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    Sunshine Superman - Press Release

    Synopsis


    A heart-racing documentary portrait of Carl Boenish, the father of the BASE jumping movement, whose early passion for skydiving led him to ever more spectacular –and dangerous– feats of foot-launched human flight. Experience his jaw-dropping journey in life and love, to the pinnacle of his achievements when he and wife Jean broke the BASE jumping Guinness World Record in 1984 on the Norwegian 'Troll Wall' mountain range. Incredibly, within days, triumph was followed by disaster. Told through a stunning mix of Carl's 16mm archive footage, well-crafted re-enactments and state-of-the-art aerial photography, Sunshine Superman will leave you breathless and inspired.




    About The Film


    Sunshine Superman is a non-fiction feature that lets the audience experience what it feels like to jump off a cliff and walk away alive. In the freewheeling 1970s, what is now considered an “extreme sport” was considered simply crazy. Jumping off a building or bridge with only a few moments to release your parachute was not only seemingly illegal, it was deemed suicidal, even by many seasoned skydivers. Yet this is not a film about death. It is about the essence of life—of what it feels like, if for only a moment, to truly fly.
    In that era of danger and excitement, a man named Carl Boenish helped coin the acronym “BASE”, which stands for Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth—the various objects from which Carl and his friends would jump. Carl was the catalyst behind modern fixed object jumping; an electrical engineer and filmmaker who believed in BASE-jumping as a spiritual practice through which mankind would overcome all of its self-imposed limitations. He religiously chronicled the early days of BASE in beautiful 16mm film, often with cameras mounted to the jumpers’ heads. Carl’s skills were perfectly married to his milieu and his moment, as he was able to capture on film the very birth of the activity of foot launched human flight.



    Jean and Carl Boenish in SUNSHINE SUPERMAN, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
    Carl’s story, and his visual chronicle of an era, could have easily been obscured in the era of YouTube, or at least remained hidden within BASE’s secretive culture. Several years ago, however, director Marah Strauch and producer Eric Bruggemann began research for what was originally to be a short film on early BASE-jumping. As Strauch interviewed the people who had witnessed the sport’s birth, and discovered more and more footage of ordinary men and women in fearless flight, she understood that BASE’s story was much larger, much wilder, and far more beautiful than she could have guessed.
    The Boenish archive, to which the filmmakers have been granted exclusive rights, is utilized extensively throughout Sunshine Superman, as are many other early films and videos documenting BASE’s eccentric characters, historic moments, and tragic losses. In the eight-year process of making Sunshine Superman, the filmmakers have archived and restored thousands of feet of original films and other historical material. And yet the film does far more than recover these lost documents. Strauch has traveled the globe to conduct personal interviews, revisit tragic settings, and above all to document the living, breathing continuation of the story Carl Boenish set in motion.




    A scene from SUNSHINE SUPERMAN, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Director's Comments


    “At its core Sunshine Superman is a love story. As a filmmaker I wanted to capture the essence of danger and the bitter sweetness of falling in love. I am interested in characters that pursue activities or goals that most people would think are waste of time and in this case a death wish. This film is about having your breath taken away, either by love, passion, or by dizzying heights. This film is on the surface about discovering a new extreme sport, in the 1980’s in California. On a deeper level the film explores themes of death, obsession, and living an authentic life despite the consequences.
    My uncle Mike Allen was a BASE jumper and aerial photographer and it is through him that I entered the world of BASE jumping. My uncle, who died in a 1991 auto accident, was a well-respected member of the BASE jumping community. He learned some of what he knew about aerial photography from watching the films of the Father of modern BASE jumping, Carl Boenish. Mike Allen left behind a pile of his BASE jumping videotapes and films and it is from these labels and titles that I found the fellow jumpers Mike had known. I also discovered the sport of BASE jumping; it struck me as an expression of freedom and a celebration of life. I was astonished and brought to tears by the beauty of the footage.
    Carl Boenish was considered the most prominent inventor and the “Pied Piper” of BASE jumping. I was enthralled by the story of individuals who push themselves to transcend human limitations. Carl did not believe in man-made limitations. He believed BASE jumping was an expression of the human spirit. He was a visionary. Carl Boenish was also a filmmaker. He pushed his own physical limits to make films. He was transcending the physical, to find the spiritual. He was flying. Carl wanted to share the joy of BASE jumping with the world.
    When finding the look of the film I gave Nico Poulsson and Vasco Nunes (the Norwegian and the US cinematographers) many references for the look of film from German/ European Romantic painters, to Andy Warhol’s portraits, to Scandinavian design catalogues from the 1980’s. We looked at sources that create a very stylized and cohesive film that will hopefully feel very familiar yet different due to the subject matter and milieu. We created a film that embellishes the patina of the 1980 in California and Scandinavia. At the same time showing the beauty and sublime Romanticism of nature and man in nature.




    Carl Boenish in SUNSHINE SUPERMAN, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
    I was interested in creating a film that pushes the boundaries between documentary and narrative. Sunshine Superman makes use of the largeness and the expansive nature of the story and scenery. We shot on location in Los Angeles, Texas, and Norway. We shot the film as if it were a large-scale narrative production. We attached cameras in places that can only be reached by highly talented rock climbers. We shot BASE jumpers flying from mountains with state of the art equipment. We shot a non-fiction film but I am fully intending Sunshine Superman to offer a visceral cinematic experience.


    Press Release by Magnolia Pictures

    By admin, in News,

    Sunpath - SPS B009 (23 May 2013)

    DATE: May 23, 2013 SERVICE BULLETIN# SPSB009
    SUBJECT: SUPPLIER/VENDOR RECALL OF PS70104 HOUSINGS (METAL FLEX HOSING INC)
    STATUS: MANDATORY INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT OF RECALLED HOUSINGS
    SERVICE BULLETIN: MANDATORY INSPECTION (COMPLIANCE WITH METAL FLEX HOSING MATERIAL RECALL)
    IDENTIFICATION: ALL JA101 XX HARNESS CONTAINER ASSEMBLIES (JAVELIN ODYSSEY) WITH METAL FLEX HOUSING BATCH #33234 A AND 33227, .375ID PS70104 HOUSINGS.
    SEE SERIAL NUMBER LIST BELOW.


    38159
    38891
    38901
    38912
    38959
    38973
    38987
    38997
    39027
    39037
    39047


    39061
    39165
    38231
    38892
    38902
    38913
    38960
    38975
    38988
    38999
    39028


    39038
    39048
    39063
    39419
    38453
    38893
    38903
    38923
    38961
    38976
    38989


    39013
    39029
    39039
    39049
    39064
    39499
    38523
    38894
    38904
    38924
    38963


    38978
    38990
    39014
    39030
    39040
    39050
    39066
    39527
    38589
    38895
    38905


    38925
    38964
    38979
    38991
    39021
    39031
    39041
    39051
    39070
    38753
    38896


    38906
    38943
    38967
    38980
    38992
    39022
    39032
    39042
    39054
    39076
    38799


    38897
    38907
    38945
    38968
    38982
    38993
    39023
    39033
    39043
    39055
    39083


    38800
    38898
    38908
    38946
    38970
    38984
    38994
    39024
    39034
    39044
    39056


    39087
    38860
    38899
    38909
    38947
    38971
    38985
    38995
    39025
    39035
    39045


    39058
    39089
    38890
    38900
    38910
    38953
    38972
    38986
    38996
    39026
    39036


    39046
    39060
    39118

    BACKGROUND: Metal Flex Hosing (supplier of flexible metal housings) has recalled 195 total PS70104 .375” ID SS housings due to the ability of the coil to separate. 155 of these housings were received by Sun Path Products, Inc., 124 of which were installed in harness container assemblies, 27 pulled from inventory prior to use and 4 damaged/discarded. (Note: this is not a failure mode. Separating of the coil does not impede normal operation or function of the system)

    Who can inspect: Anyone can inspect this area. See photos below.
    What to inspect: All JA101 XX harness container systems listed in table above. Inspect Reserve Ripcord housing.
    PROCEDURE: If the serial number is listed in the above table, inspect the available exposed reserve ripcord housing. Locate the lower end of the housing, which is clamped to the Main Lift Web, just above the reserve ripcord pocket. Inspect the exposed length of housing from the clamp upwards; ensure that the coil has not separated/unraveled. Be sure to inspect the section that is routed through the chest strap.
    Inspection Results:
    A. HOUSING FOUND TO BE INTACT (GOOD): The rig may continue to be jumped with periodic monitoring until the next repack cycle or earlier elective replacement. However this housing must be replaced at the next repack cycle. See http://www.sunpath.com/support/HousingReplacement.pdf for instructions for your rigger to complete the replacement of the housing.
    B. HOUSING FOUND TO BE SEPERATED/UNRAVELLED (BAD): The housing must be replaced before the next jump by a certificated senior or master parachute rigger (or foreign equal) or the manufacturer. See http://www.sunpath.com/support/HousingReplacement.pdf for instructions for your rigger to complete the replacement of the housing or instructions to send your system back to the manufacturer.
    Resolution:
    A: Housing is intact and will be monitored and replaced at the inspection/repack cycle.

    1. NOTE ON PACKING DATA CARD, SPSB009 COMPLETED

    2. AT TIME OF REPLACEMENT, FILL OUT WEB FORM AND SUBMIT at http://www.sunpath.com/MetalFlexRecall.html and add “–Replaced“ after SPSB009 COMPLETED from step 1 above.

    3. NO FURTHER ACTION REQUIRED
    B. HOUSINGS ARE SEPERATED/UNRAVELLED:

    1. GO TO http://www.sunpath.com/support/HousingReplacement.pdf FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS ON REPLACEMENT OF THE SUBJECT HOUSINGS.

    2. AT TIME OF REPLACEMENT, FILL OUT WEB FORM AND SUBMIT at http://www.sunpath.com/MetalFlexRecall.html ;NOTE ON PACKING DATA CARD AND RIGGER LOG BOOK, SPSB009 COMPLETED REPLACED.

    3. NO FURTHER ACTION REQUIRED.
    COMPLIANCE DATE: INSPECTION BEFORE NEXT JUMP (BY ANYONE) AND MANDITORY HOUSING REPLACEMENT AT NEXT REPACK CYCLE BY FAA SENIOR OR MASTER PARACHUTE RIGGER OR FOREIGN EQUAL.
    AUTHORITY:

    DAVID L. SINGER

    Sun Path Products, Inc.

    Director of Engineering

    404

    West Edinborough Ave

    Raeford NC 28376 USA

    Telephone: 910 875 9002

    FAX: 910 875 9272
    DISTRIBUTION:

    1. All Sun Path Products Dealers

    2. PIA Technical Committee

    3. PIA Rigging Committee

    4. National Aero Clubs, Parachuting Section

    5. All Parachuting publications

    6. Military Parachute Organizations

    7. FAA MIDO SAVANNA

    8. FAA FISDO, GREENSBORO, NC

    9. FAA ACO, ATLANTA, GA

    10. DGAC, FRANCE



    By admin, in News,

    Submissions for Logbook Entry Book

    Laurie Steel and co-author A.T. Clinger are working on a skydiving book and are looking for support from the skydiving community. We are looking to represent the sport in a way that has yet to be explored, and give both other skydivers as well as non-jumpers a view of our world.
    What we ask from personnel at your drop zone is that they pick out their two favorite or most memorable logbook entries (whether new or old ones), and have them photocopied and sent to us. We would like to make a collection of these pages, as well as a one-page biographical section for each contributor and a quote to be placed under each person's entry. Intermixed with the bios and logbook entries will of course be the requisite cool skydiving pictures that we all love so much! In short, those of you who would contribute to this project will have the privilege of being immortalized in a book about our sport.
    This project isn't expected to make much in the way of revenue, so all we can offer is the chance for recognition for being one of the few that has experienced the ultimate freedom of human flight. Drop zone personnel are asked to forward this letter to all of your skydivers, both famous (as well as infamous) and low-timers to get total representation of our sport from all angles. We all deserve to be famous for something--why not for something we all love?
    Interested parties may e-mail the authors at the following addresses for more specific info:
    [email protected] or [email protected]
    Those who are interested may send photocopies of their logbook entries, as well as any photos they wish to be included to either of the following Addresses:
    Book Info

    6549 34th terrace north

    St. Petersburg Florida 33710


    OR
    Book Info

    902 Northwood Dr. A-8

    Murray, Kentucky 42071


    **When Logbook entries are received, we will send a biographical info form for contributors to fill out**

    **Photos will not be returned, so please make re-prints of your originals**

    Logbook entries may also be faxed to the following #:

    727-347-4329


    Blue Skies!

    A.T. Clinger and Laurie Steel

    By admin, in News,

    Student survives after parachute fails at 4,000ft

    A STUDENT who survived a 4,000ft fall after her parachute failed to open during a skydiving holiday in America was recovering from her injuries at her father's home in Gloucestershire last night. Lynda Harding, 20, a chemistry student at Hull University, spent a week in intensive care in California with broken ribs, a punctured lung, a broken nose, muscular back injuries and concussion.

    On a visit to the Lake Elsinore centre near Los Angeles with friends from university, she tried to use her reserve parachute when her main canopy apparently jammed.The reserve chute carried her for a short distance but it became caught in the main canopy, which had not disconnected, and she hurtled towards the ground.
    Her father, Philip, 41, a violin maker, who flew to America to accompany his daughter home, said: "She is very lucky. She jumped at 4,000 feet, her parachute failed to open and she hit the ground probably at about 70 to 80 mph."
    Mr Harding, a widower, of Newent, added: "The odds of this happening must be a million to one." Experts believe some drag caused by the flapping, tangled parachutes must have slowed her descent.
    Miss Harding, who is expected to make a full recovery, said she could not recall what happened after she left the plane. "The only thing I remember is waking up in hospital." She was unconscious for four days. "I am totally amazed I am still alive."
    She fell on to grassy scrubland but may have escaped serious injury because she fell sideways instead of on her feet or bottom. Her father said it had been his daughter's ninth jump. He said: "She was very keen on parachuting but she is in two minds now."

    By admin, in News,

    Student dies in skydiving accident

    Dayton Township, USA - A 22-year-old Pennsylvania woman was killed skydiving Monday. Allison Hoffman of Allentown, a college student, was found dead in remote timber off East 1951 Road in Dayton Township. She is the eighth person to die in an accident since Skydive Chicago moved to Ottawa in 1993.
    For unknown reasons, Hoffman's parachute did not inflate, La Salle County Coroner Jody Bernard said Wednesday. An autopsy was scheduled for this morning, she added. The coroner's office, La Salle County Sheriff's Department and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the death, Bernard said.
    Skydive Chicago was in the news last year when a Missoula, Mont., man died after a mid-air collision with another skydiver. The business was attempting to break the world record for the number of skydivers in a free-fall formation. Three skydivers died within three weeks of each other in 1998.
    Skydive Chicago Program Director Roger Nelson could not be reached for comment.
    Hoffman was a culinary student at Johnson and Wales University in Miami, Fla. She was to have graduated in December, said Alicia Medina, academics administrator. When a student dies, the university often will start a collection to help the parents with funeral costs, she said. "Usually we will wait until the parents call us," Medina said. "We don't want to intrude. We usually do take a collection to help out the parents."

    By admin, in News,

    Streamlining Ratings: UPT Adopts Sigma

    by Laura Jane Burgess
    Shuffling paperwork, missing signatures, and problematic postal services: with so many moving parts issuing UPT Tandem rating cards has been a time-consuming process. Key word: has. United Parachute Technologies has led the charge in gear manufacturing for many years, and now, it’s leading the way into the digital age of issuing tandem ratings.
    We spoke with the director of UPT’s Tandem Program, Tom Noonan, to get details on the exciting partnership between UPT and Sigma.
    Background
    For those of you out there unfamiliar with Tom Noonan, Tom made his first skydive in 1999, and in the nearly 20 years since then, has acquired around 8000 skydives—6,500-7,000 of which are skydives with him as either the tandem instructor or passenger training someone to be an instructor!
    Having previously worked for Strong Enterprises and Performance Designs, Tom is now in his sixth year of employment with UPT working as their Tandem Program Director.
    How Sigma Entered The Picture
    Tom met Dylan Avatar of Sigma when he presented their Merit issuing platform to the USPA board several years ago. At the time Tom was on the USPA Board of Directors and had a front seat during USPA’s adoption of Sigma to issue licenses and ratings digitally as Merits. 
    Tom says:
    “USPA’s success with [Sigma] with their membership of 40,000 people gave UPT a comfort level that Sigma could handle the…8-10,000 instructors around the world and 400-500 examiners (current or past) or national federation safety officers who we work with. After seeing that the USPA database migration and subsequent user interface was successful, I had high confidence that we would be able to do the same thing on our side with the tandem ratings we issue.”
    Why did UPT elect to move forward with Sigma? 
    After a slight pause, Tom kiddingly replies “[Sigma] gave us free t-shirts…No the real reason/the tipping point for us was when Dylan met with Sheryl Bothwell, our Office Administrator, who is in charge of the rating issuance. Dylan was able to sit down and demonstrate the portal and the process and show how efficient it was going to be from the front office side, and that was really the “closer.”
    How Sigma Will Help
    What problems/pain points will Sigma solve for UPT as it relates to issuing ratings?
    Without hesitation, Tom responds “international delivery.”
    “We probably have 30-40% of our users that are international, which means we’re sending out anywhere from 200-400 international rating cards each year, and we’ve been doing it… as an analog process (postal) in a digital world.”
    Issues with international delivery were multifaceted: “Our international mailing was incredibly problematic. One in that the customer often didn’t receive their card in a timely manner or other times they didn’t receive it at all. It doubled and even sometimes tripled our workload to reproduce these again and again. From a cost perspective, while it wasn’t happening every day, it became more and more of a cost issue and a workflow problem. We were spending too much time re-issuing ratings that otherwise could be digitally accessible.”
    While forgery or someone misrepresenting their ability hasn’t really been the problem, Tom says “there has been an issue with candidates finishing the training process, and their rating application ending up in limbo somewhere, due to application correction issues.”
    “Individuals were going through courses and filling out the appropriate paperwork, which was then sent in. The problem was typically a mistake made on the paperwork. Either the examiner or the instructor failed to sign a necessary line on the log book or were missing a witness signature. Attempts to get additional information in from our instructors, in that capacity, can be challenging at times. So, someone will finish a course and have a paperwork problem, and whether they ignore it or neglect it, then they and the dropzone are missing confirmation that the rating has been issued. The adoption of Sigma’s platform will hopefully facilitate an easier remedy for the drop zone owner and the instructor to know for sure that they have their rating and that it has been issued.”
    Will UPT continue to mail out hard copy cards or do they anticipate phasing these out? 
    For those of you looking to garner UPT tandem ratings in the future, physical cards will be offered as an “a la carte” option and only ad hoc as requested.
     “We will always provide them for the customer if requested to do so. There are people that have always wanted the tactile experience, to have a driver’s license in their pocket or a pilot’s certificate in hand, so we can always provide that. But now that we have the digital format, the workflow on [physical cards issued] will be less than 10%. But for that 10%, we will format the cost as shipping and a small processing/maintenance fee of $10.”
    What about Sigma excites UPT the most? 
    “UPT’s front office is thrilled at the implementation of Sigma issued Merits for UPT tandem ratings. The excitement, in part, comes down to reduced workflow. And any time, we can reduce workflow, we can be more efficient, and if we are more efficient, we can then do more things for the customer and for the instructors. We’d rather spend our time thinking about ways to improve the process…and having more time to do that because we are spending less time dealing with processing issues and mailing ratings. It gives us more time to focus on other parts of the rating application process.”
    Looking to the Future
    Tom sees two potentials for further utilizing Sigma in the future: “one is going to be once the system is in place and running smoothly, we are going to look to use the Sigma platform to institute a hand cam proficiency Merit.” 
    This will ensure instructors have “met the 200 tandem jump minimum, they have filled out our proficiency checklist, and sent it into us. First, before they start using hand cam and every two years as they renew, and two, so [drop zones] will be able to track [instructors] hand cam currency as a Merit.”
    Within the next two years, Tom and UPT are hoping to roll out “some form of a bi-annual review [for tandem instructors] that can be updated, whether it’s a proficiency card or a practical evaluation with an examiner—we haven’t hashed any of that out. But we’ve recognized there is a need to implement something similar to what pilots go through, where every two years the instructors need to validate their credentials. This can absolutely be an additional future merit that would end up living in the Sigma database”
    Tom even had an idea for how Dropzones could further utilize the Sigma platform and Merits.
    “I could foresee Dropzone Owners taking advantage of a Camera Flyer Merit, where it’s simply a qualification card that they are validating they have met the minimum requirements 500 RW jumps 100 camera jumps as one example, so when they have people flying video with their tandem instructors, they have some kind of validation that they have met the minimums”
    The practical takeaway here? 
    These measures and issued Merits are a “liability prevention mechanism for everyone involved in the tandem jump process…making sure you have met those credential verifications only helps assure you have better liability protection in case of an incident or accident”
    Well put Tom, well put. 

    By Administrator, in News,

    Squirrel Releases C-Race For Advanced Pilots

    Over the past two years, the Squirrel R&D; Team have been working hard on high performance wingsuits for competitive events. Their focus on this segment of the sport began when the first edition of the RedBull ACES was being put together for 2014. It happened to coincide with Squirrel’s development timeline on the Colugo 2, and it provided the team with an excellent opportunity to test the final prototypes against the fastest suits on the market, being flown by the best pilots in the world. In 2014, Andy Farrington won the ACES event flying a race prototype that included a lot of features that went on to become the C2.
    The Squirrel team say that development is a constant. As soon as the C2 was released, efforts began on creating a higher performance race suit that could be used by team pilots in the next ACES event, and other competitive wingsuit competitions. Mainly Squirrel had their eye on ACES 2015. But with the first US Wingsuit Nationals being announced, and the 2015 WWL planned for October, there was more than one reason to redouble efforts on the C-RACE development.
    The first C-RACE suits that were delivered to pilots outside of Squirrel’s headquarters in WA state, USA, went to a few pilots attending the US Nationals. Only a few suits were delivered to pilots going to the event, but 4 of them made the top 10, including Noah Bahnson and Chris Geiler, who took 2nd and 3rd respectively. The C-RACE is considerably smaller in surface area than the designs that have traditionally done well in the PPC format, and the significance of this size difference is important. For a suit with so much less surface to be competing so well in the PPC spoke to its speed and efficiency. Squirrel focused on profile efficiency and stability at high speeds, instead of increasing surface to score well in the time and distance tasks.
    Next came the WWL wingsuit race in China. The final podium saw Noah Bahnson in first overall, and Julian Boulle in second. Both were flying the C-RACE and had fought their way through multiple heats against the Phoenix Fly team pilots at the event, who were flying a clearly excellent new race suit, and flying it well. Relative newcomer, Nathan Jones, impressively took 3rd place flying his Phoenix Fly suit in this event.
    Of all the wingsuit races in the world, only one involves a mile-long slalom course involving 4000 vertical feet of turns, dives, and straightaways. RedBull ACES truly encompasses every aspect of wingsuit flight, and is an incredibly dynamic and challenging environment. Furthermore, it is the only 4-cross event, allowing multiple pilots to race head-to-head, offering the best chances of a fair result (in contrast, PPC competition runs necessarily take place with jumpers flying solo, through different wind patterns and conditions and often at different times, making truly accurate comparisons impossible). Because of this, the 2015 ACES event was the most important to Squirrel. The team made efforts to support as many of the invited pilots as possible, and trained relentlessly for this type of competition – the mission was all-out speed, with precise agility. Four pilots diving through slalom gates that are suspended from helicopters and held taught by 150lb steel weights is not a situation to take lightly. It was critical to design a suit that would not only allow team pilots to overtake everything else, but also maintain agility and precision through a course full of very real hazards.
    In the end, the C-RACE prevailed. Only C-RACE pilots made the final, sweeping the podium. 28 out of the 40 invited pilots at the event were flying C-RACEs. Andy Farrington defended his title as top ACE, Noah Bahnson took second flying the same suit that he flew to podium finishes in Chicago and China a few weeks before, and Matt Gerdes, co-founder of Squirrel and co-designer of the C-RACE, placed third. All three podium finishers were also flying the Squirrel EPICENE main parachute, which was by far the most popular parachute at the race.
    Squirrel says that the C-RACE is available to qualified pilots only, and the design will evolve slowly over the course of 2016. Design features that are tested in the C-RACE will (and have already) trickle down to the other suits in their range.

    By admin, in News,

    Squadron Leader Harry Ward, AFC, Parachutist, Dies at Age 97

    Squadron Leader Harry Ward, AFC, parachutist, was born on June 1, 1903. He died on July 24 aged 97
    IN THE heyday of the travelling air circuses of the 1930s, the former RAF parachutist Harry Ward toured the world, from Ireland to India, astonishing crowds with his death-defying "birdman" leaps from rickety biplanes. In his winged costume - which imparted a measure of control over the freefall - Ward was an early forerunner of today's skydivers.
    Ward's costumes were different from those of his fellow birdmen in one important respect. Far too many of those daredevil parachutists stunned the crowds by making a lasting impression on the ground when their chutes became entangled in fanciful clothing. Ward incorporated a release mechanism into his rig, to enable him to jettison his wings before he pulled the ripcord, so reducing the risk of snagging his parachute. In this way he lived to rejoin the RAF at the outbreak of the Second World War and serve as a parachute instructor.
    Henry Wilfred Ward was born in Hackney six months before the Wright brothers first flew. His first passion was painting and he studied at Bradford School of Art from 1919 to 1921. But he was one of seven children and there was no money to support a struggling artist, so he joined the fledgeling RAF and trained as a carpenter-rigger.
    He later went to the parachute section at Northolt as a packer, and became a parachutist himself when the commanding officer challenged him to jump with a chute he had just packed. He made his first descent from the wing of a Vickers Vimy biplane bomber. When the RAF's crack parachutist, Corporal Arthur East, was killed making a jump, Ward took his place in the RAF's demonstration team. (During the First World War parachutes had been discouraged on the assumption that flying without them "makes the chaps try harder".)
    But when the parachute ceased to be a novelty, the demonstration team was disbanded, and with the RAF in decline as the Twenties wore on Ward left the Service in 1929. On the strength of an RAF driving licence he became a London bus driver, and when the bus company formed its own flying club he volunteered to make a parachute jump at the opening ceremony.
    He was soon earning more from display jumping than from bus driving, so he left his job for the life of the travelling air circus. In the days long before steering toggles he attained a high degree of manoeuvring expertise with a simple 24ft canopy.
    With the circuses becoming less popular as the decade moved towards its close, Ward worked briefly as a mechanic for Imperial Airways before becoming a civilian instructor at the RAF's apprentice school at Cosford. He rejoined the RAF at the outbreak of the war and was soon helping to set up a parachute training school, to produce airborne forces.
    The first aircraft were Whitley bombers, with a hole in the floor in place of the ventral gun turret, through which the parachutists had to jump.Ward produced a prototype helmet, from strips of foam rubber purloined from his landlord's sofa, to afford the troops some protection against the hazards of dropping through the narrow slit. He also helped to prove the feasibility of using barrage balloons for parachutists' initial training.
    He was awarded the Air Force Cross in 1942 and posted to the staff of the Army's 1st Airborne Division. He finished the war as a squadron leader at the headquarters of 38 Group at Netheravon.
    A civilian again in 1945, he managed officers' clubs in Greece and Germany. Returning to England in 1951, he ran a succession of hotels and pubs in Yorkshire.
    He was twice married. His second wife predeceased him, but he is survived by two sons.

    By admin, in News,

    Spectra Ripcord Service Bulletin

    MANDATORY PRODUCT SERVICE BULLETIN FOR SPECTRA RESERVE RIPCORD
    REASON: EXCESSIVE URETHANE COATING
    Spectra Reserve Ripcord
    Part #:

    024 029 001 SPECTRA RIPCORD-24.5"

    024 029 002 SPECTRA RIPCORD-26"

    024 029 003 SPECTRA RIPCORD-27"

    024 029 004 SPECTRA RIPCORD-28"

    024 029 005 SPECTRA RIPCORD-29"

    024 029 006 SPECTRA RIPCORD-30"

    024 029 007 SPECTRA RIPCORD-31"

    024 029 008 SPECTRA RIPCORD-23.5"
    Lot #:

    UPT-2014-01

    UPT-2014-08

    UPT-2014-10

    UPT-2014-11

    UPT-2015-02

    UPT-2015-03

    UPT-2015-03a

    UPT-2015-03b

    UPT-2015-03c

    UPT-2015-03d
    LOT # UPT- 2015-04 AND LATER ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THIS PSB
    BACKGROUND
    The Spectra Reserve Ripcord system has been in the field now for over 5 years. During that time, it has performed as expected; generating consistently low pull forces because Spectra cord has a very low coefficient of friction. (A similar Spectra main ripcord system has been in use for 15 years on our Sigma Tandem systems).
    To prevent minor fuzzing and color loss, and to make the finished Spectra reserve ripcord easier to thread through the housing, the finished ripcord is lightly coated with the same polyurethane compound used by Spectra line manufacturers to increase suspension line life. This process increases housing drag slightly but still keeps it below that of stainless cable.
    It has recently come to our attention that some Spectra ripcord cables manufactured in late 2014 and 2015 were coated with the wrong mix of polyurethane and water, possibly resulting in higher pull forces because of increased housing/ripcord friction. While we believe that this affects only ripcords manufactured from December 2014 to May 2015, we are going to consider all 2014 ripcords suspect.
    While have been no reported hard pulls in actual use, we will replace all affected ripcord cables free of charge. Because this will take time, we have devised an interim solution that will keep all affected rigs in service until the replacement Spectra ripcord can be installed.
    PROCEDURE
    1. The interim solution must be accomplished before the next jump on the equipment.
    2. The replacement ripcord must be installed at the next scheduled repack, no later than December 31, 2015. After this date, all containers with affected spectra ripcords are grounded until the replacement is made.
    Interim Solution
    The rig owner, or a parachute rigger, can perform the procedure; the reserve does not need to be opened. It should take no longer than a few minutes.
    In this video the procedure to complete the interim fix is shown. As noted in the bulletin, these steps are to be taken prior to your next jump and installation of the new spectra ripcord should take place during your next scheduled reserve repack.
    1. Put the ripcord side of the harness over your knee
    2. Remove the ripcord handle from its pocket
    3. Grip the other end of the ripcord just above the pin
    4. Applying moderate downward pressure to remove the slack, slide the ripcord back and forth in the housing for 10-15 seconds at 2 cycles per second. Look at the ripcord pin as you perform the procedure to avoid moving it or breaking the seal. This will smooth the excess polyurethane coating thus reducing the pull force
    5. AFTER performing step #4, spray a one second burst of pure silicone spray (available at hardware stores) into each end of the housing. This will serve to further lower pull forces. We have not tested any other lubricants, so it is important to use only a “pure” or “food grade” silicone spray because other ingredients might damage the bungee cord inside the ripcord. DO NOT spray the silicone before step #4, as this will make the housing too slippery to smooth the polyurethane
    6. Slide the treated ripcord back and forth in the housing under moderate tension 5 times to evenly spread the silicone. Again, be careful not to break the seal
    Although this procedure will restore normal pull forces, it will require periodic re-lubrication with silicone spray at monthly intervals, and it must be considered a temporary solution, to be used only until you install the replacement ripcord cable.
    As a reminder use a Sharpie or similar permanent marker, and put a visible dot on the ripcord data sleeve. This will represent the initial treatment performed in June.
    When you re-lubricate in July, put a second dot on the backside of the data sleeve, a third in August, and so on, until the replacement can be installed. This will allow any jumper to keep track of the monthly lubrication while the interim solution is in effect.
    Replacement
    When replacing the Spectra reserve ripcord, the rigger will reuse your existing handle and RSL pin
    1. Take a clear photo of the ripcord data sleeve. We need to know your ripcord length.
    2. Write down your rig serial number.
    3. Go to UPT Vector for more information on requesting a replacement of the Spectra reserve ripcord
    UPT is working as quickly as possible to build replacement Spectra reserve ripcords, and will get them out as soon as possible. Until you obtain and install your replacement, you may use the current one as long as you follow the directions of the interim solution.
    If you elect to replace the ripcord cable prior to the due date of your next reserve repack, the rigger who did the original pack job, may be able to install it without opening the container. After resealing the container, the rigger must indicate this PSB has been complied with on the packing data card. The original (next) repack date remains the same as it was before ripcord replacement.
    DISCUSSION
    In the US, maximum allowable pull force is 22 pounds (10 Kilograms) with the rigger’s seal in place. This force, measured at the ripcord handle, is a combination of the force required to move the pin, the housing friction, and the force required to break the seal thread. The standard does not specify how this is to be measured, but there are basically only two ways, which could be called “Static” or “Dynamic”. The static force is measured by pulling the ripcord handle very slowly while it is attached to a hand held spring (fish) scale. To measure the dynamic force, where a ripcord is pulled quickly, as in real life, requires a digital scale with the correct sampling rate and peak force recording ability. Our tests using such equipment show that dynamic pull force is often less than half of the static pull force.
    This research confirms an important fact of which all jumpers should be aware: A quick "jerk" on the handle will give a much easier pull than will a slow steady application of force.

    By admin, in News,

    Spectator hurt in demonstration jump

    Gloucester, UK - DENISE Peacock was enjoying what seemed to be a perfect day out in the sunshine with her family - but seconds later a freak accident left her lucky to be alive.
    The 36-year-old, from Coney Hill, was at a bumper May Day celebration in Gloucester watching a parachuting display when she heard a noise above her head.
    Before the mother-of-two knew what was happening, she lay writhing in agony on the ground after one of the parachutists lost control in heavy winds, sailed out of the arena, and careered straight into her and her young family.
    Today the Church Way resident is on crutches and off work - but she knows she's lucky not to have been more seriously hurt.
    The vending machine operator suffered tissue damage and severe bruising to her legs, while husband Lawrence, 37, and children Amy, 12, and Sean, eight, all sustained cuts and bruises.
    The parachutist is believed to have broken his leg, and remains in Gloucestershire Royal Hospital today.
    Ambulances rushed Denise and the parachutist, from the volunteer Falling Rocks parachute team, to the hospital.
    She was released after eight hours of treatment. He will remain in hospital for at least another week.
    The family were at Coney Hill Neighbourhood Project's May Day celebrations at Coney Hill Primary School on Bank Holiday Monday when the accident happened.
    The three-strong volunteer parachute team's performance, which took place at 2.15pm, was meant to be the highlight of the bumper event.
    "The winds were so strong we thought they wouldn't jump," said Denise. "They took off about 20 minutes late, and they were all over the place.
    "I don't have a clue how it happened, it was all so fast.
    "People said the parachutist shouted for me to watch out, but I didn't hear anything.
    "All I remember is lying on the ground in agony after he smashed into me, hitting the back of my legs.
    "I was rushed to hospital. I've got a huge lump on one of my legs and I'm told I sustained tissue damage in the other, so I'm stuck on crutches and I can't go to work.
    "The parachutist is in hospital at the moment - he's badly hurt. It was a nightmare."
    Parachutist Colin Laker, who landed safely just before his out-of-control colleague, denied the winds were too strong to take the jump - but he admitted he probably got caught in an unexpected gust.
    "It just happens once in a blue moon. We have to put it down to a tragic accident, I'm afraid," he said.

    "The wind was most definitely not too strong to take the jump. It was very comfortable for us and there was no question of us not doing it.
    "I understand the parachutist concerned landed beside the woman, and rolled over onto her - it was his momentum that caught her.
    "He must have been caught in a gust of wind when he was up there, and was knocked out of control. I can only apologise and put it down to a freak accident."
    Mr Laker said the parachutist did not wish to be identified.
    Denise claimed she never received an apology from anyone at Coney Hill Neighbourhood Project, who organised the event.
    But project spokeswoman Val O'Connor claimed it was not their responsibility.
    "We contracted the Falling Rocks team to do a piece of work for us - and the decision to do the jump was taken by them and them only," she said.

    By admin, in News,

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