obelixtim

Richard, you KNOW Time magazine isn´t correct to use for the weight... It was 7 pages from a Playboy magazine..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Tell him to read the Sangi story....from when he was bulletproof, and the advice he was given, till when he found out about "consequences"..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Good decision, as was asking for advice/opinions. As for the second part, nasty, yes, but quite common, especially for some of us who have seen these sights too often for our liking. Thats the reality of bad judgement and big egos..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

JB had been around for a while when I first started. He did a lot of judging at nationals towards the end of his career. That 10 way meet was talked about quite a bit back in the day when getting a 10 way together was a big deal. We must be getting old..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Wondered where you had got to..... Sounds good, keep going at it. And don't sweat the standup landing, it'll just happen when things are right. Don't try to force it, otherwise you are risking another injury. You are always going to land, landing safely is the first priority. Keep it up.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

That didn't look too bad, you are making progress. You'll soon start arching instinctively as soon as you hit the wind. You'll soon sort out things so you can enjoy the view a bit more. Plenty of time for that..... Get a hair tie to sort out your hair, you don't want it flapping around near the risers when you get opening shock. Twists, no biggie, but you now are aware when something is different, so you know you will recognise a problem if you have one. All these little things add up your experience level, and will contribute to you gaining confidence as you go on, so the fear monster is going to get smaller as time goes on.... Keep it going.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Clearly, you have never been to Hibaldstow :P Oh how I wish I were in new Zealand, with its tandem mills, crazy politics and total lack of sport skydiving scene instead. Wait, sorry, that's an ill-informed stereotype from the past - and those are stupid. I take it back. I've jumped in many different countries since my first jump in 1974, and I've never come across the politics and petty point scoring I've seen at 5 or 6 DZ's in the UK. Coupled with the old boy power trippers who pretty much control skydiving in the UK and I've found it a pretty underwhelming scene. I witnessed the stereotype first hand..... I do know quite a few British skydivers however, and they are all nice people. All of them comment how nice it is to skydive outside the UK. I've been lucky to spend a lot of time sport jumping in the 70's and 80's in NZ, it was a great sport scene. Tandem factories evolved with the increase in tourists, and do a lot to provide facilities and aircraft to jump from that were never available before. If you put a bit of effort in, organising a few sport loads isn't that difficult. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I like that idea. I'm sure the good old boys would take some delight watching the pucker factor manifest itself on the faces of some of todays hotshots. Seriously though, if they did react in a negative way perhaps they should put a bit of thought into what the hell they are doing there in the first place. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Don't worry about old age, it doesn't last that long. JerryBaumchen You're young, single and fancy free, but then: The old age truck... you never see it coming. Apologies to Gary Larson. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

That would be spelled "sammich" Bocadillo?. At least they won't have to worry about sharks in LE. The alligators ate all the sharks. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Yeah, I've put them in a Telesis student rig as well. Had to lengthen the closing loop a little, but no real problem. It seemed odd jumping a round main with a square reserve. Also odd to have huge audience to watch it packed on the DZ, with a screwdriver pinning the crown lines and someone standing in the harness holding tension. Most of todays jumpers have never seen a roundie packed, let alone in the air..... And yeah, the MK 2 was not as good as the MK 1. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

"I'll have an alligator sandwich please, and make it SNAPPY!!!". My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

The problem in the UK, its not just the weather that stops you jumping. Its a place where "problems that stop you skydiving" were invented.... When everything is 100 % perfect for skydiving, they'll stop for a cup of tea. Then whinge that they've run out of daylight.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

