MikeJD
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Everything posted by MikeJD
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Seldom a problem we have in the UK, but on those rare hot days the worst thing is definitely the packing. Not only is it more tiring, but the sweat makes the fabric stick to you and... just yuck all around. The hottest I've ever been was jumping in UAE. This was back in 2000, long before Skydive Dubai was operating, so we were at the Umm-al Qwain aeroclub. We had an air-conditioned packing area, but by the time you'd stepped outside and walked to the aircraft you were already melting. The worst thing was that because the runway was just compacted sand we had to have the door shut for takeoff - I came to dread the closing of that door, and to long for the moment when it would be opened again.
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I like this Blur one at least as much. And for animation, I love this one by a guy called Cyriak for Le Grand Popo Football Club. Cool track, too. Then we have the wonderfully rotoscoped Take On Me by A-ha. Kind of of its time, but still a work of art and a guilty pleasure of a song. Finally, the charismatic David Byrne in Talking Heads'
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Well, I've never seen a spin that severe - my heart was in my mouth. But nor have I ever seen a recovery like that on a student video. Seriously awesome recovery - although you're probably fed up of hearing that. Can see your instructor fighting to stay up with you. A body spinning like that seems to create a 'helicopter' effect, which makes it all the harder to get to you. Anyway, I'd say your barrel roll achieved its purpose, and then some. That's probably the worst freefall trouble you'll ever be in, and although sooner might have been better, once you'd made up your mind you banged right out of it. Good job!
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I think the best hobbies are the ones that keep you out of trouble.
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Exactly. I 'grew up' at Headcorn, having done my AFF there in 1992. Some of the best times of my life have been spent there, and I'll always have a special affection for it because of that. It's not a progressive DZ, and I couldn't honestly recommend it for serious team training - my teams have trained at Weston (RIP) and at Netheravon - but for tandem and AFF and occasional fun jumping, I think it's just fine. Over the years the social scene dwindled along with the regulars, but when I made a rare visit a few weeks ago there was a new, young crowd and it felt a little like the old days.
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Not to mention the fact that in general we're exiting higher than we used to. Winds upstairs can be howling and can be completely at odds with those on the ground. Combine that with the improved range of square canopies and I'd guess that freefall drift is at least as significant now as canopy drift. And you're not going to learn anything much about freefall drift by throwing a WDI from opening height. :)
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I don't think it would ever have occurred to me to insert the handle backwards, even as a newbie. Most handles that have a similar tapered shape - suitcase handles, some drawer handles - are fixed at the wider end and invite you to pull on the narrower end. Close examination of the student jumpsuit (and a bit of Googling) suggests this is at Skydive Cuautla in Mexico. Not somewhere I'm planning to jump any time soon!
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Exactly. And I think it's to his credit that he left the franchise alone for so long and let other people run with it. Meanwhile he's made a lot of other interesting movies in all sorts of genres. Granted, he did repeatedly tinker with Blade Runner and it's debatable whether that was all to satisfy his artistic vision or to milk some more profit from it. But I'm glad he did in any case - I can't think of a single other movie where the 'Director's Cut' has improved so hugely on the original. I see he's talking about a Blade Runner sequel/ prequel too - that's bound to generate lots of interest.
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Oh, you reminded me of another. It's the best insult in the English language (possibly in any language) - numpty.
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I have been there and it is on the Costa Brava, Spain, it's VERY pretty and a 7 day a week DZ If you do go there you fly in through Girona, not Madrid (if you can) Empuriabrava has great views, and there's lots of fun to be had on the DZ and in town - but their weather has put me off going for the last few years. It's always had a tendency to get windy, but lately there's been a lot of freak rainy periods and I know many jumpers who have been there for several days without getting in the air. Shame!
