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I think that's wonderful news! I've jumped at the convention... if you setup right.. it's no different than any other busy DZ.. student jumpers are last off the plane.. and land out past the swoop pond.. I mean.. if you can't land in that area then you don't belong flying a canopy anyway even as a 1st timer.. that LZ is HUGE over there (at least a couple of football fields worth). I've landed little grass strips next to the runway not even big enough for my canopy, so that humongo lz was a breeze!!! Anyway... I wouldn't have gone without an experienced WFFC jumper & coach (and I didn't) but still.. I think it's great they are opening it up for lower jump numbers. Jeez too.. the last couple of years, there's hardly been too much jumping or activity.. it's been pretty slow. Besides.. Skydive Chicago does AFF there, so there already are inexperienced jumpers in the air all the time.. this just means more people will use the big LZ where the spectators can get more excited.. seems no experienced jumpers like the long walk back.. but I'm more than happy to take it myself.. better safe than sorry!!!!! Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Air, Dawn Suiter PMTS #3

quoting myself here Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Air, Dawn Suiter PMTS #3

shoes - $12.99 haircut - $28 with tip sheets - $35 at walmart working for myself at my own pace, & on what I want which leaves oodles of free time for fun & family... $$ PRICELESS spending less, allows me to make less money.. I've lived both lifestyles.. and I wouldn't go back for anything. Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Air, Dawn Suiter PMTS #3

Hi! You could also contact Rosa vanillaskygirl@dropzone.com she's PMTS #2 and a Delegate and flys in SVP regularly..! Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Air, Dawn Suiter PMTS #3

Most of us practice tracking in the tunnel.. we call if forward for the most part.. but any of the US tunnels can be used for tracking practice.. and the wall-less variety allows you to go a bit farther with the motion.. although this seems to be a sentiment most skydivers disagree with. and on topic.. we recommend all students (at any tunnel) start with a minimum of 30 minutes and prefer that you spend 1 hour over the course of your first day.. This in my experience is not too much by any means and will give you the solid start you might be looking for. Of course this would be broken up over the course of a few hours.. you shouldn't be made to fly it all at once or even in 2 sessions.. that wouldn't be condusive to learning. Just make sure and take your time and go at your pace. Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Air, Dawn Suiter PMTS #3

I think that it's the living room... but if you have BOTH rooms in your house.. then you use the family room for the family stuff and living room for guests... but to be clear, as I only have one room for all that, we call it a living room, and we do in fact LIVE in it 16 hours a day (most days)! (my office is in the living room too)

Keith.. we gotta work on that avatar of yours! I have flown 6 tunnels.. off an on for years now.. I have assisted with the operation and setup of at least 4 different facilities and have amassed a bit of time myself.. Here's how I look at it.. For 23+ years.. both Flyaways & later Ft. Bragg too have been training champion tunnelrats, skydivers & teams.. freeflying in the tunnel expanded skydiving. I learned to fly in an outdoor portable.. not my preferred tunnel by any means, contrary to the "what you learn" sentiment.. My skills translated immediately from Powerflyte, to Orlando, to Lifted Entertainment, to Flyaway & Adren-l-n.. but I didn't visit another tunnel until I had about 5 hours of solid flying under my wings. I was taught by the 'old school' flyers who made you work your way up with trial and error, they never let you advance too quickly and you must have mastered one skill before adding another.. I had to learn to fly each tunnel in 4 different suits, usually different sizes different airspeeds.. I had to learn to fly with no arms, one arm, no legs, legs crossed, eyes closed.. etc. Saftey procedures were the first few hours and until I could fly with my eyes closed.. I NEVER felt that comfortable!!! Incidentally, I'm solid.. in the sky, and in the tunnel.. it doesn't matter. These skills seem to be practiced very little these days and it makes me wonder about the "depth" of instruction out there at other tunnels.. but really, it only matters what your trying to learn.. if your trying to become a better tunnel rat.. those are skills, that in my opinion are required. I figure that if you NEED ANYTHING BUT AIR to fly.. then that means that you need to learn to fly better.. if you can't fly comfortably in all the tunnels.. then your not really flyin yet.. Once you can perform in all of the environments.. then your on your way to really understanding it! By that time though.. you've learned that airpseed does not equal skill and skill allows you to perform better at slower airspeed. If I could teach everyone one thing.. it would be how to fly BIGGER.. not smaller.. It KILLS me to see anyone with weights on in the tunnel.. seems like the others in the group could learn to fly bigger.. So..in the end I say.. if you don't fly other tunnels.. your missing out on a way to enhance your skills! if you just fly your local tunnel and don't travel.. then your missing out on alot. I won't list off all the tunnels and give user comments.. there's too much info & comments on my site like that.. BUT my Favorite Tunnels to fly in are: Appalachian Amusement Center (the cleanest & only quiet tunnel we moved from Florida to be closer) Flyaway Indoor Skydiving (with over 20 years experience they really have great coaching & an understanding of how different people fly) & Lifted Entertainment (the fastest portable VWT I've been in, that is still operating anyway) FYI SVO would come in 4th but the lights & the noise really get to me.. I have heard though that it's been made quieter so I'll be glad to check that out soon! Pink Suits, Dawn Suiter PMTS #3

