Levin

we did 3, 40+ways from 12,500' from the shark otter and sky van. the formations built super fast and began breaking off at 6k. this stuff rocks. i'll never look at a 12-way the same again. you should see some of these people in the tunnel. amazing!

practice is right now. the attempts start on thursday. not saying anything other than these are the coolest jumps i've made.

jay didn't get a vertical extension. he touched water between the 50' markers. i was told that swoop was 560', but of course didn't count because he touched water. Johnathon Tagle broke his own world record. Can't remember what the distance was but I believe it was

land it. maybe not as cool as a bird-man suit or the world's smallest parachute, but still something to brag about.

updated schedule meets and information. some of the information is a re-post. i apologize for that. The Texas CPC consists of 5 meets featuring the traditional events of speed, distance and zone accuracy. At the end of the season the top 5 overall canopy pilots from each district are invited to the CPC National Championships. First place at the CPC National Championships automatically becomes ‘Pro’ certified on the PST. Places 2 – 10 will be eligible to take the Pro Qualification Test. Beginning in 2006 the advanced class will be eliminated from the Pro Swooping Tour and all pilots wishing to join the PST will have to do so by qualifying in their local CPC district. Texas CPC district competitions will be held at various Dropzones and other suitable locations. In an effort to promote the sport of high performance canopy piloting, when appropriate and possible, competitions will be held in suitable locations other than Dropzones where the public may be invited. To register and compete competitors must have at least 500 high performance landings in total which must include a minimum of 100 high performance landings within the previous 12 months of which 50 high performance landings must be on their current canopy. The CPC defines a high performance landing as “Any pilot who initiates any type of input or turn to gain extra speed for landing is making a high performance landing”. Competitions held in a location other than a Dropzone will require the competitor to be a member of the USPA and posses a USPA ‘D’ license. The 2005 Texas CPC schedule is as follows… Meet #1 - Skydive Houston – May 15 Meet #2 - Skydive Aggieland – June 5 Meet #3 - Skydive Dallas – June 26 Meet #4 - Lake Gladewater – July 10 Meet #5 – Skydive Spaceland – August 21 [Alternate / Bad Weather] – August 28 [Alternate / Bad Weather] – September 4 Meet #4 will be hosted by Skydive East Texas and held at Lake Gladewater in Gladewater, TX. Skydive East Texas has been operating for 13 years and has maintained a fatality free safety record. The Dropzone has very good relations with the city and the city is looking forward to this event. In addition to the public there will be at least two television news stations and newspapers present. This event will be the highlight of the Texas CPC season. Competitors that wish to compete in this event must be present the day prior for evaluation during practice. Competitors that wish to compete in this event but did not compete in one of the three prior meets will need to provide a “Letter of Confidence” from one of the following before being allowed to register. • S&TA • USPA Instructor • USPA National Director – must be current resident of Texas • USPA Regional Director – must represent the region in which the competitor resides • USPA Pro Rated Canopy Pilot • PST Pro Certified Canopy Pilot • Sponsored Athlete – An experienced skydiver considered to be a Pro in his region and has obtained at least one full sponsorship from an established and reputable canopy or container manufacturer. Competitors at this meet are expected to act as professionals and refrain from any behavior that may be deemed unprofessional in the public’s eye. A red penalty card will be assessed to any competitor displaying unprofessional conduct. An objective of the CPC is to provide a controlled flight arena for canopy pilots to fine tune existing skills and gain competition experience. There will be a Zero Tolerance policy for those deemed to posses the wrong attitude, commit safety violations and/or create a dangerous element in a controlled flight arena. It is the responsibility of the competitor to read and understand the rules prior to competition. All rules will be strictly enforced. CPC Rules can be found on the Rules page at www.canopypiloting.com/cpc.htm. Please read the homepage, rules, news, Texas circuit page and forums. If you have any questions or would like a word.doc of the rules email me at extremepilotfx74@hotmail.com. In order to be eligible for score tallying at the end of the season and a chance to go to the CPC National Championships competitors must be a member of the Canopy Piloting Circuit and compete in 4/5 events. CPC membership is $50 annually and includes access to an exclusive forum for your local CPC district on www.canopypiloting.com. To join the CPC fill out the online membership at www.canopypiloting.com/members.htm and send me an email to extremepilotfx74@hotmail.com. Registration for each competition is $50 for CPC members and $75 for non-members. Registration is 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. the morning of each competition followed by mandatory meeting at 9:15 a.m. Competitors may pre-register at any time prior to the registration deadline and must be pre-registered to use the course during practice. The weekend of competition only cash or money order will be accepted for registration and membership fees. Registration and memberships fees may be paid by check by pre-registering at least 10 days prior to competition. To request a pre-registration form email Levin at extremepilotfx74@hotmail.com.

