Anyone into skydiving?

^^^ LOL :D

That sounds like me! Actually I went to Loughborough Uni too... What course did you do? When did you graduate? Did you like it there? I ran the skydiving club there - what year was your mate in - I wonder if I know him!

I drove my housemates potty with talking about skydiving all the time - they ended up knowing just as much about it as I did!

For examply they knew exactly how to perform malfunction proceedures - they knew about landing patterns and about HOW to skydive! lol! Bless them... they were ever so patient! Though I have to say that I think I did bring quite a bit of excitment - certainly driving too and from the airfield was exciting... (must get there ASAP.... speed limit?? what's that! :d).... anyway they knew when I got home by the squeal of the tyres and the woohooing!!

I'm constantly looking up at the weather and stuff - shame I'm stuck in an office all day at the moment! :( but then again I can't afford to jump at the moment! Often at DZs I spend the night in my car or a tent if I'm compus mentis enough to put it up - and basically will be up at sunlight - no matter how much sleep I get or however hung over I am! :p Like I said... skydiving gives you an excuse to extend your student status! :D
 
Originally posted by Batf1nk
This is an excellent post. Lots of useful info.
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:D cheers for that! Happy to share more information as people need it... I could quite easily write essays and essays about it so I'm *trying* to restrain myself!!

Just a quick question. How would you go about getting your liscence in America? Can you book it whilst your out there? It would make an excellent holiday and I really would like to give it a go.
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The States are VERY flexible about turning up and doing AFF - though I'd check on local DZs before departing and get a rough idea of how busy they are... Whereabouts in the States would you be thinking of going?

The £1100 course sounds like the one where you get all your levels, and all your kit - i.e. alti, goggles, jumpsuit, helmet and all that stuff - and plus all your levels before your consolidation jumps.

The difference in the states is that after you do your AFF levels you don't need your 10 consolidation jumps to get your A Licence. The USPA A licence is somewhat different to the BPA A Licence - the USPA A licence you only need to do the AFF levels and then you are free to do your Formation Skydiving grade and so on... there are less strict in the States. HOWEVER, you can do a conversion course - though that is at the discretion of the Club Chief Instructor at a UK dropzone - they may ask you to do some jumps with their instructors and so on - it is possible to convert - however you'll be allowed to jump with your USPA licence... though if you are living in the UK it would be better to change to the BPA - but certainly your licence is valid over here! :D

The official BPA stand is: "When you visit one of the UK DZs you need to take your up to date logbook with you. The CCI of that club will then slot you into the system."

I'd certainly make a holiday of it - I've been to Elsinore in South California for a 2 week skydiving holiday - the Americans are REALLY friendly, the weather is awesome... i.e. you can jump EVERYDAY at least 6+ times a day. They are VERY skilled and are very very safe. They have more planes and more equipment too. Also the facilities are very good, they have bunk houses, showers, internet access blah blah blah. I'd hire a car too.

If you go to Florida, Orlando, they have a wind tunnel there which would be worthwhile going to during your skydiving learning - as this increases your leraning curve by tenfold!

So the things to do is:

a) establish where you are going and check on availability - they all have websites now.

b) find out their stance on booking.

c) find out what courses they can offer you.

d) find out about the surrounding areas and other things to do - cos sometimes you do need a break! :D

e) save up your money for a fantastic holiday!

f) try and grab a mate to come along with you!

At the end of the day once you've got a skydiving qualification it is transferable - though as I said it is at the discretion of the higher powers - but if you show competency, eager learning, and determination and interest in the sport - the more easily you'll be accepted. I have friends with 500 jumps all on an USPA licence, the only difference is they can't become instructors and so on, and they have to jump on BPA rules... but in the USPA system you can do more things earlier on - like fly with a camera and skyboard and so on... whereas here you need at least 200 jumps to do camera, and 500 odd jumps to do wingsuit and surfboard jumps... there are legislative differences but they are dull!

Hope this helps, let me know where and when you go! :D
 
Excellent info, thanks. Im going to try and do a jump in the next month, time permiting. Salisbury is the closest for me.

This talk of doing it in America got me thinking, so as my parents live in Portugal and im overdue a visit, I just had a bit of a google and found three portuguese schools. Ill have to check, but I dont think their very near to my mums, but ill look again later, to see if I can find a place in travelling distance from her. Seemed to be about the same price (1500 euros).

