. On the other hand one of my very close friends has started coming up with me and is doing a RAPS course. It dawned on me last night that I may have made a HUGE mistake letting her into my "sanctary" as when I am jumping I leave my "other" life behind. She is part of my "other" life and although I adore her and would do anything for her...sometimes I just need to "cutaway" and have a break y'know. I could imagine this could be the same for realtionships in the sport. If you are not happy in your present realtionship for whatever reason than sort it out. But don't attach to much romaticism to skydiving. From what I can see they are a bunch of depraved and no good scumbags. You may as well join in on all the fun for a while and worry about girlfrined stuff a bit further down the line.

Hi Wayne!!! Told you it was all good. Enjoy 15,000ft my friend!!! 6th October. I will be there causing mayhem so say hi! And does anyone know if the will have the G-92 (Dornier) back from Hibs by then?

Absolutely 100%!!!!! I can't think of anything better to do than capture someones first time on Vid. And all the artistry you can apply to making a video with the music and the movements and stuff. I like creative stuff and I have always had a thing for making *cough* films. I guess the monumental cock ups where you forget the spare battery and forget to turn on will all be experienced but nobody gets good without screwing up a few times do they. I can take a beasting so I am not worried about that. Only thing is when do vidiots get to do fun skydives rather than working ones. I mean sometimes all they seem to do is jump and chase others around the sky for weeks on end? Or is it not really like that?

You are most welcome Mr G. It was great having you around to be a hooligan with down on Redlands Street. Shame the Atomsphere Hooligan forgets to switch something on before exiting the plane!!! See you soon!

Cool. You know there are always grumpy/apathetic people around in whatever occupation/sport etc and the happy people just have to live with it.

Tis true what Joeller and Billy say about Spain and AFF. I came back half way through consols still with my level 8 to do and my CCI had no issues letting me complete there. But then again I made sure I had contact with the DZ before I went out there and I visited a couple of times to make sure that no matter what stage I was at on my return they would take me in...which of course they did. Maybe something to do with my constant barrage of stalking psychopathic emails squeeking on about "needing to skydive" or stuff along those lines. Make sure everything in your logbook is signed off by your instructor (and my instructor was USPA rated), hopefully you will have a DVD of it (so we can all stand around, point and laugh at it!) and I promise you everything will be cool as. If you are looking to do RAPS, we have regular courses running at our place, as well as AFF. Yes it is a small little DZ but the atmosphere is lovely to a newbie and very experienced alike and within the first hour of being there you will know everyone and everyone will know you and be looking out to you. I do hope you get to do your course soon whichever way it may be, AFF or RAPS. It was the second best thing I have done in my life so far. You may find the actual deciding how and where to do it all very tiring and stuff at times as it really is a big thing you are deciding on, but my advice is follow your guts and you cannot go wrong. If it feels right then go with it and above all enjoy it!

God you are all on one this evening are'nt you........Freaks. Just get a room and shag each others brains out and be done with it! Someone had to say it.