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I'm not sure whether they quite qualify as nonsense, but some of my favourites are: chimbley skellington tellingbone
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There's definitely a distinction to be made between technical and emotional greatness - it's not all about how fast you can move your fingers. So much guitar work is hugely impressive, but leaves me cold. It's like vocal prowess. I don't care that Mariah Carey has a five-octave range - I wish she'd stop warbling across all of them and just sing the bloody tune. For hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck effect, I vote for the guitar solo that kicks in towards the end of 'Just' by Radiohead - not a band known for them. Whole song is great in my book - the guitar solo arrives at 4:15.
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Can't really help you with finding anything - except to suggest that you scout around for an unsigned local band or artist who would welcome the publicity, and agree with them that you will use their music for free in return for a credit on the video. OK, it's not going to give them huge exposure - but every little helps. I did want to say, good on you for even considering this. Most operations I've come across just use whatever commercial music they like. In theory they might owe a lot of money to artists and labels!
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And people certainly are tiny in that big expanse of air when you see them from the right perspective! One of my favourite visuals from my years in the sport - I think all of us have some burned into our brains - is of a DC-4 load exiting over Eloy. Our Otter was holding parallel to them while they were on jump run, and we watched all those people trickle from the door of that big old plane and gradually fall away until they were just specks against the backdrop of the desert. It was elating and sobering at the same time. "They look so small and vulnerable," I thought - and of course they were. And we are. And it does us good to be reminded of it!
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No, it's " 'Appy Birthday, Guvner." You been watching Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins?
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Introduce a "Like" button, and everything becomes one big popularity contest. That's the worst aspect of otherwise great sites like YouTube.
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Just WOW. I'd literally never heard of him until about an hour before he was scheduled to make his attempt. I'm astonished. When I first read the story it looked more like an April Fool article. Go Gary!
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I don't follow why you're singling out dropzones as a particular hotbed of cursing and other 'non-religious' behaviour. Unless the clergy member spends all of his or her time either shut away in church or at the DZ, then surely they're exposed to that kind of thing all the time in everyday life. It's not like jumpers actually have a monopoly on irreverence.
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Either the forum is ripe with material today, or I'm in an easily-pleased frame of mind: Culture on dropzone What makes a girl good in bed? Connect the Threads (New DZ.com game) a game of opposites Checking after you wipe Practical Jumpsuit Colors Closing Pin Necklace? Not a tourist anymore Cat cleaning Fear Factor What's Your Ideal Mother's Day? Daughter going to Chile
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Clearly one person changing their habits won't make any appreciable difference to the fate of the world. You could almost argue that they're wasting their time if they're not out there actively campaigning for millions of others to follow suit. I adopt a lot of what would be considered 'green' behaviour, not because I think I'm making a difference, but just because it seems to me that unnecessary waste is a 'bad thing'. It's expensive, ugly and, I dunno, crass. On the other hand, if we can't have a little fun in life then you have to wonder what it is we're saving the planet for.
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Great songs, to be sure, but isn't it odd how we remark on the death of stars long after they stop producing the stuff that really made them famous? Music takes on a life of its own as soon as it's entered the popular consciousness, and Gibb's contribution will continue to be loved long after the death of the man himself. Not many of us will have the privilege of leaving a legacy like that. I know I don't expect to!
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Well, he has leg straps. That already makes the depiction better than 90% of other people's attempts!
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Interesting find - but 'the aviation equivalent of Tutankhamun’s tomb'? Really? I mean, really?
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Absolutely. I'm far from being a physically imposing or scary-looking guy, but I've routinely walked at night in some fairly rough neighbourhoods and always used that tactic - and (so far!) it's stood me in good stead. There's definitely a balance to be found - confident as if you're not expecting trouble, but not cocky or confrontational. Pointedly looking away is a no-no, so if I was passing a gang or something I'd allow myself an indifferent glance in the same way as I would with a little old lady. Behaving that way provides a nice feedback loop, too - it gives you more confidence.
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Poisoned and thrown out of a helicopter? That really is above and beyond. Talk about taking one for the team!