richclive

Glad to hear Royan is doing well - jumped there for a few years but had a couple of poor trips where the service was cursory at best. May well head back there as the views on the climb were glorious. More recently two other coastal (-ish) DZs are Mimizan which is good if you are in the south-west, and Vannes in Brittany is consistently great. Both had Porters on my last visit, both had English speakers, and no-one ever asked my canopy size.

Thanks, that makes sense. A pic would still be appreciated before I start with the power tools. No rush, am grounded with toddler care for the next couple of weekends.

Any chance of a pic of the mod? I suspect that if I try it without any guidance it would be an expensive process...

Z1, by Parasport Italia.
Tricky to open with gloves on, but once that was sussed never had a problem with mine.

Ooops - was less than clear in the title. When I said pre-Eos I was thinking more that before splashing out on the Canon, was there a smaller non-SLR to try out which would be less expensive and less snaggable, and would let me see how I got on with still photography - I'm under no illusions that it's a very different discipline.

From your reply I think I might be looking as biting the bullet and seeing if there are any 350s are on eBay...

Having lurked and searched I know that the Canon is the way to go for the best images, but I'm concerned about adding that much bulk (and value) to a top mount.

So, assuming that I'm not about to win the lottery, is there a lower profile and cheaper still camera alternative anyone would recommend for a video jockey wanting to add stills to his repertoire?

Cheers

Rich

Got any idea what's going on - heard that the Antonov won't be there this year. Anyone know what planes they'll have?

Only been to Lapalisse a couple of times, but the athmosphere was excellent - really friendly and never had a problem hooking up with other people to jump with. The organised teams just meant that they Skyvans never stopped going.

Thanks for the info
Rich

Some things much better now? Like what, old boy? And is there anything you need to do before going on the course?
PS I'm NOT shaving my legs.

Anyone been on the canopy control class they run in Empuriabrava? If so, what did you think?
Ta
Rich

Some terrible media coverage is due to people wanting to sensationalise the sport beyond recognition. This sort of reportage is always going to happen and there's nothing anyone can do about it. As the cliche goes, facts would only get in the way of the story.
What does help is having an official body for the media to go to so that journalists who want to get things right (the vast majority) can get the information they need. With the Hilder case, the BPA refused to answer any questions because it was 'not a skydiving accident'. They would not even confirm the number of skydivers there are in the UK.
This pushed more media attention towards the DZ, friends and family. Individually. BPA members who knew that journalists weren't from a red-top were happy to talk, realising that the more good information you put out there, the better informed the article and the better informed the public. You're not guaranteed to get the perfect report, but if everyone closes ranks then the media will have to fill in the blanks themselves. And that doesn't do anyone any good.

I was there last month with my brother who's just finished AFF - I came out with a huge grin after 15 minutes, he came out with less time saying it had been a bit of a waste of money. The next day at Lake Wales we did a 2-way and he was flying noticably better. After he landed he shrugged and said maybe it hadn't been a waste after all.
I think to judge the tunnel after one 10 min session is a bit harsh - most people ping around for that long before they get the hang of the tiny space.

I'll fifth that, although I can't see many colonials agreeing that a rig made by surrender monkeys is any good. Or that PdeF have been one of the most innovative manufacturers in history.

Everyone seems to be quitting right now. I'm three days in as well, fingernails have gone, I'm trying not to glare at fellow workers going on cig breaks - little walks to the water cooler have saved me a few times.
But with the amount I used to smoke I think "Its a jump ticket every three days".

Yeah, it is. There's a switch in the brain that gets hit around the seventh pint, when most men start pounding their chests and crying out 'I must MAAATE!'.
At this point, all advice and logic is useless. The secret is to drink the next two pints QUICKLY, and then fall over. You will then (typically) belch, sigh, and try to get off with the carpet. No harm done.

Ahh, young James, you too are joining the Jersey funnel camp team are you? Excellent.
BTW did you volunteer to go or did they find out about the sheep worrying?

Snap. Light fever, lovely clammy hands, and someone's cut my throat with a blunt object. Two hours to go.
I find growling gently at co-workers takes my mind off symptoms.

I dont know or care to know how John Cleese tastes like grilled

Very much like chicken. No-one expects it.

You're only saying that because you have huge numbers of dropzones, better weather, cheaper lifts, cheaper gear . . . but we have warm beer. And Monty Pyton. And foie gras. So there.

Ahh, Europe, where there is one fewer excuse for not buying beer. It's legal at 18 in the UK. And compulsory on the continent from birth.

Names will be in the UK papers tomorrow.

Last night had someone tell me just that - the canopy goes up when it opens - and they had seen a film of it. I started to explain, then the devil tempted me and I said that must be one of those advanced chutes with elastic lines.

I've got a 170 and have had that on 2 out of 100 jumps. It cleared both times after I unstowed the brakes and gave a couple of mild pumps on the lines. Hasn't happened since I started wearing my chest strap a little looser - not dangling around my knees, but with a couple of inches of slack in it. It could be that this helps sread the lines a little more to help bring it down.

Turns a lot faster than a Sabre, and overall is much more responsive, but doesn't have the twitches of the Merit, the PdeF chute it replaces. Nice and stable in turbulence, and big long surfs are easy. More impotantly, compared to a new Sabre, they're a LOT easier to get in the bag. I'm waiting for mine right now . . .