Skylark

600 US troops armed to the teeth with the best military hardware available on the planet, find one tired old man cowering in a dirty rat-hole. Not forgetting the killing of 7,925 Iraqi civilians* (double the number of US civilians killed by non-Iraqi Al-Quaida troops 9/11) using laser-guided munitions from the safety of their fighter planes. Hmmm. It's good news for Iraq that Saddam has been captured, but better to keep things in perspective (*current minimum reported civilian deaths in Iraq) "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

How about years of torture, rape, and injustice like he imposed on his own citizens? I know people who were able to escape Iraq and get to the US. Find anyone from Iraq who left family there. They will give you the full accounts. Any eye for an eye, eh? Hmmm, I had no idea that so many people advocate Islamic law outside the Middle East. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

So when is coalition going to invade Indonesia, bomb their civilians and capture Suharto? (Oh, silly me, Indonesia doesn't own the second largest oil supplies in the world) "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Tell us all... "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

I've heard that, strictly speaking, one needs 200 jumps before one can fly camera. Is this true? Why? Is it because having a camcorder on the side of your headgear is more likely to result in a malfunction when the risers come up on either side of your head?What about if the camcorder is extremely small, no bigger than a pack of cards, say? "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

It's difficult. Crosswind is superbly shot and edited with an orginally composed soundtrack. But it's only Good Stuff that you get an idea of how fast one drops in freefall, thanks to very clever camera angles. Having said that, I watch Crosswind at least once a week, Good Stuff maybe once a month. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

...why isn't everyone doing it? I never had a true ambition in life until I watched 'FastestMotherFuckerInTheValley'. Now I'm working hard at getting enough jumps in to be able to fly a suit. But I've only ever seen a few people on dropzones flying. I know lots of jumpers with more than 500 jumps, why aren't they flying? Why do they prefer falling to flying? I just hope I dont make my first Bird Man jump only to land and think, 'was that it?' What's the deal, flying wisdom kings? I need an answer... "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

I'm looking to purchase a fairly good condition Sony PC 5 from somebody in the London UK area. Can anyone help? Telephone 07966 137-925 "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Cypres is always written and used as a word, not an acronym, thus it's meaning is never in doubt. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

I'd rather not set hares running by naming and shaming. It could cause me problems, I'm sure. Hopefully word will get round of this post and UK dropzones will think twice about being so unfriendly in future. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Acronyms, since you ask, exist because they are a way of short-cutting expression. Words emerge and evolve in exactly the same way. They are shortcuts to ideas, as discussed in greater depth by the famous linguistic theorist, Ferdinand de Saussure ('Landmarks in Linguistic Thought'). Any esoteric sport, hobby or activity will probably have more than its fair share of acronyms because there exist within it specific notions, concepts or processes without a precise individual word to represent their essence, or meaning, to the wider community. There are also more and more acronyms in common parlance today than in days of yore, due in part to the speed at which vast communities communicate and share ideas. The internet and the media have created a global community, as we all know. It is thus easier and faster to abbreviate using the first letters of a group of words, than to allow a new word to develop naturally to reflect the changing consciousness of that particular culture over time. Does that answer your question? Using acronyms is not peculiar to skydiving, it is a feature of the evolution of human language. Yawn # 2 and NO I am NOT posting nudie pics! Now, can we get back to abusing Will? Yes, I'm fully aware that acronyms are used to shortcut expression, but what's the point? Are you really in that much of a hurry that you need to save 2 seconds? Yes, any esoteric sport DOES generate acronyms...and thus continues to remain esoteric and a 'closed shop', to others. Do you want skydiving to remain esoteric? Or would you rather we were a bit less mysterious to newcomers? You're wrong to suggest that there exists within skydiving, "...specific notions, concepts or processes without a precise individual word to represent their essence, or meaning, to the wider community." Acronyms DO have individual words to represent their essence and meaning...but by choosing to hide the words behind a selection of letters, the meaning and essense is lost. What's the point? Acronyms are peculiar to skydiving and the Internet and other sports, because some people don't like others to know what their talking about and if you don't know what we're talking about, you're not in our club. Would you be rather annoyed if people started talking to you in acronyms which you didn't understand? "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Its not a DZ thing, its a UK thing. That doesn't excuse instructors being rude to people. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

