notsane 0
Just to update everyone on the particulars for the meet. There are several factors (in no order) influencing the direction:
1) The requests for smaller groups to pursue more technical dives
2) The requests for doing the big ways
3) No flocker left behind
Logistically, the minimum size we can make the groups is about 15 so we can keep our video slots.
The organizers, in order, will be me, James Boole, Rob Jones and Chuck Blue. So if 15 or fewer people show up, I’m the organizer for the whole group. At 16 – 30 James and I split it, Add Rob for 31 -45 and Chuck for 46 – 60. If more than 60 flockers show up .. we’ll deal with it.
We’ll split up by experience levels for the smaller dives. The lesser experienced folks will be practicing basic flocking skills: flying relative, flying smooth, safe approaches, exit techniques .. that kind of thing. With 15 people we’ll be shuffling folks around so you’ll get to play in front as well as the back. Here’s the “no flocker left behind” part … in the formation or out, I don’t care .. you’re on the dive as long as you’re not a danger to yourself or others.
We haven’t decided which organizer is with which experience level.
For the more experienced folks; let’s mix it up. Plenty of vertical and mixed horizontal/vertical formations, some multi-point dives, vertical formations with open spots for “penetrators” to fly through and some docked dives (now would be the time to get those grippers sewn on your suit on the outside of the knees). Backfliers are welcome, especially those that can stay in formation that way (I’m thinking a 5 way backflying wedge with a 5 way vertical stack on the base flier and a 5 way belly wedge on the very top). We could do some “legs out” dives .. who doesn’t like 2 minutes of flocking? If we have 2 experienced groups that want to join together .. perfect!
And of course the winner-take-all $20 put-up-or-shut-up “Z-Flock Challenge” dive on Saturday! Whoever goes the furthest wins it all.
I’m hoping to shoot for 6 dives/day. If we devote the last 2 dives each day to big ways, then we’ll get plenty of big way stuff without burning out on staring at the same person all day.
So the big ways will be the double-chevron (attached). The advantages to this formation are that each flyer only needs to focus their attention in a single place and it only has the most basic symmetry. This means we only need to form something close to a wedge to have a killer picture rather than a cloud of bodies. I want to spread this out more than we have in the past, so that individuals have some room to move around without forcing the person beside them to move out of their way. More experienced folks will be in front, lesser behind. This will give the lesser experienced folks only one person to look at, the more experienced person in front of them. If we arrange people in the aircraft as shown (attached), the lesser experienced person can follow the more experienced person all the way to their slot. With this arrangement, the lesser experienced folks are not relegated to the back of the bus.
Those flockers who hold their slots and fly smoothly will be moved towards the center on the next dive. Those who move around too much will be moved to the outside. Unless you’re a danger to yourself or others you will NOT be asked off.
If things are working out, we can do a “pull-away”. As base for the front chevron I’ll set my audible for 8000’. When it goes off I’ll start putting the gas on slowly while the front chevron follows me. The rear chevron stays in place. This should make an INSANE visual for both the rear chevron and the spectators on the ground.
FYI – Matt Hoover is the lead video guy. The other video folks will co-ordinate with him. We will NOT have 2 or 3 camera people on their backs under the formation colliding.
Let me know what you think. Additions, subtractions, suggestions, rants .. bring it on.
Scott
1) The requests for smaller groups to pursue more technical dives
2) The requests for doing the big ways
3) No flocker left behind
Logistically, the minimum size we can make the groups is about 15 so we can keep our video slots.
The organizers, in order, will be me, James Boole, Rob Jones and Chuck Blue. So if 15 or fewer people show up, I’m the organizer for the whole group. At 16 – 30 James and I split it, Add Rob for 31 -45 and Chuck for 46 – 60. If more than 60 flockers show up .. we’ll deal with it.
We’ll split up by experience levels for the smaller dives. The lesser experienced folks will be practicing basic flocking skills: flying relative, flying smooth, safe approaches, exit techniques .. that kind of thing. With 15 people we’ll be shuffling folks around so you’ll get to play in front as well as the back. Here’s the “no flocker left behind” part … in the formation or out, I don’t care .. you’re on the dive as long as you’re not a danger to yourself or others.
We haven’t decided which organizer is with which experience level.
For the more experienced folks; let’s mix it up. Plenty of vertical and mixed horizontal/vertical formations, some multi-point dives, vertical formations with open spots for “penetrators” to fly through and some docked dives (now would be the time to get those grippers sewn on your suit on the outside of the knees). Backfliers are welcome, especially those that can stay in formation that way (I’m thinking a 5 way backflying wedge with a 5 way vertical stack on the base flier and a 5 way belly wedge on the very top). We could do some “legs out” dives .. who doesn’t like 2 minutes of flocking? If we have 2 experienced groups that want to join together .. perfect!
And of course the winner-take-all $20 put-up-or-shut-up “Z-Flock Challenge” dive on Saturday! Whoever goes the furthest wins it all.
I’m hoping to shoot for 6 dives/day. If we devote the last 2 dives each day to big ways, then we’ll get plenty of big way stuff without burning out on staring at the same person all day.
So the big ways will be the double-chevron (attached). The advantages to this formation are that each flyer only needs to focus their attention in a single place and it only has the most basic symmetry. This means we only need to form something close to a wedge to have a killer picture rather than a cloud of bodies. I want to spread this out more than we have in the past, so that individuals have some room to move around without forcing the person beside them to move out of their way. More experienced folks will be in front, lesser behind. This will give the lesser experienced folks only one person to look at, the more experienced person in front of them. If we arrange people in the aircraft as shown (attached), the lesser experienced person can follow the more experienced person all the way to their slot. With this arrangement, the lesser experienced folks are not relegated to the back of the bus.
Those flockers who hold their slots and fly smoothly will be moved towards the center on the next dive. Those who move around too much will be moved to the outside. Unless you’re a danger to yourself or others you will NOT be asked off.
If things are working out, we can do a “pull-away”. As base for the front chevron I’ll set my audible for 8000’. When it goes off I’ll start putting the gas on slowly while the front chevron follows me. The rear chevron stays in place. This should make an INSANE visual for both the rear chevron and the spectators on the ground.
FYI – Matt Hoover is the lead video guy. The other video folks will co-ordinate with him. We will NOT have 2 or 3 camera people on their backs under the formation colliding.
Let me know what you think. Additions, subtractions, suggestions, rants .. bring it on.
Scott
Whoa! This is nice I really like the default Organization in depth depending on attendance. Maybe Z-hills really is the center of the evolution of human flight. Maybe some other westcoasters should attend.
This could be big! This could bigger than Russia and Germany combined big!
And that no flocker left behind brings a tear to my eyes. I'm completely serious!!!!
This could be big! This could bigger than Russia and Germany combined big!
And that no flocker left behind brings a tear to my eyes. I'm completely serious!!!!
BS we had to put base PCs on his ankles just to slow Tony down to regular guy flock speed. That guy is a zipper!