{"id":41955,"date":"2022-05-26T14:04:52","date_gmt":"2022-05-26T14:04:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=41955"},"modified":"2022-06-06T11:11:20","modified_gmt":"2022-06-06T11:11:20","slug":"catching-up-with-pete-allum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/catching-up-with-pete-allum\/","title":{"rendered":"Catching up with\u2026 Pete Allum"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Pete has over 36,000 jumps and multiple international medals in two disciplines: 4-way and Canopy Piloting. Pete must be the most well-known and most-loved British skydiver on the planet. His coaching, development and mentoring have positively affected countless individuals and for sure Pete has increased the safety and development of our sport.\u00a0His induction into the Hall of Fame this year is richly deserved.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Pete was British National Champion in FS \u2013 4-way and\/or 8-way \u2013 continuously for 19 years, from 1985 to 2003. Then, four times Italian National Champion, four times in 4-way and four times in CP, 2005-2009. Then, he became UK National 4-way Champion again in 2015 and 2016, and started flying with a new 4-way team this year, Meraki.<\/strong> Pete’s currently a Flight-1 instructor and 4-way coach at Skydive Empuriabrava.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I loved doing this interview. I\u2019ve known Pete 30 years and I found out some new things about him\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When you did your first jump in 1979 aged 15, did you imagine then the sport would become so important to you? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Yes, and No. When I first started, I definitely thought I was in it for the long haul but I quit within a year and then began again 6 months later. Then I knew, this was it; I was running away to join the circus and I was never going to stay away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was running away to join the circus and I was never going to stay away<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why did you quit?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In my head it was \u2018boring\u2019; Mum and Dad were doing it! I wanted to do something different, in my mind I was rebelling. I went on the road and had lots of adventures. Then I realized skydiving was where it\u2019s at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Did you imagine at the beginning what you would become in the sport?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I must have had some inclination, as I had posters of my skydiving heroes on my bedroom wall. I had a direction, I definitely wanted to be something within the sport, I wanted to represent my country on the world stage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who were your heroes?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

On my wall, Golden Knights, Mirror Image and Vision, they were 8-way teams going head-to-head back then. Scott Meek, of Vision, he was one of my heroes. He was our coach in \u201885 for Blipverts, who then became Mo, which became a kind of UK 8-way dynasty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any other early mentors\/heroes?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I had loads of them. Symbiosis, Tom Piras, Jack Jefferies, Dan BC, Patrick de Gayardon, they were all pioneers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sebastian XL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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What was the best advice Scott Meek gave you? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

He didn\u2019t give it by words, it was by his actions, the way most good advice is given. The way he was, his professional attitude, he put everything into it, even though it was \u2018just\u2019 coaching an 8-way team. That stuck with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why are 4-way and canopy piloting your two big \u2018things\u2019 in the sport? What\u2019s the attraction? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

4-way I felt for a long time that, \u2018it was what I did\u2019. I \u2018retired\u2019 numerous times but kept going back, there was something about 4-way that had its hooks into me. It\u2019s the detail. It\u2019s not just about the flying or standing on the podium, it\u2019s the journey that you have with your teammates, the stuff you learn about yourself and other people. Then of course there\u2019s the skydiving. Now that I\u2019m back on a team and doing one camp a month, I\u2019m really enjoying the flying again. The control, the speed, the level of communication and synchronicity that you must have to work together, that\u2019s the level of detail I love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sebastian XL, British National Champions continuously 1996-2003. The XL legacy continued with various hugely successful line-ups for indoor and outdoor competitions during 2000-2018. Photo by Richard Orford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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And with canopy piloting\u2026 back in the late nineties we had one of the first swoop competitions, the \u2018Daytona 5000\u2019, held at Flagler, on the beach. We were on Velos; it was the first time we were flying them in a really aggressive environment. It seemed like that was the thing to do. Then I took a canopy course with Scott Miller, the foundation course, equivalent to Flight-1\u2019s 101 nowadays \u2013 and I did it on my Velo 84. People thought it was weird, they were looking at me like, why is he doing that?! I wanted to do it because I thought it would give me the basics, the first principles behind canopy flight. It did, it opened a door. I realized that what I was doing wasn\u2019t just descending underneath this piece of nylon but I was really flying something and I had to understand it. I started a journey, I\u2019ve always loved flying my parachute but from that moment on it became an obsession \u2013 to try and understand everything about flying wings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pete at his home drop zone, Empuriabrava
