Excerpts from the Navy SEAL Fatality Report
Harness Container was a Telesis 2, Main was a Navigator 280, Reserve a PD253R
Training background:
Deceased was trained by a highly experienced USPA AFF and military instructor. The training was a military exercise done strictly in accordance with USPA guidelines. Deceased had made 5 prior jumps, with good to excellent performance on all jumps, with the exception of a tendency to dip right side low on deployment. This was his second jump of the day. His training records reflected corrective training on body position at pull time.
Description of incident:
The AFF Level 6 jump went as planned, with excellent performance by the deceased. He waved and pulled at 4500' as planned. His body position at pull time was right side low due to knee dropped. Deployment appeared to progress normally to the jumpmaster. The jumpmaster did not see full canopy deployment. Deceased was next seen at approximately 2500' with a main/reserve entanglement. He was seen trying to clear the entanglement until impact.
Post jump inspection found that the cutaway handle and reserve ripcords had been pulled. The kink in the reserve ripcord cable caused by RSL activation eliminated the possibility that the deceased had pulled the handles in the wrong order. The reserve bridle was found entangled with the right main line group. The main canopy was twisted in such a way that it appeared to have hung up on the left (RSL) side.
Final inspection of the equipment revealed that the slider bumper on the right rear riser may have snagged the reserve static line, causing the dual deployment. Pulling the cutaway handle may have taken away this jumper's only chance of survival.
To put the jump in the most likely order of events:
Deceased deployed right side low.
Right rear riser slider bumper snagged RSL during deployment.
Main deployed normally.
Reserve partially deployed.
Deceased saw main and reserve out, with malfunctioning reserve.
Deceased pulled cutaway handle and reserve ripcord.
The resulting entanglement was not surviveable.
This sequence of events is considered the most likely scenario based on the available information. It should be noted that in this, as is the case of all fatality reports, the person with the most information is unfortunately, unable to provide his or her input.
Conclusions:
It must be stressed that the pull priorities of :
Pull
Pull at the correct altitude
Pull at the correct altitude with stability
still apply. Stability at pull time great improves the probability of one good fully functional parachute. Sacrificing altitude for stability still is not a viable alternative. Even in an unstable body position at deployment time, the chances of a good parachute are very high.
A review of different 2 canopies out scenarios, and practicing procedures in a suspended harness, or even a conversation with a very knowledgeable Instructor to review your current philosophy on different 2 canopies out scenarios may be enough to save your life.
Max Cohn - Generation Freefly
Max Cohn is the chief instructor of Generation Freefly, a human flight school whose home base is The Ranch Parachute Club in Gardiner, New York. Max has over 5500 jumps and has been in the sport for more than 7 years. This year he is running as a write-in candidate for USPA national director. Dropzone.com spoke to him about where he came from and where he's headed.
If you don’t mind, can I have your jump numbers, the gear you jump, and your canopy progression?
I have over 5500 jumps. I did my first jump in 1995 (tandem). I began AFF in May 1996.
I jump a Mirage G4 with a Precision Aerodynamics Mircroraven 135 reserve. I jump an Icarus Safire II 101.
My first canopy (after student status) was a Paraflite Robo Z 205 (300 jumps). Then, while I was working at Action Air Parachutes in the summer of 1997, I had the opportunity to jump many sizes of Sabres, Monarchs, Spectres and Triathalons, sizes ranging from 190 to 135. I finally landed a good deal on a Sabre 135, which I used for about 400 jumps.
After I lost my Sabre 135 on a baglock, I jumped a Chute Shop ZP 125 for a few hundred jumps. Then I settled into an Icarus Safire 108. I’ve been jumping Safires for 4000 jumps or so.
Give me an intro on what Generation Freefly is, and what you’re trying to accomplish.
Generation Freefly is a freefly school. We strive to teach students about human flight and safety. For four years, we’ve taught thousands of students at our home campus (The Ranch Parachute Club) and all over the world at various drop zones and events.
We are here for the skydiving community and to promote human flight in all forms.
What do you like best about working with students?
My favorite thing when working with students is seeing them make personal improvement. Freeflying (and skydiving in general) is not easy to learn. It is very rewarding to be able to help people in their learning process.
In addition, it is really great to be able to meet so many wonderful people from all over the world.
If you could give one piece of advice to a beginning freeflyer, what would it be?
Accept that learning to fly will take time. We only get so many seconds per jump and so many jumps per day. Try to learn something from each skydive and build upon it for your next skydive.
In light of accidents involving inexperienced freeflyers, would you like to see a licensing system for freefly put in place?
We have to stress safety in our sport constantly. That is the most important thing. It’s a good idea to have some sort of license systems, like the current 3-D award. It gives a structure for people to reference from. I am not sure how strict of a license system we need. That will be determined by communication of the skydiving community and the USPA.
What would you like to see skydivers doing to improve safety?
I would like to see skydivers continue to stress safety every chance possible. Programs such as [USPA] Safety Day are great ideas.
In general, I think that if every skydiver takes the attitude to never get complacent, then we will be better off. Also, I think that every skydiver should be able to accept constructive criticism. It is all about safety.
If you could change one thing about skydiving, what would it be?
In a perfect world, I would change the fatality rate to 0%.
What is competition’s place in this sport?
Competition is very important. It helps give our sport a focus. It becomes a celebration of what we can achieve in the air. Competition helps us push the limits of what we can accomplish in the sky.
Would you like to see any changes in the way competitions are conducted (for example, drug testing, scheduling, etc.)?
I think the biggest thing that we need to improve competition is to listen to the competitors. If we always value the opinions of those participating in the events, then the glitches along the way will hopefully be worked out by communication between judges, officials and athletes.
How often do you do dedicated belly jumps?
When I fly, I utilize all of my body’s surface areas, including my belly. In many of my skydives, both with students and in my personal jumps, I implement belly flying in various ways. I participate in traditional RW jumps here and there. Usually, all of my skydives are not ‘one body position’ type skydives. I like to mix it up as often as possible; belly, back, head down, upright flying, tracking, etc.
