As the title says, many updates are inbound, but first, ive got to get used to the updated publishing setup 🙂

stay tuned…..

Ive updated the videos page with some that ive uploaded to Youtube, and also changed the video on the left hand side of the main pages. Logbook has been updated with 40 jumps (only another 35 to go). Fixed the ‘Star rating’ bit thats below every post and page that allows you to give things a rating, it wasnt displaying results correctly. The sites software has been upgraded, and some additional security steps put in place, as theres now a constant stream of attacks trying to hijack the site. These attackers will soon be diverted to a dedicated page of adverts.
More will be updated over the next week or 2

Loads of jump updates coming later today. Theres just over 20 jumps that i need to post, theres nearly 75 jumps i need to add to the logbook page. I have videos to upload and link to and some pictures.

The stats box at the top right of the site has been updated, the costs page has been 90% updated and the beer fines page has been updated

Yep you read it right. This year im entering the British National Accuracy Championship again. Last year i was hounded into entering, and somehow managed to fluke my way to winning a bronze medal.

So, im getting my tent(s) ready, making sure all my gear is ready (my reserve parachute is being repacked and checked this week), and, charging my cameras batteries. Yep, im now allowed to jump wearing a camera. So all i need to do now, is learn how to edit videos

I may post updates during the weekend

Jump stats has been updated, other updates inbound. Ive hit the 200 jump mark, got my C linsence, been cleared to jump wearing a camera, and entering the nation accuracy championships in just over a weeks time. Ill get around to updating all of the jumps, i promise 😉

Its been a busy few weeks, but, theres loads of updates on the way, 15 jumps worth, including 2 way jumps, 3 way jumps, 4 way jumps, qualifications gained, pictures that have been taken and a few new videos, as well as all of the jump stats to add up and some new equipment thats arrived

Blog will be updated with missing jumps, costs, equipment etc, and this post edited to remove this line once done, but…….

FS1 BABY!!!! YEAHHHH!!!

Finally, and, completely unplanned :). After a whole day jumping, 2 other people had attempted their FS1 jump, with one passing (congrats sophie 🙂 ) so, i was talked (bullied) into finding people who would do the FS1 jump with me, so, theres kris, the FS coach, mikey the FF coach, and lewis, whos a bit of a ninja. Now, the only issue i had with this, is, im as tight as a ducks arse, and this is a £100 jump, so, if it goes horribly wrong, ive blown £100 on one jump, and still got no FS1 sticker, and even though jump 173 was an awesome confidence boost, the last jump has me feeling not so sure.

We dirt dive the jump, first all explained stood up, im shown the positions, and told their names, bow (i think of a bow and arrow), star (i know this is ‘holding hands’), phalanx (im not even going there for what i thought), satellite (i thought of a satellite dish), and that they also have letters, for each position. We then go outside, and lay on small trollys, so we are able to wheel around the floor, on our bellys, and link up, and go through the positions. Im trying to find a way to remember all of this new information, in a way that ill be able to recall it, perfectly, screaming towards the ground at 120mph, without killing anyone.

Then i find out that its all being filmed, people are going to be able to re-watch me blow £100 in 60 seconds while flapping around the sky, oh god, what have i agreed to.

We get all of our gear on, and make our way to the mock up of the planes door, getting 4 guys through a door thats 3 feet wide, and 4 feet high, all at the same time, takes practise. We go through the combinations of moves again, and this time ive got my ‘remember this $h!t at all costs’ head on, and, it clicks. The entire combination of moved is remembered using only 3 words, after exit. Exit, star, right, kris, right, star, right, kris, right, star, right, etc, etc, if its not a right turn, then its a left turn, to the position ive named it. Now, i know all of the moves, I just need to do them, in the air, being filmed

Time to get on the plane, and im only thinking one thing, star, right, kris, right, star, right, kris, right, star, right, all the way to altitude, im only thinking one thing, star, right, kris, right, star, right, kris, right, star, right,

Red light goes on, door opens, im only thinking one thing, star, right, kris, right, star, right, kris, right, star, right,, green light goes on, i get into my exit position, we are all squeezed in the door, ready, 3, 2, 1 and we are all out, the exit has flown and we are stable, now, im only thinking one thing, star, right, kris, right, star, right, kris, right, star, right,

To be honest, it went so well, that im shocked, im wearing my new weight belt, nearly loaded to its maximum capacity, and, here i am, actually DOING FORMATION SKYDIVING!!!!!!!! im turning, im grabbing where i should be, theres a few wobbles, but, its actually working, im making my way through my star, right, kris, right, star, right, kris, right, star, right, combinations, and its actually working, this is fookin awesome!!!!! :), but, at around 5500 feet, im suddenly moving downwards, and backwards, oh crap, what have i done, im grabbed at the last second for a final grip, before we all turn away from each other, and track like hell to get some seperation to deploy our canopies.

I level out, and deploy at a little over 3000 feet, before doing some hard turns to get myself down as fast as possible, and land next to kris, the FS coach, to be informed that if now got my FS1 sticker, YAYYYYY!!!!!

Logbook entry from Kris reads as follows

HMQO – Good exit

Stable flight throughout. One cheeky grip-switch, but solid flying elsewhere.

Note – fly to break0off alt! 8th point on the last second but all good.

Recommend award FS1

So, after getting up early, to take the van for a service, punching out a full days work, after a late start, and phoning the DZ to see if theyre still jumping, im racing my way there, at 4:30pm. I get there, just as a load is coming back down, due to cloud. Hang around for just over an hour, before the whole day is pulled, and, i get the blame lol. I was hoping to get a friday the 13th jump in, but, instead i jinxed the weather and busted nearly 4 hours drinking time on a friday in total

ahh well, theres always friday 13th july, 2018 that i may get this date in my log book in swansea next time………

After a visit to the beach, theres just enough time to get on the last lift of the day for an accuracy practice jump on the way home 🙂

As the plane starts to climb, im told that if the pilot forgets to pass the dropzone at 3500 feet, ill be going to the top, 12,000 feet instead, but, at about 2800 feet the red ‘get ready’ light comes on.

The doors open, we climb to 4000 feet, and the green light comes on and im given the thumbs up. I get a good stable exit, and deploy my canopy within a few seconds, and watch the plane fly away, before having a look around as the suns about to set

I setup for my landing, but once again as theres little wind, i overshoot my target, by around 20M

Another low exit jump, just to get straight back into things, but this time with more than one person watching my exit, and the threat of a beer fine if i go unstable, so, no pressure.

We rapidly get to 3,500 feet, the doors open, and im out, perfectly flat, and stable, and deployed and under a canopy, all in a few seconds. Quick enough that i can still perfectly see heads out of the plane door watching me. I give them 2 thumbs up and turn away before some hard turns to get me down to landing pattern entry altitude, where this time i land ~2M short of my target.

A much better jump this time 🙂