HECK YES!! She'll have flown in at least 10 tunnels then! How cool.. 10 tunnels at 10 years old... we'll have to have a HUGE celebration!! Maybe you can trek on over to Perris with us... we would ALL like that! We're gonna try and fly her next time at AAC at like 540 rpms mabye like 85 - 90 mph or so.. it'll be tough for ME but It will be cool for us to fly together.. I may STILL need to hold her down.. I mean she ONLY WEIGHS like 75 lbs. I'll be sure to send you video of that one! Miss you soo much.. you'll have to let Me & Lexi induct Cheryln & the kid when we're there! -Dawn Marie

The simple initiation involves you, a PMTS Delegate, and a Barbie™ doll, a tradition handed down by our skysisters, the founding PMS! Your initiating delegate will provide the Barbie™, all you have to do is express an interest by getting in touch with a delegate, and buying your flight time! After giving you some time to get familiar with your environment, your delegate will fly over to you with Barbie™ and you will be expected to then take her, performing a ‘pass’. If you’re just starting out in the tunnel (or are at a SkyVenture), you’ll simply have to ‘dock’ on Barbie™, meaning touch/hold her while your Delgate maintains control of the doll.

Your too sweet! Thanks! I really wish we could've worked with you more while you were at Flyaway or AAC.. I know how frustrating it can be switching tunnels and not being able to fly at either one like you expect to.. I'm sure next time, after all these PMTS inductions, you'll have more control and we'll be able to give you more air than 105-110mph, and hopefuly you'll be able to fly more than an hour on your next visit. You'll see.. you'll be a bonafide tunnel rat before you know it! Keep on keepin on, and bringin in those sisters! Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Air, Dawn Suiter

Hey Paige.. Are you able to correct any of those pics?? It would be great if we could actually SEE the fun you all were having... Welcome Girls!

I would like you all to meet Roxana, aka Rox She's a 2nd grade teacher, a photographer and a drummer in 2 bands! Rox is a fun & wonderful girl with lots of love in her heart for life & flying! I am proud to have called her a friend for several years, and I'm gushing with pride as she is now one of our sisters! Rox PMTS #6 completed her induction at AAC on May 24, 2005 at approximately 8pm. ******************************* Additional sister introductions to follow ******************************* Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Air, Dawn Suiter PMTS #3

I was thinking the same thing.. only about the "Coming Summer 2005" part

Well.. while I can certainly understand the magnitude of doing the market research.. it is certainly wise then for you NOT to plan on opening a tunnel and only considering the possibility for a while... most of today's stable operations were researched for several months before the decision was finally made..to buy. THEN the decision moves to which one.. until recently there hasn't been many choices, but fortunatly there is a good range of quality tunnels now. If you can't think bigger, then I would hold back.. it's not a great idea to put all your eggs in one basket.. Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Air, Dawn Suiter PMTS #3

Hi, Please don't make the mistakes of so many before you.. I could list dozens of tunnels who did NOT allow enough money in thier budget to operate for at least 1 year, and who are now a faint memory in almost NO ONE'S memory... a years cushion is EXTREMELY advisable if you wish to stay open long term... Income potential is limited with most tunnels available but not all.. there are only so many minutes you can sell in a single flight area in a day, this is often overlooked in the beginning stages of research (I have no idea how far along you are).. so remember too look at the facility as being able to serve MULTI purposes.. Build additional complimentary businesses into the complex.. the chances of your success will be greater.. a cafe/coffee shop is a great way to get people visiting, watching & spending money even if they aren't flying.. create a bigger market than just Tshirts & the sale of High Speed Air.. I'm sure you get what I mean... Just a couple of thoughts for you now.. Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Air, Dawn Suiter PMTS #3 http://www.bodyflight.net/profiles/DawnSuiter

OMG... I LOVE the movie ENOUGH.. perhaps it's a reflection on my personality but what a KICK ASS MOVIE! Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Air, Dawn Suiter PMTS #3

Starship Troopers! Pink Suits & Fast Air Dawn Suiter PMTS #3

Awesome Researching Girl!!!

That's as FUNNY as a SCREEN DOOR in a Submarine!!! Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Air, Dawn Suiter PMTS #3

DUH!!! I screwed up the winning order of the guys.. (or so I'm told) OFFICIAL CORRECTION 1st place: Dave Utz of Bodyflying AG 2nd place: Wes Evens of Flyaway PF 3d place: Keith Kimbrough of Flyaway PF Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Air, Dawn Suiter PMTS #3 You could be Next!