What do you see yourself doing 10 years from now?
My desire is to continue to grow as a skydiver and as a human being. Human flight will always have a place in my life and I plan to always be as active as possible. I also look forward to many new exciting experiences in life.
Other than skydiving, what is the most important thing in your life?
That’s an easy one, my family.
Other than skydiving, what is your greatest accomplishment so far in life?
My personal greatest accomplishment in life, other than skydiving, is graduating from Colgate University in 1998. Four years of education (in the blistering cold upstate NY weather) and I made it through with a degree in sociology. My marks were pretty good too.
Max is running as a write-in candidate for USPA national director.
“I think it is important that younger members of our association show an interest in our government,” he says on his reasons for entering the race. “If we want to keep the USPA strong, we all have to participate in some form of another, to keep in self-governed.”
Ballots are due at USPA headquarters by Dec. 31.
-- Jessica B.
John DeRosalia - Peak Performance
John DeRosalia recently helped Sebastian XL place fourth at the 2001 World Air Games in Spain. Peak performance in sport is about achieving personal bests in competition, when it really matters. What you do in training is irrelevant, it is how you perform at the Olympics or World Meet which will put your name in history. Often mental toughness can make the difference at this elite level where technical ability is similar.
A skydiver himself, John is the only licensed psychotherapist in the sport dedicated to working with peak performance.
He also has a successful private practice in New York, where he works with athletes, musicians, writers, and business professionals.
Why is there a need for peak performance training?
For most people, old and faulty belief systems interfere with our ability to achieve peak performance. These systems damage, limit and narrow our belief in ourselves and our abilities. They rob us of the joy we used to feel about making our dreams come true. They tell us, 'Don't bother trying. You'll never get there anyway. It's just a waste of time.'
What's the secret to believing in ourselves?
Think of a child at play. Children don't 'try' to learn or succeed. They just learn and succeed. They're not playing at being firemen. They ARE firemen!
Adults find it more difficult to dream and think positively and joyfully about our goals. We've lost the courage to dream because, over the years many of us find that our enthusiasm for life somehow vanishes. That's when it's time to fearlessly look inward. We all have a passion for something. Sometimes it just takes a while to uncover or rediscover it.
How do we get in touch with that passion?
I begin by helping people reconnect to what they love to do and why. Only then are they able to achieve a level of personal excellence. Once they discover a goal they're passionate about, we design a realistic plan to achieve it. Hypnotherapy is one of the tools I use because it puts people in alpha and theta brainwave states; highly receptive levels of consciousness where suggestibility is at its maximum. Working in these states of consciousness enables me to access dynamic and creative centres in the brain that are generally unavailable during a normal waking state. Powerful, positive suggestions can be programmed into the unconscious that greatly stimulate the ability to learn, improve and even perfect technical skills, as well as increase confidence and self-esteem.
Why is picturing success important and how is it done?
In order to be successful, you need to have a clear picture of what your goal looks like. You also need to be very certain about why you want to accomplish this.
To be able to picture success requires learning and practicing some mental skills such as visualization and imagery which can help you experience and benefit from achieving the goal even before it occurs."
Ultimately, peak performance isn't just about technical excellence. It's about the purpose behind the whole experience-your deepest motivation.
Remember that success comes in many forms. Realising a goal you've set - even if that goal is just to enjoy yourself - is success.
What should a skydiver do when negative thoughts interrupt their mindset?
Positive images are a good place to begin. If you're having negative thoughts in the plane, you can 'change the channel' by replacing the negative thoughts with positive or neutral ones. Think about anything else; a great skydive, the band you saw last night or an exciting movie. A technique I sometimes use is to pretend I'm a great skydiver (I get a clear picture in my mind of my favourite skydiving hero) and then I ask myself, 'What would he be thinking now? How would he be acting now?' Then I act and think as he would. Pretending you're someone else can produce amazing results because you wind up doing things that you couldn't normally do. You temporarily forget your limitations and then they're not limits any more.
Why is mental training important?
Mental training helps to ensure that, at least for the duration of that skydive, negative thoughts won't return. If you've practiced, you can learn to get rid of self-doubt the first time it invades your mind. This isn't to say that those thoughts don't warrant your time and energy at a later point. It's important not to ignore your feelings. But for the time being, you need to concentrate on the task at hand.
The point is to have a number of mental techniques at your disposal. Carpenters don't walk around with just a hammer in their tool box. When negativity invades, and it does for everyone at some point, you need to be well prepared.
What other tools are useful?
Try looking at a situation from a different perspective. I have my own way of looking at things. So do you. Most of us believe that ours is the only one. But you can make a mediocre experience into a great one just by thinking about it in a different way. We move towards what we see - and if you see a mediocre skydive, that's probably what you're going to create. That's why you hear smart people say, 'Don't practice mistakes.' It's not a good idea to watch a video over and over, focusing on the errors. If you make a skydive with ten mistakes and one good point, take a quick look at the mistakes, learn what you can from them, but then delete them from your mind and magnify the good point. Fix it in your head. You're not changing the reality. You're just being selective about the reality you're choosing to hold onto.
What's the most powerful peak performance tool?
My 'miracle tool' is a Personal Vision Statement; a written description of the goal, its time-frame, the steps you'll take to achieve it, and a list of reasons that make it important to you. Writing this out can be time-consuming but it's worth the effort. Most people have thoughts, ideas and dreams of what they'd like to do. But thinking about something is only the first level. Putting your thoughts into words is a second, much more powerful level. A recent study revealed that over 90% of Olympic gold medal winners had their goals down in writing. The third level is taking action in the direction of your goals. The idea is to begin living your dreams and not just thinking about them. Thought, word, and deed are cornerstones in every major philosophy and religion throughout time. The idea in peak performance is to reach for the highest thought.
Mental Training for Skydiving and Life
Why is this tool so powerful?
