trumpetfish

tip for future. sample the black you want to recreate first. add a little noise to the new text (only a little mind) and set the transparency to just under 100percent (maybe95).

I agree. Might be an obvious thing to say but often coming out of a long term relationship you can forget that there are of course all kinds of women out there, don't assume they will all 'dump' on you given the chance. I reckon as well you can sometimes find yourself dating people that will expose your insecurities. Prehaps subconciously you've chosen this. Ain't always a bad thing, we all have to grow and most of the time life will only throw at you what you're ready to deal with. good luck dude. ps. didn't mean you chose to be cheated on! can someone help me remove my foot from my...

I was very close to going to my DZ (in the uk) and jumping this weekend. I have a cold/cough but thought 'oh the weather won't be good for much longer', 'it's only a cold', 'I really want to jump'. In the end i decided not to go, more on the basis that I didn't FEEL 100 percent and that may effect my reaction times in a situation that requires my best, rather than will it actually hurt me during ff? so, I'm glad i made the right decision at the weekend and read this thread now. There won't be a decision to make in the future. thanks!

Bit of a fluffy post but hey. No doubt this has been a subject before, but I was just wondering if anyone else has similar experiences. I had a dream last night that I was skydiving, I've had it before (more than once) but this was more intense than ever. It goes like this... dream starts in freefall, I'm always quite low and either passing people who have deployed or are deploying and thinking 'oh sh*t, that's not good'. I then reach for the throwaway and just manage to deploy in time. Other variations have all been about loosing altitude awareness and then in a panic fumbling for the main and 'finding' it just in time. The feeling of 'freezing' under pressure is very real though. I guess the most obvious explanation is unconcious fear. Funny the way your mind processess stuff. I wonder if the dreams will continue until I have to react to an emergency and cutaway ? freaks me a little ! Definately be going through some emergency drills before my next jump! anyone else got a freefall story from never-never land ?

Sounds really scary. Glad it all worked out. Im new to the sport and agree fully with your comment on trading a few extra seconds of ff for safety. I can't ever imagine pulling lower than 3k. I pull at 3,5 k and can't ever see myself doing otherwise. What's the point ? ? ? , there's always the next jump right ?

For anyone who was interested... After a bit of research I think I've found the track used on the 'Skywalkers' Video. It's by a british band called Asian Dub Foundation. The track is 'Riddem I like' from the album 'Community Music' enjoy.

I love this video clip. I'd really like to know what the music track is that has been put over the video. funky, dubby, very nice. anyone out there know? erm , I mean 'Skywalkers'.

jumping in shorts feels nice good for sit jumps too.

I went straight to AFF. I would consider myself as someone who likes a rush from sports and enjoys scaring myself, but even so, on my first jump I was totally bricking it, but still knew i was going to do it. After all, it's overcoming your fear that gives you the buzz to start with right? My instructors were great in that they managed to relax me a little on the way to altitude and i knew that I was 'safe' with them. it took me until jump 4 before I started to really relax and get a grip on the situation as a whole. My advice is forget the tandem - with the amount it will cost you, you could pay for your first AFF level easily (im in the UK so not sure exactly on pricing). whatever you decide have fun and beware... it may take over your life!!

around jump 30.

Why do you think you encountered those belly fliers on your jump? It's possible that they were sliding a bit, but chances are that you were the one who slide into their airspace. When learning freeflying, it's important for you to align yourself perpendicular to the flight line. Freeflying is awesome, but it's so much easier to accidentally slide horizonatally across the sky (especially when doing a solo with no one else to judge your flight with). Have fun with your freeflying, but do so in a responsible safe way. Your life as well as the life of others you share the sky with depends on this. Thanks for the pointer. I just assumed it was due to the upper winds and fall rate difference, but I can see that without a reference it's nigh on impossible to judge sideways movement when Freeflying. Obviously im yet to learn what causes sideways or forward/backward movement when in a sit. I'll definately be getting some coaching as soon as i can afford it. My vector 2 is quite new and only has one piece of velcro on it (holding the bridle in place under the main pin flap). It's a new piece of kit and as a newbie im not yet very familiar with it, however i was told it was ff friendly by the DZ shop i bought it from (where i jump), but after reading a few older posts regarding reserve flap's coming open when 'in sit' i will definately be seeking more advice on this one. cheers

3 jumps on my new (2nd hand) rig. Vector 2. So I thought I'd try sit flying. wearing shorts and t shirt. first 2 jumps i was only able to hold steady from the exit and was then always trying to get back. 3rd jump. terrible exit but got straight back to a sit and, well, held it! after 10-15 secs went belly down again as i spotted a 4 way that was out before me coming up fast (gave them a 5 second delay which obviously wasn't enough) all in all a very productive few jumps and love that sit stuff. here's to more of the same

this is no doubt a silly question but how come you were spinning on your back after deployment? As I imagine the situation, wouldn't you either be belly down spinning or 'under canopy' and spinning ?

The whole event 'coincides' nicely with the Red Bull Flugtag at hyde park at the weekend. No-one there will be flying that far though, and they will certainly be getting wet, and cold.

