Levin

there are 4 teams featured on www.freeflyers.com. hopefully one day Dan will finnish the website. when it is complete there will be 7 or 8 teams featured. but as things have been going, this website has already been over a year in the making . Levin vSCS#3 www.freeflyers.com

weather.com says 30% isolated t-storms sunday and sunny tomorrow with 20% chance of precip. But considering weather.com's trusted trac-record of possitive predictions we could just as likely experience a great flood any minute. Levin vSCS#3 www.freeflyers.com

I was trying hard to go my first 1000 jumps without a cut-away. On my 515 jump I started jumping an Alpha84 (very nice canopy once open)which seriously stacked the odds not in my favor. My pack jobs are very consistent and neat. Infact quit often I like to describe them as perfect. The Alpha typically had consistent mostly on heading openings. But on about 1 jump out of every 8 or 10 openings the canopy demonstrated a talent for self inducing line twist for no other reason than just to spin up. After almost being hit by someone in freefall twice I have developed a minor phobia of people exiting behind me. When possible I prefer to exit last and pull high. So most of the time the canopy opened with twist I was high and always had time to deal with stuff. Still somewhat to my suprise, the canopy usually did not dive. Most of the time it stayed stable enough that I could get myself out of the twist without any extra drama or trama (at the time jumping that canopy did little to help me relax on my skydives). Then on jump 679 I broke off from the dive early and was under canopy at 4k (information recalled from logbook). Since I had the extra altitude I guess my trusty ol' Alpha figured I plenty time to play with some suprise twist. I was quickly on my back. The final split second of the opening was slightly violent enough to offset the weight in my harness enough to dive the canopy and put me on my back. Only this time I couldn't roll over. I couldn't turn myself out of the twist. Infact it was enough just to keep from slowly turning into another twist. I thought to myself okay this one is it. This time I have to do it. Igotafirm grip on my cut-away with both hands. I bent my neck as farback as possible to keep the camera box out of the risers while at the same time keeping the malfunctioned main perfectly in frame. No way I was missing this shot. Then I did it and wheeeeeee!!!!! The Alpha was spinning so fast that when I cut-away it sling shot the hell out of me. I was kicking and swimming with both my arms and my legs. I swear it seemed like at least a couple of seconds before my trajectory felt like it had changed from horizontal to vertical. What Fun!! I'm guessing I cut the canopy away between 1800 & 2200. My dytter siren set at 1500 started going off as the reserve lifted me up. After I got down and let a coupleof seconds go by I was all smiles. While I was looking for my freebag and main. I was mentally trying to juggle finances to see if I might be able to afford an intentional cut-away rig. When I got back to the hanger I looked at the video and the darn lens fogged up right after opening. My video clip of cut-away was of a yellow blurr. It's kinda there and then it's not. My second cut-away was also with my Alpha on jump number 692, 10 days later. I didn't record the reason why in my book but for some reason I went low on a 3-way. I guess maybe to video an opening. I use to do that alot. My altimeter said 2000k when I looked just before I threw out. I'm guessing I actually started opening around 1800 -1900'. I looked up and the canopy was a snivelin and a spinning. I remember the length of the twist on the line set looked to be about 4 inches tall. I cut-away the canopy just before it fully inflated. A 1/2 back flip and I was under my reserve (Dash-M109). Even though I was straight over the property I opened with my back to the runway. Under the stress of the situation I did not immediately recognize where I was. Only bad thing was considering my altitude I had to immediately land. My Raven is much more of a friend than the Alpha. It landed me safely going sideways since I didn't know where to turn to face into the wind. I remember after both cut-aways wanting to immediatly get back in the air. And I also held on to my handels both times. On jump number 823 (i believe) I broke my ankle with a lazy flare coming into swoop. Even though that one was not the Alpha's fault I had decided I had enough of the canopy. Which meant, time to down size. I sold the Alpha and used the $$ to buy my first BASE container and then put a new FX74 on the C.C. The FX is the best opening canopy I have had by far. It even opens a little better than my spectre120. Of course I wouldn't depend on it like my Spectre. Right now I have 1341 jumps and almost 500 jumps on my FX. Of those 500 jumps I have had a single 1/2 twist when I pulled out of a hard enough track that it flung my feet in front of me. THE END Levin vSCS#3 www.freeflyers.com