It forces you to answer the question, 'Why am I here?' That's the hardest question for most of us to answer, which is why it's usually the one we're afraid to ask. What keeps each of us moving toward what we want to achieve is our level of passion. If you desire peak performance in any area, you first have to access the passion behind it - the passion that created the goal to begin with - and then you have to constantly draw on that passion as fuel, especially when the going gets tough.
If you want to run a certain time in a marathon or achieve a level of excellence in skydiving - or whatever it is you aspire to - you have to face the fact that there will be days when you don't want to train. But if you hold fast to your highest thought, which ultimately turns out to be your deepest and most compelling motivation, then you can continue through the difficult times. And then anything becomes possible.
John was talking to Margaret Winchell Miller ([email protected])
Contact John DeRosalia at [email protected] for his book, Mental Training for Skydiving and Life, and performance enhancement tapes
Chris Talbert - Golden Knight
The first time I met him was at the Ranch's bonfire pit, the night before this year's Pond Swooping Nationals. Standing there was a slim, young man with an open, friendly smile and warm eyes, whose speech has such a liberal use of the word "y'all," that I knew it was safe to assume that he wasn't from the area. He introduced himself simply as Chris. It wasn't until well into our conversation that I realized that this was Chris Talbert of the Golden Knights, the U.S. Army Parachute Team.
Being a fledgling jumper myself, I wanted to be in awe of this man and his accomplishments. Chris, however, is far too down to Earth to allow that. We spent quite some time talking that evening. Actually, I think it would be safer to say that I spent most the time interrogating him, but he answered all my questions with Southern charm and style. Later I found myself wishing I could have taped that conversation, to share it with others like myself who are just starting out.
When I realized this past Saturday night that Chris was sitting just two seats away from me at our local hang out, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to say hello. By the end of the evening, he had graciously agreed to let me interview him on the record. Given how tight Chris' schedule is, and that on this trip he would only be at the Ranch for one more very busy day of coaching our 8-way team, we decided to conduct this interview via email.
Name: Christopher Michael Talbert
Age: 29
Home Town: Monrovia, Maryland
Marital Status: Single
Children: One Goddaughter, that's all
Year of First Jump: 1993
Number of Jumps to Date: 3800
US Army Rank: Staff Sergeant
Currently Stationed at: U.S. Army Parachute Team, "The Golden Knights," Ft Bragg, NC
Licenses and Ratings: National Judge
Awards and Medals: 12 HR Badge, cant find it, don't know the number!
What made you first decide to join the Army?
Seemed like the thing to do at the time, the same reason I have done a lot of things in my life! That, and I knew I didn't want to go to college, and was too shy to tell the recruiter to take a hike.
If you weren't a Golden Knight, what would your duties be?
Bradley Fighting Vehicle Systems Maintenance manager. That's Army talk for being a tank mechanic.
What was it that first sparked your interest in skydiving; in trying out for the Golden Knights?
I was in a leadership course that everyone in the Army needs to get promoted to Sergeant. I met a guy named Matt Hustead who was on one of the demonstration teams. He got me into skydiving and later on convinced me, along with a few other people, to go to tryouts for the Knights.
Did you do static line or AFF? Where? If the training method were your choice, which one; why?
I did AFF, it seemed like the easier way to go. And at that time there were 2 parachute clubs on Ft Bragg. Both of them got helicopter support on the weekends from the aviation units. (free jumps from Hueys and Blackhawks) $420 to get your a license, provided you didn't have to redo any jumps. How cool is that? Of course I didn't know it would take me nearly 20 jumps to graduate levels 1-7!
A lot of jumpers run into opposition from family and friends when they first start skydiving. Did you?
Not outwardly. I am sure my mom wasn't crazy about me skydiving but she has always strongly supported me in anything I wanted to do. The first time she saw me jump, I had my first malfunction, at jump 87. That was enough for her to see that day, but she has never even hinted that she wanted me to quit.
When you first started skydiving, did it all come 'naturally' to you, or was there any area that you had some trouble with and needed to work harder at?
When I first stared skydiving I was 6'1" 165 pounds soaking wet with rocks in my pockets. The only thing that came natural to me was eating and being a skinny geek! Everything else it seemed like I had to really work to figure out. RW has come more natural then anything else, but I still feel like a rookie and have a lot to learn. Accuracy is a big part of GK tryouts, and that was very hard for me to figure out. I finally got it, but it is the aspect of skydiving I have to think about the most to get it right.
What "mistake" did you ever make that you learned the most from?
Too many to list I think. One collective thing I have learned from all of them is you have to be able to laugh at yourself, because everyone else is gonna too.
How many different teams does the Army currently have?
There is one Army parachute team, with four different teams within the Golden Knights. Two demonstration teams, named the Black and Gold teams. The two demo teams travel in excess of 200 days per year, performing at airshows, civic events and military functions. They are the ones most people think of if you mention the Golden Knights. Then there are two competitions teams: the RW, or 8-way team, and the Style and Accuracy team. Both of whom train on a regular basis at the PK airpark in Raeford, NC. Traveling mostly for competitions, but also for a few training camps during the year.
What's involved in trying out for the team?
Its like pledging a fraternity and going through basic training at the same time. It's a high stress environment, yet there are very few hard standards. Jumping skills are totally secondary to attitude, ability and willingness to learn. And to how much of a team player you are. It's usually 6 to 8 jumps a day, 6 days a week, for 6 weeks. Most of the people cut are for attitude, or lack of experience. The latter are usually urged to try again, if they keep jumping and gain some experience.
How often do slots on the team become available?
Slots on the competition teams usually come available after a World Meet, which is every odd numbered year for formation skydiving. Slots on the demo teams come available every year, and that's what the people in tryouts are being looked at for. Slots on the demo team. It is possible to go straight to a competition team. Someone has to make it thru GK tryouts first, then if there are comp. team tryouts that year, they are welcome to attend.
How many applications are received; how many are accepted?
It varies from year to year, there are far fewer skydivers in the Army then most people think. Roughly 55 to 65 applications are submitted, about a third of those are usually accepted (that's just the trend, not a hard stat.) and about a third of those who are invited to tryout make the team. Usually ends up being 7 to 10 of the applications submitted that actually make it.
What do the Knights look for in the candidates; how do they choose?
See the question about what's involved in tryouts, combine the two if you want. Teamwork, attitude, willing to learn, humility, (yes the GK's actually have some humility!) and a good attitude in the face of adversity.
Tell us about your tryout and how it felt to be chosen.
One of the hardest things I did in my life. I had to talk myself out of quitting at 4:30 every morning when I was getting out of bed. When it was over I said, "Damn right I made it!" The people who make the team truly earn it, and when you do, you know you deserve it.
How many competitions do you enter each year?
As many as the Army can afford. Our budget usually allows for 3 Americas Cups, the US Nationals, and the World Meet, or World Cup, which ever is being held that year.
How much time do you spend on the road each year?
About four and a half months collectively, five weeks of which is all in one shot, from mid January to mid March, when all the GK's go to Arizona for winter training.
What is an average day/week like for you and the team?
Meet at the dz somewhere between 5:30 and 6:30, depending on the time of year, do physical training for an hour or so, (running, pushups, sit ups, etc. Play soccer a lot as well.) Then start jumping around 8 or 8:30. Make 8 to 12 jumps, debrief and go home.
Wind tunnels are becoming a very popular training tool for many individual and team jumpers. How do you feel about the use of them? Are they a good substitute for actual freefall time? How do the commercial wind tunnels compare to the one the Knights use?
I think wind tunnels are great, if you keep it in perspective. They are NOT a good substitute for jumping, but they are great for teaching individual body position, piece turns and developing smoothness and speed. The only wind tunnel I have been to (other than the one at Ft Bragg) is the one in Orlando. With two people in it, it seems comparable to the one here in NC. The one at Ft Bragg can support as many people as you can fit in the column, which is about 12 feet wide. 4 people fit well and can get a lot out of it.
When you do have a day off, what do you do to relax and unwind?
What's a day off? Just kidding. I play a lot of golf, spend time with my Goddaughter when I can. A little woodworking as well.
How much longer will you be on the team; in the Army?
My time on the team is a bit uncertain, depends on how things go with the US Nationals at the end of September. Then the World Meet. I have 9 years till I can retire from the Army though.
Do you plan to continue competing even after your time with the Knights ends?
I hope so. There are a lot of people out there I would like to do a team with someday.
What plans do you have for once you leave the Army?
Ask me in 8 and a half years.
Recently you spent your days off coaching the Fantasy Flyers, the Ranch's 8-way team. What do you get out of coaching? What methods do you use, have you found to be most effective?
I get a lot out of coaching, mostly just pure fun. I talk a LOT, just ask my teammates. Now someone is going to fly me to another DZ for the weekend and EXPECT me to talk?! How cool is that? I also like to share my knowledge. I have been lucky in skydiving in regard to the people who taught me. Its just my way of doing the same for someone else. Most teams are really eager to learn, and want to know exactly how we (the Knights) do things. I have learned you keep it simple, and try to make very few physical changes. Instead, just change where someone's focus is, or what they are thinking about. Most people, by the time they are on a team know how to move from point a to point b, so I try not to change a whole lot of physical stuff. It's hard to relearn something after so many jumps. On top of all that, I have this golf habit that I have to pay for somehow!
As a Knight you obviously do a lot of RW. When you're doing fun jumps, do you try any of the other disciplines?
Recently I was accused of being scared to try anything other than RW. I actually freefly as much as I can. That isn't very often, but I do enjoy it. I just point my head at the ground and smile! That and flying my canopy. I am not a great canopy pilot, but do have a blast with it.
With the growing popularity of Freefly and Skysurfing, and with all the media interest that's being generated by competitions like the Space Games and the XGames, is the Army likely to start fielding teams for these events? Do you think they should or should not?
Come on, this is the government. The fighter that was just introduced last year was first designed in like '87? I don't see a freefly or skysurf team in the near future, but I do think it would be a great idea. Above and beyond all else, we are about public relations, recruiting, and competing for the Army. Those are the 3 missions we have to keep up front, along with safety. How many millions of people would get a chance to see something about the Army they never knew, or thought of, if we participated in the X-Games, or Space Games?
What kind of rig do you jump when you're competing with the team; what do you jump for your personal rig?
Javelin TJN, Stiletto 120 and a PD 113 reserve, and CYPRES of course. That's my team gear and my personal gear.
Obviously you've jumped at dropzones all over the world. Are there any that you would consider a particular favorite?
Every drop zone I have ever jumped at I enjoyed. Hell, I was skydiving and hanging out with skydivers. I couldn't say a favorite though. I tried and can't even narrow it down to four. My home DZ is Raeford, NC. I guess I would actually say that's my favorite. That's where it all started for me, and that's where I have the most friends.
Is there any one jump in the thousands you've made that really stands out for you as being especially memorable?
Three that are equal. Flying the American flag into Olympic Stadium in Atlanta in 1996, for the opening ceremonies of the Paralympics. Flying the American flag into the dedication of the George Bush Memorial Library in College Station, Texas, in 1997. Round 10 of 8-way at the 1999 National Championships.
If you could build a team made up of any skydivers in the world, past or present, who would you include?
I waited till the end to answer this. Its more difficult than you realize. I have always looked at myself as a little fish, lucky enough to not get eaten in a huge pond. There are several people I would love to compete with. Anyone from the GK's that I have been teammates with gets a standing invitation. Also any past GK's from the 11 straight World Meets they won. AFTER them, any seven (this is MY team, it's gonna be an 8-way team) of the '98-'99 AIRSPEED world champions that would be willing to jump with me. The four members of Deland PD Blue, formerly Deland Genisis, along with John Hoover (my current piece partner on the 8-way team), Solly Williams, and Gary Smith from the '97 South African 4-way team. Or any 7 of Perris Passion 8. Hell, all 8 of them. I can shoot some killer video!
Why?
Because AIRSPEED is a great organization. I have learned a lot from them and I would like to try training under their mind set sometime. The PD guys and Gary and Solly? I have stood on the outside watching those guys work so well together, they have great team dynamics. And Hoover would KILL me if I didn't offer him that last slot! (this is MY team) And Passion 8? If you have to ask, you're either a wuffo, or have never seen Passion 8!
Who are some of your influences, mentors and idols?
So many, I don't think I could list them all. My family is my biggest influence. They don't get half of the love and support from me that I get from them; yet they never say a word and just keep on cheering for me. My mentors? If they been on the Golden Knights 8-way team in the past 7 years, they could probably be on this list. Charlie Brown, Eric Hienshiemer, Vern Miller, Trevor McCarthy, Carey Mills, John Hoover, Kurt Isenbarger, Paul Rafferety, Joe Trinko, Craig Girard, Rob Work, Paul Raspino, J.K. Davis. Get the picture? More than anyone though, a guy at Raeford named Kenny Lovett. I think I would have quit a long time ago if it were not for him. Outside of my family, Vince Lombardi is my biggest idol. He is the original tough guy. Ever read his speech about what it takes to be number one?
Is there any area of skydiving as a whole that you see as needing more attention, anything that concerns you?
Well safety is always an issue. I get spoiled jumping with the same 8 people all the time. It's very reassuring. People between 20 and 500 jumps are my biggest concern. Freeflyers, bellyflyers, whatever. We need to make sure they are getting worthwhile help in their progression. Not just in flying skills, but SPOTTING (How many current jumpers, less than 5 years in the sport KNOW they can spot an aircraft?) canopy skills, and recognizing the old/bold skydiver theory.
What advice would you give to low-time jumpers and those still on student status?
When in doubt, ask the person YOU trust most, your instructor, S&TA;, DZO, whoever. Remember, just because you started skydiving today, or this week or this year, doesn't mean you were born then too. If it doesn't seem right, ASK! A long walk is better than a short crawl.
And now -- just to see if you've actually read this far down -- What's your favorite color, food, quote and swear word?
Favorite color? Black and gold....DUH! ...Favorite quote? "You just have to believe," Kurt Isenbarger at the '99 Nationals. Favorite food? My teammates can tell you I am a bitch to my sweet tooth, has to be ice cream or Cinnabon. Favorite swear word? I don't cuss. Just ask my teammates!
Landing Fatalities in Florida and Montana
Panama City Beach Florida
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. Minnesota National Guardsman killed in skydiving mishap: A Minnesota Air National Guard technical sergeant was killed after landing improperly during a skydiving jump.
Benjamin A. Freeman, 31, died Tuesday after jumping from an airplane 3,000 feet high near Eagle Air Sports, a small airport near Panama City Beach.
Jennifer Collins, a spokeswoman for the Bay County Sheriff's Office, said human error appeared to have been the cause of the accident.
"The parachute deployed normally and he was doing some simple maneuvers," she said. "There was nothing odd with the plane or the equipment. He was an experienced jumper."
Freeman, a full-time guardsman, was stationed at nearby Tyndall Air Force Base, where he was part of an alert detachment of the Minnesota Guard's 148th Fighter Wing, said Maj. Don Arias, a spokesman for the 1st Air Force at Tyndall.
Ground crew members such as Freeman are on permanent status at Tyndall while pilots rotate from Minnesota. Freeman had recently moved here from Tulsa, Okla., where he had been with the Oklahoma Air National Guard, Arias said.
His wife and child were at the airport at the time of the accident.
The Air Force Office of Special Investigation and Bay County Sheriff's deputies were still investigating.
Chico Hot Springs Montana
A Great Falls skydiver who did a trick turn to pick up speed as he was coming in for a landing at Chico Hot Springs Saturday died of multiple injuries after hitting the ground.
Philip Moore, 39, and an experienced jumper, suffered multiple traumatic injuries when he landed hard in a field near the horse barn about 2:30 p.m., said Park County Coroner Al Jenkins. Moore was participating in an annual Chico jump meet.
He died aboard a Life-Flight helicopter taking him to St. Vincent Hospital in Billings.
"This is a terrible tragedy at a really positive and high-energy event, and everybody is just sick," said Colin Davis, Chico's general manager.
The accident happened as Moore was coming in for a landing, said sky diver Chris Trujillo of Casper, Wyo., who witnessed Moore's jump.
"Everything looked normal until the last few seconds," Trujillo said.
Moore was coming down under a full canopy, and as he made his final approach, he did a hook turn. A hook turn allows a sky diver to get a little more speed and sets him up for a fast approach on landing.
"He didn't recover from the hook turn fast enough," Trujillo said. "There may have been turbulence in the air."
He described the winds as "light to moderate, well within the safety range" for sky diving. He speculated that circular winds may have complicated Moore's landing.
"It's one of those fluke things that just happened," he said. "We've made thousands of skydives here."
After Moore's hard landing, two doctors, who happened to be driving by the resort, gave Moore CPR and attempted to stabilize him until emergency medical technicians arrived from Emigrant and Livingston. The Life-Flight helicopter was called.
At least 60 sky divers from throughout the nation were attending the annual event. Sky divers stopped jumping for a while after the accident, but resumed about 5 p.m., Davis said. Plans are to continue the meet Sunday.
An investigation is under way by the coroner and Park County sheriff's deputies. Jenkins said he is awaiting the results of autopsy toxicology.
Jeb Corliss Gets Set For World Record Landing Attempt
Perris, CA (November 23,2004)- Pioneer B.A.S.E. jumper Jeb Corliss and Go Fast! - sponsored test pilot Luigi Cani, have paved the way for a world record landing attempt of a wing-suit—minus a parachute. Jeb and Luigi teamed up to gauge speeds and gather data to safely land Jeb’s wing-suit. Testing was critical, as no one has ever survived a landing attempt without a parachute. Jeb flew in free fall donning a parachute alongside Luigi, who was at the controls of the world’s smallest and fastest parachute—known as the ICARUS VX-39. The two were able to gather data using GPS systems attached to Luigi that tracked exact forward speeds, exact fall rate and glide angles needed for a safe landing.
After two days of test piloting, Jeb Corliss said landing the wing-suit was possible as early as next year. "We found there is a definite and reasonable speed for a landing attempt sometime next summer. We’re now developing four different types of technologies to land safely—it’s very important to land with zero injuries," said Corliss after analyzing data from the test flight.
Showcasing the evolution of the sport of skydiving, Luigi Cani remarked on the uniqueness of Jeb’s wing-suit project. "The testing shows the technology of the sport—nowadays we can jump a parachute that flies as fast as a person in free fall and currently we’re discovering technology to land a wing-suit without a parachute," said Cani. "If Jeb lands the wing-suit without a parachute and survives—he is going to be my hero," added Cani.
About Go Fast Sports & Beverage Co.
Go Fast Sports & Beverage Co. is the producer of Go Fast Energy Drink and Go Fast Sports Apparel. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Go Fast is involved with sports and athletes of all kinds – from triathlon, parachuting and mountain biking, to B.A.S.E. jumping, climbing, skier-x, motocross, kiteboarding and more. For more information, please visit www.GoFastSports.com, or
call 303.893.1222 or email [email protected]
Chuck Blue - SkymonkeyONE
At 39 years old, Chuck is pretty long in the tooth as compared to most of his fellow swoop competitors. At 5'7" and 153 pounds he is not a very big guy either; don't let that fool you, Chuck is more than capable of taking care of business. He is a second generation skydiver who grew up on dropzones. A former serious 4 and 8-way competitor, CRW dog, and vidiot, Chuck now spends the majority of his time managing the Raeford Parachute Center School and swooping. Recently retiring after just over 21 years in the military, Chuck has gotten "serious" about skydiving.
Nicknames:SkymonkeyONE, fiesta boy.
Age:39
Birthplace:Opelika, Alabama USA
Marital Status:Divorced. Seriously involved to a sweet girl.
Children:Not yet
Occupation:Manager of Raeford Parachute Center School, skydiving instructor, professional swooper<
Education:three years college, tons of Army crap
Hobbies:Riding and hot-rodding my Harley, all water sports, snowboarding
Team Name:A team captain in the PST series, sponsored by Performance Designs. Formerly with Team Cobalt (Atair Aerodynamics)
Container:Javelins
Main Canopies:Performance Designs Velocity (75, 79)
Reserve Canopy:Performance Designs 106R
AAD:Cypres, except during pond swoop meets
Home Dropzone:Raeford Parachute Center, North Carolina; Skydive Opelika, Alabama
Year of First Jump:1981
Licenses and Ratings:AFF-I, SL-I, Tandem-I, BirdMan-I, professional "student" rigger and jump pilot (since age 6)
Total jumps:3,300 plus a bit
RW:2200
CRW:about 400, lots at the bottom of RW jumps.
Demo accuracy:400
Tandems:just over 400
Canopy swoops:well over 2000
Total Cutaways:4 in 22 years
Most people don't know this about me:I am just as good on water or snow as I am in the sky.
Out of all your skydives, is there one particular jump that stands out the most?Man, I can't nail it down to just one. First skysurf in the state of North Carolina (1990)? A military freefall jump at 3:00am where I was blown backwards at over 50 MPH under canopy and almost got fried in high-tension power lines?
What do you like least about the sport?The fact that so many dropzones feel the need to charge for services and instruction that used to be part of the first jump course. This makes me sick.
What safety item do you think is most important and most often neglected?Most important nowadays? Simple, the audible altimeter. Most neglected? I would say a hook knife. We all need to get back in the habit of jumping them.
How did you get interested in skydiving?Hard not to get interested when your dad is a DZO takes you to the DZ ever weekend as a child.
Any suggestions for new students?Yes, shop around before you commit to any one school. Once through your training, attach yourself to a group of more experienced jumpers and learn from them.
What the hell is a Skymonkey and why are you number one?A skymonkey is a member of the loose-knit band of jumpers that jumps with the Green Beret Parachute Club or at Raeford. I am SkymonkeyONE because I coined the term while teaching classes there. Kip Lohmiller, the former club manager(now also retired), is SkymonkeyTWO as he and I teach together most of the time. Nobody else is numbered. There are now hat-wearing monkeys at a variety of other dropzones that I have visited.
Were you a hard child to raise?Absolutely not; I was very well mannered. Now, my sisters were a pain in the ass!
What's the toughest thing to do in skydiving?Stay up with the Jones's.
Someday I am going to own:My own dropzone.
Most embarrassing moment in freefall or at a dropzone:I was skysurfing into a demo back 1991 and my main (a monarch 135) opened so hard I shit myself. I was barely conscious, landed, shucked the board, then walked straight to a porta-potty where I promptly cleaned up and disposed of my undies. Nice, huh?
What's the most bad-ass thing you can do in the air?I don't know; 18 points in time? Swoop my canopy the length of the dropzone? Tandem a guy 6'8" and 275 pounds?
What kind of student were you?A very quick study.
What's the dumbest thing you have ever done?Very nearly blew myself up by attempting to cut the "unleaded gas only" restrictor out of my truck's gas filler neck with a TORCH! Unbelievable. I have no idea what I was thinking.
What is your most significant life achievement?Earning the green beret.
While in freefall, what was your strangest thought?"Why can't I see out of my goggles and why can't I move my left arm?" This after regaining consciousness after being knocked out by a flailing jumper trying to swoop a 12-way I was videoing. I woke up at 8 grand, covered in blood, and with my lip busted wide open with a buddy right in front of me ready to pull me out. Nobody I knew jumped an AAD back then so I could have very easily died.
Please explain you passion for canopy swooping?I have always pushed the limit with parachutes. I had a new Excallibur the month after it's introduction, then "the next best thing" every time something faster came out. I don't get any greater satisfaction than when I make a nice, carving turn over the top and rip it across the pond or through the course. Swooping competitions are the one thing that erases the line in the sand separating RW and freefly folks on most dropzones. In my opinion, that is the best, most diverse crowd of people I have ever jumped with, bar none.
What's skydiving like with a 65 square foot canopy over your head?Things happen very fast and you really have to pay attention to who is below you in the sky.
What advice would you give to someone with 300 jumps trying to break into canopy swooping?Ask questions of the accomplished people on your dropzone, attend competitions and seminars when possible, do not ignore people like myself, J.C. Colclasure or Andy Farrington when we are trying to school you. Lastly, do not downsize too rapidly just for the sake of vanity.
Explain Chuck Blue in five words or less:Skymonkeys in flight, afternoon delight!
Submitted by Carlos Azul (Chuck's alter ego)
Safety Board Cites Probable Cause of 1998 Plane Crash That Killed Five
An airplane crash that killed a pilot and five skydivers in Grain Valley in 1998 probably was caused by preflight errors that led to a loss of oil and to rod failures in the engine, according to investigators' final report.
A report released over the weekend by the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the pilot, David G. Snyder of Independence, inadequately prepared the single-engine plane before the flight. No safety board spokesman could be reached for comment on Sunday.
Leaking oil apparently led to overheating and engine failure, the report said. The oil filler tube was missing and screws were either missing or loose. Connecting rods in two of the plane's six cylinders were found unattached to the crankshaft.
Shortly into the flight, which originated at Independence Memorial Airport, Snyder told air traffic controllers he was canceling skydiving operations. Witnesses reported seeing white and black smoke and hearing a banging sound from the plane.
The 1979 model Cessna 206 crashed and burned at the East Kansas City Airport in Grain Valley on March 21, 1998.
Skydiving passengers who were killed were Marion C. Rudder, 47, of Oskaloosa, Kan.; John H. Schuman, 47, of Lawrence; Kenneth L. Buckley, 50, of Independence; Paul Eric Rueff, 32, of Kansas City, Kan.; and Julie L. Douglass, 24, of Kansas City.
Snyder, 55, was the registered owner of the plane. He obtained his commercial pilot certificate in 1971 and was rated to fly by visual flight rules, which he was doing on the day of the crash.
Snyder was flying for the Greater Kansas City Skydiving Club, which was based at the Independence airport. The club does not have a listed telephone number, and its officers could not be reached Sunday.
Chris Hall, president of a separate operation in Lee's Summit called Skydive Kansas City Inc., said he frequently gets calls from people trying to locate the former Independence outfit.
The safety board's finding of probable cause differs with a theory propounded by Kansas City lawyer Gary C. Robb, who represents the families of four of the dead skydivers in a lawsuit against the engine manufacturer, Teledyne Industries Inc.
Robb contends there were metallurgical faults in the engine's connecting rods. Robb could not be reached Sunday, and the status of the lawsuit could not immediately be determined.
Robert Cotter, a local lawyer representing Teledyne, has said the crash was a result of maintenance problems.
Federal Aviation Administration records show that a certified mechanic had declared the aircraft and its engine airworthy four months before the crash. Work was done on the plane's cylinders and rings one month before the crash, and work was done on the oil pump one week before the crash. A second certified mechanic declared it airworthy at that time.
Investigators looking at the wreckage found that the engine and the left side of the fuselage, including the wing and strut, were covered with oil film. A metal oil filler tube, the piece to which the oil cap connects, was missing and the screws that would have connected it were not found.
In addition, five of six screws connecting the rocker-arm cover to cylinder number 6 were missing, and the sixth one was loose.
Holes were found on the left crankcase near cylinders 2 and 6, the two in which the connecting rods were unattached.
"The engine's internal components suffered damage typical of oil loss and heat distress," the safety board report states.
The fatal flight took off with a full load of passengers shortly after 5:30 p.m. on a Saturday. Snyder made contact as "Skydive Six" with air traffic controllers and apparently left his radio microphone on, or it was stuck in the on position.
About eight minutes after Snyder indicated he was going to climb to 11,000 feet above sea level, the controller reported hearing, "What the hell was that?" In his last transmission Snyder announced, without explanation, that he was canceling the jump.
Radar indicates the highest altitude the plane achieved was 5,200 feet above sea level or roughly 4,400 feet above the ground. Witnesses eight miles northeast of the Grain Valley airport reported seeing white and black smoke trailing from the plane.
A witness two miles north of the airport reported hearing a banging sound. At the airport witnesses saw flames from the engine licking the windshield.
The plane clipped some trees just south of the airport. Its right wing struck the ground, and the craft cartwheeled and burned.
Buckley, Rueff, Rudder and Schuman all were experienced skydivers. Douglass was to make her first jump.
Ron Sharp, who was president of the Greater Kansas City Skydiving Club, said a few days after the crash that the Cessna 206 had been in the air several times already that day.
At one point the engine became flooded and the plane was allowed to sit awhile. Later, after the battery was recharged, another pilot took it up for a test flight, Sharp said. Then Snyder took off with his passengers.
"It sounded good," Sharp said at the time. "It sounded perfect."
Airspeed Soars
Not in the 25 years of skydiving formation competition has a team won both the 4-way and 8-way events in the same year; Arizona Airspeed dared the odds in 1999. The latest 52-minute Airspeed video, released by Solid Entertainment, produced and directed by Jonathan Griggs, is one of the best skydiving stories on the market. It's engrossing, touching and best of all, sheds a positive light on the sport. And at only $30, it sold out at Square One in its first week and is already being restocked.
The journey started for filmmaker Griggs back in February 1999, after he had written a movie script based loosely on the Airspeed story during the time the French were dominating the competition circuit. In order to promote the script, he contacted people within skydiving, which turned up a mutual friend of his and Airspeed's. Griggs traveled to Eloy, Arizona to talk to Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld, one of Airspeed's members, about the project.
"I was blown away by how Airspeed operated, how committed they were to the sport and thought they had an amazing group dynamic. I hadn't seen that in life, let alone skydiving," says Grigg. "Their story for that year had to be told."
He returned to New York and began to research both the production logistics that would be involved as well as the markets. "I was turned down by everybody," Griggs grimly notes. But because time was short, he decided to go out-on-a-limb and started financing the project with his own credit cards.
One of the most important concepts of this documentary for Griggs was to design "a mainstream program that a whuffo could enjoy watching." He wanted the audience to have an emotional attachment to the characters. He wanted to portray skydivers, not as adrenaline junkies or crazies who get killed for their recklessness, but as solid, thoughtful individuals who have a passion for life--and skydiving. "If a whuffo can identify, then you have your hook. Then, they will stay and watch."
So taking a minimal-size documentary crew back to Eloy in June of '99, Griggs started filming the groundwork of the piece. For two weeks, he interviewed the 4-way Airspeed team, the people surrounding them and followed their daily training routine. He spent a lot of time around them, so they got used to his presence and to build up trust.
Originally, Griggs did not intend to follow the team to the Nationals, held that year in Sebastian, Florida. He thought the presentation of two competitions, the Nationals and the World meet, would be redundant, in addition to the fact that whether Airspeed won or lost at the Nationals would be irrelevant to the World meet and their standings there. For these reasons, he only took himself to film the event.
He was wrong on two accounts. First, Griggs shot some of his most amazing footage in Florida. No less than two world records took place at that year's Nationals and a hurricane to boot. Second, this Nationals' segment added a lot to the whole middle section of the story. These championships introduced both the 4-way and 8-way dynamics of the team, and no longer could Griggs keep them separated. They operated as a whole. The outcome of these Nationals also influenced the team's feelings very much at the World event.
So, the tape wraps out at Corowa, Australia at the World Skydiving Championships with Airspeed, also known as Team USA, representing the United States in both the 4-way and 8-way competitions. They are going after the gold in both, which would be a first-time achievement.
The results both at the Nationals and at the World meet may be well known to the inner skydiving world, but to newcomers and outsiders, it's unpredictable. Makes for one fascinating story.
The video is beautifully shot, despite the raw footage only being on Beta SP and mini-DV. They filmed using only natural light, and it hasn't even been color corrected. John Castello was Grigg's cameraperson in Arizona, Jack Scott in Australia, and Griggs himself tackled that duty in Florida without any prior experience whatsoever. Combined with several freefall videographers' work, the visuals are captivating.
The editing is especially notable. At no time is one full formation skydive played all the way through--this is a good thing. Instead, the story builds tension and compassion by cutting away to Airspeed's challengers and entourage. For non-skydivers, formation skydiving, though well explained in the video, can get monotonous to watch. Grigg's intentions of keeping us immersed in the feelings of the piece works very well.
While Griggs was shooting in Florida, he received no less than three written offers from the Discovery channel to come into his production efforts. Now, it was his time to turn them down, as he wanted to maintain creative control and tell the story his way.
As a result, we are rewarded with one fine masterpiece. Solid Entertainment, a distributor from California, is currently shopping Airspeed for the television market. Griggs also has a meeting with the BBC later this month.
Griggs seized the opportunity of a weather day here at the Nationals 2000 to premiere his work to rave reviews. For Griggs, the past 18-month journey was never about the money. To him, the compliments and watching people's faces makes the trip priceless. When someone comes up to him and tells him that they now have a video that they can show their folks that shows and proves why they love skydiving so much, to Griggs, that's the biggest compliment he's gotten.
Skydive Arizona Event Updates
Skydive Arizona began in the early 1990s when formation skydiving was dominating the scene and freeflying was just starting to become popular. Skydive Arizona has been the training grounds since then of fostering a great skydiver because of the weather, on-site wind tunnel, and access to multiple turbine aircraft. The DZ is thrilled to announce exciting changes to some of the classic events for the 2016 season!
Skydive Arizona has retired some long-standing traditional events such as the Valentines 4-Way FS Meet and Turbine Madness. The Valentine’s 4-Way FS Meet was a staple of a formation skydiver’s experience. However, with the access to turbines and tunnels, the event saw a decline and decided to retire the event. The Turbine Madness will now focus on the Challenge which will also see a few new additions.
Airspeed Big Way Camp
Changes to current, annual events: The Arizona Challenge organized by Arizona Airspeed for formation skydivers will add Arizona X-Force organizing a Vertical Sequential Challenge. The Freefly Money Meet which was a scrambles-style event, is now the MFS (Mixed Formation Skydiving) Money Meet. The MFS style event is meant to be a platform for National competitors to train.
MFS Money Meet
All boogies that Skydive Arizona hosts (Easter Boogie, Patriot’s Boogie, Halloween Boogie, Thanksgiving Boogie, and the Christmas Boogie) will continue to include camps in various disciplines.
An incredible new event is slated for this November 3rd – 6th called, The Wingsuit Rally. The format of the event is to be an educational extravaganza from First Flight Courses to preparing for Wingsuit BASE to seminars, suit demos, state records and more. Wingsuit coaches that have confirmed include: Katie Hansen, Scotty Bob, Doogs, Taya Weiss, Jay Moledzki, Travis Milke, Petter Mazetta, and Matt Frolich. Vendors are still confirming at this time.
Wingsuit Rally
Upcoming Events:
Airspeed Big Ways -- Registration: $50/person (February 12-14)
MFS Money Meet -- Registration: $200/team (February 20-21)
VFS Challenge -- Registration: TBD (May 28 – 30)
Patriot’s Boogie -- Registration: $25/person (July 2-3)
US Nationals (October 19-30)
Halloween Boogie -- Registration: FREE (October 29-30)
Wingsuit Rally -- Registration: $50/person (November 3-6)
Thanksgiving Boogie -- Regisration: FREE (November 24-27)
Christmas Boogie -- Registration: TBD (December 24 – January 1)
Collegiates (December 28 – January 2)
For detailed event information, go to www.SkydiveAZ.com/experiened/events.