crashtested

jump 2 I am into kite surfing and have been for years b4 parachuting, i think that may have helped. Personaly I don't think being light or heavy has much to do with anything asI have not had a problem with landings as all YET.... My only slide has been when i downsized onto a 190 in nil winds, i came in faster than expected, and skided 40 ft or so on my arse before hoping up back onto my feet in the last 3m.. I'm starting to really belive it has to do with the indervidual rather than wing loading or anything, (within reason). every time i use a new rig i do a load of hop and pops, and focus purley on canopy control, aided with a digital alti, I found it really showed me the canopy performes in different wind conditions and there stall points, converting over to a fluid slower 2 stage flare may also help. But theres no hurry, maybe go on a canopy course, it may help. My 1p

It is when they start shooting at you ... Well, if that floats your boat. Then again, you could just call a few of your buddies to park near the road, tell them the color of your parachute....errr... On second thought, don't do that. No carry on.... it seems we have finaly made this sport my dangerous than base. And in the army they'll also teach you haow to shoot back.... everyones a winner

Ok, i just had a thought, (scary in itself) Tell your mum you are going to join the army 1.Come to england 2.Join the Parachute regiment (you only have to be 16) 3. Let them pay for you to jump.. 4. you'll be a skygod in no time http://www.army.mod.uk/para/insight.htm Your mum will be so freaked out about you joining the army, she'll sign the waiver and possibly pay for your aff course. That is such a good idea on so many levels.

I think you are missing something very important here - the number of participants in each activity. No astronauts died in space last year. I suppose that makes space flight the safest activity of all. Well the faa seem to think that going to space is safe enough... virgin galactic are letting 16 people go up on a tourist visit!!!!!! The sports as safe as the person or persons you go up with, if you pack your rig badley you'll increase your chance of dying, if you hook it in from 20 ft you could die, if you don't have a cypress and lose alti awerness you could die.... blah blah blah etc etc etc The kid wants to jump, if he's carful and well trained he will be fine, it's up to his instuctors to decide whether he is capable, or mentaly ready to jump. if he's not then they should bin him. Mums are important as well, but should not rule your life, (unless your under there roof, then its tough luck/love) But i say go and have fun, thats what its about... good luck rocket boy... oh to be young again

so says the guy with a claimed WL of 1.56. I'm got big bones, and i'm a little dense. Or it may i'm big with dense bones 170 from next week!! oh joy, time to lose some weight

Its less dangerous than rock fishing, Stats for deaths whilst rock fishing in australia alone were 14 deaths in 2001, which was less than the 7 deaths in australia whilst skydiving. 39 people died skiing in the french alps alone in 2007 compared to the 27 people whilst skydiving in the us. Look up most list compiled of the worlds most dangerous sports. our base jumping friends are at number on, then bull fighting, rock climbing, surfing, etc etc.. 2007 showed one of the lowest amounts of deaths in the sport. 60, going through them many show us that if better training had been given, better equipment used, a lot of these may have turned into injuries rather than deaths. If we cut the bravardo out a little, skydiving saftey has really been improved by better knowledge, safer rigs, and parachutes that will open as long as they have been packed correctly. (In the 1980's the stats were 1 death in every 700 participents) its People who make the sport dangerous, spiraling down in front of me on approach, cough (USAF) cough. last week. or badley maintained equipment, poor training, people not reacting to malfunctions correctly or people pushing the limits. Yes, there is an element of risk, but if his mum lets him ski, skateboard, motorbike, rock fish, these things have led to more deaths than skydiving has. I'm not trying to take the risk part out so he does not understand the danger, but I don't have a death wish and if i truley thought i had a good chance of dying whilst skydiving i would not participate in it (ok i would, i'd just be a bit more careful)

I think tunnel time is a good idea, but i also think its great to go out there and do it...(i find the tunnel quie boaring) If your that keen and sensible enough to get advice about anything than i think you are ready to go... It is a risky sport but no more than rugby American football boxing, or even horse riding. Find the statistics out for injurys and deaths in the sports your mum lets you participate in, and show her that it is not as the risky a sport as she may think. (When I wanted to "box" at 14 i had a great coach who came and met my mum, because she did not want me to get into the ring, and I mean she hated the idea, would have let me go skydiving rather than box he came with all the facts and figures, and awnsers to her concerns. He made rational arguments of why it was safe for me to box, she still did not like it but she understood both my passion for the sport. and she understod that a lot of preconceptions of am box were mis-guided) Go to your dz and talk to the aff coach's, maybe go and pack like nwflyer recomends, then ask one of them to chat to your mom about it. It will show both comitment, and an unmovable intrest in the sport. If she's still against it and your like me, you'll jump somehow.. with her permission on not + a little fake ID. but if you take that route. Choose your DZ carfully and make sure you are ready to except the risk of the sport. Which are tiny you only get one chance at life.....but You only have one mother

