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I got my set from: http://www.airpistol.co.uk/lockpick1.htm Arrived quickly enough and work okay. It might be worth noting that keyways are a bit wider in the US and SouthOrd are a US company...so you might stumble across a lock that they're too big for. House locks should be fine - note, the common UK Yales have funny pin design so read up on it online. You don't find many of the key-in-the-doorknob type locks in the UK, the ones mnost of the US online guides call 'easy'. It's about as good a set as you'll find in the UK - perfect for learning with and then you might want to put some effort into getting what you really want. If you look directly on the SouthOrd website, they sell an massive range of stuff for picking pretty much anything, but you'd have to order from the US. You might need some of those if you consider your new home up *there*, but have lost the key to the perimeter fence and lift! Having said that most of the high-security locks are pretty much un-pickable unless you spend half your life practicing and even then there are some relatively inexpensive locks that you can do bugger all against. Also note that if unauthorised access is already suspected, picking will leave proof inside the lock, so they will confirm their suspicions of access if they get it inspected. Have fun (I'm no expert on this, definitely still in the learning phase!). Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

I've got to agree the An-72 was DAMN fast!!!! except it had to keep waiting at several altitudes for permission to go higher. You'd check your alti at 11K and start faffing around with your goggles/helmet etc - then there was a sudden rush of acceleration and the alti needle would speed round to 16k. The last 4K literally took no time at all. Most importantly though, it has a HARD pair of jet engines! The 2.5 min DC-9 sould be nice... --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Yep, if you want to learn to skydive and do solo jumps all around Europe - you should do AFF at home and then hire gear/jump abroad. The only downside is that with low jump numbers and no gear of your own it might, *maybe*, raise a complication or two, especially if there is also a language barrier - email before you go. If you want to learn skydiving for real, I know Gap in France does a damn good deal (PM me) as I did mine there! However, it will give you either the UK and/or the French A-License, not the USPA one. I'm recommending Gap as there is an english speaking instructor there, the hire rigs are pretty damn good and brand new and there is loads more outdoors type activities to do in the vicinity. If all you want to do is a tandem then they will be much more expensive than in the US. But you're only really meant to do one tandem because they are really just 'ride' - so pick somewhere with amazing visuals. Gap in the French Alps comes to mind, as does Empuria in Spain. I hear there is also a DZ by lake Geneva - which must look great too. Get video, you won't regret it! On another note, you won't have any problems getting served in bars on this side of the pond!

Bristol Uni will be there doing what students do best! I think i got to bed at 5.30am last year - i'll try for an all-nighter and remember my swimming trunks this year! Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Hi, we're considering buying a rig with a PD reserve. The reserve is about 10 years old and i've heard that they need recertification/inspection/a check or something like that when they get 'old'. Do they (in the UK)? It would obviously get a once over from a rigger anyway but does it need to go back to PD? Thanks, Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

With a protec i used to be aware of the 'noise' and when it stopped after the canopy opened. I now jump a Hurricane and noise is never an issue - and 've never missed the two ProDytters either. Any snug fitting helmet with 'continous' padding (ie not with holes like a protec) is going to kill the noise level. I've never jumped a full face helmet but i can't see them being much better than a snug fitting open face! Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Ello! i'm looking forward to the challenge of running Bristol Uni's (long established!) skydiving club this year. I can only imagine that starting one from scratch must be a LOT of work. I don't know what the deal in the US is with insurance and the official side. We have to pay our university 'union' a proportion of our membership fees and they provide some totally useless insurance. Joy. So we actually gain nothing by being affiliated to the university, but we can't get out of it! The key factor is finding a good dropzone that will really appreciate your custom and negotiate a good deal with them. It's not everyday that someone offers to bring 100 potential FJC's to their DZ with no advertising outlay for them! As your in the US, i reckon the guide above gives better idea of whats involved that i could as most of whats in it seems very US specific/unique. Good luck!!! Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

i bought a new one, it works perfectly. One thing to bear in mind is that it had a slightly domed face and might be slightly easier to scratch if placed face down. Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

TSE Teardrop SF Pro's: Nothings going to move that reserve pin. Bombproof riser and main pin covers. Con's: Nothing worth b*tching about. My next rig will be a Vector Micron with a skyhook or a G4 or a TalonFS...theres nowt wrong with my current one though!...and if someone tries nicking it...well....they'd better hope i don't get hold of them! As a poor student - it's worth more than the rest of my possesions put together!!! ..and a couple of pics! Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

