MickPatch

Do your research, many of the people who used to run the British Skydiving courses at DZs in Europe arent there anymore, for example FFU who advertise BPA no longer do it but wont volunteer that without some real interrogation. Scotty Milne runs courses at Seville and Emprubravia are well respected options. Dont discount UK training though, SkyHigh Skydiving have a very "european approach". Mate and I set aside some travel time for two weeks in April this year, he qualified in 8 days and I did in 6, we left after 2 weeks with 28 and 30 jumps respectively.

I did mine in a week in the UK

I think you were right, it was a change of kit and he needed to have the ability to adjust. One thing though some DZs in the UK now have students using digital altis from jump 1 now

I am new. I complete the logbook with the next person I ask to provide me with coaching in mind. I want them to be able to read the entries and get an idea of where I am at so they can help me. To that end I am at the anal end of logbook entries and will most likely remain that way until I have mastered everything and have nothing else to learn - so that will be forever I guess

Many countries dont actually have their own and instead are affiliated with and issue USPA licenses.

Sorry just want to understand your question a bit more - You state " I have USPA AFF with 5 solos" that suggests to me you didnt complete your qualification for being awarded your A licence. You then appear to be looking for information from a forum of mostly licensed skydivers to help you find a place that will grant you a license you arent qualified to have so that you can travel the world and put us all at risk. I may have misunderstood you of course.

I noticed this with the L&B optima2. Dont knowing there is a technical reason behind it but it was fine on the ground but after a trio to altitude would just show one bar before returning to two after a while on the ground. I came to the conclusion that it didnt like the sub zero temperatures at altitude.

I used to race motorcycles, my ambition out weighed my ability and I crashed - a lot. I got injured - a lot. In one race season I had three spells in hospital. But I loved to race motorcycles so I kept getting on the start line, and kept crashing and getting hurt. My final race ended in much the same way, I woke up in hospital with broken bones and bleeding on the brain, they fixed me but I decided enough was enough, my family, and my body, had been through enough, I retired. But I love to ride motorcycles so I bought a Harley to just pootle around on. Five months after I retired from racing I was riding along a nice country road around 50mph when a startled pheasant flew out of the hedgerow straight into my face. I woke up as the air ambulance landed. I was more banged up pooling along than I was in any of my racing crashes, I was very, very lucky to survive. That accident taught me a very important lesson - life is short, you can wrap yourself in cotton wool but if it is your time it is your time, if it is not it is not. Every grave stone has two dates on it "born" & "died". Between those dates is a "dash". Life is not about the "dates" but about the "dash". We are all born, we all die the real important thing is whether you "live your dash". Fill your dash with things that delight you, fill it so full that your eulogy takes a couolenof hours and your funeral is full of people with stories of how you lived.

Congratulations! Been volunteering at the vaccination centre in Basingstoke a bit, just helping with outdoors patient flow and car parking. Only about 20 miles north of Southampton and wish I could help but no spare room. I can ask a female friend (police officer) who lives in Basingstoke, I know she had been talking about letting out her spare room.

I bought a 20 year old rig last year, sent it back to manufacturer for full inspection and certification. Manufacturer said that it was as good as the day they made it.

Thank you to all those who have already contributed, there is some intersting data developing and I am looking forward to analysing and publishing the observations. The survey is still running so still time to add your input if you havent managed to yet

Wendy totally agree it would be better. When I drew up this survey I initially had many more levels in it with many more questions, trouble is it took about ten minutes to answer and I figured it needed to be under two minutes or it is too long.

would like to invite you all to take part in this survey. The survey in anonymous, and will take a couple of minutes to complete. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SkydiveAgeSurvey

Thanks ever so much, Rob.

The little "ribbons" on the top skin of a canopy?

I am really grateful for all the answers, I did appreciate that it was a contentious question. Let me assure you that this will not be a rushed progression. I totally appreciate the variables are too many. Every step change will be made with Coaches input.

Thomas Sports are still in business and an email to them to ask the question, quoting the serial number, will have an answer very quickly. In my case that was within 3 hours when I posed the question to them two months ago They are very approachable

Generalist question and I appreciate that any comments are entirely dependent on coaches input but.... How many "safe landings" would you think are the minimum to fly a canopy with a 1.08 loading? A "safe landing" defined as landing comfortably on feet in winds upto 15 knot within acceptable distance of target

Hi all thanks for letting me join and benefit from reading the collective wisdom contained in these forums. I am an "Oldie Newbie". 35 years ago I did a basic freefall back in my Army days at JSPC Bad Lipespringge, qualified for freefall after static line but a sudden posting meant I never got to continue. Now at 56 years old, the kids have flown the nest, the divorce (and financial ruin) is behind me. So more than 20 years after first setting on the path (wife told me she was pregnant with the first the day I was going to book) I have scheduled an AFF course. Rules in the UK mean I cant do it here so heading to Spain in November. I know I am really old for starting so, having passively read advice on here I am doing regular instructed yoga with a skydive aware yoga instructor, have my first tunnel session the week after next, am running three times a week and have so far lost 4kg (am not overly heavy but know I need to be fitter). All advice really welcomed from the knowledgable but it will be checked with my instructor. Blue Skies

I am indeed booked already for an AFF with 10 consolidation jumps in Spain at the end of November. Since there is no point rushing back to quarentine have booked a further 7 jumps to train FS1 and staying a few extra days to jump some more. I know Covid is still a concern but the case rate but I'll manage my risk accordingly. Oh yeah when I told my missus I was booking she asked me to book for her too

I am at the other end of the scale. I did a basic Freefall course starting on Static lines 36 years ago when I was in the Army. Operational postings meant I fell out of currency and didnt get to keep it up back then, although i dreamed of getting back into it. Fast forward 14 years and I decided to do it again. At that point I was 15kg over my height to weight ration for AFF training so it was a no go. I worked really hard to get the weight off but by the time I had kids were on the horizon and the financial pressures meant it was a no go. That brings me to now. Kids have left home, I am fit healthy and my height to weight is well under the limit, I have never been more ready. But I live in the UK and the agist rules here mean that you can not learn in the UK once you have reached your 55th birthday, which I have. What to do? Well if the dream is big enough the facts dont count so I have found a way to do the training elsewhere and I'll get my jumps in to gain the qualification for my A license overseas. Once I have done that I will cross the bridge of license award in the UK somehow. So my advice to the OP is it may be difficult, it may take some time, but dont lose sight of your dream and dont be disillusioned. Your time will come, and you cam find a way to make it come sooner.