It looks like I may have got it in august, but a little bird told me my wait might have been the same as yours - 18 months - DOn't get me wrong i ordered a pdf for the same reasons as you, good quality gear, well made, suits my needs.. and i love the detail.. but its my first rig so i can't afford to wait that long.. i'm looking to make 300 - 400 jumps this year x that by £20 rig hire per jump = massive debt however......... My wonderful distributor is trying to sort somthing else out for me while i wait (a PDF DEMO) or allow me to change choice of companies.. so i'm a happy man now!!! Good luck to PDF though... and i hope your rig arrives soon!!

QuoteWhen you do everything right, the music in your head will play a beautiful tune. The sound of the airplane, the laughter of a friend under canopy, the singing of your swoop, it's all part of the orchestra you will crave to hear for the rest of your life. You'll become a groupie. Quote thats a cool way of looking at things.... shame that everyone i know talks crap nice sentiment though

cool stuff, everyones a winner here by the looks of it.... Never new this was going ahead.. i think this is great news for all parties involved, and for the sport in england in general. I'm there...

Sorry biggiepow, did not see your post... Kind of repeated it all..

As a few have said, be careful what you wish for... Tell your family, girlfriend / wife, friends what you are thinking of doing first... they may not be as surportive as you may like.. Understand that 27 people died this year doing base.. 10 or more of them were some serious jumpers 700 BASE jumps or more... not including there skydiving experiance which puts them in the 1000's of jumps experiance. Than add the ammount of people who won't be jumping again due to there injuries. quite a few Find a local spot (if your lucky) where base jumping takes place. I don't know where your living but you may have a place near you where jumpers go. If they are nice and chatty, go and have a face to face chat with them about the sport there in.. the dangers involved, how many injuries they have, and how many friends they have lost! Its not recomended. but there are a few people out there who started base jumping b4 skydiving.. not many... even fewer who are still alive. I'll see if i can find one of there emails and PM you.. they'll tell you now it was a pretty daft thing to do, but they only know that through experiance. Here is a link to spring "death" camp( theres a picture growing) http://www.basejumper.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2883143;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;guest=1003081 These guys are a good stepping stone for contact.. find out what they expect, out of people looking to get in the sport, jump numbers, mentors, crw, how much ground crewing, courses taken, relvent first aid, climbing experiance it goes on and on. Good luck to you.. there are a few hippies out there with the same reasoning as you about planes, who might take you under there wing Bad joke sorry Its a hard community to get into, but as i said b4 get as much info from the guys who are active... Failing that go to norway, they'll let anyone jump :P cost wise AFF - 1400USD CONSOL x 10 = 230 USD RIG if you are lucky = $1500 - $2000 JUMPS x 180 = $4000 1st jump course $1000 wing suit - $800 seeing you jump by 2009 = Priceless or go to New zeland they do a skydiving school 7000 NZD i think minnimum recomended 200 jumps from a plane - from 50 jumps or b licence standard doing as many baloon jumps as possible dead air experiance then.... Get a mentor Learn how to pack Learn how to pack again Learn how to pack base rigs buy a Base rig 800 USD 2nd hand - it will last longer than you will Get on a first jump course.. norway is good as well. Have fun...

now that would suck, or blow..

still it is pretty funny.... if it rains though.. i'm in that tunnel.. with out a doubt...100%... nothing can stop me...... i'm there... (can you surf in florida)

Off to Deland in florida on thursday for 4 days.... I looked out the window and realised that the weather in the uk is so crap.. and wind tunnels were not really my thing.. at £11 per jump deland is the awnser.. i have to make 35 jumps in 4 days to make it cost effective..... Awesome!!!! maybe unrealistic.. but awsome!!!! If i don't eat.. don't go to the toilet.. and have 2 rigs it won't be a problem rock on

