What is a Speed star

[ASullivan 0]

I was just wondering what a speed star was?

[bwilling 0]

It's an 'old school' skydiving competition event, where 10 (usually) jumpers exit the plane in a free flown exit, and build a 10 way 'star', or round formation. It's 'speed' star because it's the time from exit of the first jumper to completion of the formation that they're looking at, and lowest time wins.

"If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."

[Andy9o8 0]

Yeah. Just to add a little detail (for the original poster's benefit), a free-flown exit is completely un-linked - any jumper exiting the door may not be in physical contact with any other jumper, in or out of the plane, at the instant he/she exits the door. Also, there's no one set number to the size of the star - DZ's with smaller aircraft, like Cessnas, often did smaller stars. For many of us, it was our first introduction to RW competition at smaller regional meets.

[ASullivan 0]

Thanks for the info. I missed one at hollister this weekend.

[darkwing 4]

It is still an event/thing to do that is popular among many skydivers, old and young. Here is a page which includes some video.

Kallend's 10-way

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[JohnMitchell 14]

No-show exits too. That means no floaters, everyone from inside. Makes for some real "Twister" jam ups.

[GTAVercetti 0]

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It is still an event/thing to do that is popular among many skydivers, old and young

Definitely. We still do speed stars on a regular basis.

The scary star can be a good time.

Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing.

[rmsmith 1]

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Here is a page which includes some video.

Great video! Most of those jumpsuits are pretty snug and without much wing either, so they had a good body-size selection process. It's tough to dive toward that formation, keep an eye out for your slot, stop without going low, dock without commiting RW combat, and all while under the pressure of a ticking stop-watch. Thanks!!

[mjosparky 3]

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No-show exits too. That means no floaters, everyone from inside. Makes for some real "Twister" jam ups.

The original "Speed star" rules were:

1) No show - first movement in the door started the clock.

2) No grips - each jumper had to go through the door without grips on the jumper front
of them.

3) First out was base, second out was pin.

4) If you ain't cheat'n you ain't try'n.

It was also called "Ten Man". And there were 10 jumpers because that's how many a D-18 Beech held.

The first 10 Man star was build 2 July, 1967 at Taft, CA.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[ltdiver 3]

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It was also called "Ten Man". And there were 10 jumpers because that's how many a D-18 Beech held.

The first 10 Man star was build 2 July, 1967 at Taft, CA.

And the first 8-way Speed Star was in the year 2000 in the movie, "Cutaway".

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[mjosparky 3]

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It was also called "Ten Man". And there were 10 jumpers because that's how many a D-18 Beech held.

The first 10 Man star was build 2 July, 1967 at Taft, CA.

And the first 8-way Speed Star was in the year 2000 in the movie, "Cutaway".

ltdiver

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[kallend 1,623]

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It is still an event/thing to do that is popular among many skydivers, old and young. Here is a page which includes some video.

Kallend's 10-way

Yeah - none of those wussy "no-momentum" docks, either!

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.