Zoter

99% of your jumps you will be congratulating yourself on not splashing out on an expensive cutaway system. That 1% jump....where its all going on.....I'm sure that £65 cutaway system thats proven, easy to reach and works efficiently......is going to seem quite cheap !! I reckon if you can 'afford' an FF2.......you should prob be able to find 65 for the cutaway as well....

I think to differeing extents...everyonethinks about this. Familiarity ( and associated confidence) in your gear I'm sure helps an awful lot.... This thread may help a little.... http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1631568;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread Making sure your gear is always 'tip top' will also give you that extra boost as well..... Think about it from a different point of view........you got into this sport and you have to accept the inherent risks......if shit does happen....you can only rely on your own knowledge/training to read and react as best you can.....if you have recognised this and have done whatever you can to address this....then thats all you can do. I like to think I have....and on two occasions where I have experienced quite nasty turbulance/wind gusts low to the ground......it worked for me......and I am definately one of the 'what if this happens at x feet ' crowd Recognise potential problems.....learn and then trust yourself to react correctly.....thats what I reckon I think Ian Brown got it right..... Forget Everything And Remember..... For Everything A Reason....

Target Skysports at Hibaldstow, North Lincoln....United Kingdom From about 3K.....

Interesting....at the DZ I was at this weekend I saw a series of very poor landings in the experienced area ( 500jumps+). Predominantly under small elliptical canopies. Conditions = Nil winds, Sunny ( 17-23deg Celcius) and landing in a direction facing towards the main buildings/hangers by about 30-50M. It just seemed on each occasion that flares were being mistimed ....dramatically. Those involved were experienced canopy pilots.....but after seeing 3 people tumble ( one was very very lucky to get away without injury) I was wondering if it was more than just a mistimed flares/faster landings in nil winds......and perhaps some effect of the heat/proximity to buildings... CCI spotted these landings and altered the landing direction to land away from the buildings. I didnt see any of the same problems in the 'inexperienced' landing area well away from any buildings....... Interesting......no sign of 'traditional' turbulance characteristics...ie 'shaking' 'bouncing' canopies.......but perhaps thats just the result of a stiffer 'wing' on more highly loaded canopies....I dunno

I tried 'making' my own....but i wasnt happy with it and to be frank....I dont think it would have stood up to long term abuse !! I use this set up on my FF2......I have a short AV cable attached to the camera. I 'stow' the lead by running them through a stow ....which I route to the Dbox ( around the Camera bracket).....this puts enough tension on the stow to hold everything in place. The AV ports are then under the helmet inner.....it looks and sounds like it would be uncomfortable....but in fact I cant even feel them at all..... Pictures attached.....hopefully they make it a bit clearer than the above waffle !!

Bum some footage from the guys at your local DZ......just hang near the video and ask anyone using it if you can firewire their footage. You'll get all sorts.......but thats all good ...right?

Compress and make the data rate to about 1500kbs and then use the DivX encoder on that version..... But uploading a 20min film to the web means you will have to compromise quality to get the damn file size anywhere near realistic... Can I gently suggest perhaps a 'web edit' of the movie thats a little shorter.....in that way you wont have to compromise on the quality quite so much

Be careful.... I dont think CP1 is intended as ...'you must learn to swoop.....to get this grade' There are plenty of us out there flying very very carefully with canopies loaded over 1.4.... I dont want or need to learn to swoop right now........ Forcing people to learn those'skills' in case of a 'panic turn' is not a good broad strategy........ Some people like to just fly and land their canopies accurately and in a conservative way.... Far from being penalised by the new regs.....this group should be encouraged

Ok....I hear what you are saying..... (dont talk too loudly about the exploding bowling ball gig......ESPN will be right on it !)

Damn.....I would be happy to have it closed that well....give me some time and I will post a pic of my bagged canopy and you will piss yourself laughing !! But I dont have a problem with it at all.....opens on heading, no scary snivel and no line twists You might want to pay attention to the loose cascades on the 3rd-4th stows.....whilst they look pretty innocent with the bag out of the container......its a possibility they could loop over the mouth lock stows when you are stuffing it in the container.......keep em tight...no slack !

