skytash

Although I agree with you Liz, that we (both you and I and lots of others) know that hook turns can kill, every day there a new people joining the sport and the forums. I hope that they realise is how many injuries and deaths are as a result of low turns, get scared and talk to their instructors. It is frustrating and sad how many similar incidents are posted, however not everyone here has been around the sport long enough to see just how many people are hurt this way and seek to learn how to avoid having a thread about them. tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

so you been keeping those flashe(r)s going and haven't been held up yet... tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

an Aston Martin DB5. tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

I've added some more emphasis to your quote: RING HARNESS ADJUSTMENT If your Javelin is equipped with a ringed harness, to insure a proper and comfortable fit, it is very important that you tighten the chest strap first. By first tightening the chest strap very snugly, this will allow full arm and shoulder movement. Next tighten the leg strags until they are comfortably snug. As they say, by tightening your chest strap first, you can ensure the yoke sits properly and the rig is generally more comfortable giving you more arm and shoulder movement. However, this is only the case if you have chest rings. Having done up my leg straps before my chest strap on the odd occasion, the whole advantage of chest rings in terms of comfort and fit went out the window if I didn't do the chest strap up first. tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

that's exactly what I'm doing this winter - anyone would have thought we were friends tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

that's 'cos he is being cuddled by an angel in your pic - no wonder he isn't smiling in the other one tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

used to only do flat, and I'm using the warmth of the tunnels to learn the vertical stuff over the winter

try the above number with a 6 or 7 at the end instead of the 0. Those are the numbers for reception. I think reception is likely to be busiest at around quarter past and to the hour, as that is when they tend to ask people to arrive for (whuffos) to ensure they get the money off them if necessary in time for the 30 mins training time. Also, I think that when they are dealing with a walk-in customer they may tend to try and answer that person's questions before answering the phone, as they may stay and fly there and then. tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

that would confirm that a week-end 2 hour trip is cheaper in the UK, but 6 hours is cheaper going to the US. I've never been to a week-long tunnel camp and am not sure whether I could do 6 hours over 5/6 days , but then perhaps I don't trust myself to do something which I could do! Also agree that perhaps a booking is needed in any tunnel, but even 3 - 4 days notice and doing 10 mins or half an hour after work is a lot easier to organise than a trip to Orlando. Also better on the annual leave balance if not the bank balance tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

other upsides with the US ones - you can get a tan while waiting for your flight time Upsides with the UK tunnels - you can just pop in on a Thursday night, do 10 mins and go home again rather than having to fly across the Atlantic, stay in a hotel, buy pressies for people back home etc. I think someone has done some of the calculation comparing a week-end trip to bedford or airkix to get 2 hrs flying time with a similar trip to SVO or SVP to get 2 hours flying time. If you add it all up it may well come to less to go to bedford or airkix, even if you are coming down from Glasgow or Inverness because of easyjet and the like... tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

course they are - you're just copying ours and tweaking it a bit. If we hadn't built ours, you wouldn't have had anything to copy tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

In my experience, wide or narrow makes little difference, however the positioning of the chest strag (over or under) can make a big difference depending on how large you are. I'm sure there have been discussions on this in the women's forum, do a search on chest straps limited to that forum and you should find something. tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

I've been and had fun. Admittedly I was doing backflying, so was not being coached by the airkix team, did watch them coach though. I think getting coaching the first time could help identify what you need to work on to improve your flying and then you can think of things to work on without a coach another time. have fun! tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

freaky tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

and at the bottom of the slope in Milton Keynes there is airkix! Skiing and flying all in one place. tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

At least you guys can get winter tyres. Here in the UK everyone looks at me like I'm at the idea of having different tyres during winter. My little mid-engined sports car doesn't like snow and I can't even get good tyres for her to make her life easier . tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

Don't know whether Bedford does this, worth checking (paulipod?), airkix has a coaching evening Tuesdays and I know they do FS coaching then and you can book 10 min slots. Depending on who is the instructor, you may be able to do FF coaching on Tuesdays too. It's also worth getting in touch with some of the FF coaches at DZs, some of them block book time which they sell on to punters in 10-15 minute slots including tunnel time and coach cost. From my own experience, any more than that is exhausting (I did 20 mins non-stop with Rusty when he was over and had problems reaching my steering wheel to drive home) tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

if the interviewer says something more casual at the beginning to set you at ease, don't freeze up. I was offered coffe/tea/water and went for the water (another tip - don't go for a hot drink, you may burn yourself and then only think of that and any nervous shakes are really obvious when you are putting a cup on a saucer). The interviewer said 'I should have guessed that seeing as you are an active sportsperson with your skydiving' and I couldn't decide on whether to be honest (you don't have to be THAT fit to fall out of a plane) or just play along with it. We never connected and I didn't go through to the next stage. I blew it all in the first 2 minutes. Mind you, I could have ended up in Scotland as a result of getting that job - everything has its upsides. tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

had been wondering why the otter was for sale - at least there's a good reason (being replaced by a fast plane) tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

I think there is a difference between intentionally bringing a bird into a tunnel, when everyone knows it's there, the operators are adjusting the wind speed accordingly etc than when an owl is asleep in a tunnel and is woken up by 120mph winds and fast rotating blades during the morning's test run of the motors. tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

I asked my rigger to do a full inspection of my main on the last re-pack, having put around 200 jumps on it. He called me to tell me that the steering lines were 8 inches too short! None of the other lines were out of trim, they'd been set that way by the previous owner (I bought it with 20 jumps on it). He asked whether he should lengthen them to their standard setting. I'd enjoyed nice high steering and a short flare and wasn't too sure about it. The first couple of jumps I found a little awkward as the canopy didn't feel as responsive and I was flaring too short, however quickly got used to it. The new setting has actually really improved my flight and landing as the canopy is actually flying at full drive now! I can get back from further spots and have longer surfs. His guidance was that the steering lines should still be able to bow in flight when you are reaching for your front risers (not something I do too often btw) so that the canopy is still in full drive when you are using the fronts. Just something to think about! tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

It's really good to see that there are so many candidates, a few years ago there weren't even 15 and we didn't get to vote. To all those who are always wingeing about 'the BPA does this or that which they shouldn't' this is your chance to make a difference! tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

in a capability based interview - Have you ever had to make a fast decision that went against the rules? Yes - I opened my parachute too high because someone below me didn't track far enough and deployed and I didn't trust myself to track over the top of the pilot chute. I doubt anyone else can come up with as fast a decision as that one, and it can make you stand out from the crowd. Whether it's perceived as positive or negative by them doesn't really matter. I strongly believe that I need to feel comfortable with the culture of the company I work in and hence the attitudes of the people. If someone doesn't like the idea that I skydive I don't want to have to report to them! tash Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

hijacking my thread . You're not my hero anymore now Nige tash

we're on the cover of The Mag in the UK. Don't have a scanner here so can't post it (cpoxon - will you do the honours darling?) It's one of the break-off shots and I'm heading just to the right of the camera, and together with Jenn Jones (who is right in the centre) I can't believe I got that close to the middle of a cover shot . I'm not sure if Jenn posts or lurks here, can someon let her know? tash