Articles - Page 55 - Skydiveforum.com

Triax Productions' new Triax T-Stake

The Triax T-Stake is a revolutionary new packing multi-tool for both B.A.S.E. jumpers and skydivers. Designed by Triax Productions, the creators of the popular "Continuum" B.A.S.E. jumping DVD series, the Triax T-Stake is of use to anyone who packs their rig outdoors, and is trying to maximize the safety and heading performance of their canopy openings. A full explanation of the Triax T-Stake's features and a link to a short informational video clip can be found below in the article.
The Triax T-Stake
As the name implies, the "T-shaped" Triax T-Stake is a tool designed to make your B.A.S.E. and skydiving packing experience easier, faster, neater, and more organized by combining all of your tools into one. "We felt that this product could provide a 'missing link' in the jumping community," said Kenyon Salo, one of the B.A.S.E. jumpers that came up with the idea to design the tool earlier this year. "The Triax T-Stake was a lot of fun to design because we had full creative control from the bottom up, and being end users of the Triax T-Stake, we were able to base our design criteria on literally thousands of pack jobs worth of experience." Salo later added; "I really think that the world is a better place because of the Triax T-Stake. I know it's helped me become a better person!"
Design Features:

A specially designed "T-shaped" stake offering many different ways to secure your rig (or multiple rigs) while packing
Light, durable and compact for easy use and mobility needs.
Both 7mm (for most skydiving rigs) and 9mm (for most BASE jumping rigs) built-in wrench slots for your French (rapide) links for an easier time of changing slider configurations.
A classic bottle opener for that cold beer (or soda?) after a long day of jumping.
Bridge Day 2005
Triax Productions officially unveiled the Triax T-Stake in October at Bridge Day 2005 in Fayetteville, West Virginia, one of the few legal B.A.S.E. jumping events held in the United States each year. Overall, the Triax T-Stake was found to be a huge success at Bridge Day. Jumpers were seen using it all over the packing areas properly staking their leg straps, three rings or risers to securely anchor their rig for supreme line tension, at the same time providing adequate line separation while packing. During the event, the bottle opener function of the Triax T-Stake was put to the test with an estimated one thousand beers opened in a two-night period. Additionally, the crafty Bridge Day 2005 B.A.S.E. jumpers discovered yet another use for the Triax T-Stake-shot-gunning beers.
Bridge Day Video Fest
The pressure was on at this year's Bridge Day Video Fest for Triax Productions to defend their first place win in 2004. Although their entry did not win them a prize, as a way to introduce a little humor into a night of some serious B.A.S.E. movies, Triax Productions debuted their "T-Stake Infomercial," (directed and edited by Chris Pope). The entry went over as an audience favorite and has since become a cult hit. Popular demand has dictated that Triax Productions make their "T-Stake infomercial" available online, and it can now be viewed on the company's web page, http://www.triaxproductions.com/ [The infomercial is in Windows Media format and takes about a minute to download for an average broadband connection] Triax Productions would like to offer hearty congratulations for the winners at this year's Video Fest!
The Triax T-Stake and Skydiving
Although designed primarily for B.A.S.E., skydivers have also taken a liking to the Triax T-Stake. Not all skydivers have the luxury of being able to pack indoors all of the time, and for some, particularly on the boogie or swooping circuit, it's a rarity. The Triax T-Stake works equally well for skydiving rigs as it does for B.A.S.E. rigs, making the whole process of getting on with your pack job faster and cleaner, instead of scrounging around for a weight.
Where to see the Triax T-Stake
If you weren't lucky enough to be at Bridge Day this year, and want to get more information on purchasing a product, the Triax T-Stake, along with the company's DVD releases and apparel such as T-shirts, hoodies, and chick-tees have been made available for purchase at the Triax Productions web site.

