brabzzz

http://www.my-skyworld.de/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=63&products_id=1066 Has anyone got one - and more to the point, can anyone be arsed to measure/remember the diameter of the hole needed through the helmet? I ask because I have Hawkeye (+ Hawkeye chincup), which, whilst similar to a Bonehead, isn't. The ratchets are on the helmet, not the chin-cup. The plan is to move 1 ratchet to the cup, the 'tongue' to the lid and treat it like a b/Head...but I'm curious as to whether they are similar enough for it to be the easiest option! Or has anyone actually tried this? Cheers, Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

I don't base (yet...) but this is obviously something that is, or certainly should be, going round in the skull of anyone considering taking up this odd activity. A fatailty is IT, end-ex, game over, whatever. No dicking around with pacts, secrecy or cloak and dagger ops. There are a million and one ways to release the info, get your thumb outa your arse and tell someone. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Cheers - that answers my questions then and puts paid to the microdrive idea! Assuming the JVC-made-of-cheese aspect is ignored, would shoving a gig of compact flash (or whatever it eats) solve the storage issues, or is the whole concept considered a bit pant at the mo and MiniDV still THE business! --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Heya, just a quick question (given I impulse purchased a Hawkeye lid at the AGM...). What is the consensus on Microdrive based camcorders in freefall? Actually, I'm sure they're fine in freefall, but how do they cope with the openings? I was thinking along the following lines (@£300 with a 4gig microdrive, 2 batts, charger. Another £25 for a 0.45 lens and 50p for some blutac to attach it) http://www.jvc.co.uk/product.php?id=GZ-MC100EK&catid=100094&sub=feature#table Would that be a nice starter cam, or should I be looking at Sony miniDV ones like the PC53 @ this price point. BTW: I don't do tandems (not with my 300j at any rate...) and don't need the 3rd CCD of the next model up! Anyone used one? Love it or hate it? --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

I was thinking more in the context of standing on a bridge and distracting passing drivers on pre-exit/landing/under canopy or stressing out any security goons who might waste police time as a result. Didn't think of the noise aspect, but as you said, i imagine it sounds like thunder! --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Regarding the OPs Q, no idea. But I suppose that if it's not in the owners contract to 'prevent it', you're not breaking in, at 4 am you'd hardly be a public nuiscence and you won't have trespassed on land... Related crazy idea - why not just take out an ad somewhere offering to 'buy' access from anyone living anywhere high, or write all the residents a nice letter (and a vid or something showing you are not just depressed)? Lol, i'd let you nutters jump my balcony out of morbid curiosity! --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Caught 1 misroute when gear checking ppl. Easy mistake to make...and not easy to spot either, as it's hardly a glaring error. Give it a tug. If I noticed mine misrouted below 8k i don't think i'd try and fix it at all (and i doubt it would be noticed in the first half of a dive..) - i'm sure it's a lot harder than i'd like to think it is. Probably just mentally reherse the follwing a few times until pull time... Dump with left hand deathgripped on right mlw and then whip the right one over. Suppose the fee thousand feet above that would be better spent getting stable with the left hand 'in' and contemplating what an idiot i am! --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Popped along there for a long weeknd. Found 2x L410s, 1 Mi8 chopper and an AN2 (?) biplane. Not bad all. From a UK jumpers perspective that's a lot. :-) Do some research into transport (IDOS.cz)and you can get to within 15 mins walk of it, by bus from prague, for -well- under a fiver return. Or hire a car for a 40 min drive. Coupled with very good (and cheap) beer and food in the restaurant, free tent pitches/showers and an efficient and timely manifest, it's great if you're in that part of the world. My only gripe was that there was very little effort to involve new jumpers. I speak the language (no biggie if you don't, everyone speaks English and/or German too) and even then it wasn't an easy ride! There was some wingsuit organising and a girls-way RW organiser, though i think they were there only that weekend. Still, 13 jumps in 2 days, including the chopper/biplane) for under £150 including food, beers and transport from prague meant it was -well- worth the visit. I'll be back if i can ever get some time off work...

Demo'd Pilot 150s and put a couple of hundred of jumps on my Sabre2 170. I normally bitch about the crappy opening of my Sabre 2...but i'm sure it's partly my packing. I've had some silky smooth on-heading openings occaionally (especially when others pack), but I can count those occasions on one hand. The Pilot was indeed a nice canopy, but I preffered the flare of the Sabre 2, which really seems to go on forever comapred to the Pilots. The pilot flew/turned faster, but I'm putting that down to the size difference...in flight and flare, I rate the sabre 2 better...for openings the Pilot was nicer. There...slightly unfair comparison... In the UK at least, I'd go Sab2 for resale value alone. edit: on the few subterminal/wingsuit deployments i've had, i could not even feel the sabre 2 opening. obviously unlike the time i forgot to quarter the slider... --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Once, low pull (1day) - though it sure wasn't low low SH*T that's low. I was actually a bit peeved as I'm sure I didn't pull any lower than the locals. Unfortunately some llocal bint (on the ground) apparently said, 'whoaaa, that looked low'...upon which they grounded me. The couple of actual low ones i'd fully expected to picked up on, nobody noticed....different DZ admittadly. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Skyservice in Prague is a great little DZ. Cheap jumps, everyone speaks Eng+German and they have some cool planes. Spent a few days there and loved every minute. Buses will get you there from Prague in well under 90mins. Cheap/free accom and a great bar/restaurant on site. They hire rigs - not sure what the deal with helmets/altis. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

