gregpso

How good is this the Aussie dollar is now worth 93 cents USA. I still earn $60000 pa (38 hr week) have 9 weeks leave per year get 3 months long service leave every ten years and universal health coverage. Extreme capitaliam has not worked time you moved a bit to the left like the rest of the civilised world (Europe and Australia) I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

Welcome Mate I am doing my AFF next year. keep us informed with your AFF training or pm me if you want. I would be interested in hearing all about your AFF jumps Welcome also to poverty. I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

Well done Mate. I have done 9 tandems AFF looms soon. keep us informed of your progress or pm me with it if you like i woould be very interested I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

Welcome mate. I am the same age. I did 40 jumps in the 80s had 28 years off now taking an interest again. Done 9 tandems over the last year. I have never come across something that dominates my thoughts all the time like this pursuit. But the last 12 months its all I ever thing about. Its annoying that none of my family and friends want to talk about it. To make up for that I ask annoying questions on skysurfer.com.au Its also very expensive which is frustrating as well as I cannot afford to buy my own gear etc but will do AFF soon. (a tandem here cost $360.. not complaining as they have a business to run) Good luck with it and remember 50 is not old these days. I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

Was it hard learning to pack ? Looks too complicated for me. Congrats I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

i AGREE with you mate (aussie slang) i did S/L in 1981 with 5 second 10 15 etc did 40 jumps Then had a "short" 28 year break. Have returned to tandem 12 months ago (done 9 so far) Todays skydiving is way better first jump now freefall from 14000 feet. How good is that. Yes its certainly more expensive (even allowing for inflation) than in 1981 but with the new gear aads rsl etc I feel safer. (Still an element of risk of course) My first freefall was a hop and pop from 2500 feet. If I did not pull anything it would have been thankyou and goodnight. I was please to see upon my return last year AADS are now around and compulsory for all jumpers where I jump. It certainly is an industry now with the big commercial drop zones (even In Aust) but the tandooms keep the sport/hobby going for everyone. Us tandem passengers understand and realise we pay a premium price for the thrill. $360 for a tandem from 14000 ft here. I upset a few on the aussie skydiving forum with safety questions but it does annoy me that the sport has basically fixed the no pull low pull fatalities but now people kill themselves on high performance canopies. (sick of reading about hook turns) I never heard of that happening in 1981. Their choice of course.. one does not have to swoop or fly high performance canopies. Anyway what I have seen.. I like the skydiving of 2009 Its moved forward leaps and bounds (thanks Bill BOOTH) and Don and Louise and Skydive Nagambie I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

My opiniion tandems are not a tease they are still a fun skydive with lots of freefall time. Yes expensive partically here in Australia (not complaining cause the tandems keep the sport going) Do AFF when you are ready but do a few tandems to kep your sanity until then when your family gets used to it. I have done 9 tandems over last 12 months and doing AFF later on. The 9tandems were not teases they were bloody fun skydives while learning off an expert. I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

Thats funny we have univeral health care in Australia.... strange people still want to become Doctors and they still earn a good living. If folk want extra coverage they can buy private health insurance. Works OK here why not over there ? I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

The way you folk over there treat your lower paid workers is a disgrace. The good old USA capitalism at its best (if you are part of the haves) and at its worst if you are a have not. Then there is your health care system. Great country.... saved our ass in WW2 (thanks) Great country for a holiday but I would not want to live there. My wife is just a sales assistant works 35 hrs a week $32000 pa with 4 weeks leave plus 10 days public holidays. Me I do security at govt buildings. (40 hour week) I do fuck all get $61000 pa 9 weeks leave plus 3 months long service leave (folk in the USA would not even know what that is) every 10 years. Plus the govt puts in 9 per cent a year into superannuation. Not bad I reckon. Oh yeah our economy is doing just fine thanks. I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

No I do not. Just starting jumping again 9 tandems last 12 months will be doing AFF soon. I can see I will not fit in after jumping as ceased as I hate alcohol. (I seen the results of it at work all the time) Not much point me ever turning up to a skydive camp cause I would be on the outer all week after dark. (Also a bit boring if every one else is drunk and your sober ) I am sure there are plenty of others like us. Quote I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

Welcome the addiction is always there for life. 28 years ago I completed 40 solo jumps. retired (so I thought) Last year my 21 yr old son wanted to do a tandem yeah I thought it would be good to do just one more jump. Yeah right!! next week doing my 7th and 8th tandem and AFF later on. Even if you think your over it it just takes one thing and the obsession surfaces. I am now obsessed (again) research everthing to do with jumping. Welcolme to addiction I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

