Couch Freaks 2008 - Labor Day weekend

[karlm 0]

Rolling in on Thursday

Last year was a blast and some fond memories and experiences were had ....

See ya all

Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

[deadbug 0]

Tam and I are coming down on Thurs night. Gotta go look for some new polyester. See ya in the corn.

Doug

[kallend 2,026]

I plan to fly in; are there any special arrangements for aircraft arrivals and departures during the boogie?

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Bolas 5]

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I plan to fly in; are there any special arrangements for aircraft arrivals and departures during the boogie?

You might want to let the people on the ground visually inspect your landing gear before landing.

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[smooth 0]

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I plan to fly in; are there any special arrangements for aircraft arrivals and departures during the boogie?

YES - Don't hit my tent if you plan on doing a low pass !

[wildfan75 1]

I didn't get in the air on Sunday (bad day) but I'll just keep everyone guessing as to what number I'll use and how many I've done. And then you'll never know Jim!

Irregardless, I'll be doing my 500th at Couch (weather permitting of course), and it seems only appropriate as Todd celebrated his 5000th at Couch last year. He was on my 100th, 200th, and 400th (300th was a competition jump) and of course I'll be thinking of him the whole time. Hopefully it will be a good one.

[ElJosh 0]

I got everything packed up tonight. Leaving on Thursday afternoon. I can't Wait!!!

~El Josh aka Ruby

Yes I am taking my Vespa on the 500 mile one way journey!

DS #149
Yes I only have 3 jumps...it's the magic number dude.

[billo 0]

i asked around and didn't sound like there was any special procedures. announce yourself on CTAF 122.95. jump planes take off on runway 30 and land on 12. i do see GA planes on 30/12 during the boogie occassionally, but they might ask you to stick to 6/24.

[skydived19006 4]

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~El Josh aka Ruby

Yes I am taking my Vespa on the 500 mile one way journey!

Where's your rig? Put a little more weight in the milk crate, and you could ride a wheelie the whole way!

Martin

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[ElJosh 0]

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~El Josh aka Ruby

Yes I am taking my Vespa on the 500 mile one way journey!

Where's your rig? Put a little more weight in the milk crate, and you could ride a wheelie the whole way!

Martin

Rig? Who needs a rig?

I got someone taking that for me.

DS #149
Yes I only have 3 jumps...it's the magic number dude.

[FallingJordan 0]

Anyone heard any word on jump ticket prices?


I would check couchfreaks.com but my computer at work doesn't like it.

Jordan

I'm like a chocolate covered pretzel...I might be kind of melty but dang, I'm exquisite!

[skydived19006 4]

This is nice. Unless the theme is simply show up naked, it could be considered a bit to be announcing a theme party. I'll bring my naked outfit along just in case.

From www.couchfreaks.com
"Sunday - Theme day TBA"

No word on jump prices. Plan on $25 plus/minus $5 and you should be cool.

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[billo 0]

here is the better answer -

during jump operations (sunrise to sunset), runway 30/12 is closed. a 3 mile straight in approach is required for landing 6/24 during jump operations

[bch7773 0]

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Anyone heard any word on jump ticket prices?

i get nervous whenever they don't announce prices beforehand.

imagine getting there and they are $30 or something

MB 3528, RB 1182

[kallend 2,026]

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here is the better answer -

during jump operations (sunrise to sunset), runway 30/12 is closed. a 3 mile straight in approach is required for landing 6/24 during jump operations

Gotit!

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Superfletch 1]

$50 Registration and $26 jump tickets is what I'm hearing right now. They have the Pitts and a Helicopter for sure including the usual AZ fleet. Have fun if you're going. It is usually a blast.

Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher
D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I
Videographer/Photographer

[Vallerina 2]

Weee! Wishing I was still at Couchfreaks drinking Jengas, listening to "Face down a** up," and keeping up with the tomfoolery...

