SkyDiving in blighty (England)

I’ll be honest, this is more of a rant than an actual skydiving post, but it does have a purpose (of sorts) other than to just let me spew a load of vitriol and bile out there…

So, I returned from LA, leaving the good old Perris Valley a long long way behind me, a little too far to just drive down and jump for a day or two (about 5500 miles ;o), but I figured it would be no big deal, skydiving is an international sport and there must be plenty of places to go and jump in England and I could just pick up where I left of with no problems. Well, I was half right.

Yes, there are loads of places to jump over here in England, certainly enough that no-one should have any problems, but, to be honest, if you’ve started learning elsewhere then they really don’t want your business. There seems to be a very arrogant attitude at the UK DZ’s that if you’ve started learning with someone else, then they don’t want to touch you. Also, what the heck is up with making you do static line first? They just want the cash for the extra jumps you’ll have to do… Not surprising I guess, seeing as it seems to cost twice as much to jump over here as it does anywhere else in the world…

Don’t even get me started on the bureaucracy, the forms, the doctors note, the insurance, the hair pulling teeth gnashing nanny state of it all… and I thought the video taped disclaimer I had to do in the U.S. was over the top… Oh, and that USPA member ship you have? if you aren’t already A licensed then it don’t matter for crap, back of the line, take out a BPA membership (after you’ve filled out all the forms in triplicate and had them verified by the queen… okay a small exageration).
AirKix seemed to be the best candidate, but after the first e-mail reply asking where I had made it up to, they couldn’t be bothered to return any contact, the other DZ’s have basically said that as I didn’t start training with them, they would only be willing to take me on if I started from scratch including doing some static line jumps. Now, call me stupid, but the free-fall is the best part of the skydive, so I begrudge spending the whole cost of a jump plus instructors to not even get the benefit of my favourite part.

Anyway, all is not lost, I plan to just get a cheap flight over to spain and a spend a week training there… I will make it even if it kills me (but hopefully it won’t).

Consol - Jumps 24 - 26 / 12,500ft

So it’s Friday and a week since my last jumps.  The plan was for me to jump again Father’s day weekend and get my A License then, but the thought of only being two jumps away is killing me.  Being I’m none to productive at work I decide to skip out early and head to the DZ.  I’m about an hour and half from the DZ so I figure I easily have enough time to get in at least two jumps.

Jump #24 - First jump of the day.  I’m no longer that nervous but for some reason I feel really wobbly this entire jump.  I’m not sure if it is the smaller chute (180), but it is the same container so I doubt that.  No the less, I still do my usual (flips, rolls, 360’s, and tracking).  I pull @ 4000ft.  seeing as I’m on a new smaller chute I decide to play with it a bit.  It definitely is a ton more responsive.  So I’m coming in on my final and find that the winds have shifted and will have some fun with a downwind landing.  You’ve got to love Perris and the variable wind directions.  I’m literally thinking great, this is my first jump on a smaller canopy and I’m coming in for a downwind landing.  Thankfully at the last moment the winds shift again and I’m able to have a nice gentle landing, although I’m off target having been pushed further along by the winds at my back.

Jump #25 / The big “25″ - So I’m nervous for the big 25, but only because I will be jumping out of the Porter, and I’ll be the first one out.  Up until now all my jumps have been from the Otter.   For some reason I’m always nervous when having to do something for the first time.  Even if it is as simple as manning the door.  I’m probably just worried about screwing something up.  Luckily there are experienced up jumps on the load and they lend a hand as usual.

I dive out of the porter and have decided to work some more on my tracking.  I track east and west and does it feel great.  My tracks are real stable now.  I pull @ 3500ft and have a stand-up landing, although I’m a little short of the target.  I just need to get used to the decent rate of the 180.

Jump #26 - I wanted to get in one more jump prior to taking the oral quiz for the A license.  This will be another jump from the porter.  No worries this time though.  Same as usual.  I pull @ 3500ft and have a stand-up, on target landing.  I’m really liking this new chute.  will most likely be on it for about 25 jumps before I can think about going smaller.

A License - So I past the test with no issues.  James gave me about 25 questions.  As expected I bought plenty of booze and got chucked into the pool.  Unfortunately the guy who threw me in “Barrel” also got pushed in as well.

So on to the next challenges.  B-License and sit-flying.

Blue Skies