CanopyPiloting

Unfortunately, I have always written like this because I am usually trying to say to much in such a short time. I will hold several competition training camps for both amatuers and Pros during the 2006 season. I will be available for some coaching while in Houston over the next couple months. If your serious about the CPC or PST and want to learn the tricks of the trade please contact me. Cheers....

Thanks guys, I will be in Houston over the next couple months before the PST season starts. I will be available for a serious competition training camp for CPC pilots and other swoop amatuers interested in learning more about the sport, as well as, tips and tricks from the tour. DZs intrested in such camp should contact jim@canopypiloting.com as soon as possible. Slots/dates are limited for this type of training....Jim

I'll look forward to it!....Jim

Get some training from someone you can trust and knows what they are talking about. It is a fair site depending on the prevailing winds and such...

If you would like competition coaching during the U.S. Nationals of Canopy Piloting at Wildwood please let me know. I will also be conducting a PST Training camp and the CPC Championships at the mile Hi Swoop Park in Colorado during the month of August. The entire PST 2006 schedule will be out in a week or so. Again, if your serious about getting some canopy coaching for competition then now is the time...Jim

It won't be too much longer now and the 2006 Pro Swooping Tour season will be released. This year has the best events with the highest cash payout in the history of the sport.... www.canopypiloting.com

WHAT IS THE CASH PURSE FOR THE EVENT? Thanks....

We have recieved over 1,000 personal E-mails this week alone. Thanks for all the support guys and the best is yet to come....Jim

SLATON/HALL accident story - February 22, 2006 Added by: Jim Slaton “I would like to say thank you to all my swooping mates, friends and family who I have the greatest amount of gratitude. Thanks for never letting me forget my dream of flight that continues to this day”….Jim Slaton Before the accident- In typical fashion, Jim and Duane were creating a new form of flying focusing on parachute flocking or “paraflocking”, the art of having a leader with an individual or a group following close behind. This particular flock would be cutting edge exploring the potential of freestyle swooping. Jim and Duane had spent months following each other. Jim found it best to lead from a “Blind man” (180 degrees from the direction of flight (in the harness), this allowed Jim to explore the most efficient body position while maintaining eye contact with the followers at the same time. Jim typically flew this position for minutes during the flight coming out of the “blind man” only for landing about 100 feet above the surface of the ground. Jim and Duane flew this flock 3-4 times successfully the same day before the accident. Jim knew before impact with the surface that he had made an error in judgment that would change his life. (Sunday) February 12, 2006- The group was coming out of a recent GL camp and the GLC had just graduated 5-6 GL-1’s and our newest GL-2 (Anthony Levey). Jim and Duane had performed the same flocking maneuver 3-4 times that day already and had no ideas this time would be any different. The pair launched themselves with their Daedalus GLXs and Jim quickly kicked a Blind man and took the lead. Duane followed closely being filming the flight for the next DVD in the “Gravity Pilots” saga. The flight continued on for a minute or so and then Jim realized the pair was over the landing area at about 75 feet. Jim slowly (not the best idea) spun a 180 in the harness to face the same direction as flight for landing but the speed of the harness turn was to slow allowing the canopy to slowly dive and turn. The result was a canopy wrap at about 60 feet. The pair had enough time to consider a few options and pray for the best. “All I could think of was distributing the load. I figured if I could absorb the impact over a large enough area I could reduce the damage”…Jim. I was able to hit the ground laid out on my left side but the fall was too high and the GLX was ready for the challenge. The GLX Shape got better throughout the fall to crash with almost no distortion in the airfoil. The GLXs got efficiently faster and was creating less drag with each passing second! Keep in mind Duane was flying a GLX 130 and I was flying a 135. High performance crew had never seemed less appealing. A couple things you never hope to never ask yourself in flight as a pilot… #1-In the air wishing you was on the ground. #2-In an entanglement wishing you had more altitude. #3-Wondering if the other pilots understood your body language. What could have prevented the accident?-A basic hand and arm signal. The most basic of all hand and arm signals within the skydiving community….the break off signal. By the leader giving a basic “break off” signal the followers can get themselves out of the way of any last minute maneuvers performed by the leader. Jim knew before impact with the surface that he had made an error in judgment that would change his life and the future of the sport. Fate has terrible power- On Impact Jim lost 21 grams of weight and 3.5 days of his life in an induced coma from head trauma. Six bruises on the frontal lobe of the brain to be exact. Evel Knievel, the American motorcycle daredevil from Butte, Montana, made his most famous and life altering stunt in 1968 when he attempted to jump 151 feet across the fountains in front of Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Successfully clearing the fountains, his landing was a disaster, and his injuries put him in the hospital in a coma for 30 days. Evel later said it was the most painful recovery process he had ever went through and provided him with years of rehabilitation. Evel Knievel also took the time in the hospital from the accident to calculate some of his more famous jumps that would put him on the map as an American Icon. Jim Slaton and Duane Hall together broke as many bones (many the same) as Evel Knievel did on the fateful 1968 jump across the fountains in Las Vegas...more at http://www.canopypiloting.com

Send your names to jim@canopypiloting.com

Yes, party!

$120 is the cost for both the swoop camp and the competition that is going on at the same time. There will be daily seminars and swoop debriefings throughout the day, including the competition day. The comp will most likely take place on Sat but we are going to wait and see what the weather does. Hope to see you all out there for the 1st annual event.

If your a chick and your coming to the comp post your name here. Actually, everyone coming post your name here...