Headcorn has issued it 'rules'today. I'm sure the other DZ'will do the same in the near future as they get around to dealing with it

I have been looking into posts regarding those who have been and gone in BASE..... I have read alot about Dwain Weston and I'm struck by the fact that he was one of the very best. I would love to see some footage of him in action..... Can anybody point me towards some links ..? Cheers

Explain please Tom... Doing 'F*ck all in 200 skydives 10 years ago vs doing F*ck all in 200 skydives today.....is pretty much the same right?

I'm a bit ashamed of this as a Brit. Whilst taking steps to ensure better canopy piloting skills is a very very good thing.......the way it has manifested itself from....suggested rules...to practical implementation....has confused the hell out of alot of people... ( before I am flamed......I have read everything I can about the new BPA canopy piloting schemes/regs....listened to the lectures at the AGM and dont swoop anyways....so I have no axe to grind) I just think...in a nutshell......its all just become so incredibly overbearing and confusing. The balls to introduce better canopy piloting skills into our progression programs should be commended by the rest of the world. The way its going to practically happen/be regulated is going to make us the laughing stock of the world According to the 'rules'I am not allowed to fly the canopy I have been flying straight in ( no swooping) for over 150jumps without any landing incidents and rarely outside of a designated landing area. Hot dog canopy ????......no ...........its a 215 square canopy !!! EDUCATION NOT REGULATION !!!

I dunno what editing software you are using, but most of them offer 'project files' that you can save , back up that saves all of your hard worked edits... I know this is shutting the gate after the horse is well and truly bolted.......but with the costs of DVD's these days...every movie I make and edit I use a DVD (data) to save the project file and another to save the 'final' movie....if its too big for DVD I just write a little note with the project file whichDV tapes the clips are on.... Its a bit of hastle a bit of organisation but a whole lotta reassurance.... (BTW my HD has dumped my stuff including edits twice.....I feel your pain bro)

Send it back......no onions,mustard or ketchup.....

so whats the 'typical' speed range of a tandem pair with the drogue out.....??

Whats the risks of the PC /Bridal getting tangled around your arm in this scenario??....its sounds like its possible/likely to happen.......and then thats going to have a serious implication for initiating for EP's... Is it not better to go straight to EP's? Just asking....

Have an even louder laugh on me.... This ones the crashes and spills in the tunnel.... It does show good examples of how the airflow drops off at the edges of the AeroKart tunnel (well thats my excuse...and I'm sticking to it !!) http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=2259

Dont forget to leave it on 'SP' if you edit your footage. There is a little signal quality loss, and higher chance of dropped frames recording on 'LP'

Yeah....Usually one jump only.....no chance to recce the DZ beforehand....might be a night jump ....you will have to carry alot of extra equipment with you.....locals can be a bit more hostile than the farmers you are used to ..... and its a bit of a long haul back to the packing shed....in Saudi Arabia. Good news is you'll probably get paid to do this jump ......lol

Paul... whats the scoop on freeflying in the tunnel... Is it up to that ?? and do you have nay coaches /events/programs lined up... Cheers

Hiya all...I recently posted a movie I had made after a trip to AeroKart Wind Tunnel in Paris in February... All of us were relatively low jump numbers just looking to boost our flat flying skills....with Tom Scanlon...an experienced 4 way flyer. I predominantly freefly...so have a free laugh on me ! http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=2258 If nothing else it gives you a good look at the setup in the Paris Tunnel....enjoy !!

Kinda like that ...? yip.....a real feel good exit

You should really be doing some nice flat and stable exits.....but put these infront of your instructor first and makes sure he says they are OK to do and suitable with the gear you are using ... 'Reverse gainer'........Get to the door ...face out..jump feet first out ,extend your legs down ...spread out your arms out to the side...keep your eyes on the horizon until it rotates above you.......you will get a nice visual of the plane upside down as you rotate around. 'Jump off backwards'....so you are facing the inside of the plane... Arch and get nice and stable whislt getting a great view of the plane flying away above you and the next peeeps getting ready to get out.....you get about a half second of nothing as you jump until th relative wind hits you full on ! Just to remind you again....check these first with your instructor ! Have fun