elightle

If the team is doing tunnel training, 50 randoms might not be necessary.

I hear about the latest SB's in USPA Update Emails. I believe all members automatically get the email updates unless they opt out.

[replyReposting this ad because one of our members had to drop out. Found a replacement and possibly an alternate!

...and within driving distance of Ohio!

Reposting this ad because one of our members had to drop out.

haha Thanks for the offer. I see you video'd the 88-way VA State Record in 2008. I was on that skydive!

Sr. Technical Writer in the concrete materials/batch control industry.

Jeez, I made it sound like I was a world class big-way organizer. Sorry if it came off that way. I'm just a guy who's been on a few 100-plus ways and liked the tracking team idea.

It's good to question this sort of thing. And it's good to solicit opinions. It is also good to get the reasoning behind tracking teams directly from the world's top big-way organizers. With that said, here is my opinion... I believe the purpose of tracking teams is to avoid collisions right after breakoff. The tracking leader sets the heading and his/her team members stay relatively close for the first few seconds. Then they veer slightly away from the leader. "Fanning out" is probably not the proper terminology. Of course, I am visualizing this from a slot on the outside of a formation larger than 100. The outer wave tracks the farthest anyway and has more time to obtain separation. For the inner waves, I can see Peter's point. These waves might be better off turning 180 and paying attention to what is ahead and around them.

Pattern, Pattern, Pattern... Period!

We have found a fourth member! We will have a mix of experience levels but that's good. Can't wait to get everybody together! Now to find a camera flyer... and an alternate... If anybody would like to fly camera for us, give us a shout.

Yes, they're the best because they show the "cheated" builds and the slots in color. Just change the photos for Blocks 1 and 13.

Original post edited to add: 3 members have already committed. The ideal 4th member will also have experience flying inside center. Thanks!

Thanks, Eric! Casting my net wider as Dan BC would say. It's looking good so far. Maybe I'll get to see you at SDC during Nationals?

An Intermediate level 4-way team is now forming in Ohio and is looking for a fourth member. We are still in the talking stages but have pretty much agreed that this will be a fun, yet challenging, part-time team that will train at Start Skydiving in Middletown, Ohio, and compete at the Intermediate level at the 2013 USPA Nationals at Skydive Chicago. The ideal candidate will have the following basic knowledge/skills/experience/abilities: • Understanding of and familiarity with all Randoms and Blocks in the Intermediate dive pool • Sufficient tunnel time learning to fly Mantis and build Randoms • Sufficient air time doing 4-way • Confident but not a control freak • Ability to compromise and put team goals first • Ability to fly comfortably with 3 other teammates who are in the 130 – 155 lb. weight range. Current Minimum Training Goals: • Train one full weekend and one other weekend day each month • Attend one tunnel camp of at least an hour and-a-half duration • Participate in the Intermediate level at the 2013 USPA Nationals Interested candidates can respond to this ad or private message Ed Lightle. Thanks!

Nice flying. As you learn more about Mantis you will use your knees a lot for turning. Keep up the good work!

I am an old timer who started on round parachutes, so looking for alternate landing areas was a must! I don't use Dave's calculations, per se, but I monitor my altitude vs. how far I am from the DZ, and I always have a spot picked out in case I can't make it back.

Cool! Let us know how it goes.

If you have experienced 4-way competitors/coaches, let them decide when to cap registration/sign-ups. Sounds like you're gonna have a great scrambles or meet or whatever!!

Obvious answer: YES! But that’s the way big-ways go. It is not a situation where the hardest-working or most skilled or passionate players get selected for the team. But, it does require more commitment than, say, a weekend softball or bowling team. It requires lots of time and money, which can both put a hurt on a family man or woman. And I would argue that very few big-way jumpers are independently wealthy or born into money. They just choose to follow the big-way circuit because they genuinely love it. If big-ways were exclusively a rich person’s sport, then the rest of us might as well find something else to do. But we don’t. Because it isn't and we want to play too. We want to be right there with them on a challenging 100-way sequential skydive. We want to know what it feels like to dock on something that looks and feels like a flying island in the sky. We want to broaden our repertoire of skydiving skills. Yes, there is a lot of diving and waiting on big-ways, but that’s the trick. It requires patience, which means trusting that the people docking ahead of us will be there. If that isn’t teamwork, I don’t know what is. But I digress. What I am saying is that skydiving will always be expensive and that we don’t have to plunk down our money if we don’t want to. But we should not be jealous of those skydivers who do plunk down the money and who do get invited onto the world records. They make our sport look good to the rest of the world by giving us media attention. And the photos look pretty cool too! So, yes, big-ways are expensive. But for a lot of jumpers, it is a great way to spend their time and money.

Yes, congratulations!

Glad you had a great time on your first RW jump! You'll learn a lot on small formations, especially 4-way. The wind tunnel helps a lot too! Welcome to the madness!

Well (knock on wood) I think my surgery went well. It's been 12 days now and I'm feeling no real pain. I was able to sit on the floor and put my shoes on this morning and I can walk up and down stairs. Sorry you had a bad outcome, skdyverbry. I have a friend who had complications as well. Streetscooby: Just make sure your surgeon/urologist has plenty of experience doing these procedures. Mine came well-recommended. Blue Skies!

haha! Yes, but when I can't jump I wanna hump, even at my age! :)

Hey, Adam. If it is a scrambles and not a meet, why do you need sponsors? If your DZ is interested, ask them to advertise (newsletter, emails, etc.) and round up 2 player/coaches for each team and go for it! You'll probably have to wait and see what kind of turnout you get your first time around. Our DZ does one a year hosted by our ladies 4-way team. We advertise in our newsletter and on Facebook. Hope that helps!