N/A

no real message, just thought i'd share.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3112095.stm An Austrian man has become the first person to skydive across the English Channel. Felix Baumgartner landed safely in Calais after the eight-minute flight See the flight plan in detail Felix Baumgartner leapt from a plane above Dover at 0509 BST, landing 22 miles (35 kilometres) away in Cap Blanc-Nez near Calais just 14 minutes later. He wore only an aerodynamic jumpsuit with a 6ft (1.8m) carbon fin strapped to his back, oxygen to breathe, and a parachute to land. He told the BBC just after landing he was exhausted but the jump was "great". "It was total freedom. If you step out of the aeroplane at this altitude, it's perfect because you see the sun rise right over there, it's the beginning of the day. "You're totally alone, there's just you, your equipment, your wing - and your skills. I like it." The freefall was stressful but "great", said Baumgartner The 34-year-old former mechanic said there had been a few problems at the beginning of the flight. A cameraman following him passed out through lack of oxygen in the plane before the jump. And when he jumped his legs and glider got entangled and he had to cut his glider into pieces, he said. It was also extremely cold initially - with temperatures of -40C - and cloud cover meant he could not see where he was going. "I couldn't see the other side so I had no reference point. I was flying over the clouds all the time. "But the last 2,000 metres I could see those lights right over there, so I knew I'm going to make it." 360km per hour Mr Baumgartner said the plane was at 30,000 feet (9,000 metres) when he jumped - and he initially reached speeds of 360 kilometres (220 miles) per hour. For most of the freefall he was travelling at about 220 kilometres (135 miles) per hour, he said. Baumgartner parachuted into Calais The BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Calais, who was watching the flight, said Mr Baumgartner's journey had made a strange spectacle. "At first he was just a distant speck hurtling through the morning sky, only occasionally visible between the clouds. With his carbon fibre wings silhouetted against the rising sun it was a bizarre sight." The process of leaping out of the plane involved lots of delicate manoeuvring, she said. "Clearly he had to judge just the right minute to jump out of the plane so he could ensure the right currents. "He was saying any single mistake in the way he uses his body or the way he places himself could put him off course, could be very dangerous." Daredevil Mr Baumgartner had prepared for three years for this flight, with rigorous training including strapping himself onto the top of a speeding Porsche. But he hinted he was still thirsty for a new challenge. "This was my biggest project so far but there's still something left, so don't worry," he said. "It's top secret, but it's going to be awesome." The Austrian is no stranger to daredevil feats, usually launched from great heights. In 1999, he jumped from the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur - the tallest building in the world.

I've just recieved my new Z1 evo openface from parasport. I've yet to jump with it. I ordered the soft touch black finish, and it looks very nicce indeed. although it did take 2 months to come through from italy!! One thing i do like already is the motorcycle style chin strap mechnism. very easy to use.

I did my AFF in Seb. last sept. I felt the same about choosing a DZ - it just felt right. I was not dissapointed. I'm sure most of the DZ's in florida are just great as well but Mick is an excellent instructor and obviously has knowledge of BPA regs and DZ's back in the UK. Everyone was really friendly and helpfull. I'm glad I went there. I can definately recommend the Wind tunnel (SkyVenture) in Orlando. I actually went there before I'd done my first jump due to bad weather. As luck would have it , Steve (top bloke) of Sebastian XL came along for a laugh and to give us newbie's some coaching - wow, can that guy move! can't say enough about how valuable that tunnel time was. I stayed in a self catering apartment right on the inlet. If you get a chance, take a kayak out, there's some great wildlife out there - you might even see Manatee (although I'm not sure the time of year is right). All-in-all a lovely place. Enjoy!

I had a similar experience after i completed my AFF. I just started really thinking about what could go wrong. So I started asking more about malfunctions, watched as many videos about what could go wrong as i could and asked as many questions as well. I found that my fear was directly related to my doubts about how I would react in an emergency. The more I learned about safety procedures and the gear involved and how it works the easier it was to deal with my anxiety. hope this helps.

Skydiving has to be the ultimate 'feeling' sport. I can't think of any other sport which engages you on so many levels. Physically, mentally and dare I say it Spritually. I think this is why people can relate to it on a 'dream' level, because it affects the physci on such a deep level, similar to when you wake from a beautiful 'flying' experience. And the 'Fear vs Fun' factor just adds to the phsycological stimulation. The only other sport which comes close for me is Scuba diving. If you're on a deep dive, you can't see the surface, just blackness below, your floating in another world, all 'busy' thought has ceased and it's just you (and possibly some rather large fish) under millions of tons of water. I think a lot of people are drawn to skydiving in the first instance because they crave 'feeling' on a bigger scale than they can find anywhere else. just my thoughts.

!!!! in never never land no one can hear you mincing !!

oh my giddy aunt. special, very special.

Hey Suzie I jump at Hinton (nr oxford). Did my AFF last year in Florida. great place to jump. I'm just saving for my first rig. Best of luck, maybe see u around :0)

don't forget to breathe!