billvon 2,380 #1 December 9, 2002 DAY 2 We spent today in the same basic groups as yesterday - three 110 ways. The base kept practicing the base formation, while the two wacker groups did some specific wacker practice. On the first dive of the day, the base had some minor problems with people flying very 'noisy' - there was a lot of washing around in the white sector, and there was one collision that took two people out. We dirt dived again and George gave us a ten minute pep talk. We then went up and had the worst dive of the day. The people nearest the 4-way base were in a tearing hurry to get there, and consequently a few docked with momentum and/or docked slightly out of position. This floated the base 40 way and a few people on the outside couldn't keep up. After going low once myself due to a slow 40-way base I had put some homemade swoop cords in the suit; there was no way I was going to go low twice. On this dive I really needed them. We landed and went back to the hangar, depressed. The video was messy, with people colliding, washing around under the dive, and generally making a mess of the base. We all watched the video and moped around for a while. "That dive didn't happen," Tony said during our sector debrief. "It was a fluke, so let's just go up and do it again." The pep talk for the third dive was basically "Oh, let's just have fun on this one." We went up and built the base 104 way, complete except for 2 grips in the red sector, with no fallrate, noise or traffic problems. We were all pretty happy when we watched the video. We had done that from 14,000 feet, and had just about built the base in a little over 40 seconds - which is just about the target for base build time. The other two groups had good dives as well. The second group came very close to completing their 110 way practice wacker formation. The first group built and held the formation for a good 8 seconds, an attempt good enough to break most state records. We dirt dived the entire 300 way at the end of the day. The plan tomorrow is to put the wackers into their airplanes and dirt dive intensively while the base makes another practice jump early in the morning. We've essentially been _doing_ our part of the dive for the past 5 jumps, so we don't need another dirt dive to change anything. The first full 300-way should take off around 11am. I realized today that jumping at the 300 way is nothing like being at an Eloy boogie. We use some of their planes and land in the Eloy landing areas, but that's about all the contact we have with the 'main' drop zone. We had an hour off today and I met several people at the bent prop who had been there all weekend - it was the first time this weekend I had spent in the "regular" drop zone area. It's a strange feeling, being close to something very familiar but not really being part of it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vallerina 2 #2 December 9, 2002 Thanks for the updates, Bill! I can't imagine how intensive it is and how much work is involved...that's amazing. Anyways, good luck tomorrow! 300 people in the air at one time...you all are crazy! There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grumpy 5 #3 December 9, 2002 Went to a boogie with 11 Cessnas in Australia and it was a blast having everyone at the boogie being there for the same reason and with same purpose. Can only guess what the buzz is like at the 300 way. Tell Tim Weible that Dangerous Dave says 'Hi' if you see him Good luck, Be safe, Give us some good footage. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #4 December 9, 2002 Thanks for the report, Bill, it's so interesting. I have one question: what's a wacker, or a wacker formation?She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rdutch 0 #5 December 9, 2002 Its where a group of men take their pants off and stand in a formation and, Just Kidding but it would have been funny. Ray Small and fast what every girl dreams of! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #6 December 9, 2002 Ray, please save these kind of comments for the Talkback forum.She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 259 #7 December 9, 2002 Quotewhat's a wacker, or a wacker formation? Got your December Parachutist handy? See the "half loops" that are connected to the formation on only one end on the outside of the formation? Those are whackers. So named because they kind of make the finished formation look like the business end of a weed whacker. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bwilling 0 #8 December 9, 2002 QuoteThanks for the report, Bill, it's so interesting. I have one question: what's a wacker, or a wacker formation? Andrea, they have all kinds of cool info on the formation and how they plan to build it at www.300-way.com check it out, it's pretty cool! "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #9 December 9, 2002 Andrea -- It's a formation when seen from above has lines of people attached to it in an arc. The result sort of looks like a line of thread that comes out of a weed-whacker. If you look at the Women's World Record photo HERE the whackers are the people furthest out from the center.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #10 December 9, 2002 Oh wow, thanks you guys, I get it! I understand it so much better now. That will be my "you learn something new everyday" thing. She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
director 0 #11 December 10, 2002 check out the picture of the formation on the 300 way website. It will show you what the whackers are.Quote[email] Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites skymama 35 #12 December 10, 2002 Bill~ In this picture... http://www.300-way.com/dive/colorform.html which one are you?She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Rdutch 0 #13 December 10, 2002 QuoteRay, please save these kind of comments for the Talkback forum. Ok andi, the greenie status has definitely gone to your head. Ray Small and fast what every girl dreams of! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites flyhi 24 #14 December 10, 2002 Never having been in a big way, I have some questions which might be obvious to those who have: How big are the guys in the base and are they wearing weights? Fall rate in MPH? Why did they opt for a four way chunk for the base vice an eight way flake or something? Good luck to all!Shit happens. And it usually happens because of physics. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites 174fps 1 #15 December 10, 2002 Bill is in G9, outer ring of the base in blue. two down from the skydiver in black. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites AggieDave 6 #16 December 10, 2002 Alright, why make the formation with whackers, why not make one big honk'n formation that looks like the base, but bigger and bigger as it goes further out? Is it to make break off safer or something like that?--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Jimbo 0 #17 December 10, 2002 I think they should just make a 300 way magic carpet. That would be cool. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites 174fps 1 #18 December 10, 2002 So that they can form up the wackers while the base is forming and then fly them in also you dont have people docking on the main formation which may cause waves etc all the outer people dock on a whacker and a hard dock just affects that whacker not the whole formation. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Jimbo 0 #19 December 10, 2002 Quotealso you dont have people docking on the main formation which may cause waves etc What ever you do, just don't make waves. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mikkif 0 #20 December 10, 2002 Sit train!Freedom -- Expression -- Spirit Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mustard 0 #21 December 10, 2002 Andrea, (although I'm not Bill) I looked it up on the website, and if I'm correct, if you look at the blue guy in the middle 4-way, then look behind him to the last blue ring, Bill is the next to last guy on the right in the outer blue ring. (am I right?) It"s a pretty good slot, actually. *** DJan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites billvon 2,380 #22 December 10, 2002 >How big are the guys in the base and are they wearing weights? They're normal sized, 160-200 lb guys. I think Billy Weber is the biggest guy in the base, and he's not huge. You can't make a 300 way base fall fast enough to drag down the rest of the dive to a good speed; instead, the idea here is to set a medium fall rate and maintain it from the center 32 way all the way out to the outer wackers. That being said, the center 32 way has been having a bit of trouble with fall rate, but I think it's ironed out now. >Fall rate in MPH? From 108 - 120 on my protrack. 108 was too slow; the last was around 120, which should be a good rate. >Why did they opt for a four way chunk for the base vice an eight >way flake or something? I don't know. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Shark 0 #23 December 10, 2002 Bill, Just checked out the website. Looks really cool and a lot of fun. A lot of talent there and I have all the confidence in y'all. Say hello to the Elsinore gang (Karl, Hammo, & Lob) for me. Cold beer awaits. Good luck and have some safe jumps. Mark BTW, keep the updates coming! L8 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
skymama 35 #12 December 10, 2002 Bill~ In this picture... http://www.300-way.com/dive/colorform.html which one are you?She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rdutch 0 #13 December 10, 2002 QuoteRay, please save these kind of comments for the Talkback forum. Ok andi, the greenie status has definitely gone to your head. Ray Small and fast what every girl dreams of! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyhi 24 #14 December 10, 2002 Never having been in a big way, I have some questions which might be obvious to those who have: How big are the guys in the base and are they wearing weights? Fall rate in MPH? Why did they opt for a four way chunk for the base vice an eight way flake or something? Good luck to all!Shit happens. And it usually happens because of physics. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
174fps 1 #15 December 10, 2002 Bill is in G9, outer ring of the base in blue. two down from the skydiver in black. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #16 December 10, 2002 Alright, why make the formation with whackers, why not make one big honk'n formation that looks like the base, but bigger and bigger as it goes further out? Is it to make break off safer or something like that?--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo 0 #17 December 10, 2002 I think they should just make a 300 way magic carpet. That would be cool. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
174fps 1 #18 December 10, 2002 So that they can form up the wackers while the base is forming and then fly them in also you dont have people docking on the main formation which may cause waves etc all the outer people dock on a whacker and a hard dock just affects that whacker not the whole formation. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo 0 #19 December 10, 2002 Quotealso you dont have people docking on the main formation which may cause waves etc What ever you do, just don't make waves. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikkif 0 #20 December 10, 2002 Sit train!Freedom -- Expression -- Spirit Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mustard 0 #21 December 10, 2002 Andrea, (although I'm not Bill) I looked it up on the website, and if I'm correct, if you look at the blue guy in the middle 4-way, then look behind him to the last blue ring, Bill is the next to last guy on the right in the outer blue ring. (am I right?) It"s a pretty good slot, actually. *** DJan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,380 #22 December 10, 2002 >How big are the guys in the base and are they wearing weights? They're normal sized, 160-200 lb guys. I think Billy Weber is the biggest guy in the base, and he's not huge. You can't make a 300 way base fall fast enough to drag down the rest of the dive to a good speed; instead, the idea here is to set a medium fall rate and maintain it from the center 32 way all the way out to the outer wackers. That being said, the center 32 way has been having a bit of trouble with fall rate, but I think it's ironed out now. >Fall rate in MPH? From 108 - 120 on my protrack. 108 was too slow; the last was around 120, which should be a good rate. >Why did they opt for a four way chunk for the base vice an eight >way flake or something? I don't know. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shark 0 #23 December 10, 2002 Bill, Just checked out the website. Looks really cool and a lot of fun. A lot of talent there and I have all the confidence in y'all. Say hello to the Elsinore gang (Karl, Hammo, & Lob) for me. Cold beer awaits. Good luck and have some safe jumps. Mark BTW, keep the updates coming! L8 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
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