Skydive Stories and Testimonials

" Summer 2018 London, my friend called me and told me let’s go up to Nottingham and get the AFF/ A license course. I started making up answers why I couldn’t join. I did so, because I kind of had a fear of flying. After a long chat I decided to join. But only for me to get my first tandem and the other guys would get their license. The early morning after we arrived, we started walking around the airfield, reading about the history of Langar’s airfield, and we met our good friend Philip Curtis. After a few conversations I felt a bit encouraged about the license idea. And since I had nothing else to do I watched the guys while they were getting their ground school. And Phil kindly allowed me to join. After my tandem I knew that I had to get my license and Phil was just the right coach. So as soon as I could, I joined the course. Phil really made us feel comfortable and was encouraging us a lot although in serious times he made sure that we all knew what we were doing. It was a blast and we had a lot of fun. I really recommend guys to get the license and I can guarantee that Phil is really one of the very best coaches out there. And like they say, those who don’t jump will never fly. "

Abdullah Khalid Najibi, Manama, Bahrain

" After a few indoor skydiving trips, I was convinced I wanted to get outside and up into the sky; a friend from the wind tunnel recommended I do my AFF with Phil.

Phil ran an excellent ground school for me covering all the basics, practicing body position, exits, canopy control and answering all the questions I could think of and I was excited to go make my AFF level 1 jump the next day - unfortunately the miserable January weather didn’t agree with our plans, so I left the dropzone and Phil’s supervision to go climbing and promptly broke my ankle!

Phil was great staying in touch with me throughout my injury, encouraging me to return as soon as I was healed and worked around my hectic work calendar to reschedule my AFF course.
When I returned 5 months later, Phil recovered the ground school, then we were up in the plane ready to make my first jump. Phil was fantastic with managing my nerves, giving clear instructions (verbally pre jump and with signals in air), and gave thorough debriefs with video footage. Phil put me at ease in what can be a sensory and information overload, ensuring I was calm and able to concentrate on the skills to be acquired along with the safety aspects, as well as checking that my landings weren’t hurting my freshly healed ankle.

The weather was perfect for beginners and as easy as it would have been to rush through lots of levels each day, Phil was attentive; monitoring my energy levels, checking I was staying hydrated and out of the sun, and calling it each day before I became too tired to jump. With Phil’s guidance, I passed through the levels swiftly and was onto consols and completing my A-licence a couple weekends later.

Phil’s support continued beyond A licence; when I was sat sunbathing as I couldn’t find an available FS coach and didn’t want to jump solo, Phil approached me to ask why I wasn’t jumping - next thing, I’m working on some basic 2 way dives with him and then not long after he arranges my FS1 qualifying dive, enabling me to start jumping with other skydivers and instilling a love for formation skydiving.

Phil’s ongoing guidance has stretched beyond instructing and FS1 coaching, he’s extremely chatty and keen to know what I’ve been up to when I see him around the DZ, he’s assisted with all my major gear purchases and with his wealth of experience, helped guide my skydiving progression in competitive 4-way and fs bigway - quite the challenge given my heart was previously set on learning to freefly!

I’d highly recommend everyone begins their skydiving journey with Phil and gets licensed through Air Supply Skydiving Limited. "

Cat Brown - Completed AFF June 2017, 580 jumps as of Jan 2020

" Hello, I just wanted to say that I am very proud that I have finished the AFF course with Phil and he was the first person helped and supported me in all aspects, by facilitating information, safety precautions, detailed explanation, and removing fear and hesitation once and for all, he was very sophisticated and Good handling, I finished the course and I am happy with what I was doing, and it also helped me to feel the joy of skydiving that I did not know that this is a large amount of happiness and comfort and all this credit belongs to the person who we cannot describe in words because he was for me the greatest inspiration in Jumping world Thank you Phil! "

Abdulla Isa , Uk 2018 , Bahrain 2019

" My best mate and I contacted Phil about doing our skydive course (AFF/A LICENCE in Florida. Once details were all explained, Phil made us feel very comfortable being a very professional/brilliant Skydiver himself, we knew were 100% in safe hands. Onto the skydive. Training and understanding how the equipment works was very easy to understand once shown and explained by Phil. We ran through what we were going to do once exiting the plane, positions etc (very fun training for that also) I thought the course was going to be very repetitive, same jumps everytime , same routines etc but no... this is alot more fun than what I was expecting, a very, very fun adrelanine experience with different types of exits, turns, flips etc, well worth the money and I would 100% recommend this to anyone who is thinking about doing the course. I WILL be traveling around the world, doing this, for a very long time to come. I can say, my experience with the course was massively helped by Phil being professional, understanding and up for a laugh, kind man and easy to get along with. "

