Feb 16, 2004, 7:32 AM
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2004 SEASON - LODI
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Beginning in March, Sundays will be the day(s) for those who wish to get into building larger RW formations. The first Sunday of each month will be dedicated to quickly building or launching a 10-way base out of one of the super otters. These jumps will be in preparation for larger formations on following Sundays. Exits for these practices will be from 8K with no flaps and about 95 MPH exit speed. The 2nd Sunday of each month will be 2-otter formation loads building one point from 13K. Third Sundays will be for 2-otter formation loads building multiple points from 15 - 18 K. Later in the season a 3rd otter will be brought in from Monterey for 3-otter formation loads. Ticket price is $15.00 to 13K. Higher altitudes will cost approximately $1.00 extra per thousand feet. If you have any questions, or wish to commit to these days at Lodi, contact Bill Dause at his Parachute Center. Phone (209) 369-1128 or email at paractr@softcom.net
Many of us know this stuff, but are not able to clearly explain it to newer jumpers. Jan has gone to the effort to codify the info into a coherent document. Any one tip is worth the cost, and there's a lot of good info there. Order a spare for your flailing friend!
Beginning in March, Sundays will be the day(s) for those who wish to get into building larger RW formations. The first Sunday of each month will be dedicated to quickly building or launching a 10-way base out of one of the super otters. These jumps will be in preparation for larger formations on following Sundays. Exits for these practices will be from 8K with no flaps and about 95 MPH exit speed. The 2nd Sunday of each month will be 2-otter formation loads building one point from 13K. Third Sundays will be for 2-otter formation loads building multiple points from 15 - 18 K. Later in the season a 3rd otter will be brought in from Monterey for 3-otter formation loads. Ticket price is $15.00 to 13K. Higher altitudes will cost approximately $1.00 extra per thousand feet. If you have any questions, or wish to commit to these days at Lodi, contact Bill Dause at his Parachute Center. Phone (209) 369-1128 or email at paractr@softcom.net
Be there, Duke
This is great for the upcoming jumpers that want to get on some better, more experienced loads.
Bill Dause purchased his second super otter for just this sort of activity. It's now March, and these progressive formation Sundays will begin this month! Base ten practices on the first Sundays, and large RW on the 2nd Sundays, 2-otter formation loads on 3rd Sundays. A few months down the road a 3rd otter will come from Monterey for 3-otter formations. This is an ideal opportunity for northern Calif. jumpers, as well as anyone who wants to make the trip to Lodi, to make some big formation jumps. So, come out and make lots of jumps on Sundays at Lodi, where your number of jumps is only limited by how fast you can be packed. The rainy weather is beginning to go away and with participation, Sundays ought to be really good jump days.
Do you think there may be a chance for some freeflyers to do some jumps on the formation loads if they are not filled with all RW jumpers? This will give us a chance to practice for the bigger formation VRW when exiting 1 group from the 2 different planes?
What kind of experience level will be expected to do these big ways?
In other words, say someone (not naming any names ) has 50 or so jumps; will they be allowed to participate or does said individual need to get more experience first?
Mar 1, 2004, 4:02 PM
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Re: [StearmanR985] 2004 SEASON - LODI
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In other words, say someone (not naming any names ) has 50 or so jumps; will they be allowed to participate or does said individual need to get more experience first?
Yes, you can help collect money, go for pizza and beer, etc.
Seriously, you'd need to have pretty exceptional RW experience, maybe with a lot of coaching and tunnel time, to get on this type of load with a couple of hundred jumps, and you'd need someone well known to vouch for you. At fifty jumps, I'd worry about one's abilities to be safe on the load, in the event of funnels, traffic problems, or just normal breakoff/track/clear/dump. I expect that someone with 50 jumps would want to dump higher than would be allowed on these loads.
Mar 1, 2004, 8:16 PM
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Re: [headoverheels] 2004 SEASON - LODI
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maybe with a lot of coaching and tunnel time, to get on this type of load with a couple of hundred jumps
Hi Gary, I don't think Bill is looking at the hard core RW jumper with tons of coaching or tunnel time for these organized loads. He is looking for jumpers that have experience in RW (jump numbers? you'll have to ask, but it's ablity that counts.) and is looking to expand their ability in doing bigger ways. There are select groups at the DZ that is only interested in having experienced large formation people on their loads and this will be designed to get the jumper to that level of doing BIGGER RW loads or having bigger loads of their own without any problems understanding them or flying on them.
Mar 1, 2004, 8:22 PM
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Re: [StearmanR985] 2004 SEASON - LODI
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What kind of experience level will be expected to do these big ways?
In other words, say someone (not naming any names ) has 50 or so jumps; will they be allowed to participate or does said individual need to get more experience first?
Jeff
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Though your skills have improved tremendously Jeff, alot more experience is needed for these loads. Start with alot of smaller laods like we did the other day and then work up. You did great! 5 points on a 5 way with under 50 jumps is awesome! Keep up the good work and you'll be there soon enough.
Mar 2, 2004, 7:23 AM
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Re: [headoverheels] 2004 SEASON - LODI
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Yes, you can help collect money, go for pizza and beer, etc.
Ah man, where's the love? Okay okay, I will just have to be satisfied being a gofer for the time being.
Being new and all I was just curious what it takes to get involved with these big ways. I shall keep working with the smaller groups.... Unless they boot me out that is.
Mar 3, 2004, 4:28 PM
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Re: [StearmanR985] 2004 SEASON - LODI
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Yo Stearman - Ya just need to stay visible, show your interest, and prove you're able to fly with control. Try to make some small RW jumps with higher experienced jumpers and get some critiques. It may take a few months, but you could be making these larger loads by the end of the summer. Jump a lot and stay current.
Mar 3, 2004, 8:55 PM
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Re: [StearmanR985] 2004 SEASON - LODI
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Ah man, where's the love?
It's all around you.
Do like Duke says, jump a lot this season (after all, your commute to the DZ takes what, a few minutes?), and you should be able to get on some larger loads later this year. Get Jan's bigway guide. Practice your tracking; get someone to watch you track and coach you. Getting into the formation is somewhat optional; getting away from people before opening is not. If I get my sorry ass out to the DZ sometime soon, I'll be glad to make some jumps with you. Eddie might say that that would cause more harm than good.
Mar 4, 2004, 6:49 AM
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Re: [headoverheels] 2004 SEASON - LODI
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I am all over it! Right now I am averaging about 8 jumps or more per week of which at least half are some form of RW. At that rate I will have over a 100 jumps by May (I know, that is not a whole lot). Perhaps my skills will improve enough by then to sneak in on some of these loads.
) has 50 or so jumps; will they be allowed to participate or does said individual need to get more experience first? 