There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

[Snowwhite 0]

Hey all you Couch Freaks! Thanks for once again allowing me to come and hang with ya. Had a great time working the Pitts and seeing all my buds. Watching the building of the big way was awesome, even tho it was not successful.
Cool to see a variety of jumpships again, Caravan, Skyvan, 2 Otters, Helicopter and of course, the Pitts. I'm exhausted, and sunburned, but I've got a Margarita in one hand, and clean laundry to fold in the other.
Miss you guys already.
Remember, without the Couches, you're just FREAKS!

skydiveTaylorville.org
freefallbeth@yahoo.com

[4chewnate 0]

I wanted to come but it didn't work out.
Does any one know how the big way went?

[rehmwa 2]

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I wanted to come but it didn't work out.
Does any one know how the big way went?

Tracking away from it was the best part.......


If we could have kept a handful of people from falling on/through the base or wiping out entire clusters, I believe that we had 50 other people just sitting there ready to dock.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[4chewnate 0]

Does that mean it funneled?
How many tries did you make?

[HillerMyLife 0]

I think she means that some jumpers were getting recurrent during the record attempts...

Someday Never Comes

[JustChuteMeNow 0]

Three tries were made and none of them were successful. However it was still a fun boogie and while the big way didn't complete, I think there may be a new keg bowling record on the Couchfreaks wall of fame.

Think of how stupid the average person is and realize that statistically half of them are stupider than that.

[skydived19006 4]

Here's how I spent my afternoon yesterday at the boogie. Fun stuff.


(cut/paste from an email to local skydivers)
If any of you just happen to be wondering the woods South of the Ft Dodge IA airport, somewhere East of the river, and happen along an Eclipse Tandem reserve free-bag and pilot chute, I'd love to have it back!

I caught up my log book this weekend, and have something less than 3000 skydives, and almost 1900 tandems (with no main malfunctions). That streak was broken Monday afternoon around 3:00 pm with a line over. I watched the main, and free bag go down into the woods, had very good ground references on the main, but not so for the free bag. I walked right to the main ($3000 plus to replace the canopy, drogue, bag, risers, RSL, etc). Spent 45 minutes searching for the reserve free bag (UTP gives $210, I thought it was more like $500, or I wouldn't have looked so hard. That said, Eclipse is out of business, but we do have a spare PC and free-bag.), and gave up.

The line over was not a steering line, must have been a D, but not sure. I could make the thing act like a decent canopy when ridding in deep brakes (just steering toggle only, no flair toggles), but let up and the front corners of the main would come together. Rode it, played with it for something less than 30 seconds, informed my student that we had a malfunctioned main, and we were going for another ride!! Ironically, the guys primary reaction was that he was pissed, probably more scared, but came out as upset. I asked him to arch again, put the main drogue release handle in my mouth, let go of the toggles, and pulled the "green for go" right handle (didn't drop any handles!) I didn't bother with the left "red for stop" handle since the RSL would beat me anyway. Something like a helicopter ride dropping away from a canopy, and then a nice sky blue Precision 375 Tandem Reserve. It was quite windy, so the spot was about 1 mile upwind (I was one of the first of 6 or so tandems out), "we" decided that it would be a good idea to try and track my shit down, but not a bad idea to keep track of altitude, and landing options as well since we were over a large wooded area, and river. We landed out at the South edge of the airport like a sack of shit, fairly turbulent, and my student was around 200 lbs. He may have bruised his heel, and bumped down a bit hard on his butt, but ok. I stubbed my left index finger a bit.

One of the video guys asked me if I got my $10 back. I didn't quite get it, he meant for the pack job, I informed him that it was my pack job. I was doing every other Otter, packing for my self, "training" and gearing up the student as well. So, there is a possibility that my 12 min pack job had something to do with it. We will never know for sure.

Left FT Dodge around 6:30 pm, got home around 2:30 am. Good thing I plan a day of vacation, after a vacation!

Martin

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[ksudiver87 0]

Sorry for the lost equipment Martin. Glad you and your student are OK!! Could be worse..There was a a jumper kicking line twists from his reserve at 50ft..all about perspective :) Great weekend overall..360 more days till next year

~Always do stupid things safely~