mr2mk1g

Here's my rig and FF pants from another posting I made: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=20986;

Unlike in the US, virtually all TV's and VCR's in the UK are multi format. These don't truly convert the footage though, they merely output analogue PAL so you can see it on a PAL TV. The PC105e has DV in - its sister model the PC103e is identical but for this feature and the memory stick. Get PAL if you're in the UK. Get DV in unless you live with/always jump with someone who has DV in.

I'll do nethers, I don't care - im a member there. But I do feel for some of the more northern folks - is there a compromise in the oxford area? (yes Im a member at both hinton and weston too)

offical advice is to take it hand luggage on its own in a bag with nothing else.

My dad had me convinced for years that a Haggis was a three legged animal that ran round the top of hills in scotland. There were left legged haggises that had two long legs on the left and one short leg on the right. They ran round the peak clockwise. There were right legged haggises that had two long legs on the right and one short leg on the left. They ran round the peak anti-clockwise. Although social animals the two breads of Haggis rarely mixed due to the danger of head on collisions. I was convinced for years... what can I say, I was 4

see - no one wants it in early/mid april (do you think I'm getting away with not seeming selfish by trying to get it organised after im back from the states?)

oh yeah - and the BCPA northerns are the 2nd - 4th May at Hibbs so you'd probably best try to avoid that weekend too.

So long as each dive is done as a re-currency jump there are few issues. The problem is that the risks involved with skydiving go up exponentially with time away from the sport, esp when it comes to canopy control and emergency drills.

Not to mention the strip joint in the local town

I was going to say - wouldnt that take the piss a bit - a UK boogie in Spain??

Yay - I succeeded

Im out of the country till late april... in fact 28 member of my skydiving club will be too as well as arround 20 other uni club members. Many of them are .commers so you may find attendance slips a little if you organise it in the first 2-3 weeks

I just like to go against the flow and generally be annoying

April last year was lovely - apparently it was some of the best weather the UK had at that time of year. I remember as I was out in california for the first two weeks where the locals were complaning it was the worst weather ever, and back home there was a heatwave. It was the same thing the year before except swap cali for florida April is often good in the UK (we get a kinda early good bit then it comes in crap again till july/aug)

I vote May We can always use this thread to argue about dates and the other thread to argue about the DZ.

I was trying to kill it by whining

I leave on the 30th (yes 3 weeks in perris !!) so march is ok except that during march there is the BCPA southerns regionals which I expect to be helping to organise and compete in... besides, if its after I've been to perris I'll have another 100+ jumps and be able to film the DZ.com funnel... er, I mean bigway

I'm gonna be out in Perris California till 20th April.... you better not organise it for when Im not even in the frickin country - Im one of the biggest UK PW's there are

"secam" - it worked on all the PAL stuff I used to sell when I ran an electrical department. I think the two are prety universally compatable or at least all manufacturers ensure their equipment works wiht both. It has 625 lines and 25 frames per second.

not arguing with you, but why in the hell would the queen want to fly in a herc? (save for the fact that its cool)

yeah this is real "cut out and keep" stuff

you could always try this one: http://wannaplaygames.com/skyball/

I like that idea yes. Its one of the things customs hassled me about - they wanted proof that I had sent my cypres to America. If I could have shown them that it would have been really simple to get my import duties back. Of course I couldn't cos I never had it before it went to the US, but I won cos I told them they were only ever made in one country - Germany, and that it was simply now being returned to its home state (the EU). They can't charge you if its returning but technically can if its never been here before even if its a gift (so I was told). The reason they took £132 off me for the cypres was because they value an 8 year old cypres as £1000 being its "new" value. It does not technically matter that something is second hand, you have to pay duty on the new item. I might have had an argument on this one as the cypres unusually has a finite life span. Luckily I didn't need to press them on it as they gave up the argument.

Simply way to avoid my problems with customs re cypres is to send it to airtec in germany. Its inside the EU so no taxes. Mine was coming from America because technically thats where I bought it, although customs didn't know that and I had the seller send it to airtec and then airtec on to me and customs just assumed that I had sent it to them for its check. What I should have done is have the seller send it to Airtec i germany (no taxes as its off for its check) and then Airtec send it on to me in the UK (no taxes as its moving within the EU). I wouldnt have had the hassle then - but hind sight is 20/20 If you want to get the packaging and reciepts that come with the new "hypothetical" watch you "auntie" could always "forget" to send those with the watch and send them the week after in another package. I generally get my some friend to bring back things from the US. Ask arround your DZ - there is always someone or some team coming back from abroad who can pick things up for you. The standard charge is a crate of beer. I had a friend bring back a new reserve from america like that over christmas and I collected it from him (for a crate of beer) when we met up at the AGM. Of course your friend mus declaire the gear to customs as he passes through the airport and pay all the relevant duties at that point.... which is why he mailed the reciept to you and doesnt carry it on him

Yes they can open it regardless of what sticker you put on it. Can they tax it? yes... are there steps to get round it? yes. If, for example, your "auntie" put in a note saying "here you are andy - here's your watch you left behind when you were visiting me you silly thing", then customs would not really be able to do anything. I think its the same with gifts so were "auntie" to send it over with a birthday card then again customs wouldn't do shit. I couldnt of course commend defrauding those wonderful people at customs and excise though could I? (PS - Customs just sent me a cheque through for the £132 they charged me on my cypress when it came back from SSK after its 8 year check. It only took 3 phone calls and 2 letters, one of which threatening a law suit).