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Thread: Daredevils - Channel 4 last Monday

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    Daredevils - Channel 4 last Monday

    Did anyone watch it? What did you think?

    I'm asking because I've done a few skydives now and the general reaction to the program by the people on a skydiving forum I use was negative. Several people seem to think the public in general will be more likely associate all skydivers as outcasts with a troubled childhood and a deathwish (that's basically what this guy is) as a result. It's the same sort of reaction as sometimes happens here when an article/program depicts all computer literate people as spotty nerds with no friends.

    It's on 4OD if anyone missed it but does feel like watching it: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/d...ls/4od#2935236

    So, any non skydivers watch it and want to comment? Would this program make you less likely to give skydiving a try? I may as well ask here if there are any fellow troubled lunatics with a deathwish on Hexus?

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    Ghost of Hexus Present sammyc's Avatar
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    Re: Daredevils - Channel 4 last Monday

    I started watching this but got interrupted so I will bookmark your link & catch it again.

    From what I saw they were focusing a fair bit on his personal life/childhood/issues, & perhaps they thought this would get the viewers that like that sort of angle, as well as the extreme sport fans.
    Can see how your 'normal' skydiver could take that as a negative representation, but I kind of put that aside somewhat as being one person's reason for taking risks, and then took the jaw-dropping footage on its own merit.

    Wouldn't make me less likely to try it if I was going to, but no head for heights.

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    Re: Daredevils - Channel 4 last Monday

    It actually made me more eager to try skydiving (it's the next thing I plan to do after bungee jumping from the Macau Tower). I am getting some excitement just imagining what it must feel like to be on the scene where he was standing outside the helicopter in the air.

    The show had more drama than I really cared about. The guy is a bit of a lunatic. Then again, I actually understand some of what he says (although I don't find the things that made him LOL that funny - it's really those part that make me think that he is a little nut, rather than what he does or his view of life). And you know what - I think that I may actually have a (very) mild case of that 'counterphobism'.

    Well, one of the thing stopping me from trying skydiving is the cost (training are expectedly expensive). I was going to do my homework later, but do you mind telling me where/how best to start?
    Last edited by TooNice; 16-09-2009 at 04:20 AM.

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    Pseudo-Mad Scientist Whiternoise's Avatar
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    Re: Daredevils - Channel 4 last Monday

    I'm not actually a skydiver, but i did a lot of research last year (tempted to start this term, but gliding takes precedence )

    The cheapest way to learn is the RAPS (Ram Air Progression System). Prices start from £320 for the intial training and then £40-50 per jump thereafter. You start at a fairly low height and get chucked out of a plane with your chute already open. You do this a few times, getting more confident in the air and slowly you build up to freefalling (starting with 5 secs and the chute auto-pulling, to you pulling, to longer time, etc, etc). It takes a while, but it's fairly cost effective.

    The expensive and more intensive route is AFF (Accelerated Freefall). It's only 8 training levels plus 10 consolidation jumps, but you start freefalling from the start with two instructors. You build from there and are able to go solo after 8 and you simply do your consolidation jumps for the equivalent of "hour building" to get the license. Cost is generally around £1500-2000 and there are quite a lot of places you can do this outside the UK.

    Skydiving is one of the few aerial sports that won't suffer too much if you learn in a country where it's sunny nearly every day of the year (like Spain), so it can be cost effective and more fun to go somewhere where the skies are clear and blue.

    If you're a student things are a bit easier, just join your local clubs. Warwick has the largest skydiving club in the country, and Soton is pretty large too - as a result you can get very good deals on jumps/training.

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    Re: Daredevils - Channel 4 last Monday

    I see Skydiving as a hobby, the same as Cycling, Hiking, Darts.

    I think the posters on the said forum need to lighten up, or shall we blame the fact they are all troubled outcasts for their grumpyness

    It was quite and interesting program, personally i didn't read that far into it, the impression i got is the bloke was a thrillseeker.

    Personally it did not distort my view, I wouldn't do Skydiving for a million pound, regardless of whether i had seen the program or not.

    Insert signature here.


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    Re: Daredevils - Channel 4 last Monday

    only done tandem jumps in SA, and saw the program. Enjoyed it big time. Don't think he was simply a thrillseeker. Actually felt some compassion for the man - prayed for him.

    That was an epic jump over the Matterhorn. Insane flight. Totally agree with his logic, expressed early on, that if going to go out, do something unique / otherwise impossible.

    thumbs up from me, Dave.
    One can never stop saying Thank You

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    Re: Daredevils - Channel 4 last Monday

    I too watched it, and enjoyed it thoroughly. But I couldn't help but cringe when they showed the footage of his buddy that went careering into the bridge.

