the day started out windy, but later in the day, the wind dropped down, i waited around the DZ the whole day, as i didnt want to be elsewhere if the wind died down and miss a chance to get started, but, i didnt get to do my level 1 as by the time it came to my turn, the last lift had gone up, gutted 🙁

This morning we meet another 2 students, then we start with the days ground training, we were shown everything, in great detail, and everything explained to us, with the reasons behind things, and any questions were answered, and everyones excited to get started, but due to the wind, there was no jumping this afternoon 🙁

the night before the 10:30am flight, i make my way to south wales, stay at ‘mums hotel’ ready for a 5:30 taxt to cardiff, followed by a 2 hour shuttle coach to bristol airport, wait round for a bit, get the plane, get straight through at the other end, then wait to meet scotty, and wait a bit more, then wait a little longer, start to feel nervous, more waiting, nearly an hour, think ‘oh crap’ and start looking through my phone if i have any numbers stored, thinking that ive only seen 2 pics of scotty, ad he doesnt know what i look like, what if ive missed him, then, out he walks, PHEW!!! relief. We wait to meet with another student, then head for the train(s) to empuriabrava, one metro shuttle train (rammed full of people and pickpockets) then a leisurly slow train to figures. From here, scotty has already arranged for us all to be picked up, and driven to empuriabrava, right to the dropzone, collect some stuff, then driven to the accomodation, which is just around the corner, a lovely appartment, with views over a lake, 30 seconds from a nice little food place and supermarket, 3 mins from a bar, and 4 mins from the dropzone, perfect location.

Copied from my post here: http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk/cms/topic/22590-dropping-in-to-say-hi/page-2

Left for work 8 am yesterday morning, got back about an hour ago, oh yeh, and met Ally Milne, and a few others in the Airkix tunnel last night, and after spending the morning working outside with my arms above my head for 80% of the time, and a 4 hour drive home, after last night, i now feel like my arms have had the crap kicked out of them lol.

The only thing im a bit gutted about with the tunnel, is that i didnt get more time in there. When i got there, and met Ally, hes a really friendly and welcoming guy, and he talked me through quite a bit before we even started, and we watched a few people having a go, people doing it just for fun, as well as experienced people, then we got kitted up, and it was my turn 🙂

within about 20 seconds, i had been flipped over by the wind, and was looking up, instead of down, my first thought was ‘fook!!!!!’ but, somehow instinctivley flipped myself back over onto my belly within a few seconds, and carried on. after 5 sessions, watching the screen between each session, we sat down to chat about it all, and Ally asked how i thought i did. i said about the flipping over being a ‘major fook up’ on the first go, but, he then corrected me, by saying that as i managed to recognise what was happening, and righted myself, while i did lose control, i also regained it, on my very first go

for the first 5 sessions, stability, and relaxation were the main things for me to get right, ive read it in so many threads here about relaxing, and, this was my main problem, trying to keep my arms back anough, but relaxed, and holding position, seemed impossible, but by the 3rd session, i was turning clockwise, and back, i was finding that i could turn clockwise on the spot, but anti clockwise, for some reason, while i was turning, it seemed i needed as much room to complete the turn as a princess cruise liner, but, slowly, i wa getting there. by the end of the 5th session, i was able to move forwards and backwards, and, to my surprise, UPWARDS (and didnt know how to get back down at the time lol)

after the first 5 sessions though, i had completed balancing, turning both directions, had flipped over onto my back (accidentally), and corrected myself, flown forwards, and backwards, and done a few practise pulls (my first pull, i used my left hand, which was quickly corrected)

next i had a bit of a wait untill im on again, so watched a few people who were using the tunnel for fun, a few groups of people, and some experts, learning to fly upside down, sitting while flying, and doing all sorts of stuff, and watched one guy do a small ‘show’ for a group of people, and all i can say is i wish id caught it on video, the guy was like a ninja in the air, if you only saw it on the telly, you would swear it was CGI and impossible, next, Alli teaching a few more experienced people, upside down and all sorts of other stuff, including a few of them in at the same time, and this guy, its like hes on strings, he ‘flows’ from one exact location to another, with near perfect precision (except for when one nearly took his balls out, and he also got what looked like a kiss from a guy, more on that later lol) but seeing all this going on, was brilliant

pretty soon, im back up for sessions 6-10, a quick going over the last few things, and im still finding that anti clockwise turning, the eurostar train could probably do a 360 in less space, again, im told to relax my arms, session 7, practice pulls, but, also keeping stable, and turning with only one arm, im finding that i can do anti clockwise like this easier, and looking back at the video between session 7 and 8, i can actually SEE whats wrong, its the elbow, i can see it, its obvious. session 8, i know what has to be done differently, i do everything perfectly, except my anticlockwise turn, i lose control, flip over, i instantly know ive burned my elbow with the friction of the impact, i also instantly know what i did wrong, see the video after, and sit waiting for session 9 (in about 20 seconds) thinking if this is actually something that i really want to do, the pain in my arm is burning, but, im up again

