Perris Big Way Roll Call: Did you attend?

[mdrejhon 8]

Roll call time! Did you go to Perris P3?

Me... Deaf guy from Canada. I met something like 150 flatflyers at Perris P3 last weekend and there's not much talk on dropzone.com. I am sure that belly is such an old skydiving discipline that people teach themselves the old fashioned way more often and many don't come online, but as a deaf individual I still love these forums anyway!

My 3 Fun Lessons Learned:
- How to get pixie dust (perris dirt) out of a pilot chute! (Tip: turn it inside out!)
- Be a hero if you must; help that last person make it; give him/her encouragement before the jump! And congratulate him when he finally makes it in the next jump!
- A stable formation at 5500 feet is always safer than a disaster at 6500 feet. Always wait for the central breakoff signal, even your breakoff is at 6000, if the LO says so! (World Team 400-way used conditionally-delayed breakoffs if the formation was building in an orderly manner.)

And many more, but three is enough for this post.

Post in this thread if you made it to Perris for May 1 to 4th, or are part of the Perris 100 ways! Let's put a face to dropzone.com names.

[MajorDad 0]

Pasty white bald guy from Alberta, Canada.

Things I learned:
-Discipline and attention to the small details is so important for bigways
-ALWAYS look at the center
-Big Ways are fun and looking forward to September already
-Skydiving is such a small community. Met old Friends from long ago, put some faces to names of ones I had heard of but hadn't met, and made a lot of new ones
-Americans can't drink Canadians under the table (knew that one already but always good to confirm)

Thanks again to the P3 Crew and all the team mates for a wonderful time and sending good vibes for those still down south for good weather and big blots!

Blue Ones

Major Dad
CSPA D-579

[AllisonH 0]

Had a fabulous time - I'm back home in Ohio now wishing I'd had the time and $$ to stay for the 100 ways.

Things I learned:

- Formation loads are lots of fun!!
- Trying to find the person you need to dock on as he's diving from another plane is challenging, but possible once you figure out where to look.
- I can't quite come to make myself dive DOWN while tracking to stay next to others in my tracking group. It goes against every instinct I have, even though logically I know it's what I'm supposed to do.

[BillyVance 34]

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- I can't quite come to make myself dive DOWN while tracking to stay next to others in my tracking group. It goes against every instinct I have, even though logically I know it's what I'm supposed to do.

Damn... the others are tracking WRONG. One thing on big ways that everyone should know how to do is a "flat track". You get more distance over the same period of time than those that dive down. But if the captain says stay with the group you're in, then that's what you have to do. Did you mention anything to the captain about the tracking problem?

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[Remster 24]

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Damn... the others are tracking WRONG.

In a team track, you have to match skills. Allison is a pretty light jumper. If she tracks with me, for example, there is no way I can match her float ability.

The goal of team tracking is actually to go away in a group, together. The same way light people need to arch more and fat asses need to dress to float during the build of the formation, the same goes during the track: the heavier folks need to work extar hard to track as flat as they can, and the long skimnny folks need to relax tehir track during the group part of the track.

Remster

[MajorDad 0]

I'll vouch for that. I was one of Allison's Tracking Teammates at one point.

My thought on breakoff was "Damn! That girl has a flat track!"

If I only had a drouge.....

Blue Ones,

Major Dad
CSPA D-579

[AllisonH 0]

I'll get there eventually. It took my first 50-100 jumps to figure out the fall rate thing during the jump, maybe by 500 or 1000 I'll figure it out during tracking too.

[AlRedler 0]

I attended and had a great time. Being a late diver down to a 49 way or hanging out as rear rear float on a trail plane are still vivid images.

Too many lessons learned to choose from, and all applicable to smaller rw too. Looking in to the centre is a key one. A 9 way after the camp with Dan BC and Lemonhead where I forgot to look in on the last point and the levels started to go awry illustrated that so well after being in a nearly flat 49 way where everyone was paying attention. That was not so impressive!

Also that so many skydivers are nice helpful people with a surprising lack of unneccesary ego.

One thing that did impress was the emphasis on everyone trying different slots and being encouraged to achieve rather than blamed if they did not. I gained a lot of confidence from that. From being solid and reliable in the base, being able to fly very controlled close to others in non contract waiting for the key to dock, and being able to get down as a later diver even to a fast falling base. Everyone seemed to achieve those goals.

If only I had been able to stay for the 100 way camp.

Al

[elightle 8]

Hi, Allison.

Glad you had a great time at the big-way camp. BC is the best, isn't he!

I hear ya about the steeper track. I faced the same issue on my first big-ways. It's okay to go a little steeper as long as you can see what's ahead of you and those in your group. I found that bending my head down a little caused me to get steeper because it forced me to bend at the waist--the same thing I do when steepening my dive to my quadrant. And the steepness helped me build up speed so I could keep up with my tracking leader. We covered a lot of horizontal distance too. (A track is just a dive in the horizontal dimension.)

Blue Skies!
Ed

[BillyVance 34]

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Damn... the others are tracking WRONG.

In a team track, you have to match skills. Allison is a pretty light jumper. If she tracks with me, for example, there is no way I can match her float ability.

The goal of team tracking is actually to go away in a group, together. The same way light people need to arch more and fat asses need to dress to float during the build of the formation, the same goes during the track: the heavier folks need to work extar hard to track as flat as they can, and the long skimnny folks need to relax tehir track during the group part of the track.

Things have changed since my last 100+ big way (1999). Organizers have improved dive flow and strategy since then for safety so I stand corrected.

