kkeenan 14 #1 April 20, 2011 Attached is a low-res photo of the 185-way Phoenix built at DeLand on 4/17. It was a pretty challenging formation, built from 9 planes with people from 21 different countries. It is the new Florida RW record, and I believe it is the #4 biggest formation in the U. S. Kevin K. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
headoverheels 333 #2 April 20, 2011 Maybe 6th. 300 way record, 246 way record, 259 way (not held 3 seconds), 200 way record (Myrtle Beach), 200 way SkydiveAZ (October 2010), this 185 way Phoenix. Others? Close: 201 way Lake Wales with one missing internal grip. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkeenan 14 #3 April 21, 2011 At least, it probably holds the world record for largest asymmetrical animal-themed formation. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muff528 3 #4 April 21, 2011 Quote At least, it probably holds the world record for largest asymmetrical animal-themed formation. Are you sure about that? I've been on a few jumps that ...Oh! wait! ....Those were not a single animal formation...those included the whole ZOO! My mistake. BTW - Congrats to everyone on the Phoenix jump! Pretty, pretty pretty! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 4 #5 April 23, 2011 QuoteAttached is a low-res photo of the 185-way Phoenix built at DeLand on 4/17. It was a pretty challenging formation, built from 9 planes with people from 21 different countries. It is the new Florida RW record, and I believe it is the #4 biggest formation in the U. S. Kevin K. What is a Phoenix? There is one person without grips. Sparky http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp55/mjosparky/Skydiving/untitled-3.jpgMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mirage62 0 #6 April 23, 2011 LOL, thats the EYE you dork it was design that way Kevin Keenan is my hero, a double FUP, he does so much with so little Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 4 #7 April 24, 2011 Quote LOL, thats the EYE you dork it was design that way So I am a dork, you still did not answer the question. Sparky Nerver mind, I figured it out.My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mirage62 0 #8 April 24, 2011 LOL sorry - the "Phoenix" I believe is the bird that raised from the ashes. I think the idea was that WT was raising back from some difficult situation. It really looks impressive. Sorry about the dork thing Kevin Keenan is my hero, a double FUP, he does so much with so little Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MakeItHappen 15 #9 April 24, 2011 QuoteAttached is a low-res photo of the 185-way Phoenix built at DeLand on 4/17. It was a pretty challenging formation, built from 9 planes with people from 21 different countries. It is the new Florida RW record, and I believe it is the #4 biggest formation in the U. S. Kevin K. Hey Kevin I got word that there was some AC issues on a previous dive or two. Something about a KA stalling, one guy breaking ribs & one guy breaking his back by hitting the door on the way out. Then something about a two out jumper that broke his back on landing. Any truth to these accounts? .. Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
headoverheels 333 #10 April 25, 2011 I heard two versions of how ribs were broken on exit. One was the the jumper behind railroaded Bob into the door; the other was that the airplane stalled which threw Bob into the door. I haven't asked him, so I don't know which (if either) is correct. I didn't hear about any back injury, other than the two-out jumper. Someone injured a finger and was down after that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
headoverheels 333 #11 April 25, 2011 There was also a trail aircraft dangerously out of position on one jump. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
headoverheels 333 #12 April 25, 2011 QuotePlease elaborate on "dangerous" .... .The PAC was to far back in one load but still in its left most rear trailing spot . Corrected to fly tighter on the next load . Don't see where "dangerous" came in to play. I have been flying with the same pilots for the last 8 years in the big ways at Deland and trust me ,they now their sh.....t Yes the PAC was a bit here and there, but not "dangerous" as far as I saw. Some plane over on right trail wing was to the left of its position and way low, IIRC. Dangerous as in getting pretty close to a vegamatic position. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MakeItHappen 15 #13 April 25, 2011 QuotePlease elaborate on "dangerous" .... .The PAC was to far back in one load but still in its left most rear trailing spot . Corrected to fly tighter on the next load . Don't see where "dangerous" came in to play. I have been flying with the same pilots for the last 8 years in the big ways at Deland and trust me ,they now their sh.....t A little known technique to use when a trail plane is really far back from the plane in front is to hold on longer after the lead plane(s) exit. Let the plane give you a ride to make up the horizontal distance. We used this technique on the 100-starfish dives at Perris. The planes were flying at proper spacing but there was traffic between the middle people of the 3rd trail with the people from the 2nd trail. The staging of the 3rd trail was changed to floaters leave right away and the first row waited a few seconds. People from the 3rd trail were docking at 6 o'clock, 3 o'clock and 12 o'clock. On another dive at Skydance with a Otter lead & KA trail, we had a really big horizontal spacing. I was front floater on the KA and held on for about 3 seconds after the lead started emptying. I got to the formation much faster than the other floaters that left when the lead jumpers left. The art of assigning exits slots on a big way is a tradeoff between how fast the plane can exit and traffic flow to the formation. It is not always necessary to get everyone out of the plane as fast as possible. If you jumped in the DC-3 days, you can appreciate this better. .. Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #14 April 26, 2011 Quote 1 Shorts 3-30 sweet do you know if it operates for skydivers on a "regular" basis ?scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