Photo by Roy Wimmer Jaglom<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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You paraglide too, is that part of the same obsession?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Yes. I started paragliding initially to get to know more about flying but that\u2019s become a separate journey. It\u2019s just fantastic (said with an almost biblical quality and a longing look skyward!). We\u2019re pretty spoilt here in Empuriabrava. After a one-hour hike you can be out there flying for hours\u2026 looking at the kestrels, checking out the other birds, the weather, places to land. It\u2019s really beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4-way is a team event and CP is individual \u2013 do you use the same or different qualities in these disciplines?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The act of 4-way is more of a team effort \u2013 \u2018Together Everyone Achieves More\u2019 and all that. But when you\u2019re canopy piloting, you notice that when you join an event or training camp, the interaction between the competitors is way<\/em> more than you would get at a 4-way meet. So, you become one big team. Although you\u2019re focusing on your own event there is so much support from the community. No one wants to see anyone hurt, that\u2019s one of the key things. If you go to a meet and you do something dangerous you will be told, immediately, in a supportive way, with the best intentions. So, it\u2019s weird, the team environment is different in CP but the support you get from the community is huge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pete competing Yoda-style
Photo by Mordace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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You’ve been a Flight-1 instructor for nine years. What is it that you like about canopy coaching? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s obviously a job for me \u2013 and I think I find the best jobs in the world! I get to talk about things that I love. From a selfish side, I increase my knowledge by becoming a better canopy coach. I get to really dive into geeky alleyways \u2013 the sort of thing you get into when you\u2019re teaching something and they ask an interesting question. But the main thing I get out of it is, you see people have more fun under canopy, they enjoy it, they stop worrying so much about it and they are given skills to save their lives. It feels very special to be able to do that. Knowing when you\u2019re teaching someone that you\u2019re making them a better pilot, and giving them more chance of walking off the drop zone at the end of the day. Also, they are becoming a more reliable part of the community. Because we are a community and if someone is flying unsafely or erratically, they\u2019re as much a danger to everyone else as they are to themselves. A lot of people don\u2019t realise that. They are like, \u2018Yeah I can do this!!\u2019<\/em> But it\u2019s really like, \u2018Yeah maybe you can. But what about that person that you don\u2019t see?!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you ever think of getting a \u2018real job\u2019 ?! <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Are you saying I\u2019m not doing a real job?! (We both giggle.) I used to get that from my Mum and Dad a lot, \u2018when are you going to get a real job?\u2019 I guess at certain times, especially when I was younger, I thought maybe I would move on but that thought never stuck too long. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I look at the different avenues I\u2019ve explored within skydiving, such as in Covid times I did a bunch of online classes, or back in the day I did a distance learning Sports Psychology Diploma. The days they posted all the stuff to you, you had to mail your coursework back and it took forever (laughs). I shied away from further education when I was at the age you were supposed to do it but since then I\u2019ve really enjoyed it. I like the continued learning, and I get that in the sport. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Empuria Canopy Project
Photo by Roy Wimmer-Jaglom<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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What do you think is the least understood thing about canopy flight?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The physics behind what we do, how the parachute works and how we should work better together. Flying Better Together is the Flight-1 motto \u2013 flying better together in a fun way like flocking \u2013 but also flying better together for the safety of everyone. If you\u2019re driving down the motorway and someone\u2019s weaving around next to you on the phone \u2013 well, that\u2019s what some people do in the air. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you feel about being inducted into the Hall of Fame?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It felt liike a blow! A positive blow but that\u2019s how much of a shock it was. Ian [Bobo, who nominated Pete] called me before he filed the nomination to check I was ok with it. I have the utmost respect for Ian, I consider him to be one of my mentors, well to have someone like that to put you forward was very special. At first I felt that there were so many people who were more deserving but then I realised it\u2019s a peer review. If your peers give you this award, this honour, then you should embrace it with open arms and accept that \u2013 take the love from the community. It was a very warm glow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extract from Ian Bobo\u2019s citation:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pete is loved and respected across our community because of who he is as a person: humble, polite, well-spoken and thoughtful, he connects to all at the same level. Whether he’s competing against the top echelons of our sport, flying with someone in the tunnel, or briefing a student on how to land their parachute safely, Pete is one of the most genuine people you’ll ever meet in this community. He continues to explore his passions through new disciplines to this day, constantly evolving, staying agile to learn and jumping actively with one and all.<\/em><\/p>Ian Bobo<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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You have a \u2018Yoda\u2019 quality in the air, why is that?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I feel most comfortable when I\u2019m skydiving; in freefall and under canopy I feel most at home. My Awareness Radar is out there and I\u2019m fully immersed in the environment. Maybe in another life I would have been a Water Man but Air is what floats my boat in this one!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pete Allum and Dani Roman, extreme xrw over Lauterbrunnen
