notsane

You'll also have to NOT dive after Tero, who may be wearing my SM-1! I don't know if it's the first off the line, but it must be close. The fit and finish are excellent. These pics are actually after I made my first 2 jumps on it. I'm such a pussy about jumping a new suit. I don't like bad surprises ... and the Stealth didn't give me any. It's easy to fly, with good inflation all around. If you've jumped a Mach 1 or SM-1 you'll be in your comfort zone. The leg wing does not stretch beyond the heels .. at pull time it can be deflated with some effort. I'm still looking for the right position with it to lay a proper base. My first efforts had the forward rate a little slow. I'll be working on that on Thursday ... your inputs will be appreciated. I'm a little surprised that Robi didn't put at least one PF logo on the back, though ...

I got my brand new Phoenix-Fly Stealth wingsuit Sunday. Check out my sweet new ride! Scott

All, The weather is looking pretty good here for the weekend. Count on highs of 84F and lows of 60F. A front may pass through Thursday or Friday with isolated thunderstorms, but it doesn't look like it will have anything near the punch that last week's front did. Fill out your waiver on-line at http://www.skydivecity.com/html/experienced/SkydiveCityCheck-InInformation.htm to save time. Buy plenty of jump tickets when you get here. They are refundable. If you plan on using the packers, Kahn and the crew at Nylon City do a great job. Kahn asks that you stow your brakes when you drop your gear where you're told, and tuck a packing ticket under the reserve flap. Buy your packing tickets ahead of time .. they also are refundable. Rob and Kathy of Morpheus will be there checking you in starting before 9AM on Friday. Check in as quickly as possible so we can get the party started. James Boole and I will be splitting up the big way folks, while Chuck (backed up by Robert and Robi) will be leading the flocking skills group. If you think you need some help with your flocking skills, I suggest you start with that group. If you show promise, you'll quickly be promoted to the big way groups. On the other hand, if you join the big way groups and get moved to the flocking skills group, there will be less time and a lower likelyhood that you'll be able to be promoted. Fair warning. For those of you who don't want to join the big way groups and want to play with a smaller group, Chuck, Robert and Robi will be helping you out there as well, although I'm sure they will want to be on a couple big way dives too! In any case, your organizer will provide you with a last minute briefing. The regular events will be in play ... a wingsuit race (without rigs) Saturday night, a great raffle and don't forget the 2nd annual Z-Flock Challenge! Watch in awe as the best of the best race for distance to win the pot! Can Jeff Nebelkopf hang on to his trophy?? We'll see Sunday morning. WaaHoo! Let's go!! Scott

Nice shots, April! You were busy with that camera. Now if someone could post some shots of you!

A bunch of people have put their names on the list lately, remember that you have to be registered to jump with the groups ... if you haven't registered, please do so immediately at www.baserigs.com , otherwise you will be delayed Friday morning registering instead of simply checking in ... you'll miss the first load! Friday morning usually drags a little as folks check in, but let's target 9AM Friday to get started. Saturday and Sunday we can start at 8:30AM. You hungover folks can miss the first load ... Scott

Macca, you are sick, sick, sick. Wasn't that restraining order enough warning?

Great vid, Phil! You're Mr Variety!

The ability of folks to hold slot in something like a 9-way diamond always amazes me. It realistically requires you to hold yourself at a 3D point that may be moving while paying attention in at least 2 directions. That's why I structure the really big formations with a minimum amount of symmetry (like the chevrons), where a flyer has only one direction to focus their attention in. The basic tenant of flocking is to fly relative to other people. If you have 4 or 5 similarly sized folks exiting together, flying the flock maxed out is easy. On the other hand, if you have 20 people strung out of an Otter, of all different sizes and suits, then someone either isn't going to be maxed out or they will not be in the formation. It's all about flying relative to each other. The base has to make a guess on exit whether to be a little slower forward/faster down (for vertical formations) or more maxed out (for flat formations). I say "a guess" because, as base, you can't see anyone behind you to know if they are catching up to the formation, struggling to stay with it or flying in a ball. It's all about setting a rate that's within everyone's comfort zone, if possible. If your suit can't fly dirty and/or flaps like a trash bag when you close it down a little, it might be time for a different suit. I've watched videos of our big ways where most folks were in a reasonable position; some strecthed out while others were legs-up ... and several suits stood out as flappers, even though the speed was reasonable. Again, it's all about flying relative .... us heavy guys should be wearing the big suits, and you skinny folks should consider a smaller suit for flocks. This isn't exactly news, the RW guys were doing this 30 years ago. We were trying things just a little differently in PR last week ... 1) Get out as quickly as possible 2) Be stable out the door 3) Visually acquire and dive to the formation; do not move across it EVER 4) Approach your slot from behind or from the side, and on level (for flat positions); from the front left or right (for stacked positions) to avoid the burble 5) RELAX and BREATHE! Start the chant .... Ohm ... Ohm ... Ohm ... don't hold those grippers with your fists, RELAX ... Ohm ... Ohm .... Scott

All, We have about 30 people currently registered. If you want to attend AND you want a shirt, you have to register ahead of time. If you just show up, there may not be a shirt for you. www.baserigs.com Also, it's looking like we're not going to have the throngs of wingsuiters that could have showed up. This means we can more easily concentrate on technical dives over sheer size ... I'm sensing a perfect 16/25/36 way coming up! Scott

Great shots, Matt! That one shot of me with my mouth open was taken first thing in the morning ... I'm actually yawning.

