Newbie

cool - the voice of experience counts for a lot. Thanks for educating

I think also look at what sort of angles of flight you will be taking, what grips you will be taking, what exits you will be making etc - pads are more common for freeflyers because of this. I still use a handle - but i think will probably opt for 2 soft pillows at some point down the line. I researched this and many people said wait until after your first mal before changing, which i think is beneficial (you know you can handle the stressful situation with a handle, which is what you were trained on) as well as perhaps not (you were trained on a handle but after your mal you will switch to something different). Anyway i'm quite happy freeflying with a handle right now - i just don't do any train exits anymore because i feel a foot could get in there and have read about cases where that's happened. You could consider a low profile handle too perhaps? As the others said, if you do opt for something lower profile/less snaggable, it would equate to even more EP practice (i still run through mine once or twice on the ground on every jump to keep the old muscle memory there). Check out other peoples rigs, try them on, perhaps see what you like the feel of too? Could be useful - if you don't like something on the ground, chances are you won't be happy with it in the air. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

They visited the dz a few months back and told us about it. I called them on friday afternoon and bought 2 of the "£30 for 5mins offers" and they arrived in the post on Saturday which was nice

Congrats on handling yourself and good EPs. To answer your q, i always jump with my phone for the reasons you have mentioned - if i'm off, injured, i can call someone/emergency services. I might not know where i am, but the police here can triangulate you on the signal and get a good idea, if things are that serious. It also means if i'm landing off, and in the unlikely event the dz staff can't find me, i can at least call them and tell them i'm ok (they always seem to somehow find us though). "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Interesting post - my personal opinion and experience leads me to believe that: 1 - a majority of people do need to believe there is something more than scientific reasoning behind this universe of ours. 2 - the main reaon they choose the path (religion) they do is tradition - it's what their parents/ancestory believed in. Sure there are some people who completely reject this tradition and study something else, but i would think they are vastly outnumbered by the numbers born into a particular faith group that stick within that particular faith group. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Care to share this source of absolutele confirmation with the rest of the world? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

YAWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN (and yes, that's about the most sensical reply you will have out of me, because it's about all these posts of yours deserve) "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

no, only you and your anti Israeli anti semitic conspiracy theory support group has been granted special access to this information. Care to scan some and share, or perhaps point out where you have seen it? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Excuse my french, but what the fuck are you on about? You accuse AggieDave of being a tad paranoid - have you actually reread your original post? They shot an innocent BRAZILIAN (and as well all know, there are many Brazilians who are commited to the Al Quaeda regime) beause they thought he had a bomb strapped to his body. That's why he was shot 7 times in the head, because police are shooting to kill with head shots (google Operation Kratos). Sir Ian Blair, Commisioner of the Met Police, and largely, the most influential and powerful policeman in the UK, said this about the taser incident.... "He told a BBC television programme on the security crisis: “It is incredibly risky to use a Taser on a suicide bomber because it may have set it off. I can’t imagine why it was used. They are used regularly in London but it sends an electric current into the body. If there is a bomb on the body it sets it off.” " http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,22989-1713141,00.html My thoughts on why a taser was used was as a direct result of the mistake the police made by shooting the Brazilian guy, who was innocent, and they didn't want to take a chance of the same thing happening in Birmingham - a risk balanced up by the fact the taser may have activated a bomb if he had one strapped to him (something the police there may or may not have weighed up, we probably won't ever know). Although with your transparent hatred of Israel and twisted viewpoint of world affairs through second rate conspiracy theories means you probably won't accept any of the above will you? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

So i guess you are suggesting not only we go and "invade" the country on wrong/false pretences and create terrible suffering on all sides for those on ground level and try to implement a half baked "democratic" government, but we also tell them that the religion they have been studying there for the last dozen or so centuries is to be outlawed and replaced by a Christianity? Crusades, anyone? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Wow thats great! As the others said, what an way to celebrate the achievement, many congratulations! "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

What's wrong with showing our sport in a fun and "exciting" manner, if not 100% realistic? I hardly think that deserves condemnation, especially at a time when membership figures are continuing to decline "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