I think the thing to do is get the first one out the way, then see.

TDF.

just emailed neveravon :)
 
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Just heard back from neveravon, :eek:

Tandem: £200 (civilian) £130 (military)

Static-line course: £200 (civilian) £130 (military)

AFF: £1350 (civilian) £800 (military)

Going to have a look around, see if its the same elsewhere, then try and join the military :p

TDF.
 
I'm sure that if you look around there will be cheaper places in the uk!

Netheravon is generally military - so I think the civilian courses aren't as subsidised!

Check out the DZ map and have a look - you may have to travel a bit but it'll be worth it - well I think so at any rate! :D

1500 Euros actually wouldn't be too bad at all. though obviously you'd have to do the whole BPA conversion once qualified! And hey you get to visit family and have a holiday! :D

Let me know how you get on!
 
Originally posted by freefaller2001
^^^ LOL :D

That sounds like me! Actually I went to Loughborough Uni too... What course did you do? When did you graduate? Did you like it there? I ran the skydiving club there - what year was your mate in - I wonder if I know him!
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I did Automotive Engineering from 95-98 and had a great time. My mate was Kev Scaife if you knew him at all.
 
Originally posted by kaiowas
I did Automotive Engineering from 95-98 and had a great time. My mate was Kev Scaife if you knew him at all.
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Ahhh a fellow engineer! :D You know lufbra's pretty close to being one of the top engineering unis around now? Some of it's courses are higher than Cambridge!!! :cool: Ok so the sports are still amazing!

One of my best friends at uni who was in the club at the time did mention a Kev Scaife actually - a guy called Chris Wright. He would have been a 1st year then.

The club was bigger in those days, it kinda went through a dry patch, and I spent the whole of my final year trying to revive it! It worked! :D
 
I live next to an Airfield, which used to have a R.M. training school, sure I would like a go.

The beggars seem to jump from the plane right over my house (10,000ft) and drift across to the field.

So far to my knowledge, lets see, one hit the football field, he was an MP officer, swung his shute to steep and it folded, he was paralised (Think he died in the end some time later?). Then there was the vicar on a charity jump, got tangled and spiraled into tarmac (survived), then the bloke who's shute failed and smashed through the roof of an industrial unit, smashing his shoulder/arm up real bad (survived!), several have got busted up and stuck in woodland trees and one got spiked (dead). They say its one of the safest schools around in the UK.

ME? Just gonna mow the lawn and watch them leap when the aircraft engine slows....
 
Originally posted by skunck
I live next to an Airfield, which used to have a R.M. training school, sure I would like a go.

The beggars seem to jump from the plane right over my house (10,000ft) and drift across to the field.

So far to my knowledge, lets see, one hit the football field, he was an MP officer, swung his shute to steep and it folded, he was paralised (Think he died in the end some time later?). Then there was the vicar on a charity jump, got tangled and spiraled into tarmac (survived), then the bloke who's shute failed and smashed through the roof of an industrial unit, smashing his shoulder/arm up real bad (survived!), several have got busted up and stuck in woodland trees and one got spiked (dead). They say its one of the safest schools around in the UK.

ME? Just gonna mow the lawn and watch them leap when the aircraft engine slows....
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Well they all say that they are the safest schools... To be honest, accidents happen - and the chances of injuring yourself in your car, or at home doing DIY, or even mowing the lawn is greater.

Those were unfortunate incidents, and could orobably have been avoided. The MP officer who swung too steep is a common problem or injury that many experienced skydivers do - they try to do swoop turns (low high speed turns which make you go very fast enabling you to glide along the floor for ages) - it looks cool, but is dangerous, because if you judge the turn wrong you could either have a recovery arc which is way too low (hence you hit the ground FAST) or you turn too steeply and collapse your canopy, and since you are low to the ground you ain't got time for a reserver parachute and your parachute may not re-inflate in time if you don't know what to do.

Student canopies are designed to be unstalable - and many people have tried... it is just VERY VERY difficult/impossible to do! The vicar probably wasn't paying attention to the instructions given to him via the radio, or hadn't remembered what he had been briefed. You must pay attention and ask if ever you have any doubts... unlike a shop assisstant - they'll have the patience to make sure you are ok.

