peter_d

So here is the current situation... I am still really interested in learning to solo skydive but right now is not the right time for me to do it, I have travel plans that are going to keep me busy for the first 6 months of the year. I'll keep thinking about it as its something that I really want to do. I had a go in a wind tunnel back in November which was good fun and practice. When I have the time I'll be going back to a wind tunnel to try and learn how to move through the air on my own and hopefully this will show prospective instructors that this is something that I really want to do and I'm not just wasting their time! I'll be back on when there is something more to report but that could be a while.

Sorry that I've been absent from here for a while, that was rude of me. Here's how things have progressed so far... Early on in March I booked myself in for a tandem jump at Langar airfield, I went down all hyped up only for it to get cancelled because of heavy winds. I was really eager to do it so I booked in two weeks later only for it to get cancelled again because of the weather. After two cancellations I decided to leave it for a while so I could concentrate on finishing my degree. Fast forward to last Wednesday and I finally got to the jump. It was everything I thought it would be and more!! I got such a massive adrenaline rush on the FF and it is something that I could definitely get used to. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTxATnZTScA I spoke to an experienced instructor there who said that he would be willing to teach me the AFF if I can research a safe way to do it. So I plan to start putting together some ideas on paper now so I can show him. Although I still really want to do this I'm not sure when i'll find the time but I really think it can be done, and I want it so much.

Thanks for the links there guys, they were helpful. Reading them made me realise that I'm rushing into this a little fast and I need to get some tandem jumps done first to make sure that I enjoy the experience. Looking at the way some of the guys have been landing does make me optmistic about the whole thing though. I weigh 12 stone and I live in Liverpool, I'm going to start looking for airfields tomorrow but I have been told by a friend who also has a spinal cord injury that he has done some tandem jumps in Langar so I'll start looking there. I'm going to keep on researching this but like I said I am feeling optimistic about the whole thing.

I'm a paraplegic with a T6 SCI (that's an injury just below my chest), I have no movement in my legs but I really want to start solo skydiving on the AFF (Accelerated Freefall) course - my problem is that I have not got a clue how to land. I have contacted the BPA (British Parachuting Association) and they have told me that there is no regulation that says that I can't do it, I just need to find an airfield that will throw me out of a plane and until I figure out a way to land that won't happen. I know that amputees go skydiving but they don't have their legs in the way, the BPA have never heard of anyone in a wheelchair going solo before - any ideas?