Yes, swooping chicks rule!

Hartsfield Atlanta Airport. It is about 40 minutes drive away from the DZ... Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport Time Zone: EST (GMT -5) Airport Code: ATL Tel: +1 404 530-6600 Fax: +1 404 530-6803 Address: 6000 North Terminal Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30320 Distance from city: 10 miles (16km) Airport Car Rental Atlanta Area Weather

The rest of the info will be released at the end of Feb with the Pro Swooping Tour schedule...

Pro competitors will only be able to compete as "Guests" during this event and they cannot win any of the cash purse. The non X braced competition is for the "rookie" & "advanced" class pilots on the CPC. Pilots who have never competed on the CPC before can still participate in this event by becoming CPC members. The Swoop Camp is for everyone competing or preparing to get onto the circuit.

Pilots can participate in the competition, swoop camp or both... DAY ONE: The Set up DAY TWO: Sight picture DAY THREE: Performance training DAY FOUR: Course strategy e-mail or PM Jim if you want prices. Jim, no advertising on these forums.

30 slots max. If you would like to reserve your slot E-mail Jim your name at jim@canopypiloting.com

This is it! Jim Slaton and the Canopy Piloting Circuit will organize a NON X BRACED SWOOP COMPETITION and SWOOP CAMP at Skydive the Farm, GA March 23-26, 2006. This one of a kind swoop competition is being held as a test event for the Canopy Piloting Circuit. The competition is for amateur pilots only competing with conventional swoop canopies like Katana, Crossfire, Safire, Lotus, Samurai, etc. Jim will provide daily seminars and offer a cash purse to the winners. For more info check out the "events" forum or log onto www.canopypiloting.com

THIS IS IT! Event: CPC non X braced competition and Swoop Camp Date: March 23-26, 2006 Location: Skydive the Farm, GA Registration: $120 Prizes: Medals/Cash purse Jim Slaton and the Canopy Piloting Circuit is running a non x braced swoop competition and swoop camp at Skydive the Farm March 23-26, 2006. This one of a kind swoop competition is being held as a test event for the Canopy Piloting Circuit. The competition will be for pilots competing with non cross braced canopies like Crossfires, Katana, Safire, Sabre, Samurai, Lotus, etc. The competition will consist of three rounds of distance and accuracy. Jim Slaton will give daily seminars and provide onsite coaching. 30 slots max available... To reserve your slot just send a E-mail to Jim at jim@canopypiloting.com

It is going to be an exciting year for swoopers! There will be several new rules and events for the 2006 season that will be released with the Pro Swooping Tour schedule on Feb 28, 2006. NEW FOR 2006 -New Weight control system -New Pro/Am events -New percentage scoring system -New CPC districts -New PST Training Camps -New Judging courses -New pilot selection process for CPC Championships -New "pro" card standards -New electronic scoring system -New inflatable courses -New Team event -Largest single cash purse event (pro/am) and much more! www.proswoopingtour.tv www.canopypiloting.com

There will be several new rules for the 2006 season that will be released with the PST schedule at the end of Feb. ALL pilots are considered amatuers until they get their pro card and their name appears on the athlete list at www.proswoopingtour.tv NEW FOR 2006 -New Weight control system -New Pro/Am events -New percentage scoring system -New CPC districts -New PST Training Camps -New Judging courses -New pilot selection process for CPC Championships -New "pro" card standards -New electronic scoring system -New inflatable courses -New Team event -Largest cash purse event (pro/am) and much more! Release date: Feb 28, 2006

www.proswoopingtour.tv Also, the Pro Swooping Tour's new DVD entitled "Freestyle Posse" is coming out this spring and it shows all the moves. The DVD will be available online at www.canopypiloting.com

Slaton Air Sports and the Ground Launch Center are proud to bring you the 2006 European Canopy Piloting Expedition.... June 2-20, 2006 Canopy Piloting Expedition in Europe runs concurrent with our European ground launch camps. First timers seeking GL training in Europe can sign up to attend any or all of our European ground launch camps. The expedition is for PST or GL-1 rated pilots only. If you are not sure if you are qualified to come along please contact us. The expedition will start off in the Ukraine where pilots will get a chance to swoop the incredible Crimea Mountains. This location has many launch points with landing areas on the beach! The site will support all types of Paraswooping including blade running, big ways, soaring & paragliding. The group will then travel to Chamonix, France where they will get a chance to launch some of the most breathtaking sites in the European Alps. The group will take lifts on the world's highest tram car where after a 20 minute ride they will step off onto a balcony at 12,500ft! The group will also make parachute descents from a helicopter over the Mont Blanc mountain range like seen in Team Extreme's DVD "Out of the Blue". The group will then travel to Interlaken, Switzerland where they will do more ground launching and parachute descents from a helicopter over the Eiger, Nielsen & Glacier Lake. Switzerland offers some breathtaking scenes in one of the most spectacular locations in the world! The expedition fee is $500 USD and participants pay all their own travel expenses, meals, lift tickets, helicopter slots, etc. We are working to keep the cost down as much as possible. We are arranging special group rates for lodging and ground transportation. In addition, pilots with limited funds can sit out on some daily activities allowing them to participate with less expense. Pilots must get themselves from their point of origin to the Borispol airport by 12:00pm on June 1, 2006. Please contact us for further details on scheduling or pricing. Pilots must register online and pay a $250 deposit to confirm their slot. More info and pics online at http://www.canopypiloting.com