SkymonkeyONE

You are correct. There are PLENTY of shitty wingsuiters out there who have no business flying suits as big as they do.

C. Blue, esq. will grace you with his presence

Truthfully, I have never felt the need to maintain my grippers in my hands when taking docks. Sometimes I drop both grippers and sometimes only the one on the side that I am taking the grip. If your suit has proper inflation, then the grippers will stay right there and not flap at all. If your suit sucks, then well, you probably ought to switch to one that doesn't suffer from that. My S6 Does not flap at all, nor does my SM1. Chuck

I WONDER if I am going to be here in Z-Hills for Thanksgiving........

Thanks for a fantastic time, Trey. Lock me in for next year (but add packing). The party was fantastic. Chuck

The weekend did not suck. It was a great party.

I will be there for sure.

I had a blast at the event! Our days started a bit later than the stinky freeflyers because I refused to jump the King Air for my flocks, but that's fine. I still got in 14 good flocks and taught six new Birdies, including my nephew Tucker (who rocked it). Marion really kicked ass in the S6 and Sean was doing a great job helping me out, as did my boy Phil. The party was EPIC!!! I will definitely be back next year, so lock me in, Trey.

I just locked in yesterday with Trey to organize wingsuit flocks at the boogie. I am also bringing about twenty suits: some to sell and some to loan out to others. I will be arriving about mid-day on Friday. Chuck Blue Z-Flock

I believe I was the first skydiver to be called after Beezy died. I am also pretty sure I was the last skydiver outside of the family that talked to Beezy before he died. This is really hard for me. First because the last time I talked to him he SEEMED to be on the road ro recovery. Secondly, because I missed the call from his wife and I really, truly thought it was Beezy calling me to say he was "all better." It crushed me when I returned the call and his wife told me " you didn't listen to your voicemail, did you?" I had to admit I didn't, and immediately figured out what was up. She appologized to me, but I had to turn it around and ask here why would she give a crap about what I thought, as simply a friend. I am, and was, tremendously grievous about Beezy's death. He was a leader, mentor, trainer. He could do ANYTHING on a DZ. He was smart and would tell you right away if he thought you were a fuck up. He was one of the guys that I yearned to see when I would go to a boogie to vend (for BirdMan). Make no mistake: the captains of this tiny cottage industry which is known as skydiving ALL hang out together. If not the actual owners, then DEFINITELY the lead vendors. I found this fascinating. When I started lead-vending for BirdMan in 2003 it all started to make sense to me. We would peddle our wares and training all day long, then end up, without fail, in one of each other's campers. We were ALL best friends. Me, Beezy, Chris Martin, Aubrey, J.T., Mark, Egon..... Those were FANTASTIC times and I miss them terribly. Both Beezy and Chris would call a spade a spade in a half a second. If you were fucked up you would definitely know it. Both had great "country" stories to tell around the bonfire, but both could be very, very direct and to the point. When they spoke, everyone listenened. I cannot think of a single person that is qualified to take ANY of those guys places on the road. It takes a special person to be able to deal with the rigors of the road. Both Beezy and Chris made no qualms about their sales technique, and later, their ability to throw down. Both were riggers, AFF guys, tandem instructors, and pilots. Beezy, towards the end, never left the airplane with a tandem without pocketting $100. He owned his own gear, did his own video, and dubbed all of it. Very, very clever. I emulate him now down here at Z-hills at my private school. I won't make it to the service, but I whole-heartedly volunteer to take Tracie on the ash-dive tandem. I owe it to her. "this situation's tearing ME apart on the inside... ..it's not that easy! ..One must make a final stand.. ...It's not that easy! ..If you were down and out, I would lend you my, HELPING HAND.. .it might prove TOO MUCH FOR ONE, I'd gladly EASE YOUR PAIN... ...I'd take you, OUT FROM UNDER, .Take you somewhere you could, REST YOUR PRECIOUS SOUL, I'd make you wonder" -Business and Industry, vintage 1987

How incredibly sad. I can't count the times we conversed together on safety and canopy matters. What a loss to the community. BSBD Chuck

When did Bedford grow four inches in diameter? My previous "best experience" in big tunnels was the over 240 hours I spent in the Fort Bragg tunnel prior to retirement.

There are at least three people on this dropzone involved in such "arrangements." It's very, very common in the skydiving and military communities.

I have a ton of time in the fort bragg tunnel, but this past couple of days I was treated to a lot of pre-opening time at XP. Holy Shit. I drove up with Andy Serrano and Phil Peggs to take care of some unrelated business, and woe and behold we ran into my great friends Tim and Colleen D'Annunzio at the Western Sizzler. They invited us to check out their facility and all I can say is "wow." In total, we spent three hours locked up in the vestibule sharing time with the staff and some other friends. I never, in a million years thought I would fly in a tunnel as nice as fort bragg, but I was so, so very wrong. The staff that was hired away by Kirk Verner from the other tunnels is phenomenal. I have never seen such a bunch of bad-ass tunnel rats busting four-way VRW. Seriously. Their heads and feet were never more than six inches up or down from where they started and they were ripping points on their heads and feet faster than I have ever been able to do so on my belly. I was slack-jawed. It was even better when we were sitting there ready for our round when they traded suits and started busting eight-way RW with Tim, Droop, and Amish. Unbelievable. RRRREALL 8-way sequential with piece turns and everything without hitting the walls. Phil and I hooked up with Droop (John D'Annunzio) and Amish (Matt McLean) and were turning very-fast four-way without getting anywhere near the walls. I was fucking STOKED. In summary: it did not suck getting to fly in the biggest, cleanest tunnel in the world prior to it's opening. I hate it that I moved down here to Z-hills before they even broke ground on this facility. Chuck

It is with great sadness that I must inform you all that Beezy Shaw of HiPer USA died last night of complications in his fight with cancer. Beezy was a FANTASTIC person and a TREMENDOUS friend to many of us. I am crushed. Here are the details about the funeral: Visitation tomorrow, Sunday 28 October 2007 at the Chatanooga Funeral Home (North) from 4:00- 6:00 pm. I don't have the phone number, but the website is www.mem.com There will be another visitation on Monday the 29th from 3:00 to 5:00 PM and then the service will be held there, at the funeral home, at 5:00 pm. There will be an ash dive planned for the near future. Again, I am crushed, as I know many of the rest of you close to him are. What is especially eerie is that Beezy will be buried on the 29th of October, the same day that Chris Martin died. Chris, Beezy, and I were peas in a pod when we were all vending together at boogies. Amazing times were had back in the day. If you know Beezy's number, then feel free to call the house. If you don't, but need to vent about this, just call me. BSBD!! Chuck Blue

Good article. Just printed it to distribute at our school. Chuck BMCI-4

Dick and balls in the pump!

I lost the Buell in the divorce.

Anyone jumping at Perris feel free to visit the factory and tell my boy Chris that he needs to get off his ass and jump the GTi that I gave him three years ago at PIA.

I would try to back you up on that, but he knows me well. I thought you just got married, Andrea.

Could I get a blicky blicky?

That is entirely accurate.

Actually, use both. Have a sufficient number of skydives to rate jumping an HP canopy, get some damn training, and also use the MOST reliable digital altimeter you can to assist you in working out your setup altitude. It's the combination of all these things that will prevent you from destroying your body in front of 100 spectators. Seriously Chuck

Bring the pain.

BANG!