Skydiving in the news!

[masher 1]

http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/stories/1736.asp

This was on A Current Affair the other night. The piece wasn't too bad at all. Looked at a freefly and 8-way team going to the Worlds. There's a video there too, looks like some stock footage that was given to Ch9, no sound or commentary.

There are a couple of innaccuracies in this article, but I couldn't find any on the TV piece.

Quote

Skydiving: taking the plunge for Australia
29 July 2004

For many of us, the thought of jumping out of a perfectly good plane at several thousand metres and falling 280 kilometres an hour is too scary to contemplate. But there are others who reckon it's the greatest rush imaginable. Today, ACA meets some Sydney-based skydivers who thrive on taking the plunge…

With over 1500 jumps already under his belt, Sydney Skydivers' Chad Hodgens and his formation eight team are now focusing on putting in a top performance at the world titles in Europe this September. According to Chad, one of the sport's most appealing aspects is that it brings people together.

"One of the greatest strengths of sky diving is the diversity of trades that people bring," he says. "Our cameraman is a plumber, I'm in the army, we've got a police officer, we've got some IT specialists, we've got a TAFE student; they're from all walks of life."

Falling from a plane may not be everyone's cup of tea, but few would not be intrigued by what goes through jumpers' minds just before they leave the aircraft.

"What happens when you leave the aircraft is that your brain slows down if you are inexperienced, or, for the experienced skydivers, it speeds up at the flick of a switch and your start processing that information a whole lot quicker," he says.

As for the upcoming world titles, Chad and his team will line-up in the artistic division.

"Our chances of winning are good as anybody else's in the world," says Chad. "We believe we've got a good chance this year; we learnt a lot in France last year and we're looking forward to doing the best we can for Australia."

--
Arching is overrated - Marlies

[happythoughts 0]

clicky

This is not a bad article. I didn't copy all of it because it is kind of long. It's a good read.

Quote

"It will change your life," Johnny Gates shouted as a parting shot while I found my way back to my car after my first visit to Skydive City.

I had arrived at Skydive City via Freefall Drive and Skydive Lane and was set to inquire about skydiving when I was distracted by a white tent with the words "Muff Oasis" printed on the canopy.

Walking past a "Residents Only" sign, I approached a half-dozen people relaxing in the shade.

The Muff Oasis, I discovered, is a shelter for the Muff Brothers, an international skydivers organization of more than 3,400 men and women worldwide who live to jump out of planes.

The association started in Texas when Dennis McGlynn donned a pair of earmuffs during a jump just for a laugh. Soon it turned into an ideology.

"We take all the negative stuff in the world and make fun of it," said Gates, a 65-year-old grandfather, retired auto mechanic and Muff Brother No. 65. "If you are goofy enough to put on a set of earmuffs and fall through the sky, then that's what it is all about."

Quote

But fooling my body into thinking it was near death then coming out alive has seemed to make some of those mundane aspects of my day seem a bit more enjoyable and well deserved.

[Sinkster 0]

Speaking of the muff brothers: the muff man in the bridge day videos is my hero!

• Quote