altichick

If I'm working with a student for a while and get to know them I can usually tell if they'll respond well to a fun surprise!! I don't do anytyhing on AFF dives but a lot of the time we'll do something fun on their A license dive, a tube exit or making it a 'surprise' 4 way (have 2 other AFFI join us) or just a beer and video guy waiting in the landing area... it's a nice way to make then feel welcome!! It really depends on the student - some just want to do the dive and get it over with - for others it's a big deal and it's nice to make it special for them! I still remember the first time I got fruit looped

Read the other post

Oh yeah... really dig that stuff hehe six pack and a pizza would work for me!! Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

Personally I'd run a mile if a guy did something like that!! If I really liked him I'd appreciate the effort... then run a mile But she bought you the cards with the mushy ideas on them so chances are she digs that stuff! so go for it!! A few improvements on your plan... to further add to the outdoor picnic illusion don't forget to scatter a selection of wasps and bugs around the room, put sharp rocks under the picnic blanket and invite frineds to dress as hikers and have them walk through the room at random intervals Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

Remember the cool video where the canopy is on fire??... Eloy holiday boogie 2004 there was a display with pictures of the stunt along with the burnt remains of the canopy. A few days of bad weather and the pictures and explaination had blown away leaving just the burnt remains of the canopy. Anyone who's been at Eloy will now there are usually lots of older whuffos there watching the by the main landing area... I overheard a few older ladies looking at the canopy and trying to figure out what had happened... "he must have been going too fast when he opened it" .... I laughed so hard I had to walk away - I wish there had been another skydiver within earshot of that one it was priceless!!

If your profile is correct - you're still in the early stages of AFF. Its easy to become angry when you are afraid or don't understand exactly what is being discussed. I'd be interested to know if your opinion changes once you have done Cat E dives and understand recovering from instability a little better. They are some of most fun dives in the AFF program and a huge confidence boost for students. The instructors here aren't talking about putting someone unstable at or close to pull time (which would have safety implications) but at an altitude that allows the student to see what it feels like and deal with it. And if they can't deal with it 1)they have an AFFI there to assist them and 2) they're not ready to self-supervise in freefall yet Before we sign you off to self-supervise in freefall we have to be confident that if you get unstable (planned or unplanned) you can regain stabililty whilst staying altitude aware. Before you add my name to you list personally I don't intentionally induce instability... and I'm not sure how many AFFI do (this would be an interesting discussion for the instructors forum)... most students will experience some unplanned instability anyway on their first unlinked or dive exits Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

It's been a while since I had service done - call your DZ or one of the gear shops local to you and see what the current price is. Last time I had mine serviced I sent it through dzsports at Hinton. Maddy there is also a good person to ask about used gear and if she knows what you are looking for she can keep an eye out for suitable gear. Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

You can pick up a used one with a few years left pretty cheaply see here. Your first rig doesn't have to be pretty but it should be safe!! Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

Static line kit often has ripcords/springloaded pilot chutes rather than throw out pilot chutes so at some point once are on freefall jumps you will need to convert to a throw out system - it will be up to the DZ (I think) when you do this convertion. Once you are converted to throw outs you should be able to use your own gear BUT I think all DZ's will only let you use gear with an AAD - at least until you are off student status and I think some UK DZs now require an AAD on all rigs. Why don't you have / want an AAD? If it's a cost decision... surely your life is worth the few hunderd punds it would cost you to get a used AAD?? Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

(because I'm bored of all the threads about guns and religion!) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4700264.stm and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4704046.stm Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

... or close to it...most of the time Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

thx what I meant was 'inside the undergarments' (to me) is different from the 'inside the waistband' ... if you grab a friends kid by the waist of their pants... is that sexual harrasssment??!! The girl involved now has the idea that it is... what if her parent / babysitter does exactly that, say to stop her running out into traffic?? I just think they should have thought alot more carefully about the words they were using when they described this. Now there is a 6 year old who believes she is a victim of a sexual assult and a 6 year old boy with sexual harrassment on his school records. Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2006/02/07/news/news/news02.txt I don't think it was inside the undergarments... I think it's sad that it's got blown out of all proportion. Now all the kids in the class/school are gonna be asking what sexual harassment means... how do you explain to a 6 year old that touching another child on the back / waist is 'sexual' harrassment... Wonder how that's going to affect this boy when he goes back to school and all his classmates (and parent of his classmates) know he got suspended for this?? Crazy world Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