at skydive houston brit, shannon and meg are really good freeflyers. they freefly coach for free each weekend. only have to pay your $15 slot. sherri is a really good freestylist. 3rd at nationals last year.

hey dave, right after i posted the schedule i found out our season has changed from ending october 15th to ending september 12th. i had to reschedule the meet at lake gladewater. that competition is now meet #4. i'll be posting the new date for that meet and some updates hopefully as early as tomorrow. yoshi- these swoop events are just as much a controlled learning environment as they are a competition. that is the exact attitude we hope all competitors will bring to the meets. stay conservative and only give it 80% allowing you to work on your skills and learn from the experience while staying safe. Or give it a 100% if you are hoping to make the top 5 and go to the championships. Never give it a 110%. Doing so is doing something beyond your own abilities. The swoop course is a place to fine tune existing skills, not learn new ones. Hope to see you at all the meets. psuCory- as of now all of the meets and alternate dates are scheduled before nationals. i'll be posting the new schedule as early as tomorrow. sorry the dates don't work for ya. but if your schedule opens up i hope you make it to atleast one of the meets. edit: typos

the price list i have from mike swanson says the cash price for the "1 on 1 coach 1-way system" is $1113.75. The "4-way + coach 1 way system" is $1727.75. The "1 on 1 coach 2 way sytem" is $2227.50. $2000 will buy alot of coaching. About 40 coach jumps in fact. but the communication systems are claimed to last thousands of jumps. next month i intend to get a 1-way coach system for when i'm freefly coaching which makes up the majority of my jumps. i think it will be an invaluable tool.

Happy Birthday Yoshi!!

try selling it on ebay. you never know. some rich coin collector might give ya $50 for it just to have in his collection.

before i jump i would say it varies but for the most part not hardly. i would be lieing if i said i never got nervous at all. high gusty winds and long spots can make me nervous. dark sunset loads with large groups can make me nervous since my vision isn't the best. the responsibility of a ball jump makes me nervous even though those are the easiest jumps i do. having less experienced jumpers exit after me makes me nervous because i can't be for certain they gave me the correct delay. it depends. but the simple fact that i am jumping out of plane does not make me nervous. i think a large part of that is due to the fact that 1. i pack my own stuff and my pack jobs are perfect (750+ jumps on FX74 and only 1 line twist) and 2. i have reached a point with my headdown flying that i am 100% in control of it and am 100% responsible for what i do on my skydives. but now that i mention it, that is just with my headdown. belly and sitfly dives can make me nervous because i am not in full control of my flying in those body positions and i cannot guarantee myself i can prevent myself from being in an accident in those body positions if one is fixing to happen. i can on my head. and while i am on my head i am completely aware of what is going on around me because my attention is not split between that and having to be aware of my body position. i think you are assuming when people become comfortable with what they are doing they become complacent. i think that depends on the personality and the experiences one has had along the way. as you accumulate hundreds and hundreds and thousands of jumps you will become aware of not only what is going on around you, not only what your body is doing and how it reacts to freefall as you are falling but also aware of just how dangerous this sport can be. I've known bad ass freeflyers with 2k+ jumps that became skilled enough to be responsible for themselves in any situation yet all of the sudden became so scared of less experienced jumpers and the person following them out the door that they quit jumping. they became afraid that someone else would get them killed. i think the most dangerous time in your jumping career is shortly after you get your licenses. You are no longer always in the presence of more experienced jumpers or instructors who are watching your back. During this time your own ignorance from lack of experience can easily get you in a situation that can get you killed. Common sense, not believing you are invincible, not believing everything you hear and asking the right people questions will keep you alive.

i still haven't applied for my 1000 jump award. or my 12 and 24hr freefall awards. that's mainly because i have to go back and add up almost 800 jumps worth the freefall time. do hope you make it to sky fest. it's kick ass event. i missed it last year but never again.

i get the leaving the fear on the plane. but it's not the same as what i'm saying. stick around and you'll get the point i'm trying to make. after reading your post, i miss that sensation and feeling of jumping back when i first started. really miss it, but very glad it's gone. screw that

can you post a pictue? i'm curious what $50 free Zambian dollars looks like.

that's make total sense and i know exactly what you're saying. however to better make my point try this. take your pulse before you get on the plane. take it again a couple minutes to jump run and take it again right after you land. jot those numbers down and save them. do the same thing when you have 500 and 1000 jumps and compare. i imagine by the time you reach 1000 you will already fully understand what i'm saying and have already recognized this sport for what it really is. an art, not a thrill. you just have to peel back the cover to see. and that cover is the adrenlin rush or thrill.