When you become a member of the BPA you get a quarterly mag, and you get the BPA minutes from the council, and they give a debrief on all incidents... 98% of the time its user error - 1% of time is not 100% equipment (hence why it's checked so thoroughly by the instructors) and 1% is pure poo luck - but there hasn't been an incident of poo luck for a while.

The landing in trees could have been avoided - they are easy to see from even 10,000ft!

If you concentrate too much on the negative attitudes and aspects of things that happen then people would never do anything... think of every person, baby, child and man and woman that die everyday on the road to school, work or holiday... dwell on it too long you'll never drive again!

To be honest, nowdays skydiving injuries are more often than not pretty much 90%+ experienced skydivers trying to do things beyong their capabilities.

I urge all of you not to focus on the dangerous aspects which are more obiouvs in this sport... but no more deadly than 100s of other sports or activities.

It is a very unique and exciting sport, and should be looked at in the wide scheme of things - if people focused on the negative aspects of everything we'd all be depressingly sad people!

Here endeth the lesson!
 
This is an unfortunate incident I agree... and I do hope that he pulls through as well. Though you have to bear in mind that the equipment he is using seems quite old... nobody jumps with round reserves anymore - as unfortunate as this incident was, it COULD potentially have been something he may have done wrong. I'm not saying it was or trying to pass on the blame to people who injure themselves onto themselves, however it is something to bear in mind.

As for the vicar.. that is unfortunate too, however to get your foot caught, he must have had a dreadful exit and could potentially be blamed on him.

Ok so I'm passing the buck and responsibility onto the skydivers who have had problems... but you must remember that that is one of the risks you take. Skydiving can be POTENTIALLY dangerous - however one must remember that it is regulated by the CAA so is quite strictly monitored. You don't get any cowboy outfits in this country, all the instructors are very well trained and they are always monitored and they do their jobs well. They would not get the instructor rating otherwise.

What differs slightly with the military is the fact that it's part of their job, and so it may be less strictly monitored or administered than civilian activites, it is sad and unfortunate whenever anyone gets injured or dies.

I have seen some horrendous car crashes and dismembered body parts as well as amazingly shocking DIY injuries and or deaths (haven't SEEN those, but have heard of them and certainly seen some potentially lethal injuries) - yet I still get in my car, climb up a ladder or do whatever. It is a lot easier to kill yourself at home or in your car or walking in the street than it is to do it skydiving. There is a risk... there is always a risk, but by skydiving you are not ACTUALLY increasing the risk of injuring owing to skydiving, but the more time spent on the road getting there, the lack of sleep owing to excitment may lead to errors in judgement, and general things like that.

The unfortunate incidents that you mentioned could have been avoided, and it is a known and agreed fact that pretty much the majority of injuries and or deaths happen with the advanced skydivers bitting off more than they can chew. STudent injuries tend to be grazes, twisted ankles and things like that. Ok the occasional broken bone, but that's owing to usually not listening to the instructors or not doing what he/she was/is supposed to do. An instructor can only do so much to stop people hurtin themselves. Like a motorway police patrol can only stop the speeding person AFTER the offence, or after he has killed someone, or whatever.

Skydiving isn;'t without it's risk, but certainly in this country there hasn't been a complete equipment malfunction for many many years. And now as the technology gets better and as people's skills increase the percentage and risk of injury is dramatically decreased. As I mentoned this country is (as is europe really) is very well monitored and regulated when it comes to this sport. Go to somewhere like the states, you have to bear in mind a more relaxed attitude and more flexible rules - you can pretty much do whatever you want - they make you sign lots of waiver forms and stuff so that you cannot sue them if anything happens!

The balance of fun to danger is 9/1 - I'd never not think of doing it! :D I've seen people get injured I've seen things like that URL you sent where the main parachute is entangled with main - but all in all incidents like that you can normally walk away from, so long as you do what you have been taught. One of my instructors has about 10,000 jumps he's had some malfunctions, some hairy ones... but he did as he was taught and walked away from them all. But this is focusing on negative aspects - being crushed in a mini between to artic lorries to me seems a lot more horrific than skydiving injuries! All the examples you have illustrated could have been avoided I have to say - I'm not an instructor but I have a fair bit of experience and I'm confident that the problems you highlighted should have been avoided.