if you are visiting here for the first time this weekend you should come jump with us at Skydive Houston before you go to Spaceland. Skydive Houston is a nice, very relaxed, scenic DZ that just so happens to have a rare polka dotted porter this weekend. Skydive Spaceland is always best to go to last because once you get there you will be so blown away that the thought of going somewhere else will likely never cross your mind. Have a good weekend in Houston Levin vSCS#3 www.freeflyers.com

i ballmastered for eric butts and he almost did it in a sit. It wasn't totally pretty but he almost did it none the less. Spent a little to much time stationary relative to it and a litle too much time watching one very nice wingover and descent. He grabbed it with both hands. The actual grip was nice but after the ball was in both hands he would fall backon his butt and decelerate fora moment before he put it back in the air. Which was also done pretty controlled. He's a good sitflyer. Robert, you coming out this weekend to jump the polka dotted porter? Nick has to leave early Saturday and won't be out Sunday so I'm up for some fun jumps this weekend if your gonna be out. Oh and to answer your question again I'm not sure if anybody has taken the actual test in a sit but a handful of people have done the requirements for a simulated test or unofficial AD in a sit position. If you'd like come out this weekend and i'll go up with ya and you can try it if you want. I know I couldn't do it but from video I've seen and the TSL meets I know your sitting pretty good. Levin vSCR#17 www.freeflyers.com

