0
wngarner

Organizing Newer Freeflyers?

Recommended Posts

Hiya all-

A few of us at my dz are trying to (selfishly) drum up more interest in freeflying (so we can have more people to jump with), and we're tossing around several ideas to do so. We're of all different skill levels so we're trying to find a way that we can all keep getting better and keep bringing in new AND safe skydivers. So here is sortof our outline, and I'm coming here to get feedback, info and suggestions of any kind!!

(1) Basically, we'd like to start with a "So you wanna freefly?" information session full of safety, gear, and advice for people interested in learning more about the discipline.

(2)Then we're trying to follow it up with free coaching (thanks a ton to the experienced freeflyers at our dz and support from the dzo) on the weekends,

(3) which can get people prepared for monthly organizing/skills camps (from 2-ways to big-ways depending on the skill levels of the jumpers)

(4) and then hopefully some laid-back scrambles/meets starting summer next year (thinking of something similar to the dive flows in collegiates?)

So I've come here to seek advice and any links to information any of you might have...we've been pouring over websites, not just US but from dz's and skydiving organizations all over the world to try and compile information about:

-how others have designed their information sessions
-coach jump progressions
-dive flows to use for levels from newer head-up fliers to experienced head-down folks (in skills camps and in meets)...

and any info on more places we can find this stuff or suggestions would be great!

Blue Skies!!
Whit
:)
- ever the spazz

Your work is to discover your world, and then with all your heart, give yourself to it...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ignoring gear issues. I think having enough awareness to recognize jump run and make sure they are facing perpendicular to it is the first place to start. After that basic stability, which I don't think can really be coached other than saying to relax and fight with your legs. Back flying helps for sit flying because the muscle memory of turning is the same for sit flying and back flying. Maybe we can start with a back flying skills camp :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Nice...I actually really like the idea of having camps revolving specific freefly skills: one for back flying, a tracking camp, a sit camp, a hybrid camp, and maybe a headdown camp if we can get you more talented guys away from the tunnel! :)
- ever the spazz

Your work is to discover your world, and then with all your heart, give yourself to it...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Many people will start off with slot flying in a sit for beginner skills. If you want to start organizing things bigger with generally lower experience levels I think (since I see this overlooked a lot) a big thing is to stress and practice proper break-offs. If the group is flying a sitfly formation like a campfire (shit even if it's just a 2-way) then stress the importance of properly breaking off by rolling onto your back and back tracking away. I know many people who've been sitflying for a couple hundred jumps but still say shit like "I don't know how to track on my back". It's one of the safest way to ensure proper heading from breaking away from a sitfly jump while watching where everyone else in the sky is.

The same stress can be put on those flying head down in the formation to turn 180 degrees and back track away instead of just belly tracking away from their head down recklessly crashing into anyone who could be behind them. Back tracking should be taught right from the get go for new freefliers, starting on their first 2-way.

Good break off is an essential part of organizing freefly formations and is often overlooked. I think it was last year someone was killed on a 2 way freefly jump out in Lillo from not having a proper break off between just the two of them. The bigger the formations get, the more essential this is. I'm sure many of us here in this forum have had some asshole in a head down just take off tracking on their belly while your behind them causing you to have to jump out of the way to not get pummeled.
108 way head down world record!!!
http://www.simonbones.com
Hit me up on Facebook

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Thanks Simon - good advice! And I saw your video (alot of which is at my dz...YAY, CSS seems famous all of a sudden!)...there were a few scenes that would be awesome for our ground stuff...would you mind? I'll PM you with more details

CHEERS!
- ever the spazz

Your work is to discover your world, and then with all your heart, give yourself to it...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Oh yeah! Another thing...if anyone has any good video, or links to good video showing non-freefly gear and the issues it might cause on ff jumps (flaps open, leg straps sliding up to the knees, etc) please point them my way...

THANKS!
- ever the spazz

Your work is to discover your world, and then with all your heart, give yourself to it...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Hi,

we've been doing the same in Belgium for a few years now and made our own licencing system to provide some guidance to beginners...