University of Bristol (UK) here! Well I was until last week when I graduated!

Duuno whether you mean slow sit, or 'climbing' back up from, for example, a floating exit ona big way sit (is there a difference?). I'm no expert, far from it, but I found myself learning and doing a lot of this out in Gap and the method Eli showed us sure worked. To cut my long rambly description short, 'hump god'. Really thrust those hips 'up' and hold it. Pretty much works for any movement. Aim, thrust and go! , maybe combined with splaying the calves outwards from the knee to grab more air. Not a great explanation, but it sure as hell works whilst maintaining a good deal of control. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

lol, on the subject of definitions (gawd, can't believe I read every post so far...), look up 'gerbalism'. Soooo many words I never knew existed...or thought there could ever be a use for. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Gotta agree with all the above! I didn't do formal coaching with Eli but he was load organising our groups. His debriefs were thorough, chilled and effective. I learnt a hell of a lot that week - though i'm sure the actual coaching would be even better! I suppose he did the key things right - relaxed, fun and concentrating on a few 'main' points at a time. Being stressed and 'over-informationed' isn't the way to learn anything! --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

If you're down South, go to Nethers. Euphoria are there doing the coaching thingy. Edit: There is a BPA freefly mailing list...check the skydiving newsgroups, there's a recentish post about it there somewhere. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Yo, Kevin! I assume you've been to the Slovak DZ. What's it like just to jump at? Are the fancy aircraft (glider and balloon) readily jumpable? Whats the mix of jumpers between freefly/fs and any kind of organised jumps? I'm planning pop by there at some point (I speak Czech so i should be able to get by) and was just wondering what to expect! Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Maybe I'm a bit biased (though with absolutely no vested interest), but we put about 5 people a year through AFF in Gap (France) and I'd happily recommend the place to anyone. Kevin Hardwick the resident Brit instructor is top notch and it's a lovely DZ. That aside, i'm sure the Spanish DZ's (Empuria etc)are good too, but i think Gap is cheaper - especially if any re-jumps are involved. EDIT: Just noticed the time of year you're plannin on going - pay attention to the weather. Gap is in the Alps, Empuria might have wind issues etc... from that perspective the US-of-A might be better. Even more so given the exchange rate. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Quick question guys, whats Hinton like during the week...and why are Tuesdays bad? Given the current weather, spending a couple of days there next week sounds tempting... Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Yeah, f*ck that for a laugh. No CASA's either! --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Get a drogue! --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Don't suppose anyone knows how far through the works it is and where it'll be available from? Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

The first 2 are nice big-way hybrids, the third is a lame-ass-though-pretty-sunset-sit from long ago! Mwahahaha! I neeeeed to jump....countin down to Espace! Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

If it makes you feel any better, I did 20ish static line jumps and -never- got a good dummy pull. Indeed, jump 21 saw me back on straight static line with no DP!!! - that very nearly made me quit the sport!!! It can be a shit feeling to fail stuff, but keep trying. It's definitley worth it. I kinda miss student jumps now! --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Yeah, this weekend I reached to pop my toggles and only the right one came off. The left toggle had a line round it (under lotsa tension) and the canopy began its left dive. Nothing drastic, it's only a 170 Saber2 at 1.2 so i leveled out with the right brake and considered options. Chop? No..not yet....still at 1800ft...plenty of time for that. I put the right one in my mouth and tried a two handed tug on the left...no joy. Given that it was open, flying and Netheravon has a landing area the size of a small country I did left turns (!) and set up to land in an empty bit of the DZ. I did a few practice turns andf flares up high (using right toggle from its part down position and the left from its stowed/locked position). Landed with a PLF and got my new jumpsuit muddy. Grrr. In hindsight using the left toggle to yank on for the flare was silly - had it come off suddenly 6 feet up I could have slapped into the deck less than elegantly. On the other hand I did 3 more jumps that day...so I'd done something right, even if i could have done better! Lesson learnt...next time i'll do it differently! I wouldn't chop anything unless the situation was pretty desperate and options were fast running out. Whose to say the reserve will work? Stay safe. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com