377 22 #1 October 12, 2015 Wonder if Don Kirlin would do it again for old timesake? A massive "last tango" for WFFC in 2020 at Rantoul. I have not recovered from the demise of the World Free Fall Convention after 2006. I went to many WFFCs in Quincy and Rantoul and every one was a blast. Kinda like Burning Man with back to back jumpships. WFFC's termination left a hole in my soul. I am sure I am not the only one who feels this way. With a lot of marketing and a big turnout I'll bet it could be profitable. Does anyone know DK personally? Is there even a prayer he might do just one more? I can dream can't I? 3772018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sedsquare 15 #2 October 13, 2015 I'm a newer jumper (started jumping in 2014) and I'm sad I never got to attend a WFFC. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cdcollura 5 #3 November 12, 2015 Good day all, I doubt there will be another WFFC. I am glad I did my time there in 2006, jumping the DC9 as well. I know I know ... Jealousy can commense now... It was a grave disappointment to see the WFFC 2007 cancelled, and it simply never came back. Don Kirlin just stated "personal reasons and a strong commitment to continued excellence" as the cause of the cancellation(s). The latter seems a little cynical and ironic. Their web domain is still alive and well, for over 9 years... http://www.freefall.comFly High ... Don't "Get High"! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
377 22 #4 November 12, 2015 It was just the BEST! Gave me a high that lasted a full year until the next WFFC. Then suddenly, after 2006, there was no next one. Thank goodness I was able to attend so many WFFCs before it shut down. Look at Peek's stats (below) from WFFC 2000: 5,732 JUMPERS! I was there. Ran into jumpers I hadn't seen in 22 years. Unique jumpships including B 17, B 24, C 54, and more. It was a crazy wild 10 day party. Where else could you get a tattoo at 1:00 AM in a tent? The live music and free beer every night was icing on the cake. Good food. Reasonable prices. Jumper paradise. Statistics Registered Skydivers-5,732 Jumps Made-63,000+ Countries Represented-55 States Represented-50 Jumps Made From B17 & B24-185 Vendors on Site-106 Food Vendors in Tent City-16 Units of Blood Collected for Red Cross-100 Money Raised For Unity FFA-$1,200 Money Raised For Quincy Humane Society-over $5,000 Money Raised For Special Olympics-$1,200 Tandem Jumps Made-447 AFF Students-15 Number of TNT Golf Carts Used-152 WFFC Employees-102 WFFC Volunteers-170 Number of Microbursts-1 Highest Wind Speed-67mph Number of Serious Injuries-0 Amazing that Don Keeps the website going. http://www.freefall.com/index.php It gives me hope that a miracle might someday occur. I am lucky to have my photo in the website header, third pic from the far left landing my Triathlon. 3772018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TEB6363 0 #5 November 16, 2015 The only Triathlon I see in the header looks like 3rd from the RightI'll have to jump with you in person to confirm that though Once the plane takes off, you're gonna have to land - Might as well jump out!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
377 22 #6 November 16, 2015 Oops, I meant right. Sorry. The full pic is in the WFFC ground photo collection on the website: http://www.freefall.com/images/webcam/dailyphotos/ground/dscn0200.jpg Why they shot me, the boring old guy who wasn't swooping, is puzzling. 3772018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,913 #7 November 18, 2015 >I am glad I did my time there in 2006, jumping the DC9 as well. I know I know >... Jealousy can commense now... One of my favorite WFFC's was 2005. We flew there in the DC9 (wasn't approved for jumping yet) and stayed in one of the offices in the airbase. It was just an empty office room but it was air conditioned and had lights. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
377 22 #8 November 18, 2015 The ultimate ride to WFFC had to have been Skip Evans's DC 3 which flew there from CA. I stupidly took a commercial jet because I didn't have enough time to spend on a multi day DC 3 trip. That chance to go cross country in a DC-3 will probably never come again. And the price was very reasonable as I recall. Oh well, sure had good time at WFFC Wish we could convince Don Kirlin to do it just one more time, the GRAND FINALE which it never had. It was a massive undertaking and it always went quite well. So many things involved in setting up and running such a massive event and so few screwups. Herding cats is simple compared to handling thousands skydivers 24/7. You gotta hand it to those who put the WFFC together every year. Yeah Beth Mahlo, that includes you!377 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CTSkydiver 0 #9 November 19, 2015 5000 jumpers at one DZ in this day and age? How do you run simultaneous parallel jump runs (even remotely) safely these days when everyone is now wingsuiting, tracking, and angle flying? When some people still jump 280 sq.ft. canopies while others swoop the shit out of 70 sq.ft. canopies loaded above 3.0? The chaos and carnage that would happen with the mix of disciplines and wing-loadings today is frankly horrifying to consider. Glad I went in 1999. It was sketchy enough back then. Don't think there will ever again be (or can even be) another. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
377 22 #10 November 19, 2015 The LZ congestion right next to the organizing tents got pretty crazy sometimes. More than once at Quincy and Rantoul I opted for adjacent areas. There were HUGE areas at Rantoul that you could opt to land in away from the boarding areas. I think it could still be done with no more injuries and fatalities than the old WFFCs. Would just take more coordination. Maybe more positive air traffic control and clearances for exits. I'm not ATC savvy but I'll bet something could be worked out. At Rantoul we had a military ATC unit set up in some years. I think they were from the Illionois Air National Guard. 3772018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,913 #11 November 19, 2015 >5000 jumpers at one DZ in this day and age? How do you run simultaneous >parallel jump runs (even remotely) safely these days when everyone is now >wingsuiting, tracking, and angle flying? North jump run - track North only, do not return to jump run Center jump run - belly/tandem/freefly only South jump run - track South only, do not return to jump run (For easily confused skydivers - park two big red trucks at the beginning and end of the center jump run and tell people "ALWAYS track away from the truck line on tracking dives.") >When some people still jump 280 sq.ft. canopies while others swoop the shit >out of 70 sq.ft. canopies loaded above 3.0? That's not new; there was plenty of that sort of thing going on in 2006. I was on a 95 at about 2.4 loading and I was far from the smallest canopy there. Fortunately there were huge landing areas. I'd imagine today there would be a separate HP landing area where non-pattern skydivers landed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
377 22 #12 November 19, 2015 Now that Bill V. has the exit traffic figured out all we need is Don K to risk another few hundred thou and put on a big WFFC party in 2020. I might even be able to score a C 97 jumpship. Ferry fuel costs from the E Coast would be quite high but maybe we could swing it. It just completed taxy tests a few days ago and has all four engines running. Fat Annie, the ATL 98 Carvair coincidentally completed taxy tests a few days ago also and will be flying again soon. Might we dare hope for her to return to a boogie? This is kinda like fantasy football. Oh well, back to reality. 3772018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grimmie 181 #13 November 21, 2015 Would a WFFC be as big of a hit today, when we have a turbine in every town? Do younger jumpers care about jumping specialty aircraft? Because I know of a place that would be perfect... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrubin 0 #14 November 23, 2015 I would love to jump from specialty aircraft and I think that a lot of other younger jumpers would too."I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roostnureye 2 #15 November 23, 2015 yesss..... pleaseeeeee!!!!Flock University FWC / ZFlock B.A.S.E. 1580 Aussie BASE 121 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
angryelf 0 #16 November 24, 2015 Where?"Sometimes you eat the bar, and well-sometimes the bar eats you..." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
propblast 0 #17 November 24, 2015 I wishPropblast Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
