vt1977

Sorry – nothing really meant by that, I was just taking the opportunity to take the p*ss out of skydiving sales bollox rather than your question! I too would be fascinated to see how this claim is justified! (Hopefully with a bit more substance than some of the equipment related claims…!)

In that case, my canopy is “officially recognised” as the softest opening canopy on the market… my jumpsuit is “officially recognised” as the best fitting... and my container is “officially recognised” as being the most comfortable I’ll ever wear! Hmmmmmmm… I smells BS! Vicki

If anyone is interested in going out for an Italian in London with the American chicks tomorrow night – PM me for the details! Vicki

No snow here in Surrey (but then it snows more in Kent than it does here!) but it was f*cking cold outside this morning! Vicki

I heard it from a fairly (not very, but fairly) reliable source. Apparently BUPA (or whoever) go after the BPA for the cost of the medical treatment. There may well be more to it than that but that was what I heard! Vicki PS Don't blame me I voted NO!

That was my understanding too. There are a few others ways in which people are claiming off insurance: 1. Say someone has BUPA private health insurance and they injure themselves on a jump. They then go and get treated by BUPA because they are covered by that policy. BUPA then go after the BPA for the money they have shelled out on treating the injured jumper as they are now a third party. 2. Another reason premiums have gone up is due to a bad claims history. Demos account for 25% of all claims and it only takes a couple of nasty injuries (see 1 above) or an off/crowd landing to push this up. I believe demos carry 13 times the risk of an incident as compared to “normal” skydiving at a DZ. Now, I’d argue that those of us who don’t to demos shouldn’t have to cover this increased risk (that we are not taking!) as is the case in the US. 3. Of the remaining 75% of claims, something like 90% are made by students - often suing their instructor for negligence. Say they break/sprain an ankle on landing and then claim they weren’t taught to PLF properly. (Yeah right, more like they f*cked up – IMHO!). Now obviously written tests ought to get around this, however the very fact that they even make the claim – even if it is a load of arse as most of them are – is expensive. Just getting a lawyer to tell them they have no case is expensive and it seems it is often cheaper to just pay them a small amount of money to get them to go away. Hence the bad clams history. My personal favourite that I heard about on the grapevine at the AGM (hence the truth of the story is unknown – I like it anyway though!) was that of a girl who hurt herself on landing. She did not PLF properly and apparently admits it but sued her instructor for negligence because she was not told she would be scared and claims that she failed to PLF properly because she was scared! Now of course, I would also argue that those of us who are not students are less likely to make claims and therefore should not have to pay for the extra insurance risk that students pose. To put it in perspective, a £40 increase for experienced jumpers would generate the same income as an extra £10 on each student. To my mind, if you can afford £200 for a tandem/RAPS jump, then you can just as easily afford £210. And quite frankly since they’re more likely to claim, why shouldn’t they pay it and more to the point why should I! Does that answer your question? Or have I just been ranting?!

Where and when? It could be fun! Vicki

Well I must have been really drunk, because if they’ve split up its news to me! Gotta love being pissed! Vicki

I did?!?! I may well have been drunk, but I don't remember! Vicki

Mine really do have to be done… One badly impacted, two a little impacted and worst of all, one growing into my inner ear which I am 99% certain is the reason why I have been plagued with all kinds of ear problems (with pressure changes) over the past few years! It’s been keeping me from jumping as much as I’d like and it therefore has to go!!! Still dreading it though... Vicki

My Dad did about 120 jumps back in the 1960s (he gave up in 1968!). He’s very, very cool about me jumping and even bought me my FJC for my 16th birthday! The only thing he isn’t particularly cool about is square canopies – he’s convinced they’re dangerous and that “rounds are sound”! Vicki

You might wish you'd never even asked that question...! Vicki

Macca – come out for an Italian sometime! I’m gonna show the American chicks my fave Italian near Waterloo and Colin’s gonna come too!

Happy Birthday! Hope you have a fantastic day! Vicki

Yeah, good point… however the £1.50 pints tend to get in the way of allowing me to take full advantage of the £8 early bird tickets! Vicki

I should see them at Nethers at some point - I'll pass that on! Vicki

Nethers - £16 gets you 13k minimum and usually more. It’s generally pretty warm and the bar has to be the cheapest DZ bar in the land (which given this weekend, surely has to be the clincher!) Vicki

Ouch Val! I hope you feel much better soon. I am having to have all 4 of my wisdom teeth out in April/May and although I am dreading it, your story shows that it has to be done. Vicki

Hey - I voted against, and proud of it! Great to meet you, even though briefly. I had a blast! And lucky you only getting up now - I had a nightmare getting up to come to work this morning! Vicki

All I have had this morning is a banana and a diet coke… early lunch for me too I think! Vicki

I’m suffering from delayed hangover and am sitting at my desk with a major case of the munchies!!!!! Vicki

It was an awesome seminar - really, really interesting! Colin - where were you? I was dancing on the table with Alana and Steph and then on the stage! We missed you! Vicki

Well, it’s now Monday morning and my head has now kind of stopped spinning . I had an awesome time at the AGM – I got to meet a load of people, I got stupidly drunk, I danced on tables and had almost no sleep! What a night! (But I felt like sh*te yesterday!) Alana – it was fun dancing on the table with you and Steph – at least we didn’t break our one! It was great to meet Macca – what a cool guy! Spend some time hanging out with Beth - we had fun! I met Matt at the dinner – I must apologise to Matt, he came over to say hello just as I was in the midst of having a paper aeroplane fight with some guys at the St. Andrews table (I got Quickdraw a few times! ) and I didn’t get a chance to get to meet him again. So hello Matt! It was great to meet you! I hope everyone else had as much fun as I did! Vicki

They had to be the crappest tables - I saw one break with only 2 people dancing on it! wtf is that all about?! Vicki

Hey Macca - it was great to meet you. Can't believe you went jumping today! I've had like 4 hours sleep and I am suffering with an evil hangover. It was worth it though! Vicki