Skydive
- Thread starter mickoo
- Start date
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Tony,Beats me why someone would want to jump out of a perfectly serviceable aircraft
It's Beccles airfield old chap, or whats left of it, you know, until you mentioned it I hadn't twigged it was an old airfield, even though you can clearly see the outline of all the runways. The remaining active runway is at the very bottom right and our landing zone is that small triangle of grass between the runway and road/solar panel farm. The instructor told me the solar farm in those two fields earns the farmer £27,000 a day
The oval is the active runway, the circle the landing zone, they're just off picture in the shot above.
Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
Hey Mick,
You sure your not swinging from one of your bloody cranes mate..............., check up from the neck up boy! 
Col.
P.S. I can see my house from up there...........
You sure your not swinging from one of your bloody cranes mate...............
, check up from the neck up boy! Col.
P.S. I can see my house from up there...........
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mickoo
Western Thunderer
Tony,
I looked up Beccles airfield for WWII and came up blank LOL, doesn't help if they change the name now does it
http://www.geograph.org.uk/snippet/4079
I looked up Beccles airfield for WWII and came up blank LOL, doesn't help if they change the name now does it
http://www.geograph.org.uk/snippet/4079
Big Train James
Western Thunderer
A friend of mine did this recently. Said it was quite the rush. I'm currently still taking his word for it.
I was told that weigh too much to tandem jump, and I'll be damned if I'm jumping out of an airplane by myself the first time. Frankly I'm not sure I could do it. Do they have somebody to come along and give you a shove if you can't convince your own legs to take the leap?
I was told that weigh too much to tandem jump, and I'll be damned if I'm jumping out of an airplane by myself the first time. Frankly I'm not sure I could do it. Do they have somebody to come along and give you a shove if you can't convince your own legs to take the leap?
SimonT
Western Thunderer
Press interview:
"Lord King, why do you only fly in four engined airplanes?"
" Because, young man, there are no five engined airplanes"
To which you can add, only fly in an aircraft that has a galley.
The reference to Highball is a bit strange. Testing was originally done by Vickers along side the Upkeep testing for the dams raid; this would have been at Chesil Beach and Reculver with flying from Warmwell and Manston respectively. Highball was designed to skip torpedo nets to allow warships such as Tirpitz to be sunk but many problems emerged during the tests and the program was separated from the Upkeep program. In April 1943, 618 Sqn was formed to use the weapon but based at RAF Skitten near Wick while further testing was carried out from RAF Turnberry. In Sep 1943 the squadron personnel were released to other duties and a small amount of testing continued until the weapon release problems were solved by the end of May 1944. The weapon was never used as Tirpitz was sunk by 617 & 9 Sqns using the Tallboys designed by Barnes Wallis. Two Highballs would have been carried in each Mosquito bombay.
Right, that's the camo anorak back into the cupboard.
Simon
PS Leaving a serviceable aircraft - Madness!
"Lord King, why do you only fly in four engined airplanes?"
" Because, young man, there are no five engined airplanes"
To which you can add, only fly in an aircraft that has a galley.
The reference to Highball is a bit strange. Testing was originally done by Vickers along side the Upkeep testing for the dams raid; this would have been at Chesil Beach and Reculver with flying from Warmwell and Manston respectively. Highball was designed to skip torpedo nets to allow warships such as Tirpitz to be sunk but many problems emerged during the tests and the program was separated from the Upkeep program. In April 1943, 618 Sqn was formed to use the weapon but based at RAF Skitten near Wick while further testing was carried out from RAF Turnberry. In Sep 1943 the squadron personnel were released to other duties and a small amount of testing continued until the weapon release problems were solved by the end of May 1944. The weapon was never used as Tirpitz was sunk by 617 & 9 Sqns using the Tallboys designed by Barnes Wallis. Two Highballs would have been carried in each Mosquito bombay.
Right, that's the camo anorak back into the cupboard.
Simon
PS Leaving a serviceable aircraft - Madness!
40126
Western Thunderer
Thats £9,855,000 a year !!!! You sure that's right ?. I'm in the wrong business !!The instructor told me the solar farm in those two fields earns the farmer £27,000 a day
Steve
adrian
Flying Squad
That's only when the sun's out so I reckon that's about £81,000 a year!Thats £9,855,000 a year !!!! You sure that's right ?. I'm in the wrong business !!
Geek mode on; enable trivia: I remember reading a study that reckoned that over a year a household solar panels are best on a west facing roof as that would receive more direct sunlight than a southerly facing panel.: geek mode off (if ever!).
mickoo
Western Thunderer
That's what I was told as we fell toward it, it is rather bigger when you get closer, bearing in mind we've just passed through 5000' so still just under a mile high at the point of the photoThats £9,855,000 a year !!!! You sure that's right ?. I'm in the wrong business !!
Steve
It is a big site.
http://www.armstrongenergy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/DSC5487EDIT.jpg
Some basic background info here
http://www.variablepitch.co.uk/stations/3750/
Company details
http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12407246.html
http://nextenergysolarfund.com/?wpfb_dl=37
But doesn't breakdown returns for each site.
If last years figure of £1.1m is correct then that'd be around £3k a day so perhaps the figure was £2,700 per day? Easy to mishear with more important things on my mind LOL.
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Well I've been working outside a lot these past few months and I'm quite tannedThat's only when the sun's out so I reckon that's about £81,000 a year!
Geek mode on; enable trivia: I remember reading a study that reckoned that over a year a household solar panels are best on a west facing roof as that would receive more direct sunlight than a southerly facing panel.: geek mode off (if ever!).
we've had some cracking weather round here recently, a bad few weeks a short while ago but overall very warm and plenty of sun 
mickoo
Western Thunderer
LOL, you're too kindI find the hardest bit of all this to believe is:
You've got a 21yr old
its not just the pc's who look young now
Ironically, Kathryn (the eldest at 21) passes out as a Special Constable tomorrow
and is now waiting for a slot to become available at our local station so she can become full time. She did want to become an MP but needs to wait until she's grown out of her asthma phase and it has to been more than five years since her last bout, in fact the last bout wasn't really asthma just that the Dr put possible asthma on the paperwork when she was ill a few years back, she'd been asthma free since 12yrs old.That's Kathryn at back left on the plane.
Her friend 'boy'.....it's complicated!! is behind me and has just passed out in the army, this was a test to see if he liked it before signing on for the para's....I believe he's now doing just that
We're all going again next year, get it for half price if less than 12 months
, plus some of the lads at work want to go again and I'm looking to see if there is anywhere in Orlando I get into next month when on holiday.I'll be the big five 'o' next year and may go for my solo license which requires 18 jumps and they do a package deal for the whole lot for £1500 which I think is bloody good value for money
Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
Get's the good looks from her Mother then Mick
.............No space to panic at the last minuit by the look of the interior of the aircraft. I reckon going out the door strapped to an instructor would be easier than walking out the back of a C130 on your own !
Col.
Len Cattley
Western Thunderer
Like the SAS?
Len
Len