Yearly we do 2-3 skill camps where we try to spread the knowledge, and ask any belgian freeflyer and he/she wil confirm you that it seems to work/help. Licenses are free and coaching on those days is only 7,5 EUR ! (ticket of coach included !) thanks to the support of the clubs and federation.

Have a look at http://www.freefly.be for our system and there is also an english PDF for download

Hope this helps,
Blokki

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I will put one aside out there, however. While we really appreciate the safety conscious attitudes of systems like that in the UK or Spain or others, we would really like to promote this safe freefly atmosphere without a formal licensing program.
- ever the spazz

Your work is to discover your world, and then with all your heart, give yourself to it...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
THANKS TO ALL!!!

I've gotten a couple of gnarly pics/video of how older gear goes bad on some freefly jumps and I just wanted to say thanks a ton! PLEASE keep sending anything you have out there...i just want people to actually see why having freefly friendly gear is so important!!

YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!
Whit

oh...feel free to email stuff directly to me since the size limit is pretty small on dz.com...

[email protected]
- ever the spazz

Your work is to discover your world, and then with all your heart, give yourself to it...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I'm glad to hear that there is an idea like this going around at your DZ. Enough DZ's don't do it and people just rely on getting in with the freefly skygod clique, which 9 times out of 10 could give a damn about a new freeflyer unless you're paying them their slot plus a hundred bucks. (or dating one of them, etc, etc...)

Keep chuggin with the idea. Great to hear your DZO is on board and willing to help out by paying for experienced jumpers slots.

If possible, try to get tunnel trips together too. I know Carolina is a little bit of a trip for Orlando, but those guys have helped me to fly my little butt off as a newer jumper and could definitely help other new guys out to be a safer freeflyer.
Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
oh...and while i'll be ok with being ditched for the tunnel for the near future harry...we'd better see you out there when the weather warms up...how could we do this without one of our greats to help!!

p.s i thought it was your weekend to do the blowing :)
- ever the spazz

Your work is to discover your world, and then with all your heart, give yourself to it...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Just wanted to give a big thanks to everyone who posted or PM'd me with advice. We had our first event in late december and it was a huge hit! We had several new upjumpers from other dz's express interest especially since their dropzones didn't do anything like this for new freefliers. We've ready to go full force in 2008, and come april we're going to start having some intermediate and advanced big-ways so we all have alot to work on to start getting ready for those!

Keep sending the advice and suggestions...and if you're in the NC area (or are going to be in 2008), give a yell and I'll give you a better schedule of events - hopefully we'll have a google calendar and message board up for the carolina freefliers so I'll try to post that here as well!

Blue ones!
- ever the spazz

Your work is to discover your world, and then with all your heart, give yourself to it...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I'm Sorry!! :)

I just recently got a more concrete answer on the big way stuff - looks like the Freefly Jive Jams are being resurrected, and with the large number of freefliers moving to the raeford area (thanks to the tunnel)...it looks like we'll be splitting time between CSS and Raeford - Harry Parrish is going to be putting together some advanced bigway and 4way vrw stuff and also some intermediate level stuff as well (looks like he's going to be asking the more advanced fliers to take at least one to two jumps off from each jive jam big jump to help out with some of the intermediate stuff).

But I'll definitely post something is the Events & Places to Jump section about the google calendar, etc...

It was awesome meeting you and penelope by the way!
- ever the spazz

Your work is to discover your world, and then with all your heart, give yourself to it...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
This is awesome.. I remember before I deployed that me McDuck and Tony G were trying to figure out a way to help our skills, We started to try to think of progression charts... I am sooo stoked to get back from this deployment now. It sounds like there is a really good scene building the the NC area for freeflyers

I can't wait
Blue Skies.
Will
It'll be Som-tin
Sonic beef #137

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
When I get back from Vacation on 1/18 I'll start working on a schedule. It will only be at CSS and Raeford this Year.

My days of Traveling for Skydiving ended when my Son was Born. But Raeford seems to be the Place to be. I expect some great turnouts.

I'll probably only send out updates here on DZ.Com, it's easier than multiple emails. I expect to see some major talent at Jive Jam, so I'll probably shut up and take a back seat. I have allot of Tunnel Rats lined up already. I expect that the original Jive Jam crew will show up too.

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.

Guest
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.

0