I've travelled and stayed in several muslim countries and I've always been treated with respect and politeness. I've also had good experiences in Israel, Africa and a whole bunch of other places... the average guy (or girl) on the street is generally a good person regardless of thier religion. It's a shame that the loudest most extreme and obnoxious people of each religion, society or culture are the ones that people tend to remember... most muslims aren't extremists, most christians aren't out to convert you, most americans aren't redneck bigots and not all brits have bad teeth We're all people... can't we just respect each other a little?? C'mmon guys... play nicely??? Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

And more importantly... when I'm next in the UK.... can I look forward a shorter line at the kebab van and the taxi rank whenever I stagger out of the pub?? instead of the crazy 11pm rush! Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

I mean I wasn't like they were offering cans of dog meat (which I do think would be insulting!) it was a powdered protien mix which, yes, has been used for dogs but the someoone (I think the company owner) said in a news clip she gave it as a nutritional supplement to her family. The people who would have benefited from it probably have no idea their government refused the offer They (government) should have asked the starving people before they turned down the offer! Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

For a few jumps after my first malfunction (pilot chute in tow) I got into a habit of looking over my right shoulder and watching the canopy deploying. Openings were definately worse for it but I was just glad to have a canopy!! It took me a little while to break the habit and get back to a symetrical position!! Openings are now nice again though occaisonally if things are a little slow I find myself looking... just to check! Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

I go with what the SIM says http://www.uspa.org/publications/SIM/2006SIM/Section4CatA.htm#1h A student needs simple clear procedures - I don't know if it's possible to get a downplane to go back together but for sure it would take more knowledge and skill than a student could be expected to have or recall in an emergency situation. I have heard students advised not to cut away if the main and reserve are entangled but I'm not sure a student, especially first time jumper would be able to tell the difference between entangled canopies in a downplane or a simple downplane. Obviously there is a risk of entaglement if you cutaway from a downplane but I would definately disagree with whoever said it's not a big deal!! Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

That was what they said on the news... though you obviously know you can't take a new report at face value Anyway - there's other threads for discussing guns - and i think all this has been said there plenty of times

That depends upon whether you want a lot of injured innocent people, or just one injured perpetrator. Your choice. I'm not sure what you mean - i'm not sure that in this case it would be an 'either' / 'or' choice. Let me explain what I meant... they just showed the bar on a news programme and it was a small, dark bar... I'm just saying that I'm not sure anyone would have / should have tried to use a gun against this guy in such small and (acording to the news report) busy place. In a noisey crowded bar....by the time you realised there was a disturbance, realised it involved a weapon, then realised it was a potentially lethal weapon (and remember people are already close enough to this guy to be trying to stop him and quite probably a lot of other people trying to get the hell out of there)... could you safely use a gun to stop his attack? Isn't two people shooting guns in a busy bar potentially worse than one?? At least you know which way to run if it's just one!! Like I said in my earlier post - I know very little about guns but I can't imagine a dark or crowded place is a good place for an armed have-a-go-hero to use for his (or her) target practice! Would you feel worse if you accidently shot a innocent bystander or worse for not trying to shot the bad guy?? When I say 'you' I don't mean you personally - I mean any person who could have been there! Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

Depends what source you

y'know when I look around the average DZ... I'm not seeing athletes in their prime ... course, I blame the beer at the end of the day

If you only have time to demo two... then try the pilot and saphire, if you can demo three then add the sabre2 150... easy

As soon as you feel an inintentional turn starting make sure you are looking up and fixing on a point on the horizon. I've often seen students stop a turn or spin as soon they see the coach or instructor is right in front of them... focasing on a fixed point really helps! Without this the tendancy is to look into the direction of the turn and where your head goes your body will follow! Also... think about your arm position... well done for staying altitude aware... but in the process of checking your alti were you bringing your hand in close to your face? Unsymetrical arm position can contribute to a turn as well. Sound like you did a great job of staying aware and handling everything well so relax - it wasn't a bad jump, you pulled at a safe altitude and landed safely... that's not a 'bad' jump

It's not a UK DZ the he's talking about Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!