did I not say in the last line of the text you quoted me for that their intended use is as a training aid? good point. I think you quoted me for saying that too. I agree with just about everything you have said. I agree with your anology and I agree that it is preparing. But it IS also cheating. You say it is similar. It is not similar. It is the same. A weighted tennis ball is a weighted tennis ball. It doesn't matter who owns it or jumps it with you. It is still a weighted tennis ball. Regarding your analogy it is the same test question. If you want to do something similar then have someone hold their fist out to simulate a ball. O.K. maybe you're right. A license to freefly is a pretty loose term. Maybe it's certificate of achievement or a respected title with unlimited bragging rights. For some it's a membership to some preconceived in-club. But for the sake of argument we'll call it a merit badge. Regardless of what it is or who issued it, it is an entrance pass or "license" to compete in the Space Games or what remains of them. It is also recognized by many as a level of proficiency. Otherwise neither you nor anybody else would care and we wouldn't be having this debate. I see much similarity between USPA's A,B,C, & D licenses and Olav's AD licenses. Both have a few simply stated and attainable requirements and both are recognized as levels of proficiency. Why say Olav's AD cannot be called a license. Neither have any legal backing. I am curious if you would call Olav's merit badges licenses if his freefly school was a not for profit organization. That's the general idea. When you think you are ready, go take the "test" and see if you can do it. You seem to be really hung up on the economics of this test. You also seem to have some preconceived misconception that Olav is trying to scheme you out of all your jump money. Olav used his name, status as of the best in the world, and influence in the sport to create a successful system for categorizing freeflyers based on their skill. It’s successful not because Olav created it but because of the competitive nature of the sport and ourselves. It’s successful because we acknowledge, accept, recognize, place value and status on and strive to obtain his freefly “licenses”. Olav offers a service and charges for it. It’s our “need” for this service that makes people think he is charging too much or trying to screw us out of our jump money. If it’s something luxury that we can do without then it doesn’t matter what it cost, but if we got to have it then we shouldn’t have to pay for it, right? There is no shame in what Olav is doing. It’s his deal and he can charge what he wants. The test may seem expensive but as far as the dollar is concerned it is the same as a coach jump + slots. He is a world-class flyer. The mass skydiving population seems to approve of world-class freeflyers charging outrageous amounts for coaching. You are jumping with Olav. The ball is a training aid, therefore you are learning which makes it a coach jump. I doubt seriously Olav says you failed and doesn't tell you what you did wrong. I also doubt seriously that he likes to tell people they failed. After all it is he that recommends that you wait until you are ready. Those that follow that advice pass the test the first time. Those without patience or those simply after a low number pay him for the test several times. And they pay it by choice. Not because Olav makes them. If there is a problem with it, then that is our fault for paying him. If what he is doing is morally wrong then that is our fault for approving of and accepting his system. If there really was a problem then someone could easily duplicate the AD system minus it’s current flaws and call it something else. But that hasn’t happened because the mass majority of the upcoming freeflying population is content with the system in place and the rest of the world-class freeflying population doesn’t seem to care or give it much thought. Since I've written so much about AD test now I'm going to go ahead and thro my 2 cents in regarding it. There are somethings I wonder about the test and somethings I don't like about it but over all I think it has/had potential to be a good system. The AD test defines an accomplished freeflyer as one who has mastered certain (but not all) aspects of freeflying. I wonder if these certain areas are enough to consider one accomplished. The areas that mostly pertain to the test are headdown and the axis'. Sitflying is not highly emphasized and belly flying is not likely applicable. These four areas together plus backflying and tracking are generally considered to be total bodyflight. Shouldn't a freeflyer be fluent in all these areas to be considered accomplished. I think the AD system would be even more popular and lucrative and could possibly become an industry standard if it was more georgraphically accessible. But by self regulating it in it's entirity, Olav has put a cripling restriction on the growth and future of his own AD system. I do not believe the requirements for the ADA are high enough. For an entry level "license" I think HD skills should be emphasized more than axis. HD skills could be tested by falling relative, one and two hand grips, hand switches, tapping and chasing and close proximity carving. These skills better demonstrate a freeflyers control, stability and ability to fly a particular body position which is a prequesite for mastering your axis relative to a ball. As of right now the ADA can be passed by someone that barely has enough control over their flying to keep from causing an accident. I consider someone with an AD-B thru D to be an exceptional freeflyer. But the ADA carries absolutely no weight with me. I have heard that Olav is selective with who can take the C & D test. I do not know that to be fact. It is simply rumor. But if it is true then my final complaint about the AD test would be that it needs to be available to anyone that qualifies. Available to anyone georgraphically and without any kind of discrimination. Apoil, I personally question your motives for wanting to take the test. As you have said yourself it is a skills test. Don't forget that it is the accomplishment of those skills that you should be most proud of, not a number or a rank in a pecking order. The test is designed to test your skills and your marbles by jumping with a ball for the first time. If you are simply in a hurry to get a low number then go practice up with another ball so that Olav won't be able to take as much of your money. But if the test is about you instead of a low number then you are only taking away from the over all experience and effectiveness of the test by jumping with a ball prior. My brother is a golfer and I like his philosophy. The only person you are cheating is yourself. Levin vSCR#17 www.freeflyers.com

David Armstrong will be there. Levin vSCR#17 www.freeflyers.com

I think you are missing the point. The initial "test" does more than simply test your skills. It also test your level of awareness. That's why it is recommended that you do not jump with a ball before hand. That is a recommendation for the 'A' test only. To qualify for a B, C or D you must first pass the A. That means to get one of the upper level licenses you must have already taken the 'A' test and thus already jumped with a ball. Therefore it doesn't matter how much you use the ball to prepare for B, C & D. Afterall, it's intended use is as a training aid. Levin vSCS#3 www.freeflyers.com edit: typos

I think it's an excellent analogy. The knowledge is already knowing what it is like to jump with a ball. Thus you have an advantage (or cheat sheet). Levin vSCS#3 www.freeflyers.com

I learned out of c182's. Took me about 8 to 10 jumps to be able to hold sit for entire jump. About another 30 to become stable. Took me about 300 HD jumps (w/out coaching) just to get correct body position. Levin vSCS#3

