skyjumpsteve

Hot air balloon jumps in New England are unfortunately not common at all. I heard of a few years ago but none in recent memory. As Dave said there is a helicopter at the Pepperrell boogie August 12 thru the 16'th. There is a post in the events forum with more info on the boogie.

From the SIM: USPA A-license holders who have not made a freefall skydive within 60 days should make at least one jump under the supervision of a currently rated USPA instructional rating holder until demonstrating altitude awareness, freefall control on all axes, tracking, and canopy skills sufficient for safely jumping in groups More info in section 5-2. If you do not have a SIM hardcopy you can look-up this info online at uspa.org and clicking the SIM link at the top of the page.

The Boston Express Bus leaves right from Logan and goes to Nashua which is very close to Pepperell. If you call manifest they can probably arrange a ride for you from the bus stop to the DZ. Here is the link for the bus...I think the last one leaves at 8:40. http://www.bostonexpressbus.com/

Lost Prairie in Montana is amazing. I have been to tons of boogies over the years and this is one I will never forget. Definitely worth it. Also, the Puerto Rico Freefall Festival is A+. If they ever bring back the World Freefall Convention that would be the one to go to!

...TonySuits?

Matt, great photo! I was about to PM you to order it and right before I hit "send" I got the envelope out that had the 2 pics I ordered from you a few months ago and one of them was the pic in the paper. Good luck with your dealings with your "friends" at the Tribune and keep up the good work of getting us crazy wingsuiters all the good press. Peace, Steve P.S. Hopefully I will see you before then (Pepperell?) but if not I think I will be at Ballunar in October.

1. Purple Mike 2. Michal M 3. Obama 4. J-Sho 5. Andreea 6. Dan M -- no handlebars 7. Stu 8. Scott Gray 9. Chris Gray 10. MonkeyBoy 11. Taya 12. "One Ball" Rick 13. "responsible" Phil Peggs 14. Mark K. 15. "irresponsible" one and a half ball "Stoney" 16. Lurch "Most stylish debris cloud in history" 17-20. The CPI Regulars (Mark K apparently doesn't count) 21. Teh Skwrl. 22. Tony Uragallo 23. Simon 24. Steve H.

...especially when your lift ticket is a few million dollars!

All the cool DZ.com wingsuiters who hang out in the wingsuiter forum

Stoney!!! you really there? Going to be flying this weekend?

....out of curiosity on 12/29/06 you wrote: PS: I will be qualifying at least three great wingsuit pilots this week for their BMI. This includes Jeff Nebelkopf. No he does not own a BM suit, but he does recognize that it is important to "fill in the blanks" for his program. I love him for it, as do I Tony Uragallo who was initially very hesitant to take anyone's advice. It's brilliant that such a well-known jumpsuit/manufacturer would take my "thorn in his side" advice seriously. His product is infinitely more retailable and popular than it was before my "interdiction." Everyone benefits from "tough love" when it's presented in the proper manner. *** .....did this not end up happening? Just curious.

If < 2000 then post_on_dz.com = "FALSE"

Nothing would prevent them competing but in reality very few would. Why would a 50 or 100 jump wonder show up at the Nationals and expect to fit in or have any realistic shot at competing even in the intermediate division? The Collegiate Nationals simply gives them a way to compete on a more friendly and level playing field. How would competitors save time and money? How many do you think compete in both? If they did the Collegiates just gives the younger jumpers another competition to gain skills and become better jumpers. Valid point about USPA $ though....

You ever read the articles in Parachutist about the Collegiate Nationals and see all the smiling faces and happy people with excitement and joy and pride in competing? That is why they exist.

WOOOO HOOOOOO is right! Massachusetts state record next weekend at Pepperell. Let's do it. 8 way? 10 way? 12? Who is going to be around?

Fasted3 - I think very very few people have flown one much less own one so there are not a lot of people that can give you constructive criticism yet. By the end of the summer a lot more people will have had an opportunity to fly one so you can probably get a lot more answers to your questions. The 2 that I have seen flock perfectly fine but the people flying them are very experienced.

who is the coach? Where do you jump?

