flylikeahandbag

Hi Lee, Arrived here last Thursday and it has blown a hooley since I arrived. Going home tom and aint jumped . I hear its due for a break so you might be lucky. There are some NUPC guys from Plee heading out on the 16th. If you go give Regan (load organiser and coach) a shout. Rgds Pabs -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1040710#1040710 try a seach for other comments. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

Nice one mate. Enjoy your hols.

Only met Pete once when he came to Peterlee for the weekend earlier this year. Was a really nice bloke, with a great sense of humour. Blue Skies.

Different canopy, but I have had one side of my sabreII slider stowed after opening. I definitely unstowed it before the pack job. Suspect the tab got caught in the lines during opening. Didn't cause twists but did slam me. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

105 not that much different to a 101. 105 has few more features.

Ooops Looks like this is design intent so please feel free to ignore/ delete this.

Hi, I have just replied to a PM, and when previewing before sending it, I noticed that as well as my own signature line there appears to be a randomly added signature line also added. This doesn't appear to happen on forum replies. Is this something new? I also created a new PM and previewed without sending. It also had an additional signature line. I apologise if this is design intent and i have missed reference to it. Bst Rgds -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

Its all dependent on the weather. If the right conditions allow you can easily get enough jumps in over a weekend to keep you current.

Hi Lee, Yip, my home DZ is Peterlee. Drop in when your back in the country and say hello. We'll give you the tour and introduce you to everyone.

The junior draw was :- 1- CFK 2- EAB 3- QJG 4- NPO -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

The protrack has two settings - TAS (True air speed) SAS (Skydivers air speed). This may account for the difference. I can't remember the explanation for the two settings, but I use SAS which gives slower speed readings than TAS. Maybe someone with a manual to hand could post the explanation. Also I believ the best place for a for the most accurate readings is on the ankle (correct me if I'm wrong) if my memory serves me. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

OK on my machine this time. W98SE with IE6.

Good here also. Thanks

I also have noticed this problem over the last few days. Im am using IE6. The colours appear to be consistent whether I'm in forums, dropzones ect but i have noticed the font size is smaller when e-mail is selected. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

Peterlee -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

Link for the DZ:- http://www.uaqaeroclub.com/index2.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

http://www.bpa.org.uk/forms/docs/Form%20235%20-%20Guidelines%20for%20Jumping%20Wing-Suits.rtf -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

I was there for a boogie in March. They have a Cessna Caravan as the main jump plane, but we mainly jumped an AN12 which was brought in for the occasion (They have a King Air, but it wasn't approved as a jumpship when I was there). Jump tickets if I remember correctly were 400 dirhams (60GBP, 108 USD, 90 Euros) for five with altitude to arround 12-13K. They have big air conditioned packing area. They also and small gear shop and a canteen (was open all the time during the boogie, but not sure if this is the norm). Expect a rig and docs check before you jump. I don't think they adhere to any particular parachuting body, but the CCI and instructors seemed very competent. There is a large landing area with a 2KM tarmac runway, but note that the DZ is on the coast so check the spot . The main thing that may prevent jumping is the wind which can pick up quite quickly. There is a core of regular jumpers of various nationalities. Overall its a very friendly place and the views in freefall are tremendous. Will post a piccy if I can dig one out. The DZ is in Umm Al Quwain about 90 mins drive from Dubai City. There is a beach resort hotel and water park adjacent and a gun club across the road for those bad weather days. Hope this is of some use. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