Thanks for pointing that out. That was not my intention and I apologize to matter clothing for seeming to do so. Actually that implication was to another company and I didn't mention their name. I've never seen and until a couple of weeks ago have never heard of matter clothing or their products. Therefore I assume they are a new company. Generally I usually wait until the bugs are worked out of any new product before I buy one. Especially if it's skydiving related. Not too long ago a new company in South America began selling suits real cheap. I was fortunate to see a couple of their early models and I have to say they were truly designed like shit. Looked like big pillow cases with arms and legs. Those particular suits were not matter clothing products. Again I have never seen nor heard of them. For all I know they could have the best product. I won't know until I see it. But in all honesty I really don't care, which brings me back to "plugging my favorite companies". I believe Sherry and Shelly have some of the best customer service in the industry. I think that Shelly has an amazing ability to fit the right suit for any size jumper. This is one company that I never hear complaints about. Except maybe long wait times of up to 12 weeks. This year they have been swamped with orders coupled with relocating to the other side of the country which involves obvious delays including training a new staff. But I bet alot of happy skydivers out there found their final product to be wellworth that wait. As far as them hooking me up with stuff, I have never personally accepted anything for free from them. Their is too much work involved in our suits to ask Shelly to donate us that much of her time. We paid full price ($340 each 2.5 yrs ago) for our first team suits and 50% off ($200 each) for the rest. All total $2020 for team jump suits. The only thing I have accepted for free from them is a free pair of pants that I am giving away as one of several 1st place prizes for the 2nd annual Fastest Man Contest at Skydive Houston this Labor Day. If I truly believe a company to be "the best", I will fully promote them without a need for compensation. The only other skydiving related company that I can lump into this category is L&B, makers of the Pro-Track and Pro-Dytter. Levin vSCR#17

I got a totally unexpected spam mail from them today. I'm trying to remember hard, but I think this is a first from a skydiving related business. Since it's nothing to celebrate I think matter clothing should buy the beer. As far as freefly pants are concerned I recommend calling Firefly Suits. Tell Sherry that your a big guy and you need to slow down.She'll fix you up. Unlike matter suits, Firefly pants are custom made to fit. You may have to wait a few weeks for them. For that wait you will get a proven pair of freefly pants from a proven company with some of the best customer service out there. Levin vSCR#17

I really wouldn't sweat it. Think about it for a second. When you do your test you will be jumping with a base that is falling perfectly straight down at a comfortable speed. It's not moving around, won't do anything unexpected or anything that could get you killed. What more could you want? Except maybe something that smiles back and slows down to let you catch up if for some reason you decellerate. Don't take your eyes off and you won't loose sight of it. If you do loose sight of it, find your ballmaster and you will find the ball. Grabbing it is no different than docking on a formation. Fly to and stop no further than 2 feet away. Perfectly match the fallrate and fly your slot. Then with both hands grab the ball. I recommend chest level and if you're a light weight like me then a t-shirt wouldn't be a bad idea. Keep your arm steady when you release the ball. Any motion and it will move away from you. And if I was you I wouldn't go do a couple of practice jumps with a ball beforehand (unless you are simply taking it for the AD#) . Your paying a $100 for the jump. Why take away from the experience. If you are as ready as you say you are then you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Most people I know that I have taken it, finished the test by 9k. Good Luck! Levin vSCR#17 edit: BTW, if you take the test from a super otter then you will be exiting from the camera step. If you've ever tried to video an exit and got left on the plane and had to dive from the step, then that is your exit with the ball. It will seem like it takes off quick but you will match the fallrate and catch up to it probably before you are off the hill.