I learned my flat track technique from Sandy Wambach and could consistently out-track most people. I had to, since I usually had a slot on the outer fringes of most big ways.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[kallend 1,623]

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Damn... the others are tracking WRONG.

In a team track, you have to match skills. Allison is a pretty light jumper. If she tracks with me, for example, there is no way I can match her float ability.

The goal of team tracking is actually to go away in a group, together. The same way light people need to arch more and fat asses need to dress to float during the build of the formation, the same goes during the track: the heavier folks need to work extar hard to track as flat as they can, and the long skimnny folks need to relax tehir track during the group part of the track.

Things have changed since my last 100+ big way (1999). Organizers have improved dive flow and strategy since then for safety so I stand corrected.

I learned my flat track technique from Sandy Wambach and could consistently out-track most people. I had to, since I usually had a slot on the outer fringes of most big ways.

The trick is to BE the tracking leader, then the others have to stay with you

...

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

[ltdiver 3]

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The trick is to BE the tracking leader, then the others have to stay with you

Been there, done that. They can't keep up with me (elevation-wise).

What was humbling, however, is the day that I got to track "next to" Kate Cooper. I say "next to" in quotes because wow, can that woman make tracks! Learned alot from watching her. Ended up sacrificing some of my height for speed. (I've always ended up tracking above everybody...which was great for my visual, but not so good for them. )

ltdiver

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

[BillyVance 34]

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The trick is to BE the tracking leader, then the others have to stay with you

Been there, done that. They can't keep up with me (elevation-wise).

What was humbling, however, is the day that I got to track "next to" Kate Cooper. I say "next to" in quotes because wow, can that woman make tracks! Learned alot from watching her. Ended up sacrificing some of my height for speed. (I've always ended up tracking above everybody...which was great for my visual, but not so good for them. )

ltdiver

I believe that Kate Cooper and Sandy Wambach were in the same S/L class when they started skydiving. Waaay back when... So I'm not surprised.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[elightle 8]

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Been there, done that. They can't keep up with me (elevation-wise). I've always ended up tracking above everybody...which was great for my visual, but not so good for them.

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If nobody can see you because you're tracking so far above them, how can you be the tracking leader? Just curious.

[ltdiver 3]

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Been there, done that. They can't keep up with me (elevation-wise). I've always ended up tracking above everybody...which was great for my visual, but not so good for them.

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If nobody can see you because you're tracking so far above them, how can you be the tracking leader? Just curious.

Well, they did -try- to keep up....but just unsuccessfully.

ltdiver

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

[kallend 1,623]

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Been there, done that. They can't keep up with me (elevation-wise). I've always ended up tracking above everybody...which was great for my visual, but not so good for them.

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If nobody can see you because you're tracking so far above them, ...

They should try harder. Most poor trackers are that way because they don't try to improve. While body type has an effect, there are some trackers who are quite chunky but track very well because they worked on their technique.

...

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

[jcunniff 2]

Yup, I was there.

(Hi, dinosaurs who know me... I don't tend to post here, but do check in periodically.)

I don't know how many completed big ways I've been on, definitely over a dozen events of 100+ completions... but this one had it all. It had malfunctions (two on one load; I shot accuracy on one of the pilot chutes, for a dead center), it had fun milestones (a lot of 00 jump celebrations, from a 400 on up), and it had TWO groups each with 100-way completions.

Lots of great effort from the folks who are new to bigways, and lots of support from the folks who've been doing it for a long time. I don't know how many different nationalities were represented, but I'd guess there were fifteen or so.

And (with the exception of this post), not a lot of ego. Everyone was doing what it took to get the completion. Bigways are all about perception, and making small adjustments so that you don't have to make BIG ones. It's a learning thing, and it takes a while for the subtle lessons to sink in. But people learned, and we got some nice pictures.

What I will remember: being really proud of the LARGE group of people who were on their first 100-way. You folks rock, and you're the ones who are going to keep big ways happening. Please keep learning, and applying what you learn, and sharing it with others.

-Jack

[wmw999 2,120]

I was there too. Fun stuff. The thing I learned more than anything (other than that this just doesn't come naturally to me) is that starting out in a more relaxed track for my group actually makes it clearer when I do stretch out into a harder flat track once the group tracking is done. And boy is it fun watching the people drop back and down....

Well, most of them. There were some serious rockets at the camp.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[gemini 0]

And now that you've been to the camp and want to do more big ways, remember to register on http://www.bigways.com to get on the big way database mail list.

Enjoyed meeting all the new big way jumpers and renewing old friendships.

Cudos to Kate, Dan, Tony, Larry, Doug and Tom for handling 300 jumpers over two weeks. It was a lot of fun and as always, learned a lot more!

TEAM 2 BASE ROCKS!

Blue skies,

Jim

[elightle 8]

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...Most poor trackers are that way because they don't try to improve. While body type has an effect, there are some trackers who are quite chunky but track very well because they worked on their technique.

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I agree. I just think there's a middle ground where it's easier for everybody.

[jsaxton 0]

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...Most poor trackers are that way because they don't try to improve. While body type has an effect, there are some trackers who are quite chunky but track very well because they worked on their technique.

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I agree. I just think there's a middle ground where it's SAFER for everybody.

[jsaxton 0]

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TEAM 2 BASE ROCKS!

Great, does this mean I'm stuck in the base on your jumps from now on?

[elightle 8]

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...Most poor trackers are that way because they don't try to improve. While body type has an effect, there are some trackers who are quite chunky but track very well because they worked on their technique.

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I agree. I just think there's a middle ground where it's SAFER for everybody.

Yes, that's what I meant--SAFER.