Interview with Thomas Hughes (January 6th, 2004)
By Brannan Johnson
Vital Stats?
Name: Thomas David Hughes
Age: 22
Born:
Gear and equipment?
Rig: Javelin RS-1
Reserve: PD 113
AAD:
Experience?
Time jumping: 5 years
Jumps: 3000+
Years in tunnel: 5 1/2
Time in tunnel: I would guess at least 1000 flying. as far as being in the air not necessarily flying for myself lots. I have no idea. I was working at the tunnel for 3 years, trying to fly as much as I could and just being in there working with people. Even now I love to fly in the tunnel and try to get in there as much as I can, you will find that just standing in there can help you learn to be a better flier, because you are learning about the air and how it reacts to your body.
What do you think are the pros and cons of training in the tunnel?
Pros: general understanding of how the air works, no distraction as far as opening, landing. Video debriefs. Mirrors/windows. coaches, more than 1 min sessions. Only 12 feet of space to work in.
Cons: you need to have a good guide(coach) to be able to get the most out of the sessions.
It is easy to waste lots of time in the tunnel playing around. It is good to balance fun and work but even better is to have fun while working, which is how you are going to learn the most and make the time the most efficient.
What would you tell first time jumpers about skydiving?
Find a good instructor that cares about your feelings, the more comfortable you are with your instructor the better you are going to perform. This will make your AFF a whole lot more fun. Skydiving is fun, If you are not having fun doing it, something needs to change. Don’t be afraid to change it.
What would you tell first time jumpers about the tunnel?
I would recommend it highly, it gives you the confidence in your self that you need before jumping, not only the ability to fly in the air, but the confidence you gain in the tunnel for your freefall skills can(if you allow it to) carry over to make you a better canopy pilot. I started out in the tunnel first and then did AFF and I could not imagine doing it any other way.
What would you tell experienced jumper about skydiving?
The same thing as what I said to the 1st time jumpers, if it is not fun change something, if that is what you are doing, who you are doing it with, or where you are doing it. Life is too short and Skydiving is too expensive of a hobby to not enjoy your self. Also don’t be afraid to ask for help, you can always improve, even the top teams in the world ask for help from people, with that be ready to accept help from unlikely sources, they may have an insight that you don’t. Maybe they coached a basketball team 10 years ago and have a lot of knowledge about team building and team work.
What would you tell experienced jumpers about the tunnel?
Like I said before work with a good coach that you understand well, and who understands you and your goals. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new things, the tunnel is a great place to try and experiment, due to the cost and the enclosed environment.
XL just recently joined the tunnelcamp.com team, why?
XL have been running tunnel camps for 2 years now. We are constantly striving to make our camps better. Now we are on the tunnelcamp.com team, we have a variety of technological advantages that make our camps better, such as the computer debriefing system and the pay on line facilities. Any thing we can do to make our camps better but still keep the costs down for the people that attend the camps the better
What can you say about camp training versus coach block training?
XL have been doing coaching in the tunnel since it opened, and we have found that camps work out to be a great deal for people, as far as coaching to cost, to be able to get 1 hour or more of tunnel time with a 3:1 student coach ratio out side of a camp would not be anywhere near as cost effective, you also get to learn from all the other people on the camp, who many would be at the same level learning similar things.
I am always seeing people do either belly or freefly disciplines and not crossing over, what would you say about the two?
I really enjoy to do all aspects of skydiving, Each of them helps the others also because all the same principals apply to what ever you are doing in the sky or the tunnel, I truly believe to be very good at one discipline you have to be competent at most, this will give you the greatest understanding of what you are doing and how to do it. I am also really enjoying flying my canopy, doing a few local swoop meets. Again this helps my freefall skills because the same principals apply.
Do you BASE jump?
I do, I only have 3 but I really enjoyed them and would like to do a lot more.
Who are your non-teammate favorite skydivers?
Of course my team mates are some of my favorites, but non-favorites that I really look up to would be Eliana Rodriguez even though she was on a team with me (Deland Tunnel Rage in 2000) Craig Girard, and all of Airspeed in fact. Shannon Pilcher, and the Majik guys, Joe Winters and Carlos Euribe at the tunnel because we competed so much with each other to learn new things and teach each other. There is a lot of people that I can name but if I have fun with them and can learn something from them then they are too.
What is your favorite thing about being a pro skydiver?
Meeting different people in different environments, weather it is in the plane or at the beginning of a tunnel camp. I also enjoy traveling, experiencing different cultures and places. We recently took a trip to
And the worst?
Ummm..... I don’t know, I enjoy it. Not flying enough? Could always jump and fly more!
How much longer will you compete for?
Until it is not fun, so probably quite some time.
Any big plans in the near future?
I would like to do more competing and coaching, as I really enjoy it.
Tell me about skydive groupies?
Ummm.... I don’t have any, but I have heard from other people that they have loads of them and that they have to beat them off with a stick!!
Any Injurys?
I have hurt my pride lots, and I have a bad left knee from swooping but other than that none, I really try to take care of my body though, eat well, exercise, and stretch well.
Sponsors?
Performance Designs, Sunpath, Tony suits, John Eddows, Skydive Sebastian, SkyVenture, Skysystems, Protrack, Alti-2, Greens+, BPA.
Other hobbies?
I used to do a lot of bare foot waterskiing, I like to do that every once in a while, I also enjoy surfing, scuba diving and mountain biking.
Favorite food?
Sushi.
Favorite drink?
Margarita on the rocks with salt.
Favorite band/music?
I like most music with the exception of country/folk, as long as it is good quality and is played in the right environment.
Favorite movie?
Office space, "yeah that's great, if you can go ahead and get those TPS reports that would be great"
Favorite flavor?
????
Favorite block?
10 (diamond bunyip) in tail slot, old block 20 (open stairstep compressed stairstep) on the point, And of course, Danish tee murphy doing the vertical.
Favorite Random?
G and M (cattacord and Bundy) in the tunnel because it is so hard, makes freefall so easy.
Favorite Exit?
Diving out a 10 ( Diamond Bunyip)
Stupid human tricks?
I can spin dinner trays on any of the finger of my right hand, thanks to slow days working in the restaurant industry.
Do you have any pets?
No I would love to get another dog, either another Jack Russel of a Beagle, but it would be unfair to it because of my traveling schedule.
How would you best stall a SkyVan if you wanted to?
Ha ha!! I would put Brannan, Craig Girard and my self hanging from the bar underneath and not tell the pilot. I would then make some other people walk on to the ramp and get ready to exit. The trick is to wait until it throws you up so you are looking at the people on the ramp parallel with them, then let go and look for the rest of the group.
Goals for 2004?
Learn as much as I can, from lots of different people, to both help me improve and help me to teach others better. Fly more and jump a lot more.
Any thanks?
To all the sponsors mentioned above, all the people that have helped and supported me and of course my team mates.