Thanks for the link. I didn't know they had a full blown competition circuit over seas. I guess there's not as much interest in it here in the States. Don't suppose you have link handy to a metric to english conversion table. Levin vSCS#3 edit: fix more typos

I had to think about this one for a minute. I can't think of any reason why weight belts would not be allowed. I certainly wouldn't recommend piling on so much weight that you have to borrow a larger rig. For this type of skydive you should wear properly fitting gear and you should be familiar with the rig you are jumping. IMO, technique is much more important than dead weight. Levin vSCS#3

-cross posted in freefly forum- __________________________________________________ 2nd annual "Fastest Man Contest" Labor Day, September 1st Skydive Houston 1st Place - 1st place plaque, free Pro-Track, full free day of jumps (one rig only), 100% off Firefly Freefly Pants 2nd Place - 2nd place plaque, free Pro Dytter, 5 free jumps, 50% off Firefly Freefly Pants 3rd Place- 3rd place plaque, 3 free jumps fom Skydive Houston Pro-Tracks will be provided to all contestants each jump to record competition speeds. Contestants may make as many attempts as they want but demo Pro-Tracks will limit the number of contestants per load to eight. Your entry fee is your jump ticket. All Pro-Tracks will be set to "true airspeed" and worn externally on each contestants rig. At 270mph a skydiver will fall a 1000' in approximately 2.5 seconds. Traveling at 270mph a skydiver who decides to go "flat" at 2000' to decelerate for canopy opening may or may not have adequete time for a safe deployment. Therefore, each contestant is required to wear an audible altimeter. It is recommended that altitude warnings be set at 6500', 4000' and 2500'. Anybody that is interested in competing and does not have an audible needs to borrow one or email me in advance and I'll see if I can find or provide one. Contestants may not use speeds recorded on their own audible altimeters. Only speeds recorded on the contest provided demo Pro-Tracks will be recognized. Pro-Tracks will be cleared after each use. In the event of a tie, 1st place will go to the 1st contestant to record the top speed. Ground coaching will be available for safety and technique. Last years winners were 1st place Thomas McDow @ 292mph and 2nd place John Rich @ 250mph. The contest last all day, from first load till sunset. The prize list is still gowing. My goal is to have overall prizes valued at $1500 with about $1000 worth of prizes going to 1st place. At this moment overall prizes are valued at approximately $1050. As of right now I have 8 demo Pro-Tracks for the contest. If you already know that you will be entering please email me (aerodeofreefly@hotmailcom) and let me know in advance so that I can get more demo Pro-Tracks if it looks like they will be needed. Generous gear manufacturers

2nd annual "Fastest Man Contest" Labor Day, September 1st Skydive Houston 1st Place - 1st place plaque, free Pro-Track, full free day of jumps (one rig only), 100% off Firefly Freefly Pants 2nd Place - 2nd place plaque, free Pro Dytter, 5 free jumps, 50% off Firefly Freefly Pants 3rd Place- 3rd place plaque, 3 free jumps fom Skydive Houston Pro-Tracks will be provided to all contestants each jump to record competition speeds. Contestants may make as many attempts as they want but demo Pro-Tracks will limit the number of contestants per load to eight. Your entry fee is your jump ticket. All Pro-Tracks will be set to "true airspeed" and worn externally on each contestants rig. At 270mph a skydiver will fall a 1000' in approximately 2.5 seconds. Traveling at 270mph a skydiver who decides to go "flat" at 2000' to decelerate for canopy opening may or may not have adequete time for a safe deployment. Therefore, each contestant is required to wear an audible altimeter. It is recommended that altitude warnings be set at 6500', 4000' and 2500'. Anybody that is interested in competing and does not have an audible needs to borrow one or email me in advance and I'll see if I can find or provide one. Contestants may not use speeds recorded on their own audible altimeters. Only speeds recorded on the contest provided demo Pro-Tracks will be recognized. Pro-Tracks will be cleared after each use. In the event of a tie, 1st place will go to the 1st contestant to record the top speed. Ground coaching will be available for safety and technique. Last years winners were 1st place Thomas McDow @ 292mph and 2nd place John Rich @ 250mph. The contest last all day, from first load till sunset. The prize list is still gowing. My goal is to have overall prizes valued at $1500 with about $1000 worth of prizes going to 1st place. At this moment overall prizes are valued at approximately $1050. As of right now I have 8 demo Pro-Tracks for the contest. If you already know that you will be entering please email me (aerodeofreefly@hotmailcom) and let me know in advance so that I can get more demo Pro-Tracks if it looks like they will be needed. Generous gear manufacturers