I made my first jump at a UK dropzone yesterday, after many jumps in Europe and the United States. I had been told that some UK dropzones were particularly frosty to newcomers and was disapointed to discover this was indeed true. I had asked to borrow a jumpsuit and inquired whether there was somewhere I could change. I was thrown a look as if I were stupid and told I should change in the reception area, despite it being full of members of the public purchasing tandem tickets. I eventually changed in the toilets. Nobody had told me that carrying a hook-knife was mandatory at this dropzone. I was just about to get on my first load when a member of staff stopped me. "Where's your hook-knife?", he barked. "I don't have one". "Right, get this person off the load!" he angrily shouted. I stood there, feeling a bit stupid and embarrased, not knowing what the problem was and convinced I would lose my slot after waiting two hours. Eventually somebody suggested I simply borrow a knife, which are always lying around dropzones. I borrowed the knife and had an uneventful jump. Upon walking back to the hangar, an instructor told me I had dragged my hired canopy, "...all the way back from the landing area". I was ordered to turn around and pick it up. That's ok. But it was the way I was ordered about like a naughty child, not a responsible adult that made me feel most unwelcome and stupid. I was hardly dragging my canopy at all, anyway. Where were the smiles, the welcomes and the friendly faces I was used to in Europe and America? Where was the willingness to help newcomers feel at home? Why did there seem to be such a military atmosphere? Why couldn't the instructor simply ask me if I wanted to borrow a knife, rather than trying to pull me off the load? The rest of the day was fine and most others I met were friendly. But there was definately a 'members only' feeling, rather like one gets at a stuffy old golf-club that won't accept female members. Come on guys, chill-out! "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Seems like none of you even understand your own actions, as none of you have been able to tell us all why you use acronyms. What's the point? What does using acronyms actually achieve, apart from confusion amongst others, particularly those new to the sport? "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Well EXCUSE ME!!! Pointless use hey?? I use FJC in the same way you would use AFF - the people I know know what I mean by FJC - sorry if you dont - but I guess the same is said of non skydivers not knowing what AFF is! - does this make its use "pointless"??? Also 486er was used as I dont want to name an object - So this is not a pointless use!! I hope that is OK with you??? How much of a hurry are you in, to save yourself 2 SECONDS so that others can't understand your posts? "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Plenty of people also DON'T know what this post is about because of the pointless use of acronyms. How much of a hurry do you have to be in to type FJC instead of 'First Jump Course'? You save yourself 2 seconds. IMHO it's much friendlier NTUTMA as it makes RTF much easier for TTANTTS. GUAAB and save your acronyms for YBBWKWTHYTA. Ok? (Oh, and if you don't understand my last paragraph, all you need to do is a little research) "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Not more acronyms!? Unless you tell us what an FJC and a 486er is, we can't understand what on earth this post is about "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

N/A

What about oral sex, too? Or a freefall orgasm? Would that be possible? "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Just wondered if it had been done, that's all

I've just spent the whole weekend jumping in Empuriabrava. Now I'm feeling v. miserable and depressed and disinterested in anything. How common is this? Does anyone know of any emprical studies which can explain why? Is it because skydiving floods one's brain with reward chemicals giving the jumper an intense natural high, and then when one stops jumping it's like a come-down? "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

I learnt how to fly head-down totally stable in only 3 jumps. Is this about average? I only have 85 jumps in total and I tried sit flying a few times but couldn't hold it. Then I tried head down and, voila! It was so easy! I was even able to spin and rotate at will. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

It was for Network of the World...I used to work as a Producer for them(!) I have to admit though, that film was an awfully poor attempt to articulate wingsuits and flying them to the general public. Thankfully NOW folded a year or so ago. However, I'm now working for Sky News (in the UK) and I'm always be interested in running stories about new developments or flights with suits. News stories typically revolve around something unusual or dramatic caught on video, features involve in-depth coverage of developments or trends. "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

Where is it? I'm looking for very high quality wingsuit photography to put on my PC. Any ideas? "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1007985,00.html Yowzer! "Into the dangerous world I leapt..." William Blake, Songs of Experience