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crwmike

Night CRW 25-way Diamond!!!!

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It was a spectacular jump. I was just happy that Craig's orange canopy showed up so well - as I couldn't see anyone else in the formation when I exited!
W



Absulutely! I was last out of the chase plane and, after a brief line twist, could see Chris Warnock. Couldn't see who he was following (hopefully, it was ...someone) and couldn't see the formation as it was a dark shape with some small points of light ...just like the surburban background :(

At any rate I kept my eyes on Chris while trying to scan for the formation and/or the DZ. After a few thousand feet of feeling that Chris and I were going to land ...somewhere in So Cal, I saw the formation (found out later there was a failure with the back lighting). I saw 22 and 23 moving up to their slots, swooped down and docked 25th. A beautifully flying 25-way diamond and all is good in the world ...until breakoff :)

Just like last year ...where the fuck is the DZ and those flashing red lights we were supposed to be able to see from 12,500 feet????? I start practicing holding my canopy just shy of the stall point and hoping whatever piece of So Cal I pick to land in has at least enough clear ground for a PLF. Wait! Is that the hanger door? Yes!!! There are the cars with their headlights on ...and if I look really closely (now at 3000') I can see some really weak flashing red lights around the runway.

Some sweet, disciplined flying by a GREAT group of people.

Michael

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I kept my eyes on Chris while trying to scan for the formation and/or the DZ.



I had an easy canopy to follow: Rusty Vest was flying a bright yellow Lightning and he had a flashlight mounted to his helmet. The light was shining directly up to illuminate his canopy, and turned his canopy into a glowing target for me to follow.

Nice dock you put on me, Mike ;)

Chris

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It was definitely a fun (and scary) experience.:o I was also rather far back, but had a good visual on the formation right after opening. By the time I got there, there were only a few people maneuvering around on my side, so traffic wasn't too bad.
Once in the formation, the anxiety level was pretty low, since it was flying so nice.B| I think everyone was on their very best behavior.:) I remember thinking that this was the only time on the whole jump when we all knew exactly where each other were.:S After breakoff, I was really concerned about the DZ location. I followed a few people who looked like they might know where they were going, but I didn't pick up the DZ visually until about 1500'.

I tell people that occasionally CRW reminds you of how scared you were on your first jump.:o That keeps it exciting.

Too bad about the photo support. The sad thing is that it could have been fixed with the right amount of planning. :(

All in all, it was a great jump to highlight a really fine weekend. It's always great to jump with the West-Coasters. Thanks to all for an awesome time.:)
Kevin K.
======================
Seasons don't fear the Reaper,
nor do the Wind, the Sun, or the Rain...

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:(I would personally like to appologize for the failure of the photographs of the 25 way night diamond to all of the crew jumps who worked so hard to complete such an awsome formation , it truly was a site to behold, mike flew that sucker right at the moon and would have been a one of a kind photo, I was added to the event at the last minute and was not able to pull it off do to a te
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chnical malfunction that could have been prevented. my sincereist apoligies as I feel I let you all down.

Steven

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:(I would personally like to appologize for the failure of the photographs of the 25 way night diamond to all of the crew jumps who worked so hard to complete such an awsome formation , it truly was a site to behold, mike flew that sucker right at the moon and would have been a one of a kind photo, I was added to the event at the last minute and was not able to pull it off do to a te

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chnical malfunction that could have been prevented. my sincereist apoligies as I feel I let you all down.

Steven



Brother, if you tried your best, then you did what I expect of myself and all my teammates. So go ahead and feel shitty about it for a while, get over it, learn from it and never let it happen again.

Pics and viedo would have been nice, but the beauty of it remains in our minds. The calm confidence and courage of everyone involved could not have been captured on video but will forever remain in my soul.

I sit here in awe and utmost appreciation of all my teammates and, once again, honestly wonder how I keep getting picked to jump with these incredible skydivers. Seriously, I look at what they do and how they fly and am filled with envy. Well, whatever the criteria for selection, it was a most memorable jump and I was proud to be a part of it.

I got shelves and boxes full of medals, awards, photos, video and DVD's of records and all kinds of firsts. They gather dust. I don't look at them or show them to people (well, not many people ;) Some jumps stay with you forever. This jump, along with the 1992 record and the first Quadraplane Diamond will always be with me. I don't need more pics gathering dust.

CRW Skies,

Michael

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Amen. If someone were to ask me, "What is your favourite type of jump to do?" my immediate answer would be "Night jumps." To be able to do a night jump in my favourite discipline when I get the rare chance is intoxicating enough. To be able to participate in a world record dive at night filled me with an elation so overwhelming that it could not be adequately expressed. I was truly honored to be included among such an august group of CRWDogs. Pictures would only have been a sugar rose on top of an already deliciously iced cake. I have, burned into my memory, the joy of docking on that formation, feeling others dock around me, and getting to holler "Complete!" No picture could capture that.
"You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

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OHMYGOSH! Kevin! You are being quoted in a reputable forum! Does that mean that, um, you're getting old?



I think it's a stretch to call this a reputable forum, :P but that just goes to show you, be careful what you write down, you never know where you'll see it again...;)

kevin k.
======================
Seasons don't fear the Reaper,
nor do the Wind, the Sun, or the Rain...

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but that just goes to show you, be careful what you write down, you never know where you'll see it again...;)

kevin k.



Be careful what you say, too:

"If sucking's what you want, keep me here."

;)
"You guys should just do CRW. There are so many more ways to get killed, it makes a CYPRES seem safe." -Kevin Keenan

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but that just goes to show you, be careful what you write down, you never know where you'll see it again...;)

kevin k.



Be careful what you say, too:

"If sucking's what you want, keep me here."

;)

That quote has been taken badly out of context. :o I was trapped and manipulated into making that statement. :)

kevin
======================
Seasons don't fear the Reaper,
nor do the Wind, the Sun, or the Rain...

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