stevechew

First of all thanks to everybody who's replied. It really has given me alot of information that you just can't get from looking at DZ's websites. Thanks Pete. I think alot of what you say is pretty much bang on. I didn't realise that the UK had tighter restrictions on safety than in the US. Langer isn't my local DZ, it's just the one I considered the best for AFF in UK, It's only about 2 hrs away so not a biggie. I don't know really, I think with what everybody has been saying about doing it in UK I feel somewhat like that's the better deal, although somebody mentioned in a PM that Spain is quite good also and that there are alot of BPS teachers out there. I don't know, perhaps early next year I'll pop up to Langer for the day and just ask questions up there. Everybody has given me alot to think about, there is deffinatly more choice out there than I realised. Thanks everybody Steve

Hmmm... He trained Sir Richard Branson 'eh? I'll definitely save his site into my favorites. I think i'm definitely going to consider him. Thanks! Steve edit: spelling

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Help! I'm planning on doing my AFF sometime during March/April time but having an awful hard time deciding where to jump! At the moment it's between Langer, Perris and Eloy. With flights to US it works out to cost little over £2k for full 25 jumps, whilst at Langer £1500 only gets you the AFF course, not the other jumps needed to get the A licence. Safety is pretty important in my decision, I don't know what it is about UK DZ's but they just give me the shivers, I don't know what it is! My sister did a tandem jump this year from a DZ here and the cameraman was using a Betamax system. I kinda got it into my head that UK DZ's are generally using old equipment . Is there anybody that could give any advice as to the pro's and con's of getting AFF in UK vs US, and anybody from UK who's gone over to the US to do their AFF and their experiences? I understand that a big part of skydiving is to become part of a team, whether that be only 2 or 20. I'm worried that training in US and only returning every 6 months would leave me somewhat alienated. Personally I would rather learn over there but it's that problem that is drawing me back to UK DZ's. Any advice on UK vs US DZ's would be greatly appreciated in helping me make my decision. Thanks for listening. Steve

Great stuff, thanks!

I can't speak for the bunkhouse, but the IHOP is perfectly acceptable. Think up-market youth hostel. As for visas, you should be able to travel on a holiday visa, if your passport is from a country that participates in the visa wavier program. The UK is one such country. I don't think my specific visa is classified as a holiday visa though. I'm in LA next week so i'll ask the immigration guys as I pass through. On another note though... I'd more than likely go back year after year to where I trained (as I'm sure many people do), would camping out at a DZ for 2/3 months over the summer be an issue with Eloy/Perris?

I'm in a similar position to yourself, although i'm not a lady I was thinking about going over to Eloy, although it was a toss up between Eloy and Perris. I've read that the accommodation at Perris wasn't so good. Flights to Phoenix are about £300 return on BA (booked for approx end of March returning 3 weeks later) and with their most expensive student package the total including flights comes to little over £2k (I think accommodation's included with Eloy, not sure on that though, but would probably bring tent anyway) I'm a bit confused about American Visa's though. I currently have a C1/D visa, which enables me to go to the USA to join a ship (I'm in Merchant Navy) and to leave the ship if it arrives in a US port - I'm curious as to whether I need to go through the pain of visiting the US embassy again for a temporary visitors visa or not With regards to a UK DZ signing a logbook, is that before you travel to do your training or when you get back in UK? Also are the logbooks included in the training (in USA) or is it something you have to apply for prior to going? I'd be interested in the Eloy vs Perris but I have read all the reviews on here, I don't know if anybody can add anything else between the specific two. Hope that made sense. Steve