Well the flailing does sound like fun... but i can't and don't rely on anyone else.... there goes another £300 to the wind tunnel fairys

I must put down that she's not my girlfriend... just a buddy. She'll kill me if people thought that?? seriously i'd be dead!! Thanks for all the advice though, it's great.. i think i'll take up the advice on the canopy handling course. We're only going to florida for the weekend (4 days) b4 traverling back to the uk on the monday!!! Kind of like a really expensive hop and pop. A girl called lonzo or lindsey is trying to hook us up with accomidation. fingers crossed. Thanks for your help, some sound advice, If i have to go back up to a 210 than so be it, i'm there for a holiday not to check out you hospitals after all!!! I owe you a pint... or 2... you can help me take her out for her birthday.. Crash

N/A

Thanks for the vote of confidence guys.. i'll give him a ring today. Maybe get him to talk to the CCI or canopy coach where i jump. so he can get a heads up.

I may have got my maths wrong... A little I'm 17 stone which is 238 lbs without gear on.. i figure the gear to weigh 20lbs or so.. is that about right?? so total a little less 258 lbs... I have quite a lot of muscle but am not an bull or anything... 6ft 2in With the wing loading.. i was 15.5 stone when i started ( i.e after qualifying) or 210 lbs. and started on a spectre 210 .. giving me a 1.2 wing loading with gear. Than i have been at the gym a lot so have gone back up in weight. slowley though... so the wing loading has steadily increased!! Surley this is no worst than some1 downsizing from a 190 - 150.. if anything it must be better, as this is a gradual increase. Not a deathwish by any means.. i have had no problems with the canopy, even with the increased weight and wingloading and keep myself current by jumping every week. anyhow thanks for your concern, i do understand your point here, but as mentioned i took advice from 2 of my aff instructors and one of the guys who wrote the book on canopy handerling in england. There are some other bits to my experiance (kite surfing etc), but i understand where your concern from what i had written comes from. Maybe start off with a bigger rig, to show how my skills are, or have to borrow one in the uk and take it with me??

Very excited to say have just booked a ticket to florida, in 9 days arriving on the 16th or 17th... hell yeah. going to go to d land, however have a few problems, i have no rig at the momment. (previous thread shows why) i have some questions... 1. I need to hire or borrow one for the time being can YOU lend me one.?? 2.can you demo whole rigs at that dropzone.. 3.am i going to have problems with my jump numbers and wingloading getting a 190 in the states...(1.56 or somthing) 4.If i can demo one who do i need to beg. 5.I would love to get my FS1 out there do you do that in the us or is it a different system.. Could you recomend somone i could contact 6.Accomidation, is it any good at the DZ or does anyone have any recomendations. Now for the b day bit.... I'm coming out with a girl who is going to have her 30 somthing birthday, and would like to make sure its a good night out for her.. Wheres a good place to go... Is there anyone who would take us out for a night of debauchery. If its good i'll pay for the whole night, as a thankyou to which ever crazy fool says yes. (Wendys and booze) Thanks for even reading this far... (I'm so excited i could piss myself.. ) If anyone could help with any of that it would be so cool. by specialy with the b day bit as she's a great girl, and deserves to have a great time!

As Bigway has said, i did get a reply from the distributor, but it did not really give me an answer just a later date as to when they might have info. (this to me was a worry) The post was intended to get me some direct numbers or emails, where i could find out the awnser for myself. I know a bit about sales, and how sometimes the truth and reality are a little bit apart. If it turned out that PDF had 1500 rigs on order from there september offer and they normally turned around 700 rigs a year(i don't know the figure no idea) i would guess that i would not get my rig for some time yet. which would be a little gutting and a really expensive year for me having to spend loads of money on kit hire? I Am getting loads of help on this from loads of people. so a big thanks to you all!! I'll keep everyone uptodate on what happens.

As in the PM thanks for your help in this, i just hope it works out with PDF, and that they are on the case. I will owe you a pack of biscuits at this rate, and maybe quite a few beers to boot. Cheers!

Thanks for your help.. i owe you a biscuit? I have Pm you

fair point... but thats not how i say things, i have to channel frustration into a twisted humour. but as your rightly said its more fun to open some topical debates on the subject... BTW i don't really think your a knobber, i was just getting super frustrated with finding info out on PDF. you just happened to press the wrong button?? The anger button( thats as close to an apology as you'll get)