The advice has not changed simply because a flying wing is not a drag device. Thats the difference between a ram air flying wing and a roundie like a PC. A flying wing and a tow line are incompatible elemants. End of story. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Make sure you try it outside the nearest hospital, that way they can get you into the emergency room quicker..... Ok with a round type of parachute, not so good with a ramair... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Try breathing out......Most people fill their lungs, then feel they can't breathe because they forget to exhale. Breathe normally..... Anyway the jump was not a waste, You clocked up more FF time, and your awareness would have been enhanced, even if you made a couple of mistakes. You still learnt something. And It would still have been enjoyable to be free from your minders for a bit. At this point FF time is what you need, and you can only clock that up in the sky. You prolly relaxed so its easy to lose track of what you were supposed to do, but you will know that now. Altitude awareness is non negotiable, and now you know why. You'll be fine, but try to get several jumps in at a time. Then you can correct things quickly and benefit more from your jumps. 3 per day over a weekend would see you make progress. Keep at it. It'll all come together if you just go for it. Cartoons, as usual, first class.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

You have my sympathy. Prepare to be dicked around.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

A lot of people tell me that, Sarah a kiwi who sold me her AAD, told me jumping in the UK killed her love of skydiving. Jo a Elisnore regular from 00-05 said pretty much the same things. Funny enough an ex BPA council member (the VP) no longer jumps in the UK and jumps in Spain instead. I hadn't considered Holland tbh... where would you recommend? As I was going to ride out to Spain in 2012 but Holland is of course much closer. Only DZ in Holland I've visited is Texel, I was impressed. They have a good attitude to jumping, and welcome everyone. I know a few Dutch jumpers, they're all pretty good guys...I've heard that the other DZ's are OK as well. Conversely, the 5 or 6 DZ's I visited in GB sucked, without exception. Very poor attitude and vibe during jumping, and it comes from the top down. Show up at the DZ as a stranger, and you WILL be ignored.... The less experienced know nothing else so can't really be blamed, they reflect the example set. Most British jumpers I've met can't believe how much fun skydiving can be, till they jump in another country. As you can gather, I have not, and never had, much time for anything influenced by the BPA. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Thats a point, but if you are going to post a warning, why should you not be prepared to put your name to it. Any system is open to abuse, the question is whether the pros outweigh the cons... As I said, it can work both ways. Multiple warning posts from the same source could raise questions about their objectivity. As I said, reputations soon get around... If a warning list meant one less numbskull to scrape off the ground after getting a heads up, I'd say it was worth it. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Ah....BPA....say no more. The UK would be the exception to any intelligent solution to skydiving problems. The UK jump scene is run by a bunch of dinosaurs like no other to be found on this planet. Anyone who jumps there for fun is pushing shit uphill. BPA and the politics that go with it make it the worst place in the world to skydive. Save your money and zoom across to Spain or Holland. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

DZO's who operate like your first should not be in business. I've come across a few like that..... As far as the 2nd DZ goes, as long as you temper their advice with a bit of common sense, you should be OK. Erring on the side of caution is not a bad policy until you've gained relevant experience. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

That's a big difference. As long as the message gets thru that there is a numbskull lurking, who cares how?. Reputations (good and bad), often precede the physical manifestation.... It can be done a bit more efficiently these days, thats all. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

That's bizarre. Were you pretty new to each DZ? Sometimes new people can face a "perception problem" with a DZO. And that's the issue. We have one side of the story here. No offence to Airman, but we just dont have the whole picture. The same would be true with this "blacklist". We'd have the DZO version and opinion, with very little an individual could do to address it. Yeah, But theres not a lot to refute when a bland statement saying: " Mr X, of such and such a place, has 100 jumps and has purchased a pocket handkerchief which is too radical for his experience level, could be well worth checking on." A date would obviously give a reference point as to when the warning was given. A contact number could also be listed on order to facilitate further queries. Not much to be challenged there, especially in the short term. At least it gives a heads up, which might help in a few, if not all cases. Gotta be better than nothing. Could also be a bit of an incentive for one or two to pull their head in if they know people are aware of them.... In the good old days it happened a bit. We used phones rather than computers, thats all. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

That sounds a little odd to me. However if you got a disproportionate number of blacklistings from one particular DZO, it might raise a few questions about THEIR suitability to conduct operations, so it could work against someone who blacklisted jumpers unfairly. Conversely, if one name pops up from a variety of DZO's its an indicator that perhaps that individual needs to be watched.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Quite common to find that kink on a cable where an RSL has done its work. No damage to the cable, no problem to use again. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....