Darryl Harris, Z-Hills, Florida, 2019

" So I just wanted to say, again, thank you. The trip to Z-Hills was almost indescribeable, skydiving is one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. And I am so glad I have completed not only my AFF but getting my A licence too, it has been a life long goal and I'm extremely happy to have finally got it, needless to say I CANNOT wait to jump again. You made the week an amazing experience and I want to thank you for your patience and time during the week we spent completing the course. I couldn't have imagined a better instructor to teach us, that went over and above to make our time during the course fun, exciting and relaxed. Not only that but being able to share a beer and chat about everything outside of the course was real nice, your advice on DZs we could visit and your endless networking that you done for us was great. I look forward to sharing some more coaching and even some fun jumps with Phil in the future, again thank you for a seriously badass week and life long Passion I'm planning on continuing. "

Adam Hawkes, Z-Hills, Florida, 2019

" I was a little bit hesitant when signing up to jump out a plane, as can be expected, but after meeting phil on the ground school day all of that had gone. And after landing the first jump all I wanted to do was go up again! If you're considering learning to skydive I would would highly recommend doing AFF with Phil. During the ground school his military style drills and simple instructions meant I was as ready as I could be when I was standing in the door at 13,000ft. Since qualifying he has continued to teach me, helping me to get fs1 and he is the first person I go to for advice. I can surely say that without Phil I would not have progressed so quickly. Cheers mate! "

Kieran Mullis, 2019

" I have just completed my Aff Training with Phil Curtis at Air Supply. Phil has mentored me and pushed me out of my comfort zone. Straight talking and clearly explaining all aspects of the Aff level requirements. I was able to go beyond what I struggling to do and working with Phil I've achieved the results. I am very grateful for such a great introduction to the world of skydiving! Thanks again. "

Chris Caul, 2019

" AFF is the beginning and the basics of free jumping. It is the fundamental role of the person who wants to learn to jump from him, through the experts in the free jumping experts, who convey the skills and the right ways for you, about myself learned a lot and benefitted from the coaches in the club, especially from the expert in the free jumping, Mr. Phil Curtis, I see him my example in free jumping. "

Abdullaman Ali Alhafedh, pictured with Phil Curtis and Khalifa Adulla Albalooshi after graduating AFF at Skydive Langar
July 2019

" A friend of mine recommended Phil when I expressed an interest in completing my AFF. I found Phil to be a highly competent instructor with a no nonsense, straight talking attitude. I couldn't recommend him enough. "

Dave Harris - shown practicing being unstable!
2016

" I had an amazing experience with Phil teaching me the AFF course, I wasn't too sure what to expect on my first jump, but after I landed it, I was hooked. So I proceeded to do the rest of my levels and they were all absolutely brilliant.

What ever people think, it is not an easy course to complete, you have to learn quickly and concentrate, but with Phil's tuition and instruction, it made it that little bit more fluent to me and extremely fun!

I recommend Phil at Air-Supply for any tuition, instruction or general advice on the sport.

Many thanks for such an awesome time! "

Hagen Friend - 23, Bristol
August 2016

" In 2012 while on holiday I did a tandem jump and decided I wanted to skydive alone. In January 2013 I started my research, joined forums like UKSkydiver and asked for opinions of the best dropzone to start AFF. Skydive Langar always came up as the best and Phil Curtis was regarded as one of the best in the business. So I contacted Phil to discuss booking my AFF course and he gave me all the info I needed and forms to complete. Arrived at Langer on my first day and received my ground school training and then started my AFF training jumps, which were well organized and I always felt that my safety was of the upmost importance.

Post AFF, and having received both my A and B licenses Phil is still the backbone of my jumping as he always knows what I have been up (even when he isn't there) and freely provides great advice and tips to improve my flying and progression. When I decided to buy my own skydive rig Phil gave me advice and options but never pressured me to choose one product over another, which I liked.

