Welcome to the World Championships

Hi there!

My name is Simon Brentford and I will be blogging, posting photos, news and any information I can get all about the UK teams that are competiting here at the World Championships. So a quick intro about who we have competing for the UK.

Skydive Hibaldstow and Skydive Spain sponsored team:

• 4-way Satori - Julia Foxwell, Aaron Faith, John McIver, Ian Hodgkinson, Dave Head
• Freefly Volare - Dan Parker, Frazer Smith, Mikey Carpenter
• 8-Way Brit Chicks 8 - Kate Burn, Laura McClelland, Maria Russell, Aillie HArdman, Julie Woodrow, Lesley Gale, Ros Pulham, Jo Hawley, Stikkos
• Speed Skydiving - Simon Brentford

Regular teams at either Hibaldstow or Seville:

• Freefly Kinetic - Jim Harris, Charlotte Newell, Pete Brooks
• VFS QFX - Not a Hib sponsored team but have done most of their training at Hib & Spain - Gary Crisp, Jay Southall, Ally Milne, Paul Cooper, Darren Glover

I thought it might be nice to continue with a few pre-comp interviews discussing training, hopes and aspirations. To that end, we have Ally Milne from Vertical Formation Skydiving team QFX giving a quick interview:

1.     Everyone has heard of the BLTs, but its team QFX who are representing the UK this year in the VFS discipline. Tell us a little bit about the team, how you formed and what training you did this year?

QFX is a VFS team formed from several friends who met between Airkix Manchester and the BLT’s tunnel camps/UK HD record. All the teams are UK FF record holders but all contain one world record holder and 2 European record holders. The team achieved second place at this year’s VFS nationals with little training. Most of the teams Dubai training took place at Skydive Spain in Seville with Jim Harris coaching us.

2.       What are your pre-competition aspirations for the VFS event?

For the VFS event we are aiming to increase our nationals point average. We are also aiming to not come last.

3.       What do you think of the Dubai dropzone and the facilities you have experienced so far?

Well as I write this, I am sitting in an air conditioned tent with a fridge full of bottled water in 25 degree sunshine! Everything from the pickup at the airport to both Palm and Desert DZ’s has been to the highest standard. Yesterday in training, we were picked up by a speed boat, and every meal has been a massive 3 course buffet. All the staff and organisers have gone out of the way to make sure we are looked after.