    Also, was it just me or did he bear a distinct resemblance to FPS Doug?

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    Re: Daredevils - Channel 4 last Monday

    I bet all the skiers said the same when snowboarders first designed and built snowboards for testing.

    I watched the documentary and I also cringed at the video of his mate hitting the bridge, but they all know that they are dicing with death when doing things like this and this probably gives them the buzz they are searching for.

    I'm not a sky-diver but would have loved to try that close proximity suit out as it's looks very good fun

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    Pseudo-Mad Scientist Whiternoise's Avatar
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    Re: Daredevils - Channel 4 last Monday

    Out of interest, was this the guy in the crazy video that's been on youtube for ages?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZxo7IznQnk

    By the looks of it - no. The guy in that video has a grey jumpsuit whereas our C4 friend has black.

    Hardly a unique stunt if it's been done before! And if anything, that guy went even closer.

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    Re: Daredevils - Channel 4 last Monday

    I saw bits of this, if I'm thinking of the right program - It had a guy who died instantly, after hitting a bridge? they were attempting to dive under...was shocked a little, the other guy who jumped with him saw it as a wake up call.

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    Re: Daredevils - Channel 4 last Monday

    Yeah, he saw it as a wake up call.. to do even crazier stuff!

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    Re: Daredevils - Channel 4 last Monday

    You can tell the skydivers that most people are able to distinguish between skydiving and proximity flying down the matterhorn. Yes the guy was a bit of a nutter but what he was doing what a whole different world to normal skydiving.

    Quote Originally Posted by Whiternoise View Post
    Out of interest, was this the guy in the crazy video that's been on youtube for ages?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZxo7IznQnk

    By the looks of it - no. The guy in that video has a grey jumpsuit whereas our C4 friend has black.

    Hardly a unique stunt if it's been done before! And if anything, that guy went even closer.
    Dont think so. Proximity flying has been around for a while but (I believe) no one had done it down the matterhorn before this guy. Other mountains yes.

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    Re: Daredevils - Channel 4 last Monday

    Ok...mega post time...if you aren't interested in skydiving just skip it after the first paragraph TBH.

    Thanks for all the replies, looks like those views I mentioned are rather unfounded. I think some skydivers get a little touchy about this sort of thing because the only media coverage the sport ever gets tends to be when something goes wrong. I can understand why of course, you are hardly going to see 'Newsflash: parachute works as intended' splashed across a newspaper.

    Quote Originally Posted by TooNice View Post
    It actually made me more eager to try skydiving (it's the next thing I plan to do after bungee jumping from the Macau Tower). I am getting some excitement just imagining what it must feel like to be on the scene where he was standing outside the helicopter in the air.
    Hmm...just googled that bungee jump and I'm getting jealous. I don't suppose you know of anywhere nearly as high in the UK do you?

    Quote Originally Posted by TooNice View Post
    Well, one of the thing stopping me from trying skydiving is the cost (training are expectedly expensive). I was going to do my homework later, but do you mind telling me where/how best to start?
    Quote Originally Posted by Whiternoise View Post
    I'm not actually a skydiver, but i did a lot of research last year (tempted to start this term, but gliding takes precedence )

    The cheapest way to learn is the RAPS (Ram Air Progression System). Prices start from £320 for the intial training and then £40-50 per jump thereafter. You start at a fairly low height and get chucked out of a plane with your chute already open. You do this a few times, getting more confident in the air and slowly you build up to freefalling (starting with 5 secs and the chute auto-pulling, to you pulling, to longer time, etc, etc). It takes a while, but it's fairly cost effective.

    The expensive and more intensive route is AFF (Accelerated Freefall). It's only 8 training levels plus 10 consolidation jumps, but you start freefalling from the start with two instructors. You build from there and are able to go solo after 8 and you simply do your consolidation jumps for the equivalent of "hour building" to get the license. Cost is generally around £1500-2000 and there are quite a lot of places you can do this outside the UK.

    Skydiving is one of the few aerial sports that won't suffer too much if you learn in a country where it's sunny nearly every day of the year (like Spain), so it can be cost effective and more fun to go somewhere where the skies are clear and blue.

    If you're a student things are a bit easier, just join your local clubs. Warwick has the largest skydiving club in the country, and Soton is pretty large too - as a result you can get very good deals on jumps/training.
    Pretty much all good and correct (RAPS tends to cost a bit less but some dropzones may charge that much), but I'll go through in a little more detail. The two courses work towards your 'A' licence, which dropzones worldwide recognise. It basically shows that you are capable of jumping on your own safely. Further qualifications allow you to jump in groups and do formations etc. To jump a wingsuit like the guy in the program had then you would need 500+ jumps or 200+ jumps within 18 months, then you would be allowed to work towards the WS1 qualification.