Sounds like me 28 years ago. I made a break after a small incident and have just started to come back. (sort of... 6 tandems and AFF later in year) The kids are now nearly adults and money is better. Skydiving will be there for you when you are ready.Quote Of course only you can decide this.. just telling you my story I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

You got that right (you just cannot jump 2 times and forget about it) I did 40 jumps 28 years ago. Stopped jumping then my son did a tandem last year so i did one.. Well one has become 6 tandems and FRUGGING skydiving is always on my mind. Going to do AFF later in the year plan to do a few jumps then retire YEAH RIGHT it dominates my thoughts during the day and I always try to get skydiving into a conversation. WELCOLME TO THE ADDICTION I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

Welcome to the sport. I am a certified tandem bum ( 6 tandems over last 8 months ) I did 40 jumps on round ones 28 years ago. I can tell you the 6th tandem is good as or better than the first. You should do AFF if you want but if you just want to have a bit of fun another tandem is the go. each TM is slightly different and you never get tired of that 1 minute of freefall (if you jump from 14000 like my drop zone does) greg w Aust I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

You have got a great job. You must have to do alot of tandems to make a living out of it since I have heard they pay $45 each I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

Yeah me too had a reserve ride in 1981 on front mounted 20 foot reserve with no steeering. Boy did it open hard (I pulled the wrong handle after a 20 second delay) It did what it was supposed to do so thanks Ted (the packer) I got down safe. I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

WEll done You will not regret it. I am only a 45 jump wonder myself (and has taken 28 years to do them) but it still remains the best pursuit I have ever undertaken. It will now dominate your thoughts.. it will eat your money BUT you will have the best fun ever. Welcome I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

As a student (been s student since 1981 with 25 years break in between) I do not mind getting a bit of a blast from an instructor if I have stuffed up (happen once years ago) BUT WHAT I did not like was a packer who gave me more of a blast I then found out he had done ONE JUMP. He was told where to go. What annoys me more is some students who argue with their instructor on why they did not pass a jump. Bad luck if you did not perform well enough to pass the jump go jump again quit arguing the Instructors are the boss. I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

WEll I did my 5th tandem on frid (14000) I did two conrolled turns read the Altimetre and pulled the main although it took a few turns to find the orange golf ball as its a fair way behind you on the TIs side. Anyway got in ok and flew the canopy to about 800 feet With 40 round canopy jumps 25 years ago and now 5 tandems I am running out of excuses on why not to do AFF Enyou your AFF let us know how it goes or pm me I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

Thats what I do a tandem around 2 times a year. The safest way to go but not fail safe I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

The tandems fatalities were the ones that upset me the most reading about them last year. 2 of them were just botched landings under perfectly good canopies that killed their passengers. However everyone knows what they are getting into you read the documenTATION and sigh the waiver. Back when i was jumping round ones once the opening was complete I use to say to myself "well i am right now" A nice gentle landing into a paddock.(as long as you faced into the wind ) Now with the ram airs the danger is only starting upon opening. However on the 4 ram air tandems I did last year it was great fun flying the canopy rather than floating down. If swooping and low turns and downsizing could be stopped (and they will not be and I am not saying they should be) the stats would be excellent. After all now days we have AADs Shyhooks RSLs. I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

Seriously I have been told alot of the US dollars have moved from Aust back home. Also as China is slowing down we will not be selling so much minerals to them which badly hurts us. A few economists I know say a fair price for the Aussie is around 78 cents to the US dollar Also our interests rates were higher when you could get 98 cents to the US dollar. USA investors parked their money here to take advantage of the higher interest rates but not anymore. Our economy does well at around that level (78 cents) and tourists can wear that but not 64 cents in the dollar. I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

I have wondered about that too. The Aussie economy is better off than the US with no deficit and now we are worth 65 cents to the US dollar. Makes buying porn dvds from the USA expensive I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

I thought it was the Justice bloke s fault who was swearing him in he rushed it and said the words out of sequence He said too many words before each break. I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

Bloody hell here in melb Australia its perfectly legal in licencsed brothels. (not legal for street walkers) Yes the girls pay tax have medical checks and condoms of course. The owners have strong crimainal record checks. No one even thinks about it anymore its just a fact of life. There are even brothels in alot of suburbs (not in housing areas ) The local neswpaper even carries adds. $120 for 45 minutes. (never mentions sex but everyone knows what they mean.) It does society a service men go and pay for it.. the girls earn money they are consenting pretty civilised I think and NO I have not been to one but have plenty of single friends who go. Prob about time the USA went legal but I doubt whether you folks (with the strong religious right) could get the law change up. Good luck with Pres Obama I hope it goes well for him and you. I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??