just saying hi, y'all

[quanticocat 0]

Like I said, just saying hi. Still pretty new to jumping, so still feeling the buzz in a big way. Great to be a part of it all!

• Quote

[skymama 37]

Welcome to the forums!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[quanticocat 0]

I work in communications, using radios and computers all around the corps. When I joined the RNRMSPA at Netheravon this somehow translated into me becoming their noticeboard rep! Do you know many other navy and marine jumpers?

[skymama 37]

Vinny, TheAnvil, on the site is a skydiver who is in the Navy here in FL. My dad was a Marine, that's why I was wondering.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[bbarnhouse 0]

Quote

Do you know many other navy and marine jumpers?

I know lots of them!
Welcome to dropzone.com!

[quanticocat 0]

Cheers, mate. I'm probably mega showing my ignorance here, but what is a GWEN?

[quanticocat 0]

Royal Marine, or USMC?

• Quote

[skymama 37]

USMC in Viet nam.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[Iceburner 0]

Skymama,
One of the few that knows it's Marine and not marine...Semper Fi

[skymama 37]

My dad would also get after me for saying he was a Marine instead of he IS a Marine!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[quanticocat 0]

Which part of the military are you going into?

[Mike111 0]

Hey,

Wow, passing the commando course must have been an amazing experience and congrats on doing it!
is the marine course similar to the Paras? (hopefully wanna join in a couple of years)

good to hear from you, best of luck in the marines.

Mike

[quanticocat 0]

Cheers, dude. There are a lot of similarities between the two courses. The main difference is an emphasis in the Marines on amphibious ops and in the Paras on airborne ops, but then a lot of that stuff can be done either parallel to or in support of each other, and either way you'll fnd yourself working with really high quality soldiers. Good luck to you, anyway. When are you joining up?

[Mike111 0]

2 years hopefully, or maybe lunger when my lungs have cleard (too much tar). Cheers for the info, looking at your profile you jump at Nethers, and I was wondering if you knew whether they do like work experience there for jumpers wanting to becomne instructors in the future?

ive read a lot of stuff about Nethers and the reviews are mixed, is it as bad as it is sometimes portrayed - i live quite close and seems a good idea to check it out sometime, although I imagine it is pretty good despite the bad reviews?

Cheers Mike

[quanticocat 0]

It is possible to get a two year draft to Nethers to work on the assistant staff. The system basically is that a soldier (apparently from any regiment, and i've known at least one Marine who's done it) volunteers, and if selected is drafted to Nethers where they are are taught to do all the jobs that need doing on a DZ, so they learn to pack and teach packing, run an equipment store, run manifest, run DZ control, carry out plane refuels, etc etc. This is concurrent with them learning (via the RAPS system) to skydive and progress up to instructor level. The aim after two years is for them to be drafted again, usually straight to their parent regiment's parachute display team (The Red Devils, The Black Knights or whoever). So that would be a possibility for you if you were already in the army.
As a civilian, your options are actually probably better! Netheravon can get very busy and the staff are usually run ragged, so if anyone shows up demonstrating the will to learn the mundane jobs like packing, manifesting or helping run the reception office, they are usually snapped up the CCI Nige Allen and/or the APA Secretary Robin Durie. These are the guys to talk to about work experience for any length of time beyond just weekends, and as your experience grows you can apply yourself to working more in whichever part of the circus most appeals to you, whether instructing, rigging, packing or whatever.
As for your question about the atmosphere at Nethers, it can be a very intimidating and occasionally annoying environment for a new face, largely because a) it is always hard to be the new face anywhere and b) some (and I emphasise NOT all) of the people there have a habit of talking down, rather than just to you. This was certainly my experience when I started there doing RAPS a couple of years ago. But when you hang around for a bit and jump with a few people, you start to realise that a lot of the attitude is for show, which basically means it's nothing to take seriously, and as soon as you realise that, you can get on and enjoy the jumping, for which Nethers is acually very well equipped! I certainly would not avoid jumping there until you have given it a go for a couple of weekends, especially if it is as close as you say. I would kill to live close to any decent DZ!
The best way round the problem is to have a friendly face to get you started. I'm going to Nethers this weekend, so if you feel like coming down, just go to the manifest office and put a PA call out for Jon Hammond, and we'll sort you out with a decent weekend! What sort of stage are you at, ie jump numbers, FS1 or above?

[Mike111 0]

Thanks for all the advice and help mate,.

I can't make this weekend, still finishing of AFF -- doing level 5 again (failed lol) (lol unfortunately nowhere near FS1 but soon will be )next week but will definately pop down there sometime in the near future, and will let you know.

Also, thankyou very much for your kind offer, that would be much appreciated, and thanks once again.

If you are ever in Norfolk, im currently jumping at Old Buckenham airfield there , so give us a shout if youre going there.

CHeeers,

mike