    RAPS - you exit the plane at 3500ft and a line from the plane pulls out your parachute for you. If you handle that OK you progress to pulling your own parachute on exiting the plane, then delaying it for a bit etc until you're doing a full skydive. It would be very rare for someone to pass all the levels first time. Minimum number of jumps to get all the way through would be 18 but I know people who took from 20odd to 50 jumps. The costs are more like £200 for the initial course (1 jump included) and ~£32 thereafter. Extra kudos if you manage to learn this way as it is the hardcore way of doing it. Wiki does a reasonable job of outlining the course.

    AFF - it's an easier course if you've got the money. You jump out at full altitude (usually 12000-15000ft) and 2 instructors teach you on the way down, then just 1 instructor after jump 3. The instructors will video the jump and debrief you with it afterwards. Most places charge you if you want the videos on a dvd after the course, if you want the nice HD video files then I guess there's no harm in trying to negotiate with your instructor. You are less likely to have to retake levels with AFF, but each retake is much more expensive since you're paying for the instructor as well (can be up to £150 depending on the level). I had to retake 2 levels. 8 training levels then 10 consolidation jumps with no instructors. Whiternoise got the cost pretty much bang on - £1500-2000. You can get decent deals on AFF courses in places like Spain and the US and you have a much better chance of good weather there of course. This site goes through what the different AFF levels consist of.

    Tandems - if you aren't interested in skydiving long term and just want to get some time in freefall then just do a tandem. It only requires about half an hours training, you'll jump from the full altitude and the instructor you're strapped to will do all the hard work for you. ~£250, maybe over £300 if you want a cameraman to video the skydive as well.

    As Whiternoise said, if you're at uni and there is a club there then go with them. You'll almost certainly get it a bit cheaper, meet some like minded people and be able to share lifts to the dropzone.

    For the record, I did the RAPS training nearly a year ago and 1 jump. I was then given the opportunity to do AFF in Spain, scrounged the money together and jumped ship. I don't regret doing the RAPS training first since it was comparatively cheap and it meant I had less to take in when doing the AFF training. I now have 17 jumps so I'm just finishing off my consolidation jumps. Instructors on the dropzone will have thousands of jumps - so if anything I've said doesn't tally with what an instructor ever tells you, the instructor is right. Period.

    If anybody actually is interested and is still reading then this map shows the dropzones in the UK regulated by the British Parachute Association. Most dropzones are fairly flexible but bear in mind some may not do all the courses I mentioned. Pick one close to you that sounds good, give them a call/email, remortgage your house and get in the air.

    Quote Originally Posted by Whiternoise View Post
    Out of interest, was this the guy in the crazy video that's been on youtube for ages?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZxo7IznQnk

    By the looks of it - no. The guy in that video has a grey jumpsuit whereas our C4 friend has black.

    Hardly a unique stunt if it's been done before! And if anything, that guy went even closer.
    Quote Originally Posted by no_numb View Post
    Dont think so. Proximity flying has been around for a while but (I believe) no one had done it down the matterhorn before this guy. Other mountains yes.
    I would be suprised if this guy was using the same wingsuit 2 years on (they really are cutting edge, particularly the ones he's using) but he really did seem to have a thing for black, so I guess it probably wasn't him. Properly designed wingsuits have been around for about 10 years now, and I'm guessing proximity flying for almost as long. There may even have been a few lunatics with a parachute, a normal jumpsuit, some cloth, a sewing machine and a big cliff nearby before wingsuits came to the market.

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    Re: Daredevils - Channel 4 last Monday

    Quote Originally Posted by Lanky123 View Post
    Hmm...just googled that bungee jump and I'm getting jealous. I don't suppose you know of anywhere nearly as high in the UK do you?
    I am afraid not. The highest bungee jump in the UK (that I am aware of - after looking around) is 300ft which is less than half the Macau Tower jump. If you don't mind travelling outside the country, there is also the Verzasca Dam in Switzerland (remember the opening of Golden Eye) which is almost as high.

    Both are more than twice the height of the 300ft jump in the UK, which I did earlier this year. I would do both if I can afford it, but I'd like to save some money to do my first skydive! Still, for my first jumps (I jumped twice in a row, front and backward, after my friend pulled), 300ft was absolutely awesome!

    And it was a good way to assess that 1, I am crazy enough to jump, and 2, I am crazier enough to enjoy the jump and come back for more And thanks for the information (and Whiternoise too), I am definitely looking forward to try it next year (don't think it's the right time of the year now)

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