"...there's nothing a few thousand jumps won't fix". I can't remember who I heard say that - but its pretty true...almost... I started on SL/RAPS/whatever j1 on SL) "Head down, de-arched, kicking, screaming..." j10 on DP's) " I said leave the risers alone! Your left hand is to go infront of you ABOVE your head on the count '2' as you reach for the DP" j12 on DP's) "You bleedin dipstick!!! STUDENT ARCH - ARMS WIDE!" j17 on DP's) " Your twatting hand will be the death of me or YOU! Straight SL again!!!!" ....at that point I gave up on this method of learning, went to France and with the exception of forgetting to pull on L2, did a perfect AFF course. I suppose some just aren't natural at SL! I still don't think I could do a DP (Hope'n'Pop's easy) as it's 'nothing like what it's really like'! I suppose the same applies to AFF with some people? Either way, if you're having fun, who cares how long it takes you to get somwhere?!?!? Regards, Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Clock-face all the way for an alti, digital for the time. It takes me a fraction of a second to look at a classical wristwatch and then decide the position of the hands is either 'quarter to three' or 'two fourty five'. As that fraction of a second is never crucial, i wear a nice watch with hands 'cos digital watches are plastic fantastic! On the other hand, when falling towards a hard bit of ground - i'd rather have the clockface - as I know that the red bit is where i don't want to be - and the nearer i get to it the more I should think about pulling! It's easier to visualise - something that digital can't really do. Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Ello there! My only eperience with the Vortex 2 is 'second hand'. A friend had to wait one hell of a long time for a replacement top after a cut away. Basically their customer service is considered pretty bad. On the other hand they're a nice rig thats going to be really cheap if you buy it IN (not 'from') SA. You can buy a TearDrop (TSE in the UK make them) and Pisa did (i think they were copies under license - so you might as well buy the original now!). I've got a TearDrop SF that I cant fault in any way. And it was delivered in 3.5 weeks! From the UK/Europe, a Vortex2 with a SA main is about the same price as a Teardrop with a Sabre2 - take your pick!!! If you're in SA i hear Vortex2's are (obviously) really good value out there. Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

By dual RSL I'm assuming you mean one per riser and it won't dump the reserve until both have pulled free. Sure they could rise up and choke the main as you have said, but a single RSL could also f*** you over pretty well if on cutting away the non-RSL linked riser was to stay attached for whatever reason. I suppose it's the lesser of two evils really, both of which are, I hope, never going to happen to me, mainly cos I don't have an RSL . I used to jump with a student rig that had an RSL that was fixed. It had advantages and disadvantages - i suppose it just depends of what you're more afraid might happen. If I had one i'd agree that I'd remove it if I had time in a two-out. And apart from a low level downplane, that's dosn't seem an issue. What would worry me more is trying it with a fullface, under stress, wearing gloves with the harness shifted round a bit and the ground rushing up. Regards, Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

The first time - it took 40 mins. Second time took about 8 attempts to bag it. Third time was after a jump. After half an hour of struggling a small crowd was beginning to form. They then begun discussing the best ways to tame new ZP, demonstrating with my canopy - effortlessly packing, bagging and repacking the canopy using god knows how many 'best' methods. AAARRRGGGGGGG! Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

I'm not going to preach about loadings and details as I have ziltch rigging knowledge. But I read somewhere that the 'new' elongated ring reduces pull force to about that of the 'old' big rings...so what exactly is the point? To be honest, i love my big stainless rings with mini risers. They're big, shiney, safer and look complicated to whuffos. What more could a man want!? Regards, Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

LOL, i know just how you feel! My lovely new Sabre2. Flys schweettttt, lands gently and you hardly feel it open - but thats where the pleasure ends. It is an absolute B***h to pack. I think the 5 euro trick might come in useful occasionally this summer when i'm in a rush...! Regards, Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

One of out Bristol lot is nicknamed 'Slider man' for the reasons described above. Having failed make it 'go up' by pumping the toggles, he chopped. He was shit scared and had the 'this can't have happened to the same guy twice' thought when he saw his reserve slider just above him!!! When rolling on the floor laughing upon hearing his story, the more serious situation of it happening at a few hundered feet didn't occur to me. Things can go from funny to serious without much changing... Regards, Mike -just done a jump on my new Sabre2 - schwweetttttt! --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

they'll send you samles if you ask. there is certainly white, yellow/gold, black, silver and blue. And prob more... Regards, Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

I was going to say, the great thing about the SF is the truly bombproof pin cover! If whilst being worn something hard gets close enough to bend the reserve pin - you're probably past caring!!! Theres are instructor at my DZ doing up an old racer/td (can't remember which) just to dispatch SL students with as it involves shuffling about the aircraft a lot and he dosn't want the pin worries. Regards, Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Hmmm....last year when I came to University. I heard they had a paragliding club and was hell bent on joining that - only to find it had disbanded a few years back. I figured the guys and gals at the skydiving stall were friendly, the videos looked amazing and it was quiet '''similar''' to paragliding - so I signed up to a SL fjc. Toooo much money later I now have AFF behind me and a rig...wooohooo. Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Hmmm. I don't know about removing the offending hand from play... I played the version when you have to knock back a shot whenever you screw up, the result being the frequency of screwups increasing very rapidly as the game goes on and a whole ring of very drunk people! You probably cant jump after that though... On another note, bungee battles in the packing hall always figures highly on my bad weather to-do-list. Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

You can check membership on the BPA website - but how many DZ's have internet access??? ...and that wouldn't solve the 'lost paperwork' problem, if that was the case. Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Not exactly what you meant, but Paratec make a conopy (Quadra?) that is shipped with two line-sets, slow ones installed so when you get bored after x jumps you put the fast ones on (i think they just point the canopy at the ground a bit more). They also have a notably smallish pack volume. Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

...so when you're in a 747 at 30'000ft and the hand on your alti begins screaming round clockwise - you can rest assured all is not well!! I've used both and i don't think there is much functional difference them (or any others for that matter!). I prefer the looks of the Altimaster3 and they have awesome customer service apparently. I have a FT-50, nice, less chunky than the Alti3 but has a domed face. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

170/170 --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com