I have over 100 jumps now, am a member of a 4 way team and love this sport but had it not been for Phil and his great service I may not of progressed, and highly recommend him as your trainer and mentor. I live in Surrey and happily drive to Langar for the support and training provided which speaks volumes about the service. "

Steve Padmore,
February 2014

" I did my AFF with Phil and was very happy throughout the entire course. All aspects were explained in a way in which I could understand and extra effort was made whenever I was having trouble. I felt I was in safe hands and would have no trouble recommending him for any would-be AFF students. "

Robin Smith
at Skydive Langar, 2013

"After doing a tandem skydive whilst travelling I was pretty sure that I wanted to try skydiving "for real" so started looking into learning how to do it solo. When I found Phil's website I could see straight away that this was the guy I needed to speak to - learning from the best when it's something like this was my priority.

After reading the website and talking to Phil I knew I would be in safe hands and took one of the best decisions I've ever made, signing up for AFF through air supply. Phil's firm but fair style through ground-school and the practical levels really help develop my skill levels, his pace of teaching seemed to match my learning style perfectly and after only a few jumps I was confidently flying solo!

After qualifying Phil has continued to mentor and support me as I've developed in the sport, both in terms of technical skills and choice of equipment. For anyone just thinking about giving it a try I'd recommend picking up the phone and giving Phil a call... it might just be the best decision you ever make! "

Stefan Pacel,
October 2013 (Photo Credit: John Baggaley.)

"It's an irony that nothing prepares you for your first AFF jump, despite the fact that you've been doing just that for the last 7 hours. After a lot of forms and a full day of groundschool it was early evening, and I was anxious about jumping the next day. So when Phil told me to gear up because we were going in 30 minutes I think I may have managed a weak "oh... good". However, I knew I was prepared physically and after a ride to 13,500 feet I found myself sitting in the doorway of the plane exactly as we had practiced. Check with Phil and Milko, up...down...AWAY. As to the next bit, you'll just have to jump and see for yourself...

I came to Phil and Air Supply after doing some research and reading through the testimonials here. It certainly doesn't hurt that the price is so good! I could tell you about how thorough and safe and fun the training is, or how professional and funny Phil and the instructors that work with him are. I could tell you about how he has been there for advice and help all the way through consols and into FS1, help in buying gear and planning future jumps. However, the single biggest endorsement I can give is this. If I was sending a loved one or a close friend somewhere to learn, and that means trusting the instructor absolutely, I would actively encourage them to go to Phil and Air Supply and Langar. In fact, I would insist on it."

Dave Gagno,
September 2013. (Photo Credit: Milko.)

"Whilst doing a New Zealand road trip last year, I managed to overcome some pretty real fears and along with my travel buddy, did a tandem skydive over Lake Taupo. From the moment that was over I knew without any doubt that I just had to go further. After a series of delays I finally got to Langar and achieved my AFF qualification with Phil. It was the most intense and hardest course I have ever done but also, and by a huge margin, the best one I've ever done too. The skills taught will remain the most important lessons of my entire life and yet I still can't believe how much fun it was learning them. Phil has a very firm teaching style but somehow at the same time, he managed to be the absolute coolest guy I have ever met.

I went to Langar with two mates to have some fun and perhaps to find a best new hobby. All the guys at Langar made us feel very welcome and comfortable and I will definitely be spending a a good deal of my future time there. Langar is now, without question, my home from home.

Thank you Phil Curtis, you truly are 'The Man'."

Jamie Wilson (The Sky Diving Manny),
qualified AFF September, 2012

" In the summer of 2012 I decided I wanted to become a skydiver, so I decided to ask a couple of friends if they wanted to learn to skydive with me. After looking around the market for what seems like a really long time I stumbled upon Phil Curtis's website. To me this looked a little too good in comparison to the other websites I had visited, so I had to phone him to find out what the hidden costs were, and whether he could accommodate for 3 young men with no previous experience, etc...

Much to my surprise, there were no hidden costs and he was extremely helpful over the phone with all my questions. On 5th September we started our course.

Phil reminded me a little of a drill sergeant making us get into the positions over and over. Making us practice the routines over and over, but because of this teaching style, all 3 of us passed our levels 1-8 within 3 days. Thanks to Phil, I now have a brilliant and exciting new hobby and a fantastic range of skills that I learnt over the course with him. And because of his excellent tuition and passion for the sport, I now feel extremely comfortable jumping out of planes!