i didn't know that. is that in total or currently actively jumping? you should come to sky fest this year. if you do i'd like to go on your 1000th. mine was a big hybrid that never got off it's belly, but i'm sure we can do something better.

and if that isn't scary enough add in the opportunity cost of what your time might have been worth had it been spent doing something else.

actually, since your profile looks like you just started, i'll go ahead and throw this at ya. that thrill or adrenlin rush is a hinderence and the quicker you can get rid of it the better. adrenlin gives a rush and prevents your body from relaxing. to get the most out of your skydive you need to be relaxed. after a few hundred jumps freefall will begin to feel natural or common place. once that happens you will start becoming much more aware of your skydives. more aware of what your body is doing, how the air flows around every square inch it and more aware of what is going on around you. when that happens you will start getting better at a rapid pace. until then enjoy the thrill while it last.

for most it's expensive enough the first time. too expensive to do a second time shortly there after. after awhile the thrill wears off.

i had one a few nights ago. i was doing a hop 'n pop from the cessna at skydive east texas except we weren't at skydive east texas. i think we were in nacogdoches. the first person went out, i dunno who. then it was just me and the pilot. i didn't feel right about my rig but i jumped anyway. the freefall seamed real except there wasn't any freefall wind. after several seconds i threw my p/c out and it fell way down below me and was uncocked. i started realin' in the bridle and got the p/c and tried to cock it but the bridle wrapped around my container, but not around the reserve part. i pulled the reserve handle and the pop top and bridle came off but not the bag and then i landed on my feet next to a building where max (former dzo) was sitting at the table. i told him reserve didn't come out. we took the bag out of the container while it was still on my back and then i think that's when i woke up. in 8 years i can probably count the number of jumpin' dreams i've had on 2 hands. a couple of them were base. they were short dreams but cool. only one jumpin' dream was scary. that was back when i started.

here's another cool coloring program i really think you try out www.jumpshack.com/webcatalog/Applet_Loader.asp?ProductID=RACER%5FP%5FNOS&CartID=

1. Whats your name? Levin 2. How old are you? 29 but 30 on the 12th 3. Why did you decide to start jumping out of airplanes? my dad talked me into it 4. Are you single or taken? Married? single. had a live in gf a few years ago and that was a living hell. 5. Do you have kids? No 6. What do you drive? broken protoge but trust fund time on the 12th so probably get an accord or celica. 7. Have you ever done a kisspass? No 8. Where do you live? houston 9. Do you have any pets? mazzy star the coolest chihuahua i found on the road with no collar out in the country. also trailmix the conversational cat. 10. How many jumps do you have? 1578 11. What color eyes do you have? brown 12. What is your nationality? mixed or american (irish/english i think) 13. Have you ever dated someone you met off the internet? yes, but as just friends. 14. Favorite Movie? can't think of one but i am a big btvs series fan. 15. What do you do when you arent skydiving? not alot at the moment 16. Have you ever BASE jumped? yes, 3 17. If not... do you want to? yes ready to go again. need someone to work the elevator 18. Do you have siblings? 1 brother (4 jumps and never again) 1 step brother (100+ jumps but quit awhile back and wants to jump again) 1 step brother (thinks we're crazy) 1/2 brother (1 really screwed up s/l jump and really wants to go again) 19. Where do you want to travel to the most? australia to go jump and something else 20. What's your favorite color? white and also yellow 21. Where was the last place you flew to ( not skydiving )? flew on s. west a few times when i was kid. ramon, trey and i went to summerfest1 in 08/01. trey flew, but i wouldn't because i was scared of terrorist. i remember the twa flight and some others when i was kid. they made fun of me a little. ramon drove with me. and then 1 month later. thinking about flying to perris in late april instead of driving. still not sure.

not necessarily. your taste is just confused with the endless possibilities of a cloring program and knowing your getting something new. asking advice is a good idea and if you take that advice it'll pay off down the road when you get ready to sell your rig. yah, that was bad

not trying to dis your taste, but i have to agree with everyone else. those first two you colored are not very attractive. i think it's the yellow pin striping. the 2nd is too much red. whatever you decide i would go with a red p/top. if you lose it, it'll be easier to find. have you considered a racer?

not sure i'm following. print preview looks like your pictures but i can't figure the paste to paint. try this... top reserve flap black pop top red reserve container around p/top black sides and side closing flaps red main closing flap black bottom black 5 stripes blk/red/blk/red/blk