Photo by Puro Skydive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Your fascination with wings extended to xrw, where you and Dani Roman are flying proximity lines together, tell me how that came about<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I really wanted to fly my parachute relative to the Pilatus Porter, I thought it was possible and I found a pilot who was prepared to do it. PD worked with me to get the right wings. The next idea was to have a wingsuiter flying with us. Dani showed up and seemed really keen. We did some jumps together and within a day, we had built some really good communication. It felt like a team was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We\u2019ve done a couple of hundred jumps together, playing with a lot of things, mostly about progression. About 3 years ago we were very lucky to get some support from a friend of ours, Susy Lee. She runs Kensho Capital and her support has allowed us to do several special projects in Spain and Switzerland. With the aid of a heli, we were able to insert ourselves into some beautiful parts of nature, and fly many stunning lines. We just got back from Lauterbrunnen, where we did some incredible flying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I love the planning for all these things. It may look to the outside world as though we just turn up and huck it but there are months and months of planning that go into it. Scoping the lines out, figuring things out on Google Earth. Thinking of all the things that could go wrong \u2013 because if you\u2019re in that environment you\u2019ve got a lot of things that could go wrong. Coming up with plans to make sure that those things don\u2019t happen, or doing our best to be prepared for them if they do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the dynamic in your partnership with Dani?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Dani is really fun, he\u2019s definitely going to push me. He\u2019s young and full of really good energy and I\u2019m the slightly calmer, older partner there. We keep each other going in the right direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pete Allum and Dani Roman over Lauterbrunnen
Photo by Pete Allum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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You went on two personal crusades in 2010-11 to educate skydivers to avoid canopy collisions. Thankfully, collisions are rare these days. What would you educate skydivers on now?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I would still educate everyone on flying a good pattern and understanding the physics of the wing, because low turns are the big killer now. Turning close to the ground is the way we most prefer to kill ourselves or our friends. That\u2019s something that needs to keep being addressed. Keeping awareness of what we are doing, that it is still dangerous. Our equipment is getting better, as our education is getting better but we still need to have a lot of understanding of the wing and how it will react. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The human factor is the driver behind most of these accidents. You can look at the physical reasons why the accident happens like, \u2018a low turn with insufficient altitude to recover\u2019 but what put the person in that situation? Was it a lack of sleep, was it their ego, uncurrency, what was it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re working on sustainability in skydiving, is there something you would like to share?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The whole green side of skydiving, sustainability, is really important. I\u2019m not just talking about energy or aircraft, it\u2019s about all of us having a sport. The things Skydive Mag reports on; the safety side, the social side, the inclusivity of skydiving. And of course, energy; there will come a point when governments will stop us skydiving, because we can\u2019t use precious fossil fuels just for fun. If we don\u2019t start working on that stuff, we\u2019re going to have it ripped away. That would be sad. I can go BASE jump, I can go paragliding, but I\u2019d rather be able to skydive. I know that we have the tools to do make a fully sustainable drop zone, aside from the aircraft. Everything is there for us to create a community that can look after itself, let\u2019s make it happen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Note, see Pete’s blog, Future Proof Skydiving<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are your ambitions now, what would you still like to do?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s open-ended. When I started skydiving, I thought it was this pyramid that you worked your way to the top of. And the longer I\u2019m in it the more I realise that it is a pyramid but it\u2019s upside-down. You start with zero and then see there are more and more options out there. I\u2019ve been doing 4-way since 1985 \u2013 wow, 37 years \u2013 I still find better ways to do it, better ways to explain it, we\u2019re still progressing. You think that the sport\u2019s going to get to a level and that\u2019s it \u2013 but it\u2019s never done that. I remember people saying \u2018when you can average 12 in 4-way, that\u2019s it\u2019. But then it was 20 and then it was 30 .. and what\u2019s next?!\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really enjoy freeflying and I just started wingsuiting, that\u2019s super fun, I\u2019ve done about 70 jumps. If I can improve my wingsuit and freeflying it would be cool to learn to use the wingsuit to fly on different axes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the developments in canopy piloting techniques and equipment that are going on, that\u2019s open-ended too. Since Vince thrust a Mutant in my hand and said, \u2018Jump that!\u201d, developing equipment has kept me focused on progression and safety. I work for UPT on the Mutant side, I\u2019m involved in everything from design right through to customer service and training. Working with Ian Bobo and Vince, we designed the Flight-1 curriculum that we use to put people into the Mutant. What Flight-1 is doing too with the forums and the progression that\u2019s happening with education, that\u2019s another unfurling adventure ahead as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is there anything you would like to add Pete?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Without a family that puts up with all this I could never have done it. My parents, partner and kids have been brilliant. Having a supportive nurturing environment has let me have this incredible journey \u2013 and by that I include my skydiving family too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pete by Andrey Veselov<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Want to learn with Pete?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n