Thank you Phil and everyone at Skydive Langar"

Tylor
Another happy AFF graduate, September 2012

"Wow, what a guy !! What a thrill of course !! Phil's clear passion is not only skydiving but is in passing-on his skills and wealth of knowledge in a safe, calm, clear and above-all, fun way. As a teacher Phil exemplifies those skills of making things easy to understand, matching the course to the student's rate of progress, analysing faults and fixing the errors... all with a wry smile and without you really noticing !

Phil's enthusiasm is accompanied by a sense of humour which is never dampened by weather, student performance or any external circumstance. Watching Phil from my perspective as a teacher and examiner in a bunch of aviation disciplines for nearly forty years, I found Phil to be exemplary in every way. As an ex-Concorde skipper, I know the benefits of a thorough safety briefing and of being disciplined, even while you have fun.

Phil is a hard task-master, but only for your own safety; I wouldn't have had it any other way. You need to be able to trust your Instructor for AFF... your life depends on him! Phil is completely trustworthy and never cuts a safety-corner. He is highly experienced in skydiving and in teaching. You can trust that you will have a safe and thorough course with Phil... accompanied by accelerated fun ! Trish and I took Phil's advice to begin AFF in Florida and to finish the course at his home drop zone at Langar. We had terrific fun in Phil's company and thoroughly enjoyed every second of the course. To continue to have Phil as a mentor during our consolidation and beyond is the icing on the cake.

Thanks for turning us into fledgling skydivers, Phil. Every time we jump we have the time of our lives and ultimately we owe the rest of our lives to you !"
Trish & Tim. December 2009

"From the very first emails and phone calls, I was confident that Phil was just the kind of instructor I needed: experienced, in love with the sport, and in love with teaching the sport.

Phil is a firm, but fair, instructor who demands a student's full attention in order to get the best results. Don't expect an easy ride - this course requires commitment and concentration. With the right preparation, it is possible to feel safe while jumping for the first time.

AFF is a big undertaking, a significant lump of time, money and effort. It's important to find the right instructor and, for me, Phil at Air Supply was just that. And as I progress through my consolidation jumps, I'm confident that Phil will still be available for help and advice.

Cheers mate!"
Matthew, AFF student, October 2009

"I would like to say a massive thank you to Phil at Air-Supply for the experience of a lifetime. I returned to skydiving after a 5 year lay-off. After completing 4 levels of AFF in Spain I returned with my disc, and in his words 'there is nothing we cannot fix!' followed by a wink and a smile. That gave me the confidence to know that I was in safe hands. Although the course was fun right from the word go Phil is very strict when it comes to your safety. Phil is one of the best AFF Instructors you will ever find. He made me feel totally at ease right thorough the course. He has the highest level of professionalism. Having gained my Cat 8 with Phil he gave me loads more encouragement throughout my 10 Consolidation jumps."
Qualified on 30.5.2009 at BPS, Langar UK.

"We decided to do AFF abroad in the winter time. When we were looking for an instructor and sent out inquires, Phil was the one to call us and explain how things work and we liked him straight away. From the first time you speak to him you know he cares and knows what he is talking about. We went to Proenca-a-Nova in Portugal but because of the weather we only managed to finish level 3 and 4 and then continued at Langar which is Phil's home drop zone, and a great place to skydive. Phil is a fantastic instructor, patient and understanding. Perfect combination of being relaxed, but strict when it comes to your safety, which is very reassuring. And he's always up for a drink in the evening! If we were to do the AFF again we'd go with Phil without a doubt. We can't recommend him highly enough - since we've met Phil we got hooked up to the sport and are having time of our lives. Now we hope to progress under Phil's supervision."
Ania and Bart  - qualified AFF students, 2009.

"Just Do It! A life changing, mind bending rush of adrenalin, waiting to break free from the inner you. Let Phil take you to the highest heights and teach you the skills of sky diving and parachuting - you'll need no other. His knowledge and skill will take you on the ride of a lifetime, all ending in your own ability to freefall - words cannot describe it. Don't delay, jump today!"
Clifford, qualified AFF student, 2006

"Firstly I have to say a massive thank you to Phil for the experience of a lifetime. I was looking forward to learning to skydive for a long time before I had the balls to look round for someone to teach me, from the first contact with Phil I knew he was the right instructor for me, he is always on hand for any questions and queries and is unsurpassed at making you feel at ease, the experience will be with me for the rest of my days. I look forward to progressing through this sport with Phil on hand for questions and extra training"
Paul Wielebski, qualified AFF student, January 2006.