Huh? Forget what?

I could not agree more. We have all been hearing stories about the "beer" rating for years. Give me a break. Move on. Let's talk about and give credit to the excellent instruction across the country (and world) that has allowed WS'ing to progress immeasurably over the past few years. I have seen FFC's at 10+ DZ's over the past 3 years and all were of excellent quality. Documented guidelines and recommendations would be great I just don't know if we need to go down the path of mandatory instructor ratings. This absolutely 100% would limit the growth of the discipline and IMHO would not make it any safer.

An F bomb and you are gone for the day or gone for good???

Love the pic of the skydivers with "parachutes in hand making their way back to the main staging area after completing a jump." http://www.dailydemocrat.com/ci_12703477

....and their famlies?

From this month's Parachutist. Thoughts? Discuss..... http://www.uspa.org/Parachutist/Read/tabid/250/ctl/Detail/mid/1059/xmid/8328/xmfid/12/Default.aspx A President's Perspective July 2009 | by Jay Stokes The definition of the word “educate” includes terms like “cultivation and training.” To USPA it means the establishment of recommendations that facilitate learning and the continuing development of a culture of safety, currency and proficiency. The definition of the word “regulate” includes terms like “influence and regularize.” USPA regulates by developing and codifying standards—requirements—to be observed by all. The two terms—educate and regulate—are not anathema to one another or mutually exclusive. This is especially true in skydiving where regulation and education are almost always derived from the harsh realities of our sport. All skydivers attend the School of Hard Knocks. Very few of today’s active skydiving professionals would argue that what the USPA has achieved would have “just happened” without the organizational discipline and procedures that we have all developed together over the years. The true business of USPA is saving lives. And so, as new equipment, methods and disciplines appear in our sport, the lessons we have collectively learned need to be taken into account, even in the face of vehement opposition that says, “We can do it ourselves.” In January of this year a skydiver fell out of his wingsuit and died because his leg straps were not properly secured under his suit. This was only his second wingsuit jump. As an observer I was shocked by this incident, as were many others. How could this happen? After discussion with several wingsuit manufacturers and their instructors, I have become aware of their specific training programs. Each wingsuit manufacturer endorses their own instructors for their specific gear. With at least five different makers, there are bound to be differing approaches and emphases. The current corps of wingsuit trainers are well versed in how to fly the suits, but have they learned basic instructional techniques, and do they know about teaching concepts to develop and maintain a safe jumping environment? Wingsuiting is a radical form of skydiving, requiring different body positions, freefall strategy, deployment procedures, emergency procedures and even different canopy procedures. A “first-flight course” is conducted by a person endorsed by the specific wingsuit manufacturer. After that first flight these skydivers are generally released to jump on their own without supervision and without a syllabus for continued learning and proficiency. It makes sense that standardized techniques and procedures would be a great advantage to skydivers learning wingsuit piloting. Of course, USPA already has wingsuit training recommendations (and in this case the jumper had 110 jumps—far fewer than the “minimum of 500 freefall skydives; or a minimum of 200 freefall skydives, made within the last 18 months” suggested by USPA to even begin training.) But is more than education needed? Specifically, does USPA need to regulate by establishing a wingsuit course, perhaps taught only by a USPA-rated wingsuit instructor? Some say, “yes,” that the over-arching instructional training concepts, techniques and standardized procedures that are part of the USPA training and instructional rating system would be a great advantage to skydivers learning wingsuit piloting, just as they have been beneficial in basic student training since the 1980s. Or does USPA need to simply educate by developing more in-depth wingsuit recommendations, then educate skydivers and work with the manufacturers and their endorsed instructors? What is the safest course to take? Educate or regulate? Or use a combination of the two? Several members of the wingsuit community have stepped up to develop their ideas and offer them to USPA’s Board of Directors. Regardless of what form the ideas take—either as requirements or as recommendations—all those who want to try this new form of skydiving will benefit from the debate and the effort.

he just went on a little wilderness hike http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/06/23/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5105892.shtml

The first clicky is in English...... http://www.flyyourbody.com/en/online-shop/wingsuits/s-fly-verso.html