I had about 200 RW jumps and about 50 jumps videoing 4-way before I started freeflying. Watched Choinicles3 and haven't hardly been on my belly since. I recommend doing some belly flying before starting out freeflying. IMO, on average most skydivers do not become truly aware until around 500 jumps. For most new jumpers just the fact that they are falling thru the sky is enough distraction. AFF teaches the very basics of body flight and how to successfully deploy parachute. After AFF it may still take a new skydiver 1/2 dozen jumps or more to successfully learn each of these basic skills such as in place 360 degree turns and barrell rolls. To throw yourself straight into freeflying is to put yourself straight into an evironment where stability cannot be achieved naturally or by simply arching. To successfully learn these new body positions requires a heightened level of awareness of how the air works against your body. The basics may take as many as a dozen or more jumps to learn body position and maintane headding. Possibly 50 more jumps to develop stability and then 100's to dial it in. I propose that someone with 50 jumps all on their belly whom has set goals and dedicated most all of their jumps to learning would be in a better position to learn freeflying than someone just off student status. And I also propose that that same person would learn more from their next 50 jumps than someone just off of student status. By spending the first few jumps on your belly a new skydiver will more quickly and easily learn the basics of body flight and develop better awareness in a slower, relaxed, more natural feeling environment. By 50 jumps a new skydiver that has set goals and dedicated their jumps to learning should be ready for 2-ways with other skydivers. In the belly environment the new skydiver will more safely and easily develop the skills to be aware of another person in freefall and at the same time be aware of the air on their own body so that they may fly relative to another jumper. At this point I think someone would be ready to start learning to freefly. After starting freeflying I think it would be best to wait until you had about 150 to 200 freefly jumps before attempting headdown. Being upside down creates another distraction and requires an even higher level of awareness to successfully master. Levin vSCR#17

Come back to Texas for the AOT boogie and I'll jump with ya somemore. Gillian too. Jump with ya even when your not expecting. Levin vSCR#17

I also recommend a Firefly suit. Mine has about 800 jumps on it and has been washed about 50 times. It's holding up great. A few people recommend going without the suit for awhile. If your goal is to speed up your fallrate their advise makes sense. However one of the benefits of a suit when you are starting out is that the drag provides stability and makes things a little easier to learn. Therefore I recommend you go with a firefly suit with little drag as opposed to no drag at all. Levin vSCS#3

sorry to hear about that sangiro. i had no idea about your past dealings with this person when i bought it. I only gave him a couple hundred dollars and some change. that's all he said he had invested in it and all he wanted for it. he didn't seem like he was trying to make money off me. at the time i got it, a couple of other people had expressed interest in it, but he gave it to me because he liked what i was wanting to do with it. we have alot of cool stuff going on down here in texas, so i asked for the domain to build a site to promote freeflying in texas and to get the word out about what all is going on down here. i'm hoping dan will have it finished soon. he's suppose to be building me an administration page to keep it updated. since ann just told me about this thread it got the site on my mind and i went to renew it since it expires in a couple of weeks. i waited to late to move the domain before renewing so that i could have renewed it for a little less. right now it's $30 to renew for year, but only $16 a year for 5 years + 1000 flyer miles. can somebody direct me to where i can find out how flyer miles work? I prefer to drive but for free tickets i'd fly. Levin vSCS#3

or one of the new Racers Levin vSCR#17

Hey Paul, I'll be there Friday afternoon. Cya Levin vSCS#3

QueenBee you made it sound like I settled for Aggieland. I think on the contrary this event was meant from the start for Aggieland this year. I'm replying to you and Ann at same time with a fairly quick writing of copious long huge post.[;0)] Here's a quick condensed version of the story. This is a link to my first announcement post of the event dated July 31, 2002. (don't know how to make clicky

Scottish Dave, how have you been? The card has to be loose. can't think of anything else it could be other than fried and that cost money so it has to be loose. I hope. It's a pain to get the side off of it to see. Do it in a bit. When are you coming back to Texas? Levin vSCR#17