"I have never experienced anything like skydiving. When choosing an instructor you want to be safe in the knowledge that you are in good hands, with Phil you couldn’t ask for more. I was initially apprehensive about the whole idea of throwing myself out of a plane at 13,000Ft but as soon as we got to the dropzone for the first day of skydiving I felt completely at ease because of Phil’s attitude, knowledge and experience. The most important aspect of skydiving after safety is fun and Phil emphasises this fact more often than not. The course is hard and 200% effort is needed but Phil gives you the confidence to know you are going to succeed. If you mess up then he’ll have a quiet word, point out where you went wrong and deal with it in a professional manner, he wont jump on your head!!!! If you want to learn to skydive then Phil is the guy, you cannot choose a better instructor and in my eyes he is one of the best in the business. No matter where you want to go either the USA, Europe or the UK Phil has the local knowledge to make sure you have as good a time off the DZ as you do on the DZ. Thanks a million Phil words cannot describe how good it feels to succeed and be part of the skydiving family!"
Mike Wielebski, qualified AFF student January 2006

"Thanks to the dedicated tuition and steadfast belief of Phil Curtis, I have achieved things I would never have thought possible. Not only have did he show me an amazing and awe-inspiring sport, he gave me the confidence to challenge myself every single time I attempt anything and everything.
Anthony Hill, qualified AFF student September 2003, UK

"In 3 years of knowing Phil I have not met a nicer guy. His passion is skydiving and for others to succeed in skydiving. The times you have, the hard times when nothing seems to work, when you have bit of fear, a quick chat with Phil and you're flying like a bird - 'Blue Skies'."
John Thompson, qualified AFF August 2003, UK

"I looked forward to learning to skydive for a long time, and Phil helped me to achieve this. His clear and concise, but down to the point coaching, with his fellow male and female instructors are first class. The value for money and impartial advice regarding equipment etc. are great. Thanks to Phil I have progressed from 'whuffo' to exiting the Jet Ranger heli in just over 1 month. First class, book now and get on the next lift!"
Darryl Leaming, Qualified AFF Student, Langar, UK

"Thoughts of 'why?' whilst driving to the airfield on the first day for AFF training were quickly dispelled as soon as I met Phil Curtis. His passion for the sport and wanting others to become involved and succeed were infectious. The course was well structured, disciplined and most of all amazing fun. After I completed the course Phil continued to encourage me through my consolidation jumps. To anyone who was contemplating skydiving I would recommend Phil and Air-Supply without hesitation."
Alistair Richards (Photo: Alistair demonstrates a good arch position in his office!)

"Learning to skydive was without a single doubt the biggest achievement of my life. During my AFF course, I overcame immeasurable fear and cannot thank the professionalism of Phil enough for helping me through this. I could have bottled out on this at any time, but thanks to Phil, I didn't. I now know why people skydive - amazing friends - amazing skydiving - amazing fun! Nothing compares to this sport (.. well perhaps one thing!)"
James Froggatt, qualified AFF November 2004

"Deciding upon an instructor for AFF is one of the most important decisions any of us makes. I wanted the highest level of professionalism, I needed to be totally confident in my instructor and I new I might need some 'firm' encouragement at times but I didn't want pressure. With Phil I got everything I'd hoped for and more. I cannot recommend Phil highly enough."
Richard Froggatt, qualified AFF November 2004

"In the midst of fear, Phil was a calming influence that kept me focussed throughout my AFF course. Due to him, I have overcome that fear and to me, skydiving is the most amazing thing I've ever done."
Ben Fryer, qualified AFF July 2003, UK

"When you're on the plane, and you're wondering what the hell you're doing, Phil gives you a little smile and a wink and all of a sudden things are OK. When you're in the air with him, he gives you the utmost confidence, and when you're in the pub with him, he gives you a laugh - what more could you ask."
Nikki Rowlands, qualified AFF September 2004

"Nice eyes, cute ass, he'll make someone a good... but seriously, he got me through my AFF to change my life for ever - good one Phil, your top in my book."

Jim 'Buff' Nethell, qualified AFF April, 2004