About Triax Productions
Triax Productions was founded in 2002 and is made up of Colorado B.A.S.E. jumpers/skydivers Damian Doucette, Chris Pope, and Kenyon Salo. They offer stock footage and complete package action/adventure videography services on their website, counting aerial stunts and camera operation among their many talents. Triax Productions has also been producing some of the world's best B.A.S.E. jumping DVD/videos on the market, including their popular "Continuum" and "Continuum II: Tales From the Edge" DVDs, as well as the Bridge Day event videos for both 2004 and 2005. The Triax crew has just released the 2005 Bridge Day DVD and is currently in production of "Continuum III," tentatively slated for release in September/October of 2006. Plans for the Bridge Day 2006 event DVD are also in the works.
FFI/contact: http://www.triaxproductions.com/

By admin, in Gear, May 10, 2006

Aerodyne re-invents itself with a stronger focus on the sport market

By admin, in Gear, April 7, 2006

Dropzone Unknown

With all of the worldwide disasters happening, have you thought about joining in and helping out somehow? Skydiving skills, to reach people in isolated areas, are being used by Remote Area Medical, to bring in help where it is needed yet where it is inaccessible by conventional ground transportation.
Remote Area Medical - RAM Airborne
Remote Area Medical, RAM, has been providing humanitarian aid to people worldwide since 1985, with the airborne division currently on the rise and seeking skydivers. Founded by Stan Brock, from the show Wild Kingdom, RAM and its volunteers are “Pioneers of No-Cost Health Care” with well over 400 missions in the US and abroad.
The first RAM Airborne mission was to Tennessee in 2005, proving that skydivers and cargo can be dropped into an unknown area, on top of a hill in the Appalachian Mountains. The next RAM Airborne mission is to Guyana in South America, to clear trees from existing grass runways; making them accessible once more by airplanes. From March 26 to April 9, RAM’s mission to Guyana will provide air-ambulance access to the people living in the nearby villages. This is a non-medical mission, but medical support is needed, in the event of an injury or medical emergency during the mission.
An additional trail team is being recruited, not requiring skydiving skills, to re-clear a trail in the Amazon forest, connecting two villages to another airstrip which was repaired by a RAM team in 2004.
This will be a physically demanding mission, to clear large trees and thick undergrowth, while living in a tent or hammock. Hiking through the Amazon forest is no walk through the park either, with machetes in hand and packs on your back; these are a few things to keep in mind, and a few things to savor, for those who want to come for the adventure.
Skills Being Sought:
Skydivers must have a B-license or better, with an average of 100 jumps as a minimum; good canopy control and a canopy wing loading of 1.3 or less are expected, because there’s no room for error, and no hospitals to go to if you biff your landing. As you may have guessed, no hook turns allowed. You bring in your own gear for camping, and you pay for your own airfare to and from Georgetown, Guyana – but it is tax-deductible, since it is for a humanitarian effort. It is the most direct way to give, by providing your skills directly where it is needed!
RAM is also seeking people with medical skills, to handle any potential injuries that may happen, one per team at a minimum – more if possible – plus some basic medical supplies. The rest of the team is not required to be medically trained but everyone must be physically prepared – this is not your typical working-holiday trip overseas – it is hard work and it is worth it.
Videographers are also being sought, to help document this first-time-ever event. Proof of skills will be necessary, to ensure one’s safety, and others’ as well; video cameras may also be provided, as details are confirmed. Videographers would be the first to land, then film the others as they land; the case-of-beer policy will be waived, mainly because there are no stores to go get any and no refrigeration either.
If you or someone you know is interested – here are some things to begin doing:

Work on hop and pop exits and accurate landings
Gear up your camping supplies – for a two-week camping trip
Get in shape – it’s a load of work and physically exhausting
Join RAM as a volunteer – send an e-mail to karen @ karenhawes.com for further details, or go to
http://www.karenhawes.com/ram/RAM-Mission-FAQ.htm

RAM Camp
If you want to work on the skills necessary for this type of skydiving mission, there will be a “RAM Camp” training program offered in mid-March at Skydive Arizona, prior to the Guyana mission from March 16 - 19, to hone or develop your skills in:

Spotting, exiting and landing in unfamiliar areas
Cargo-bail preparations and air drops
Basic field-medical skills, stitching open-wounds, making traction splints
Basic camping and navigation skills
Other survival tips and tricks to know, plus pitfalls to avoid
Prospective volunteers, who complete this course and display the necessary skill level required, will be selected over volunteers who do not. For more information about the RAM Camp, go to http://www.karenhawes.com/ram/RAM-Camp.htm
This course will be taught by three RAM volunteers, with years of experience in the areas of skills being taught:

Rene Steinhauer – Medical Aid in Remote Areas
Bryan Burke – Cargo/Spotting/Airdrops and Navigation
Karen Hawes – Travel Tips (for men and women) and Gadgets in the Wild

RAM Camp Instructors
All three trainers will cover their own areas of expertise, and survival skills training, based on actual in-field experience; with personal experiences ranging from domestic and international relief efforts, everyone has something to learn in this course.
Here’s a brief background of each instructor:
Rene Steinhauer RN, CFRN, EMT-P – Rene is a currently working as a flight nurse in Antarctica till February 2006. He has worked on humanitarian projects around the world and has also worked as a combat medic on the front lines in Iraq. He has trained civilian and military personnel in remote and combat medicine for years. He is also one of the founding members of RAM Airborne.
Bryan Burke – Safety and Training Advisor at Skydive Arizona, with two decades in the sport and 3,200 jumps. Although he is known in the sport as the organizer of numerous boogies and competitions, he also has considerable experience with parachute testing, skydiving for the entertainment industry, and other applications that require precise airborne delivery. Most of his off-DZ time is spent kayaking, backpacking, or rafting in remote wilderness areas.
Karen Hawes – A Systems Engineer at Lockheed Martin, with 500 jumps on 6 continents in 12 countries and at over 100 dropzones, she has been a RAM volunteer since 2004. She is the current RAM Airborne recruiter, with three missions to: Guyana (airstrip repair), Sumatra (tsunami relief), and Tennessee (first RAM airdrop mission). A fourth RAM mission to New Orleans is scheduled, for the second week in February 2006. She is also working on configuring solar power sources for hand-held electronic devices, to be used on remote-area missions.
For More Information and to Sign-Up
For more information on the mission in March and the RAM Camp, go to:
http://www.karenhawes.com/ram/RAM-Mission-FAQ.htm

http://www.karenhawes.com/ram/RAM-Camp.htm
Come One, Come All!
If someone you know is interested, but not a skydiver, then now is the time to begin training and cap it off with one of the RAM Camps, to be ready for future missions. If you already have the skydiving skills, you can take advantage of this unique opportunity to add “Humanitarian” to your list of skills and world experiences.

Find out more about RAM at www.ramusa.org and join the adventure!

By admin, in News, February 26, 2006

Avalore Freefly Courses

When first learning to freefly the members of the Avalore Freefly School received a lot of 'coaching' from small freefly schools that offered little more than a good video of flailing attempts of headup flying. This gave them the idea of running a freefly school that provides a high level of customer service and support. They aim to help students with every aspect of their coaching trips from booking hotels to getting a reserve repack as well as supporting them after their coaching as much as possible.
The school has spent a considerable amount of time improving their flying and coaching technique from the likes of Max Cohn, Chris Fiala and the UK Sports Council. They have developed numerous resources to help their students from written articles to training videos.
As well as the normal coaching jump options the Avalore Freefly School (http://www.avalorefreefly.com) offers freefly courses aimed at beginner freeflyers as well as the more advanced freeflyer.
The courses are for the individual wanting to learn to fly in a headup orientation or wanting to gain their BPA (British Parachute Association) FF1 qualification. Much like an AFF course, they are split up into levels to learn different skills. Courses usually last 4 days and consist of an average of 20 coached jumps, which can take you from having done no freeflying to having your FF1 qualification.
The advantage of running courses is that as well as covering all the skills needed to fly in a headup orientation you also learn every other aspect of freeflying over the duration of the course. Everything is covered from exit orders, group separation and gear issues to planning successful safe freefly jumps with your friends.
The courses include thorough briefs/debriefs, a copy of your coaching jumps on DVD and a comprehensive course manual covering everything you need to know. Your coach is always on hand after the course for continuous advice and support.
The school has received excellent testimonials from their students all of which have returned or have booked to return in the near future. Some comments from their students are quoted below:
Billy Gibbons, January 2006: "Contact was established quickly and maintained right through up until my visit, even with Louis taking time to offer hints and tips via e-mail for me to try at home and in the air which I found invaluable and which in my mind displayed excellent customer commitment."
Kevin Dawes, November 2005: "During these jumps my coach quickly helped me overcome some of the bad habits I had obtained over the years. The detailed briefs he gave me before and after each jump helped improve my understanding a great deal. He also ensured that before we exited the plane I was in a relaxed state and was not rushing. This made all the difference and helped focus my mind."
The Avalore Freefly School has locations in Ocana, Spain and also at the Black Knights Parachute Centre in UK. The head coach is Louis Harwood who is based in Spain and Rob McVey is the UK coach. All of the coaches have been trained as coaches by the UKCC.
Coaches from the school Louis Harwood and Rob McVey train along with David Downham to form the Avalore Freefly team. They don't claim to be champions but enjoy competing and use it to improve their own skills and also their coaching. They believe you don't have to be a world champion to run a successful freefly school. They have worked hard to become good coaches and run the school the way they wanted to be coached when they first started. It goes to show that commitment and hard work does pay off!
Feel free to contact the school to book your course or ask any questions you might have. You can also have a look at the website for more information.
Louis Harwood

Avalore Freefly

http://www.avalorefreefly.com

info@avalorefreefly.com

(UK) 01212880618

(ES) +34662021951

By admin, in News, February 24, 2006

Collapses and Turbulence

There are many variables to consider when looking into a canopy collapse:
What was the pilot doing?
How fast was the canopy flying when it collapsed?
Where was the pilot flying?
What is the canopy design?
What is the wing-loading?
Was there any re-active solution employed? These are the principle considerations, but not the only ones. I will take each one separately.
1) The way in which a parachute is flown can increase or decrease the "G" loading on the lines. A rapid release of one or both brakes significantly increases the chances that the canopy will collapse. This allows the parachute to surge forward to a lower angle of attack, decreasing the lift of the parachute. This reduces the amount of energy exerted by the parachute away from the suspended load, allowing the "negative" portion of the lift to take over and allow the wing to fly towards the jumper.
2) Airspeed is what creates lift. Lift is what causes the wing to strive to fly up and away from the jumper. This is the formula for line tension and therefore stability. The slower you are flying, the more likely your parachute will collapse due to low internal pressure and low line tension.
3) Was the wing flying in clean air when the collapse occurred? This is an important part of the question. All parachutes can collapse in "bad" air. We must always fly considering the invisible dangers that the sky presents us. If you wouldn't fly a kite there, don't fly or land your parachute there.
4) Certain parachute designs do better in turbulence than others. I must avoid pointing fingers here, as this is a volatile industry that can be taken down by non-skydiving lawyers. Nevertheless, certain wings have an increased propensity to go "negative" when presented with adverse condition, while others bump around a bit and keep on flying. This is a complex issue, and the best way to decide which parachute to buy and fly is to listen to the actual statistics, and to your own experience when flying a particular design. I have not experienced any kind of collapse on the parachutes I fly, ever.* If you have on yours, you may want to reconsider what is over your head.
*(This does not include nasty, ill-conceived prototypes that seemed like a good idea at the time. I am talking about production-model canopies here)
5) Parachutes perform differently at different wing loadings. The lighter the wing loading, the slower it will fly. This means that the internal pressurization of the wing will be less on larger canopies. In general, lightly loaded parachutes experience more small collapses than heavily loaded ones. Not only is there less internal pressure in the wing, but the dynamic forces area also less with decreased airspeed. This means that the average line tension tends to be less on a lightly loaded wing, and the wing tends to have a increased propensity to surge forward in the window when flying at low air speeds. This is why very small, highly loaded parachutes tend to experience fewer distortions, especially when flown at high speed. Flying at high speed increases the drag of the canopy itself, relative to the jumper, so the relative wind holds the parachute back in the window and at a higher angle of attack. This is why I make carving, high "G", high speed turns to final approach heading, especially in turbulence. The speed actually reduced the chances of a collapse by increasing the forces that keep the parachute at the end of the lines. I am literally increasing my wing loading by flying fast and at high "G's", and the increases velocity reduces the amount of time that I fly in bad air. I am not saying that you should downsize just to increase your stability. I am saying that until your skills and knowledge are ready to fly smaller, faster parachutes, you should stay out of the sky until the winds come down. I still haven't been hurt by a jump I didn't do.
6) This is all about "Pitch Control". If you are flying a good design with lots of airspeed and significant line tension, and in a reasonable location that has no obvious precursors for collapse, you can only deal with a collapse in a re-active manner, as you have addressed all of the relevant variables up to this point. If your wing tries to aggressively surge forward in the window, you must notice it and quickly stab the brakes to bring it to the back of the window. A collapse always begins by a surge to a low angle of attack, but there is very little time to deal with the problem before I folds under. Here are the signs:
The first sign is a change in Pitch. The wing moves forward in the window. This is the limited flying space over your head. Too far forward and it collapses. Too far back and it stalls.
The "G" loading drops dramatically and almost instantly. In other words, your apparent weight in the harness drops because the wing is producing less lift. This is the time to jerk on your brakes: quickly, sharply, but not more than about 50% of the total control stroke. This action is to pull the wing back in the window, not to stall the parachute. By putting the wing further back in the window, we are increasing the angle of attack. This increases the lift, and forces the wing to fly away from the suspended load and thereby increase the line tension. This can prevent a collapse entirely, or cause the wing to recover to stable flight before things get really out of control.
If the wing is allowed to collapse, it may recover quickly on its own. This is why the more modern airfoils have the fat point (Center of Lift) so far forward. It causes the wing to pitch nose-up when it begins to fly again, bringing it back to the end of the lines. Nevertheless, parachutes can still collapse fully, which often involves significant loss of altitude and possibly a loss of heading. If your wing goes into a spin because of a collapse, your job is to stop the turn first, as you increase the angle of attack. If it is spinning, there is less chance of recovery until the flight path is coordinated and the heading stable.
Conclusions:

Don't fly an unstable parachute. If it is prone to collapse, ground the parachute. Do not sell it to an unsuspecting jumper at another drop zone. These people are your brothers and sisters.
Don't fly in crappy air. Land in wide open spaces, in light winds, and never directly behind another canopy.
Practice stabbing your brakes in response to forward surges on the pitch axis. This must become a "learned instinct" that requires no thought at all. Like pulling emergency handles, pulling the wing to the back of the window when the lines get slack is essential for safe skydiving.
Keep flying the parachute. If your parachute does something funny near the ground, don't give up. If you keep your eyes on YOUR ORIGINAL HEADING, you will unconsciously do things that will aid your stability and keep you from getting hurt. Looking toward what you don't want is how you make it occur. I hope this little article helps you understand the phenomenon of collapses a bit better. I know as well as anyone how painful a collapse can be. I do not want to go back to that wheelchair, and I don't want anyone else to have to experience that either. You morons are my family, and if information can help protect you, I will give it until my lungs are out of air.
Blue Skies, Sky People.

Bri
Article Discussion

BIGAIR SPORTZ

By BrianSGermain, in Safety, February 1, 2006

Minimum Days Registered Requirement

By admin, in Classifieds, January 9, 2006

First jet powered Birdman flight

Tuesday 25th October 2005 - It was an untypical crisp October morning in Lahti, Finland when Visa Parviainen and the BirdMan Rocket Team attempted to make the first ever jet powered, birdman flight.
The team set up camp in a small park in downtown Lahti, to prepare for the jump. The locals appeared to be not-at-all phased by the fact that some person was igniting a jet engine in their tranquil little park while they were walking their house pets.
The launch platform selected for the day was provided by the famous Finnish Balloon Bros, who graciously offered their services for this historic event. Visa had designed a unique launch platform to hang outside the balloon to avoid 'cooking' the balloon occupants during the ascent to altitude from the exhaust gases of the jet engines.
Once Visa had adorned his birdman suit and rig on the ground, it was time to test the rocket boots. Each jet engine provides around 16kgs of thrust, and is primed with a mix of butane and propane. Once ignited, the engines rely on a steady supply of kerosene (JetA1) fuel. This fuel burns at around the rate of 0.5 litres per minute, on full power, for each jet engine. The combined thrust of both power plants was calculated to be enough to sustain level human flight in a wing suit for an average weight skydiver.
Once all the gear checks were made and rigorous safety procedures executed on the ground, it was time to inflate the hot air balloon for the ascent. The Balloon Bros provided a smooth and relaxing ride up to altitude over the beautiful vista of the humble town of Lahti in middle Finland.
The Balloon ascended over the unpopulated areas around the lakes and forests of rural Lahti, visa primed and started the rockets prior to exit. After warming up the engines in the cold surrounding atmosphere, it was time to make the attempt. The high pitch whine of the jet engines sounded surreal in the calm stillness of the hot air balloon. Tensions were high that this attempt would be a successful one. It was time to go, as the fuel was rapidly running out, Visa gave the all clear sign (a quick grin) at around 2300m (7000ft) before 'edging' off the platform into the first rocket-powered-human-flight attempt.

The exit was stable and on-heading, after attaining normal bird-man flight, Visa requested full power from the engines, which responded smoothly in horizontal acceleration. After checking the altimeter several times, it was apparent that there was no appreciable loss in altitude for this period of time. Visa next changed his angle of attack by redirected the thrust and changing his body position to attain vertical climb. This caused a loss in horizontal speed, and stalled (the body?). Recovering from the stall was made easy because of the agility of the human body to change flight profile easily.
A few more attempts at this exercise yielded the same result. Pretty soon it became apparent that fuel consumption would soon terminate the level flight portion of the jump. Visa simply rode out the rest of the jump in level flight following the highway until the fuel ran out. Visa then continued in normal bird-man flight until deployment altitude. The deployment sequence was normal, and the landing was uneventful.

The jump has proven empirically that level human flight is possible and sustainable using the combination of jet engines and a bird-man suit. The strength required to control level flight was relatively easy, and controlling the direction of flight feels surprisingly natural. The duration of flight is simply a factor of the consumption of fuel of the engine(s) powering the flight.
Visa Parviainen has proven that with a little innovation, determination and courage it has been possible to realise the dream of uninhibited human flying.

By admin, in News, December 31, 2005

general
news

85 Way CRW World Record Set

A view like no other - until you have flown up next to 81 multi-colored parachutes, all hooked into formation, flying briskly
through the sky, its hard to explain the sheer beauty of it all. A diamond of parachutes, more than 250 feet tall, weighing in
at over 8 tons, yet flying quickly and effortlessly through the sky. Its large enough to show up on local air traffic radar,
visible for miles around - yet consisting merely of 85 individuals flying through the sky as one. You fly up next to it, watching
people dock, encouraging them on while waiting your turn. Listening to radio calls as the size the formation has built to is
being announced. Flying in flat and level from the side, coming to a stop right before you dock on the formation, and inching in
the last few feet. Looking across the formation at your mirror image, and seeing them docked and flying well. Knowing that the
formation is of record size, feeling the breeze in your hair and the wind on your face, Waiting for the starburst call, and
shortly after break off the air is filled with whoops and hollers as everyone can now celebrate. The feeling of accomplishment on
finishing the 85 way on our first attempt. Especially knowing that their were a few jumpers on the load, who albeit very
skilled, had never been on anything as large as a 25-way. The awe-inspiring view of seeing a formation this size - especially for
the first time - is something that is so difficult to explain. Pictures just don't do it justice.
The view from the inside would be just as spectacular. After you dock, people continue to dock all around you. Every direction
you look is a parachute, and everywhere you look is a person who is arched and looking up. Hearing the radio calls, knowing that
the formation is building well, mentally cheering those on who have yet to dock. Absorbing all of the waves and bumps that pass
through the formation as it builds, yet knowing without looking when each point of the diamond comes on as you can feel the
formation lean over and fly. Looking over your head at a tower of canopies as far as the eye can see - with nowhere to run to if
things go wrong.
In the daytime, the formation glowed in the sunshine - so many bright colors in stark contrast to the ground below. Flying so fast
in the center that the outsides are cupped back. Anyone who got behind would not be catching back up. On the sunset loads, the
colors all fade in the dusk sky, silhouetted against the fading sun, the local lakes still shimmering on the ground. All canopies
look the same, making the formation appear whole, instead of 81 individual pieces... That is until the starburst call occurs,
and all grips are dropped and the formation looks like fireworks going off in the sky.
It takes teamwork to build something as spectacular as what was built over Lake Wales last week. Everyone must have a good jump,
no malfunctions, or miscues can occur or the formation won't build. Break offs are carefully coordinated, with everyone leaving at
their assigned times, so that everyone can separate safely from the diamond just built. Much gear was swapped without thought -
canopies weights, connector links among many other things were freely traded as needed because everyone knew we had to work
together. Rusty Vest worked tirelessly doing repairs and repacks as need be over the week, as did other riggers. We had a whole
team of people just working on getting the radios working well and set up correctly so that everyone could hear as needed. The
video crew did a great job of filming all of the dives, both big and small, and sharing with us the film for debriefs. Our
pilots did a great job as well - unlike free fall loads where all planes fly in formation, our planes fly by at different
altitudes, needing to match not only the altitude of the ever-sinking formation but also while maintaining a slow airspeed for
exit.
Our leaders did a good job encouraging that teamwork - having wings work with their teams so everyone knew how to fly, to having
safety seminars so everyone knew how best to handle emergencies. They kept the team encouraged while fighting issues at the
beginning of the week, and engineered a beautiful formation that was so solid it was never in danger of having problems.
The formation seemed to grow more solid the larger it built, leaving no doubt in anyone's minds that a 100 way will soon be built.
It was only in 2002 that the organizing committee - Chris Gay, Mike Lewis, Dave Richardson, Chris Balisky, and added for this event,
Brian Pangburn broke the then world-record of a 53 way with a 57. That had stood since '96, and since 2002, we have grown the
record by 50%.
The dives are carefully engineered - from a VERY fast base - the top canopies are using micro-line, trailing pilot chutes, and
removable sliders, to faster, more heavily loaded canopies down the center line, to smaller canopies on the outside - this
formation was designed for speed, and fast it did fly. When building a formation of this size, everything from canopy size, to
body height to wing-loading to jumpsuit style must be considered to keep the formation flying well. If the formation
slows down, the outside canopies - those who only have one grip taken on them - can start to out fly the formation and when they go
too far forward, can wrap around the formation. We've never built a formation this wide before - it was only in 2003 that
we added the first row 9 wings, and now we've added row 10's.
It takes experience among the participants as well - the pilot of the formation - Mike Lewis - had to step down from piloting for
personal reasons, but Chris Gay stepped up to the plate, donning 90 pounds of lead plus gear so that he could jump the 193 up top
and keep the formation flying fast. 5 second splits were what were needed in between docks to have time for us to build this,
and people came through. Steve Sassetti and Liz Godwin, both with ankle injuries, continued to jump because they were
needed on the record. Steve hobbled to the airplane on crutches while taking the ashes of two of our former CRWmates - Scott
Fiore and Joel Zane, on the record with them. They died in a skydiving accident the previous year, but they flew on the record
with us.
The week was a spectacular one - skydivers and old friends coming from all over the globe - from as far away as Australia and
Russia. Listening to Aussie Sarge yell "Arch and look up" into the radio in our ears all week created quite a lot of chuckles
and a lot of imitations. I love the Australian Cane Toad I now have mounted on my rig, although I'm a bit hesitant about the
Vegemite I received as well. After Sarge was goaded into trying a southern delicacy - pickled pigs feet - he got his revenge by
forcing Chris to eat some Vegemite on toast. Judging by the expressions on their faces, I think Chris got the better deal!
Watching Chiara, a skydiver tot who is everyone's favorite, run around with Eugene's blow up doll was a source of great amusement.
The rubber band fight at the banquet where some of the judges seemed to be facing the most abuse luckily didn't sour them on us as
they still awarded us the record the next day. Remembering Marylou spraying champagne on everyone as her very poor poker face gave
away the fact that we had gotten the record. The celebration Friday night wasn't enough to keep us from breaking a record the
next day, but luckily for us, we didn't have to jump on Sunday, as the party at Ernie's house Saturday night probably would
have. Watching wrap videos, drinking beer, and eating well provided a spectacular celebration to end a most festive week.
The fun, the views, and the friendships are things never to be forgotten at an event like this. So much knowledge is spread when
you get a hundred of the best CRWdogs from around the globe together to accomplish a common goal.
Click here for more Photos and Videos of the Record