Thanks to EVERYONE for another great PR wingsuiting event! Viv and Jason for all the planning and hard work Justin for helping out with the organizing Matt and Scotty for all the great camera work ... and all you flockers for working my crazy dive plans! I can't wait to see more pics and video! Next year will be even more fun. WINGSUIT SKYDIVING DOESN'T SUCK!! Scott

That sounds like fun, Scott! I'll bring the hacksaw, you bring the beer!!

Very nice, Matt! It must have been a bitch editing around the fog circles. That was one humiod weekend!

Yawn.

Some more last-minute reminders ... Check your repack date .... your reserve needs to be in date through the end of the event. http://www.skydiveorange.com/wenamidoo.aspx log book and license in your carry-on luggage floatation gear, CO2 in checked bagage only hook knife in checked baggage You may want to print these to take along ... USPA travel tips: http://www.uspa.org/membership/travel/rigs.htm#tsa TSA rules: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1147.shtm spare batts for audible & neptune ALSO, some of you may have noticed that the registration site is not secure, and will transmit your credit card information over the Internet in the clear. If you like you can call Viv or Jason with your card number (of course, don't use a mobile phone) ... (787) 852-5757

Viviana tells me that most of the folks on this list have not yet registered. If you haven't, please register as soon as possible! http://www.xtremedivers.com/boogie.shtml

The on-line registration page is active ... follow the links from http://www.baserigs.com

A lot of Canadians tend to hang out here at Z-Hills ... it's hard to say why ...

My biggest anvil-RW experience is 40 people. I've noted that on the records attempts, they kill one or two people every other event on breakoff. Here's where I'm coming from: 1) We haven't had an issue in the past with how we did breakoffs with as many as 60 people in the air and I don't expect we'd have a problem this time, 180 degree turns included. 2) But, I'm afraid we may be depending on dumb luck to keep us safe. Just because you've done something 10 times without getting hurt doesn't mean its safe. 3) I've watched plenty of big anvil-ways and their breakoff procedures. At preset altitudes, groups leave the formation to open at preset hard-decks. This, plus situational awareness usually results in both horizontal and vertical separation, as well as openings being staggered in time. (Please correct me if I'm missing something important here due to my lack of experience.) One of my last posts proposed a variation on this procedure to allow for our different fall angle. 4) The whole point here is to try to raise the safety bar. "I guess we should have thought of that" is a shitty way to word a note to the victim's relatives. This isn't an exercise to decrease the fun, it's so we can all go home afterwards. So, if you've got a proposal, let's hear it. Scott

I absolutely want a discussion about this to come up with the best possible solution. But Jeff, we have GOT to work on your punctuation ... Let's say we assume stragglers are following the formation at breakoff altitude in spite of being told otherwise and we enforce a 90 degree or less rule for the formation. We have to consider possible intersecting flightpaths horizontally as well as vertically. What if the outside wing formations break off as a group (a 90 degree outside turn), move into max flight mode and then pull slightly high.The front groups continue forward at flocking speed, stay in flocking speed during breakoff and pull lower. This might keep people apart horizontally, vertically and in time. Thoughts? Scott

Very nice, Matt. Of course, that was F&D 3.5, not 4.

Jarno, It's an odd thing about human psychology ... people don't respond well to being called stupid. In spite of that I'm still interested to hear, from your vast experience at planning big-way wingsuit breakoffs, what exactly you would propose. Scott

With respect to limiting the break-off to 90 degree or less turns, you have to bear in mind that you're trading off the possibility of a collision with a straggler (which can be mitigated by them leaving the area early) against doubling the congestion each and every break-off. Selecting between a possibility and a certainty ... I'll pick the possibility. I control the location of the break-off since I spot the load and fly base everytime. I'm not immune from making a mistake, but my track record is pretty good. My idea for staging the breakoff is the following. I key the breakoff, but everyone's audible is set for the same altitude. At that time, everyone should turn their heads and look towards the outside of the formation. Using the left side as an example, the lead chevron flyer on the far outside turns 180 degrees. The rear chevron person follows him, flying a few degrees right. The next lead chevron flyer follows the turning rear flyer, again flying a few degrees right. Everyone peels off like a flight of F-15's turning for landing. We may start this a little higher the first few times to make sure everyone has the idea.

Of course, having any stragglers at all defeats the purpose of completing the formation ...

Jarno, On unstructured flocks we normally ask that anyone who hasn't joined the flock by 6000' should turn 180 degrees and depart the busy area. I will add that caution to the list. I don't think that asking the outside folks to turn 180 degrees is more hazardous than 90 degrees, unless, like you mentioned, that there are stragglers hanging out there. Thanks! Scott