That's hilarious, and only because I also have found the same thing! I know WAY too many people injured by Golf Carts!!! No injuries for me yet... although that's pretty normal I'd say for my low numbers... Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Air, Dawn Suiter PMTS #3 You could be Next!

I don't know Scratch but it's nice to know that at least 50% of that list is still alive and skydiving (at least occasionally)! 'Sup Brian

End result summary: 6 competitors.. 1st place: Dave Utz 2nd place: Keith Kimbrough of Flyaway PF 3d place: Wes Evens of Flyaway PF WAY TO GO GUYS!!! Andy.. is Dave from Bodyflying AG???

I'm posting this for your information, it showed up in my email last night... there are several BLATENT lies in this article but hey.. and I just absolutely HATE how Tim John likes to spin wind tunnel flying as Xtreme & Lifethreatening!!! I totally and completely disagree.. What I don't get mostly is why he would discount his previous world championship held a couple years ago... talk about a strange move for someone trying to gain credibility in the industry... ********************************8 Vertical wind tunnel competition blows into Grand Rapids Friday, May 20, 2005 By Barbara Beal Schmid The Grand Rapids Press Crank up a DC-3 airplane propeller that blasts a column of air vertically into the sky. Toss in a few gonzo athletes. And let the games begin. The X-Treme Air World Championships take place today, at Ah-Nab-Awan Park in downtown Grand Rapids. It will be the first vertical wind tunnel competition on the planet, said event director Tim John, owner of TjohnE Productions in Grand Rapids, producing the event. "We have the best flyers coming in," John said. "There still aren't that many world class wind tunnelers. These young guys are getting in on the ground floor of this sport, kind of like Tony Hawk did for skateboarding." So if you thought wind tunnels were only used to test the aerodynamics of cars, think again. Once a wind tunnel is turned vertically, it becomes an invisible playground for daring athletes who want to fly. Think Wesley Snipes in the film, "Drop Zone," and you get the idea. Resident flyer Matthew Kornoely of Grand Rapids, one of seven competitors in the X-Treme Air World Championships, first leaned into a wind tunnel nine years ago. Since then, he's also taken up sky diving to help fuel his desire to fly through the air. "I had no idea how to fly at the time," Kornoely said of his first wind tunnel experience. "It was so fast and it kind of blows you around. You don't know what to expect the first time you try it. Now I've honed my skills down and I don't have that crazy, out-of-control thing going. I'm more focused. "When I'm in a wind tunnel, I'm training to be a better sky diver. The wind tunnel recreates the free fall aspect of sky diving before you deploy your canopy. You're flipping and spinning and twisting and going crazy." The other competitors are: Dave Utz, Switzerland; Wes Evans, Montgomery, Ala.; Jason Walker, Morristown, Tenn.; Mike Immer, Switzerland; Brandon Blowers, Boone, N.C. and Keith Kimbrough, Morristown, Tenn. During the competition, each athlete will have two runs in the wind tunnel, where they will perform acrobatic tricks 40 feet in the air. The top two finalists will then compete for the $1,500 first prize. Judges are the flyers themselves: Gary Speer of Flyaway Indoor Skydiving in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and Las Vegas, and Brett Sisson, owner of Wind, Waves and Wheels in Grand Rapids. A professional film crew will also be on hand to record the event. "They do a lot of the same tricks as sky divers," John said. "But when you jump out of an airplane, you have the whole sky. It's much more difficult when you have to stay within a tunnel of air." The free festivities at Ah-Nab-Awan Park will begin at 6 p.m. with entertainment by The ARK Band, a Reggae band from St. Lucia. The Warp Brothers, a techno-metal band from Germany, is the second act. The X-Treme Air World Championships begin at 7:30 p.m. and will last approximately an hour. "We'll climb onto this giant inflatable donut and the air will start blowing and we'll step in there," Kornoely said. "That's a scary thing in itself. A lot of stationary wind tunnels have walls that you can kick off of or bump into. In this competition we won't have any support around us, so we're open to the sky. It's very dangerous." ****************** Posted from http://www.mlive.com/sports/grpress/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/1116600301268030.xml ****************** Tim was very disappointed that John didn't go this time.. he wanted to bill him as the "old timer" of the sport, and wanted to put him up against the younger guys.. I wasn't in support of this at all, that combined with other reasons, and John didn't attend.. I sure hope Wes won.. he certainly deserves it after placing 3rd in the last one!! Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Air, Dawn Suiter PMTS #3 You could be Next!

[sticks out tongue] Yeah, well.. as I said in email... "clunky" I should be out there in late September for Jump for the Cause..... doing a 4 tunnel tour... eloy, perris, vegas & hopefull American Dream near El Paso!! So LINE UP THE gals for me baby! I'll be inducting Pink Mafia Tunnel chicks while I'm there! Pink Suits, Blue Skies & Fast Air, Dawn Suiter PMTS #3 You could be Next!