By faulknerwn, in Events, December 5, 2005

SkyVenture Colorado on Track

By admin, in News, December 5, 2005

Aerodyne announces the market release of the Mamba canopy

The Aerodyne Mamba is the ultimate high performance 9 cell elliptical designed with the more experienced pilot in mind that isn't looking for all the costs and pack volume issues associated with cross braced canopies. It is intended to compete with canopies like the Katana and Crossfire.
Edward "Bushman" Anderson, President of Aerodyne Research, describes how the Mamba came into existence: "This product is the result of 2 years of continued Research & Development and test jumping, with the final version of prototype being test jumped in cooperation with the Norwegian 4-way team Arcteryx. The team has approximately 1500 jumps on the Katana and therefore had a good platform to relate to, whilst evaluating the Mamba."
With a planform factor of 22.1 and an aspect ratio of 2.7:1 the Mamba is one of the most elliptical wings on the market today. As a comparison, the Pilot has a planform factor of 6.6 and the Vision 14.7. Despite its aggressive taper, the Mamba sports unparalleled openings and provides the jumper with a smooth controlled snivel & maximum forgiveness during inflation. It is extremely responsive to toggle input.
One of the most impressive features of the Mamba is the glide ratio. Recent tests against other high performance canopies show that the Mamba has a definite advantage in this performance arena. With the Mamba a jumper will increase the ability to get back from long spots and have the absolute longest swoop landings ever experienced under a non cross braced wing.
The Mamba has light toggle and riser pressure, allowing the jumper to explore all avenues of available control input and to maximize the performance of this new wing. By utilizing the light front riser pressure one can continue to increase both the speed with steep but controlled dives. The flare on the Mamba is powerful and easy to read, leaving you with total control of pitch angle. "From the moment you start your flare you will easily be able to gauge your distance and landing speed.
Experienced canopy pilots will find that the Mamba is easy to land while maximizing their swoop distance and control.", so reports Ole Petter Hjelle, team captain of Arcteryx. "Our team member Tore Buer has already flown the Mamba during swoop competitions and put respectable scores on the board!"
Design Features

Fully Elliptical Planform - Provides phenomenal flight performance and landings.
Pre Shaped Nose - Improved inflation and aerodynamics.
Zero Porosity Fabric - Provides increased durability & longevity
700 lb HMA Line - Provides exacting tolerance on line trims.
Aspect Ratio - 2.7:1
Planform Factor - 22.1
Available Sizes
90, 96, 104, 111, 117, 124, 132, 140 and 150 sq ft.
The retail price of the Mamba is fixed at $ 1999 and we are taking orders now.
Aerodyne International

By admin, in Gear, November 1, 2005

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