im in, i fly forwards, backwards, left a bit, right a bit, backwards, forwards, circle clockwise, circle anticlockwise, YESSSS!!!! ive got it, practice pulls, times up, last session is coming, watching the last video, im on again in 20 seconds, im at the door, but with a new found confidence, and, relaxed, after the last session, the relaxation has found me instead of me looking for it, turn clockwise, anticlockwise, practise pull and hold it, turn with one hand, then forwards and backwards, to shake hands, left hand, right hand, left hand, right hand, both hands, then, suddenly, im right forward, right in Allys face, hlemets touch, we’re as good as kissing lmao, i manage to fly backwards, Ally is laughing, i apologise, and blow a kiss lol, Ally gives a joking coy look, the ‘limp wrist’ action, spectators are laughing, then he flips me over (not like that you pervs lol) and i right myself, he flips me over again, and i right myself, and a 3rd time, and again, i manage to right myself within 2-3 seconds, before one final practise pull, then the times up, and out the door

I watch the video back, and think back to the first session (i also have them all on dvd to watch over and over again) and while watching that last session there, thinking only 8 mins ago i was wondering if i was doing the right thing.

The confidence that session in the tunnel has given me makes me look forward even more to the actual AFF itself, as reading so many posts about fails and retakes, especially on turns, is what made me think the tunnel was a good idea in the first place

Ally is a great guy, and i also got talking to a few other people there, who were all really friendly, chatting about things theyve done, one guy who is an instructor also showing me some videos of AFF students on his iPad

For me, i fel that the ‘issue’ i had with anti clockwise turning, may have seen me retake a level a few times to get it right, maybe in the air, not confined by the 14′ walls of the tunnel, it may not have, Ally did say its actually harder to learn turns etc in the confines of the walls of the tunnel, but, in my mind, i now know that i can turn both ways, track forwards and backwards, turn both ways while having one hand ready to pull for the whole turn and right myself with no problems if i find i should flip over onto my back, so in my eyes, its been money well spent, and if anyone ever asks me about tunnel training, even though im a complete noob, id recommend Ally Milne in a heart beat, i just with i had more time for more sessions after my 10th one

Im now 100% going for AFF in spain with Scotty Milne, have paid my deposit and counting down the days, ill be going on the 28th of June untill the 8th of july, yay 🙂

20 minutes of pure AFF wind tunnel training booked with Ally Milne in Milton Keynes Airkix wind tunnel for tuesday night, and will hopefully get an AFF place booked with Scotty Milne shortly 🙂

After some googling, I find the UK website www.ukskydiver.co.uk , and start asking for any information from ‘those in the know’

http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk/cms/topic/22590-dropping-in-to-say-hi/

Accelerated Free Fall seems to be the best way forward, which i have also read about in many places, but, theres also talk of ‘wind tunnels’, something more to look in to.

Tandem skydive for Afghan Heroes charity.

Every year me and my fiancee do something for an armed forces charity, this year, it was a sponsored skydive. It has already been postponed twice due to the weather, but today, with the temprature on the ground at a refreshing -4°C and not a cloud in the sky, we are good to go. We go through all of the paperwork, then ‘the training’, a group of us all sat on the floor, practicing holding our legs up for the landing, then taught how to ‘arch’ for the actual skydive itself. Next we all get lovely BRIGHT yellow jumpsuits, and our harnesses on, and all get a go at practicing the arching again. I’m introduced to my instructor, who i’ll be attached to for the skydive, who is known to the others in the skydive center as ‘handsome rob’.

the following is copied from my post at http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk/cms/topic/22590-dropping-in-to-say-hi/

then i was the first one to get into the plane, and it seemed unreal, watching the plane filling up, there was about 23 people crammed in there, looking out the windows as we climbed up to 13,000 feet, looking round seeing places i recognise (i live 40 mins from swansea DZ), seeing the excitement on the faces of the people jumping alone, and the fear on my missus sat next to me.

the door was opened, and my heart started racing, watching the people one by one ‘vanishing’ untill it was just me and the missus left (with our tandem jumpers). as she was making her way to the door, i heard her say ‘ive changed my mind…….’ then, she was gone, and it was just me and rob. he asked if i was ok, and i said ‘fook yeh’ then we were on the edge, it was like i was in a dream, i could see it, but, it wasnt really real, then he says, are you ready? head back, and we’re gone

i see tiny fields, then sky, then, the bottom of the plane, moving upwards, really fast, then the ground again

OOOOO MYY FUKINNNNN GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

this is unreal, the wind, the noise, the…….’feeling?’ what is this feeling, oh man, this is the best thing ever, then

woosh, everything slows down, except for me, i am buzzing

ive done some mad stuff, and taken things that i shouldnt have, but this, im hooked, instantly

on the way back down, we spot my missus canopy, and go over towards it, she LOVED it, we were a mile high, having a chat, we then did some loops, before coming in to land

me and the missus were buzzing,

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From this, i KNOW i want more www.skydiveswansea.co.uk has introduced me to something so addictive that words cannot describe it, this blog will follow me with everything that happens in the future involving the sport of skydiving