No i don't work for them, but i do like the fact we can purchase 2 5min slots for the introductory price of £30 each, and i almost would have missed out on this had a friend not told me the offer expires on Monday - which it does, i just called them to confirm. I think this is decent - i also asked how long in terms of flight time that is - it's 10 mins apparently, so that's £6/min which is great. Sure it's an introductory offer, but it's a good one, and i just thought i would post this up so no one else misses out because they missed the email that has been circulating about the closing date for the offer. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Oh, so have all allied troops pulled out of Iraq then? Is it the peaceful haven of democracy that it should have been months ago as was promised? Has it;s infrastructe, socio and economic models been restored to anything remotely like what they were pre-war? Don't make me laugh - there might be elected officials, but Iraq and it's government are far from "there". And yes, the government is meant to act in the best interest of the country, but the "country" you refer to is not a piece of land - it is the people of that country. When the government does not listen to those people, it's time for a change, hence the very close election here in the UK and the US - there is only so much people will take of the politicians acting for their own self interests before they will be voted out. No it's not perfect, but at least we get a chance to vote them out - not that the replacements tend to be much better most of the time. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

No i don't think the US would be paying themselves back in profits. But will there be trade agreements with the newly formed (whenever that may be) Iraqi government for oil to the west? I would bet both my testicles on that. Don't hold your breath on the call either, because i'm still waiting to find a government that doesn't govern for it's own interests - it's why i have little to no time for most politicians. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

LOL "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

For a start, the US and UK can ratify their foreign policy to stop acting either on poor intelligence and/or deceit of the people (there were NO WMD's, terrorists poured into Iraq AFTER we arrived there) and/or on their own self interests (there is oil out there, and they want it, as well as all the security, infrastructure-rebuilding contracts and aid packages that go along with the damage that's being done. They can also listen to those who they are meant to be listening to - i.e. the public, so that when we voice concerns that the decision to go into Iraq is not so much about tracking down terrorists, but governments self interest, and doing so will bring suicide bombers out of the woodwork, that they take that on board when it happens and not express "shock" that people think there is a link there, when Muslims, non Muslims, security experts and Osama Bin Laden all report that there is a link there. Suicide bombers are scum of the earth, but you know, we aren't all peaches and cream either. We might not be going in to foreign lands and blowing ourselves up, but we are attacking places and killing people - and civilians at that - by mistake and for no good reason at times, IMO. If the west doesn't understand that, i really don't think we can be too certain the attacks will just cease and go away, even if we capture and kill these people - as the London bombers showed, even the best intelligence and policing doesn't work when you have people who are under the radar who just suddenly decide to blow themselves up. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

j/k Seriously ,that should have said "IMO" instead of end of story, i don't know why i put that to be honest. Seriously, i think most terrorists that die/get killed are just made out to be martyrs. I really don't think it's the long term solution, but again, thats just my personal opinion. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

I actually think it does work, end of story. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

I still don't get it - how, in the time it takes for someone to enter a carriage or a bus, sit down nonchalanty then either discreetly push a button or just sit there until a timer goes off, would arming us allow us to prevent them doing what i have just described? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

I'm not sure i quite follow - how is a suicide bomber concerned that he might get shot by someone when he is preparing to blow himself up? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Come to Sibson, there is a good scene and Lizzie at manifest will quickly put you in touch with people you will have fun jumping with if you tell her you are new and looking for people to jump with! Weather looks awful for this weekend though - again "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Holy LOL! Someone needs to print and frame that and hang it up in the packing shed. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

No he is not saying that from what i can gather - he is stating that the west must stop meddling in the affairs of the Middle East... Not that i think what he says counts for much but i can see how infuriating and upsetting it could be for people in the Middle East having westerners involve themselves in their affairs when it's quite obvious it's largely being done out of selfish behaviour and greed. That does not condone the behaviour of terrorists one iota, but i at least am willing to try to understand what is driving people to such extremities. I think more people in the west need to at least gain an understanding of this shit before we can move forward. "Hunting terrorists" is never going to work - kill 1, 10 more sprout in their place, end of story. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

I read that article - it lays out some valid points, but essentially it's one persons point of view. If Hanson was an Islamic extremist i would probably add more weight to what he is saying, but in the meanwhile i will probably listen more to what Osama Bin Laden says about why he is spearheading the movements and terrorist attacks we in the west are seeing. You can read a transcript of the televised speech that he made just before the US election last year, which says a fair amount, not least of which the fact he lays claim to what was a major turning point for him was US involvement with Lebanon in 1982, and the subsequent wars in Iraq. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/79C6AF22-98FB-4A1C-B21F-2BC36E87F61F.htm "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts