billvon 2,400 #1 October 21, 2006 Day 0 It's day 0 of the 2006 US nationals, taking place this year in Eloy, Arizona. The 4-way teams have all checked in, and the briefing (and the draw) happens at 6pm. (For those non competitor types, the draw is the list of points to be completed on each dive.) There are dozens of teams getting some last minute practice in. That's all guaranteed to end soon; absolutely no skydiving (or tunnel work) is allowed after the draw comes out. Yesterday the loads were moving fairly slowly, with each load being one or two 4-way teams, some freeflyers, perhaps some fun jumpers or a tandem or two. Today most loads have four four-way teams, all getting those final training jumps in. For some teams, it's the end of a season of training; for some pickup teams, it's the first time they've been in the air together. We fall into the former category. We've been training since April, doing a type of team called a player-coach. We have three 'regular' team members and one coach who's been jumping with us since April. Yesterday and today we got a few training jumps in, and this morning we spent 40 minutes in the tunnel. We haven't been able to meet our goal of 200 training jumps in our season due to the usual problems (weather, sickness etc) and so have been "cramming" over the past few days to get ready for Nationals. The SDAZ crew - Betsy, Brent, Brian, Larry, Amy and dozens of others - have been running around trying to get everyone registered and ready. When we arrived Fri morning, it took us 40 minutes to get waivered/registered, which made us worry that it would be a madhouse today. But the system is working well now, and the lines haven't been too bad. Tonight we'll get the briefing - which team is which number, what the schedule will be etc - and then the draw will be announced. Then most teams will spend some time doing walkthroughs and creepering for the next morning. Tomorrow the actual 4-way competition will start, and will likely spread over 2 days (10 jumps total per team.) Then 8-way, then 10-way, then 16-way, with CRW, style-and-accuracy etc squeezed in there somewhere. The skies will be busy; even today, Otters were climbing in formation then going on parallel jump runs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peckerhead 0 #2 October 22, 2006 Go Crew dogs from Maytown! I hope they made it Ok, the last time I saw them they were looking for some gas money and a map to Arizona. Whoo Hoo! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jsaxton 0 #3 October 22, 2006 Lemme know if Marks team beats a team with matching jumpsuits Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,400 #4 October 22, 2006 Update - we got the draw, and most teams spent about an hour creeping and re-engineering the dives. (Often, there are ways to change slots on the points to un-mirror/un-switch things, which can change a dive from a 12-point dive to a 6-point one.) As usual, teams were more than willing to help each other out. Got a chance to check out the video judging as well. As soon as teams land, they will dub directly to the judge's computers, and the judging will take place more-or-less instantly. Each aircraft will carry four teams, and there are three judging stations, so 3 of 4 teams will get their scores almost in real-time (i.e. by the time they drop their rigs off and take off their jumpsuits, their scores should be up.) First load takes off tomorrow at 7am, about 10 minutes after sunrise. We'll be on the fourth otter which should take off at 7:16am (four minute stagger.) On the plus side we should be one of the first to finish. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daremrc 0 #5 October 22, 2006 Go groovalicious, in the frestyle category!Good judgement comes from experience, and most of that comes from bad judgement. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sdctlc 0 #6 October 22, 2006 Bill, I am sure you have noted it before but if we are going to virtualy root for your team, Which one are you on?? Sory if I completely missed it in a earlier post to this thread.. I did you take your electric "Dr. Big Brain" bike to Eloy for more "testing" on your down time.. Like you have any but hell I dont see how you had time to build it to begin with.. Good luck in the meet and get a team best!! Scott C."He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VectorBoy 0 #7 October 22, 2006 QuoteBill, I am sure you have noted it before but if we are going to virtualy root for your team, Which one are you on?? Sory if I completely missed it in a earlier post to this thread.. Yup me too, cuz just like you, I'm an old guy too. Show them other teams that treachery that we bring just like in the saying about old guys Bill. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #8 October 22, 2006 Quote First load takes off tomorrow at 7am, about 10 minutes after sunrise. We'll be on the fourth otter which should take off at 7:16am (four minute stagger.) On the plus side we should be one of the first to finish. How many planes did they run hot? I know the Otter from our DZ went down there as some backup, I wonder how many total are flying? 20 minute turns with 4 minute stagger would be 5... My math correct? How many minutes between jumps to get ready for the next? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bloody_trauma 2 #9 October 22, 2006 Stay safe all and have a great time flying, can't be there but sure as hell would be fun to. again stay safe and check on your budz so they iz safez too!Fly it like you stole it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cpoxon 0 #10 October 22, 2006 QuoteBill, I am sure you have noted it before but if we are going to virtualy root for your team, Which one are you on?? Sory if I completely missed it in a earlier post to this thread... Perris Thesia (Advanced)Skydiving Fatalities - Cease not to learn 'til thou cease to live Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,625 #11 October 22, 2006 QuoteLemme know if Marks team beats a team with matching jumpsuits I think there should be a medal for the highest placing team that doesn't have black jumpsuits.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,400 #12 October 23, 2006 >Which one are you on?? Perris Thesia (301.) We have one jumper who's never done 4-way before, and then there's me who's never done a serious (100+ training jump) team, so our only goal is to not come in last in advanced. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,400 #13 October 23, 2006 >I think there should be a medal for the highest placing team that doesn't have black jumpsuits. I should have worn my white suit . . . For a while we were in competition with a team with matching suits and rigs. (We don't match at all.) Then they started kicking our butts. OTOH I'm sitting next to Natasha all day, newest member of Airspeed, and she had a blue jumpsuit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,625 #14 October 23, 2006 Quote>I think there should be a medal for the highest placing team that doesn't have black jumpsuits. I should have worn my white suit . . . For a while we were in competition with a team with matching suits and rigs. (We don't match at all.) Then they started kicking our butts. OTOH I'm sitting next to Natasha all day, newest member of Airspeed, and she had a blue jumpsuit. Cool! One of the nice things about Nats is getting to sit in the plane with the "names". I am proud to say that at the 2002 Nationals we were the 2nd highest placed team with unmatched jumpsuits. (We were the only FS team where we had someone wearing a teeshirt over his jumpsuit).... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StreetScooby 5 #15 October 24, 2006 Quote Perris Thesia (301.) Bill, I always thought you were taller, for some reason We are all engines of karma Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dharma1976 0 #16 October 24, 2006 when in eloy wearing black jump suits is key Especially not wearing white after labor day in eloy is always good...but have you seen what white comes out of eloy looking like? it becomes this funky brown color...it wil be nice to take my white rig out there soon so that it matches the white stripes on all my jump suits from jumping out there... Dayyuummmnnnn Davehttp://www.skyjunky.com CSpenceFLY - I can't believe the number of people willing to bet their life on someone else doing the right thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
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