Below are copies of letters regarding this issue, taken from UK.REC.SKYDIVING:- COPY OF LETTER TO LESLEY GALE, early 2000: Dear Lesley, Thankyou for your enquiry about skydiving and blood donation. I attach three documents which may be of relevance. There has certainly been no change in BPA policy on this matter for as long as there has been an Ops Manual. The Medical Section clearly states that parachuting and giving blood are incompatible. For at least the last ten years the "Advice to Parachutists" on the back of the Medical Declaration form has referred to the possibility of Blood Donation causing problems and to the need to seek medical advice if you have given blood recently. It is my understanding that the Blood Transfusion Service's Standing Advisory Committee on Donor Selection considered this matter in February 1992 and that there has been no change in their policy since then, though the policy itself may not have been applied very consistently at some centres until recent years. In the BTS, as in many other parts of the NHS, there is now a much more controlled implementation of policy and a much greater awareness of risk management or risk avoidance. As you yourself noted in your e-mail of 9th February, you encountered a similar policy ten years ago. Regular skydivers form less than 0.005% of the population of Great Britain. Their exclusion from blood donation is therefore not a significant loss to the BTS. It is extremely unlikely that either the BPA or the BTS will attempt to write a formal protocol to regulate how to be both a blood donor and a skydiver. It would involve each organisation in regulation and legal liability in areas where they have limited knowledge, little to gain and a lot to lose if something went wrong. There is no simple time interval which could be applied between donation and jumping to provide a safe recovery period. I did write to Sport Parachutist about this matter in August 1991 (copy attached) in order to help those who wish to mix the two activities. However, this is "unofficial" advice and is unlikely to be adopted as official BPA policy. I believe the BPA office has some copies of my letter of August 91should anyone wish to obtain a copy. It is not practical to put more information about this on the back of the medical form as this is only one of hundreds of areas where a short book could easily be written. Although you could reprint my letter from 1991, I suspect that a general encouragement to read the advice on the medical form and occasionally to browse parts of the Ops Manual would be more helpful. Sadly, many jumpers have little knowledge of any parts of the Ops Manual. It is not just in relation to blood donation that there is much misunderstanding of regulations and, consequently, opportunity for mishap! There are many professions, sports and activities where huge improvements in safety and efficiency can be obtained, not by writing new regulations or advice, but by simply advertising and implementing the rules and advice that have already been published. As far as flying and blood donation is concerned, I don't feel it is my place to express an opinion. However, it is worth noting that the altitudes and physical exertion routinely involved in skydiving are often very much greater than those routinely experienced in many other branches of aviation. It is best to contact the governing body or authority that regulates your personal type of flying as their regulations may be quite different to ours. Yours sincerely, John Carter EXTRACT FROM BPA OPS MANUAL SECTION 11 MEDICAL 2.5. Blood Donors. Sport parachutists are advised that parachuting and giving blood are not compatible. Whilst the quantity of blood is quickly replaced after donation, the necessary oxygen retaining qualities required at altitude are not. EXTRACT FROM BACK OF BPA MEDICAL CERTIFICATE: NOTES FOR PARACHUTISTS Parachutists need a reasonably high standard of physical fitness and must not be overweight in relation to their sex, age, and height. No person above the age of 50 years will normally be accepted for novice parachute training. Exceptions to this rule may be allowed if the candidate either has previous experience or is of a high standard of fitness and can convince the instructor of that fitness. Aswell as the conditions listed overleaf, the following may cause problems to parachutists and if you have ever suffered from any of them you must seek medical approval before parachuting: Previous fractures, back strain, arthritis and severe joint sprains. Chronic bronchitis. Asthma. Rheumatic fever. Pneumothorax. Liver or Kidney disease. Thyroid, adrenal or other glandular disorder. Chronic ear or sinus disease. Any condition which requires the regular use of drugs. Anaemia. Recent blood donation. COPY OF LETTER PUBLISHED IN SPORT PARACHUTIST 1992 AND REPRINTED IN 2000: Dear Sir, re: Blood Donation and Skydiving It was nice to see some constructive ideas from Hugh Montgomery on how to avoid getting AIDS from blood transfusion in developing countries. Unfortunately, skydiving while giving blood regularly is not always straightforward. The Blood Transfusion Service has an excellent series of checks to confirm that you are fit to give them your blood and remain well during normal activities at ground level. However, these checks were not designed to ensure that you will be fully fit to skydive at altitude after giving blood. Most of us like to think that we are unaffected by the reduction in oxygen at altitude but the facts are that our concentration and co-ordination are impaired as we go higher and we often fail to notice it. At 8,000 ft there is impairment of recently learned skilled tasks (i.e. more brain locks). At 10-15,000 ft there is impairment even on well ingrained skilled tasks (more misjudged approaches, bad dockings, bombings) and physical stamina is reduced (floaters falling off, tandem masters having stiff pilot chute pulls after heaving a heavy student around). Any exertion or exposure to cold makes the situation worse and increases the normally tiny risk of faintness or dizziness. With these factors already working against you, any reduction in the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood is clearly unacceptable. After giving blood, the volume is rapidly replaced, but the oxygen carrying capacity is not. Giving a pint of blood may reduce the oxygen carrying capacity by over 10%. This will not matter to you at ground level but may make a big difference to how well your skydive goes at altitude. Most blood donors restore their blood to near to predonation levels within a few weeks but a minority may take several weeks (the slowest being small framed people with diets low in iron, particularly women with heavy periods). If you want to give blood and continue to skydive: Ask the BTS for your Haemoglobin level (this is checked routinely before you give blood). Do not jump at all within a week of donating. Ask your doctor to recheck your Haemoglobin level 1 - 2 weeks after donation. (This is not an NHS service and there may be a charge.) Do not jump above 5,000 ft until your haemoglobin is within 5% of its original level. If this seems like too much hassle, the solution is to avoid mixing skydiving and blood donation. Unless STC decides to change it, the BPA Ops Manual continues to read "parachuting and giving blood are not compatible" (Section 11). Nowadays some people give just plasma and have their red cells returned to them. Plasma donors should be able to skydive safely after 48 hours. Yours sincerely, John Carter, BPA Medical Adviser. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1018677#1018677 Just need to use the copy shortcut option, then paste it. Look at markup help to make it clicky.

Hi Bill, I have the the cutaway system on my FF2 and have had no problems what so ever with it. The handle is attached with velcro, but is very secure. I have a wide angle lenses that protrudes from the box on my FF2 and I see this as a possible snag point therefore it suits me to have the extra security of the cutaway. I'm also planning on a ringsight in the future which is another possible snag point. I have seen a FF2 with a slimline wide angle lenses that did not protrude (no snag points) and didn't have the cutaway system. I will leave the more experienced camera fliers to give opinions on the pros and cons (if any) of having a cutaway. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

Just because someone does not have hundreds of posts doesn't mean that they don't have something valid to offer. Use common sense when reading posts and always get a second opinion from a trusted source. Daft suggestion IMO. Whats with people looking for status icons (HH and mods excluded). Rant over. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

What lens do you use? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

I have a one with a PC101. Have put about 40 jumps on it now without any probs. There no sag points apart from possibly a wide angle lens. I haven't jumped any other camera helmet so have no reference, but this helmet would be my choice. I have the 2 ring circus cut away system on mine also. I'm very happy with it. If you have any questions on it speak to Steve at 2K Composites, he is very approachable. Also try posting in the Photography and Video section. I'm sure the guys in there will give you plenty of feedback. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk