My Little Achievement

[Naughty Magpie]

As some of you know, I've taken up skydiving & have been working towards getting qualified and getting my "A" licence before I leave for Canada in March/April 2009.

Well, I'm thrilled to say that I'VE GOT MY LICENCE!!!

After 20 solo jumps, if I'd done it perfectly, I'd have completed it in 18, but I failed my Level 5 twice, I am fully qualified to jump anywhere in the world. It's still the start of my skydiving/parachuting career but a big step towards bigger and crazier things.

I go jumping every Friday, Saturday and Sunday whenever the weather allows and I've done that this weekend, with 3 jumps on Friday, two yesterday and one today. I qualified yesterday after doing my "hop n pop" aircraft emergency low altitude jump at 5,000ft instead of 13,500ft, the last step in my course. Very very exciting stuff, I absolutely adore the adrenaline rush and the social scene.

I got one of my landing patterns wrong yesterday and landed off the dropzone! Got blown too far downwind & landed in a very deep ploughed field, was hilarious but luckily they came looking for me & gave me a lift back. Downside was I had to buy a crate of beer for crossing the "beerline" and ANOTHER crate for passing my course! LOL.

My next step is to get my FS1 qualification (formation skydiving) so I can skydive with other people. I did my first two-way today with one of the guys there which was damn good fun jumping out of the plane holding on to someone else! Plus it was -6 at 13,500ft but yet the warmest skydive I've done yet? Maybe because I was concentrating? Who knows?

Anyway, just wanted to tell you all as I'm well pleased! I only started in September so I've got it completed pretty quickly, some students I talked to in the past started two YEARS ago!

[tankerman24]

Well done !!!!

[iluvmercs]

Congratulations, Hannah!
May I suggest, you attempt a formation dive of the PH "Smiley and Crossed Pistons"

Darren

[5mudge]

Well done. Not something I would dare doing.

1 little point though:

Naughty Magpie said:

I failed my Level 5

Obviously I don't know anything about skydiving (and I'm not having a dig ), but I'd imagine that if you failed to do something when skydiving then surley that results in something abit drastic i.e a big hole in the ground!?

[Naughty Magpie]

5mudge said:

Well done. Not something I would dare doing.

1 little point though:

Naughty Magpie said:

I failed my Level 5

Obviously I don't know anything about skydiving (and I'm not having a dig ), but I'd imagine that if you failed to do something when skydiving then surley that results in something abit drastic i.e a big hole in the ground!?

Fair point! Level 5 is when you need to do 2 x 360 degree turns unassisted. Yeah I could do the turns, just couldn't bloody stop them! After I'd gone out of control on two attempts, I invested £200 worth of time in an air tunnel (Airkix at Milton Keynes) and nailed all the rest of my levels no worries. It costs £100-£150 to repeat a level so I wasn't keen on shelling out again and again when all I needed to nail was stopping my turns - something which is a piece of cake to me now.

Really recommend anyone having a go in an air tunnel, it is lots of fun, whether you skydive or not.

[gtr-gaz]

Nice one Hannah

Looks like you are turning into a real adrenalin junkie.
No wonder there's no money left to fix the Cobra!!

Parachuting would never be my choice, though. That and potholing gives me the shakes even thinking about it


ETA: are you moving to Canada then Hannah?

Edited by gtr-gaz on Monday 8th December 06:54

[Ian V]

Well done Hannah ! Still think you are MAD.

[Cerberowner]

Well done Hannah. I jumped out of a 'plane once and that was enough for me.

[Dirty Boy]

I jumped off a shoe box once....I know what you're thinking....yeah, i'm a crazy fool...




well done Hannah

PS

[crankedup]

Jumping out of areoplanes for fun! must be barking, well done.

[_Voyager_]

It sounds like a lot of fun! Well done.

[Naughty Magpie]

gtr-gaz said:

Nice one Hannah

Looks like you are turning into a real adrenalin junkie.

Yes, definitely! I love anything that gives me a kick! And I lurve going fast. Stopping has always been my sore point & the few seconds after pulling the chute and it unfolding are pretty intense as I tentatively look up and go, phew, I'm not going to die. IT'S AWESOME.

gtr-gaz said:

No wonder there's no money left to fix the Cobra!!

You are completely correct. I have no money.

gtr-gaz said:

Parachuting would never be my choice, though. That and potholing gives me the shakes even thinking about it

I'd give potholing a go, absolutely, but can't imagine that I'd ever be into it. I'm not a fan of confined spaces, I like to be free to run amongst the daisies (or land amongst them - nearly squashed a sheep yesterday!)

gtr-gaz said:

ETA: are you moving to Canada then Hannah?

Yes I am indeed moving to Canada. I've decided to emigrate there in the Spring once I've sold all my possessions, saved up some cash and got my snowboarding/skiing teaching qualifications (which I'm doing in Switzerland in Feb I hope).
The plan is to move back in with my dad on or around the 20th January & move the horse, cars & business up there and rent mine & Scotts house out. We're not having much luck selling it. It's up for the same price we bought it for 3 years ago, no one's biting.
The only downside to emigrating is that a lot of my friends have dropped me, including a chap I was seeing at the time, as they find it difficult, or don't see the point, of staying in touch. The world is so small now, you're only a plane ride away or even a webcam away but, hey, whatever! Have met a lovely guy who knows the full story of my plans and who is cool with them, so it's not all bad!

So, don't think it's the end of me! I fully intend to carry on the PH message in Canada! I'll often be in Europe anyway as I'm "investing" in a place in Switzerland as well, with a very good mate to continue my adrenaline fuelled hobbies.

[Simpo Two]

Naughty Magpie said:

The only downside to emigrating is that a lot of my friends have dropped me, including a chap I was seeing at the time, as they find it difficult, or don't see the point, of staying in touch.

Don't worry, there are plenty of hunky Canucks waiting for you on the other side

[crankedup]

Your marketing your house for the same price as you purchased three years ago, and no luck so far!

So how is the housing market in Canada, much the same as here I guess?

[Naughty Magpie]

Well it's a heck of a lot cheaper but I shan't buy again. Me & my brother both have a little bit of land over there set aside for us to build houses on - thankfully not side by side! So when I meet somebody lovely, like those mounties, I'll build a place.
Before that, I'm planning on being a bit of a hippy, have got an offer of a place in a commune! Living off the land really appeals to me & the guys I'll be living with are a bunch of skydiving, snowboarding lunatics - my idea of heaven.

[MG Mark]

Hi Hannah,

All sounds marvellously adrenalin fuelled and living in the fast lane, with the metaphorical foot to the floor - good on you, and you're sounding well on it. And good luck to you with all the plans to conquer the world starting with Canada - best done young, and here's hoping that the jigsaw pieces all slot neatly into place for you. I shall miss the 6-monthly meet up on a certain airfield in Norfolk, but as you say, the world is indeed a small place, and I trust that we still around on PHEA might receive the odd update from places afar?

MG Mark

[Simpo Two]

MG Mark said:

I trust that we still around on PHEA might receive the odd update from places afar?

PHEA North
PHEA South
PHEA Canada ?!

[John Boy]

Naughty Magpie! Wow! Congratulations on your achievement! Reading all this, I want to wish you good luck on your future plans:-)

I have to say you're the most adventurous brave girl I ever met over the last four and half years, from Mini addiction to this, sky diving! Lol

I will be in touch! x

[bigtalljim]

Jumping out of a perfectly servicable aircraft eh. I thought you needed a red berret, big muslces and a brain transplant to do that.
Nice one you. Will have to rename you sport billy.

Gonna be sad day when we lose another bod from the gang.

[gtr-gaz]

Naughty Magpie said:

Yes I am indeed moving to Canada. I've decided to emigrate there in the Spring once I've sold all my possessions, saved up some cash and got my snowboarding/skiing teaching qualifications (which I'm doing in Switzerland in Feb I hope).

Good location.
That would be my second choice if I was to emigrate.

Does this mean the Cobra will be up for sale soon?
....as a runner??

Edited by gtr-gaz on Thursday 11th December 18:46