There is no point in focusing or thinking about the negative aspects of any sport hobby or activity as you'll probably never end up doing it ever again. I still think it's quite ironic how thousands upon thousands of people put there trust into one man to fly them accross the world - yeah ok it relies on technology mostly... but still - we react the technology in a human way if something happens. Something to think about! :)
 
I've posted a thread in the "life" general discussion place about this sick devastating attrocity that has happened on friday - up in hibaldstow... The murdered skydiver. I can understand people being put off the sport now - it brings the sport into disrepute when things like this happen. :(

Though you must bear in mind it's like someone cutting your brake lines on your car - but it SHOULDN'T happen in the skydiving world but it did... Someone killed Steve but cutting his parachute and his reserve. It's evil, sick and so very pre meditated....

I'm quite saddened and cross. :mad:
 
This is an absolutely fantastic thread freefaller, definitely one for the SA Archive methinks!

It's something I've always wanted to try, and the advice you've given has made that ambition a bit more realistic - especially since I've found there's a dropzone near my parent's home in Somerset. They do a static line jump for about £180, which doesn't seem too bad. Only thing is they don't show my height on their height/weight ratio chart so I'll have to check if it'll be OK...

Sod buying the latest parts for my computer or bike - this is where my money is going to go next!
 
Originally posted by TheDogFather
Ive seen the other thread.

It aint put me off mate. I dont see it as being anything to do with the safety of the sport.

TDF.
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Good on you TDF! :) that's a skydiver's attitude! :D And one of someone with a decent head screwed onto ones shoulders!

It doesn't compromise the saftey of the sport... not even the integrity of it... this is a freak incident - that one person caused.

I can't wait to hear how you get on... let me know!!
 
This is an absolutely fantastic thread freefaller, definitely one for the SA Archive methinks!
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Cheers dude! Glad you like it - it was my intention to make it as informative and interesting for people as I could! :)

It's something I've always wanted to try, and the advice you've given has made that ambition a bit more realistic - especially since I've found there's a dropzone near my parent's home in Somerset. They do a static line jump for about £180, which doesn't seem too bad. Only thing is they don't show my height on their height/weight ratio chart so I'll have to check if it'll be OK...
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Yeah it usually starts that way! That's how I got into it - one of those things you see and think... I have GOT to try that!!! When I saw the stand at uni - I didn't even bother looking at other clubs...I had a student loan, 1 gap year's money - time to spend it on something obscenely amazing and different! :D

I take it you found the dropzone on the link that I posted with all the DZ around the country? Or was it one you just knew was there? I take it it's the Devon & Somerset Parachute school - Dunkeswell? £180 isn't too bad though there are other DZs which may be cheaper but if it's local then why not, and to be honest it'll only vary by about £20 at the best - though if you were to do it via uni it may work out better - though of course you may not be at uni - so that doesn't really help! :p Charity jumps are quite good if you can get the interest and the funds.

If you don;t mind me asking, what is your height/weight? The BPA states that you musn't be heavier than 16st - I've seen 6'5" students before so unless your 7' tall I don't think you'll have too many problems! :)


Sod buying the latest parts for my computer or bike - this is where my money is going to go next!
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LOL! That's the attitude to have! Good on ya! I'm broke but happy... ;)
 
Originally posted by freefaller2001
If you don;t mind me asking, what is your height/weight? The BPA states that you musn't be heavier than 16st - I've seen 6'5" students before so unless your 7' tall I don't think you'll have too many problems! :)
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6'3" and 13.5st so I don't think it'll be a problem at all, just that the height was off the chart :)

Just a quick question though, once I've done a few static line jumps, if I like it and want to get on to freefall (AFF?) jumps, can I convert over? I think I can from what I've read, as the school use the square canopies rather than the round ones...
 
Oh you'll be FINE! Yeah no probs with that height or weight! :)

IF you do a few static lines and you do pretty well you'll get onto freefall pretty quick anyway so you may not want to get onto AFF... It depends on the dropzones whether or not you can convert - there are quite a few differences!

A friend of mine who was struggling with static line (after doing 30!!!! :eek:) ended up changing over - I don't know if he had to pay a supplement or not... but as I say that is very indpendent of the drozpzone and the instructors discretion!

As for rounds/squares... everybody uses square "RAM AIR" parachutes now - they are so much safer that rounds - and great fun to fly too! :D
 
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