GalFisk

In case you're curious: the skydiving was filmed at Stockholms Fallskärmsklubb in Tierp, Sweden. The cats were green-screened in afterwards. IIRC, five skydives were made in order to get all the necessary footage. I was not involved, but got this info from "Svensk Fallskärmssport" (Swedish equivalent to "Parachutist").

The cloud altitude observation is a good thing, I use that too. I use my dytter as a reminder - at the warning altitudes, I should already have started the process of breaking off or waving off. If it beeps before I've initiated the procedures, it tells me I've had a problem with altitude awareness and need to shape up.

This little device is a nice complement to my alitmeter, I set the signals to go off just below break and preferred pull altitude, as well as hard deck for reserve deployment. I often forget to turn it off during the week, but have yet to run out of batteries. The dytter does sometimes go off during manouvers under canopy (Spectre 150), but I don't find that distracting. The case cracked last year, and L&B replaced it to me for free. I've heard similarly great things about their customer service from many others, and if/when I feel the need for a digital hand alti, it will be an L&B.

Have a look at the springs and other metal parts. I don't know the innards of this device, but is it possible that something is sitting in the wrong position and shorting out the batteries? Or that a foreign metal object has entered the device? I'd only conclude with the electronics itself being shorted out, once all other possible causes are excluded.

Email them anyway. Their customer service is excellent, maybe they will come up with something.

Sweden, too.

FK Aros in Sweden flies a Caravan.

We operated a 207 at my DZ in Sweden from 1993 to 2010. AFAIK it worked fine for many years (I started 2 years ago), but this last year we had no end of trouble with metal chips in the oil. I think the engine was taken apart three or four times, and after the last time it developed a serious oil leak. In addition to this we had a tail strike (SL pilot chute over the tail, bent stabilizer but everyone was ok) and a flat tire, and decided to get rid of it and buy a 206 instead for 2011. Its size will also be better suited for our club.

When talking about skydiving with my friends (or random people on the bus or whatever) I try to describe it in ways anyone can understand. I speak about the awesome view, the peacefulness under a braked canopy, the spectacular sunset jumps and the great friendly atmosphere on the drop zone, how you track with "the body position ski jumpers use", etc. I've found that I have a knack for explaining things so that regular people can understand them, I just put myself in their position. Most people respond positively (whether they're interested in trying it or not), though I have a couple of friends who can't help but worry. Just their personality I guess.

Wind shear can also cause turbulence. This spring we had some really strange winds at the DZ, with several layers of wind going in different directions. Sometimes (but not always) the boundary between these winds had lots of turbulence.

I think what he's trying to say is that some people will ask for HD when they don't have the equipment to play HD, because they don't know better. Such as people having a regular DVD player hooked upp to a HDTV. Then when they cannot play their video, they will complain to him and he'll have to make them a SD version. I wonder if it would be possible to hack together a hybrid DVD, where a DVD menu points to either normal DVD SD footage which a DVD player will understand, or HD footage which a computer or BD player will understand...

Here in Sweden we have a downsizing chart, showing the smallest canopy a skydiver with less than 500 jumps is allowed to jump. It progresses from a WL of a little less than 1 for a beginner, to about 1.45:1 at 500 jumps. Before being allowed to jump an elliptical parachute, skydivers have to pass two canopy piloting courses - one for basic piloting skills (flat turns, riser/harness turns, landing in brakes/on rears, pitch and flare, stall points etc), and one specifically for flying HP canopies. Before swooping, skydivers must have done 500 jumps, and must (in addition to the basic and HP piloting courses) go a swoop piloting course. Sweden did not see the increase in landing deaths/injuries that the US did at the advent of HP canopies. The last skydiving death (IIRC) in Sweden was in 2005, where a skydiver who had sat in on, but not participated in, a swoop piloting course hooked in. Not arguing one way or the other, just providing an example of how it's done in another country.

Sweden - this is what I've found scouring the "Svenska Bestämmelser för Fallskärmsverksamhet (Swedish regulations for Skydiving Activities) document of 2010. Corrections/additions welcome. --- The license must be issued by an FAI affiliate. The license must contain the following: *The words "Fédération Aéronautique Internationale" *FAI logotype *The words "International Parachutist Certificate" *Name of licensee *Date of birth *Nationality *Signature of licensee *Date of issue *License grade The Swedish rules essentially say that foreign skydivers may follow the rules of their home country regarding airworthiness, reserve repacks etc. They are also allowed to jump anything that's allowed under the Swedish rules, even if it's banned in their home country. The current rules say nothing about insurance requirements for foreign skydivers. A skydiver who has been banned from jumping in another country, may not jump in Sweden either. If a skydiver with a foreign license lives in Sweden for more than 12 months, their license must be converted to a Swedish license.

Not neccessarily, my dropzone (Söderhamns Fallskärmsklubb, Sweden) has only one review, from 2001 - and until I claimed the listing earlier this year the website url was dead - but we're still very much alive :)

http://www.dropzone.com/gear/articles/ - none of the links leading to articles written by Lisa Briggs are working.

Cool, I may copy your idea. I made a magnetic fly for a pair of pants once when the zipper broke, it worked great.

My parents know, they knew beforehand when I did my tandem jump, and they know my brother is going to take S/L this spring. They're very supportive, and think it's great that I've found something I love and so many great friends. My mother would not be caught dead in an airplane herself, but my father (aged 78) wants to do a tandem jump. It will be a present from us sons on his 80th birthday, possibly an early present if he comes to visit this year (we live in Sweden, our parents in Norway).

This is awesome. I wrote a song for my club last year, but it's in Swedish so you'll probably not get a lot out of it. Maybe I'll write one in English some day!

This man is a hero and all around great guy. He flew the plane I jumped from during most of my training (S/L) last summer in Sweden during the Mohed Boogie.