morris 0 #1 October 2, 2011 Can you/do you build stacks with as many persons as you have jumpers available? Or do you usually "switch" to planes once the formation starts getting bigger? Additional question: Lets say you are flying a 5way-stack. What inputs should be given? Half brakes at the very top? A little bit of brakes by number 2? A bit of frontrisering by the lowest person to create some tension? What to take care about while flying it? Thanks for any kind of information and/or input! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StefB 0 #2 October 7, 2011 Morris, you are from Germany, right? Then the Fürstenberg Fallschirm Team might be a good source for information about stack formations. http://www.ff-team.de/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
morris 0 #3 October 8, 2011 I´ve already been checking their website before even posting here and couldn´t find the information I´m looking for. There is a video of a 10way on the site, but they are flying it as a plane, not a stack... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CaTo 0 #4 October 8, 2011 I once saw a 12 -way stack being build (i was the cameraman) by a group of english crw-nuts it was partly build as using a planed formation, partly stack. The biggist problem was that it was swinging at the low-end, making it VERY hard to dock. Eventually the succeeded the full formation (uk record as i remenber) I should have the video somewhere..... If i find them i will post them edit: picture found and attached Caren Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
morris 0 #5 October 9, 2011 "...it was swinging at the low-end..." this is why I´m asking, without any planes in the formation at all, just "pure" stacks, we experienced a 5way that didn´t fly very nice at all, but maybe that´s just us...? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #6 October 11, 2011 There's a pic on the wall at West Tennessee Skydiving (Mullin's home DZ) of a stack that I think is the state record. I don't remember exactly how many were in it, but it was around 15. It was set a long while ago. My largest is a 10 stack, which is the Alabama state record. I was next to last on the bottom. I found it harder to dock there than higher up in the stack due to the increased sink rate."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
G.G 0 #7 October 12, 2011 I was one of the crazy brits in the pic, however the largest planned stack is 24 built in England in 1986 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrelr 0 #9 October 14, 2011 Hi Morris You plane the stack for stability. Unplaned stacks tend to sway as they are longer and pivot around the ankle/line grips on the centre cell. Planed stacks are shorter and far more stable. We built an 18-way planed stack in South Africa in 1988, and even that had quite a sway at the bottom. Cheers Andre Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
morris 0 #10 October 15, 2011 Now we are finally "closing in" on what I want to know... I understand that planed stacks are far more stable than unplaned ones. This was exactly what I´ve been asking for. My question was: a) Do you plane the stacks - from a certain number of persons on - for stabilitiy reasons (I know the answer is yes)? and b) What I don´t know is: What is that number??? With how many persons can you build UNPLANED stacks?? Or do you always plane ´em as soon as possible? let´s add c) What is the largest UNPLANED stack on record? let´s add d) What to take care about flying ´em? I´ve seen pictures of 5ways that flew very nice. I have not been looking/searching for pics of larger ones yet, I thought it´d be better to ask you guys as words will tell me more than any pic. We´ve tried to build an unplaned 5way stack with regular Storms (not CF-Storms but with the CF-option and dacronlines) of various sizes and loadings ranging from ~1.5 to 1.6. After the final jumper docked (myself) the formation became very "nervous" very fast. This was not caused by the dock! After the final dock it flew very nice - but just for some moments... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CFPasi 0 #11 October 15, 2011 "What is the largest UNPLANED stack on record? " - I belive that it is 12-stack made in USA in 1979 You will find more info from: http://www.skydivehame.com/cf/biggest.php Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
morris 0 #12 October 16, 2011 What to take care about flying unplaned stacks? Quite a lot of brakes at the very top? A little bit of brakes right below the very top/towards the middle? Or would you recommend building planes if we´re exceeding four persons because unplanned stacks of 5 or more persons are too difficult to fly especially at higher loadings? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crotalus01 0 #13 October 17, 2011 There is a picture in the hanger of my home DZ of the TN state record, a 13 stack. Of the 13 only one of the canopies is planed - the rest are stacked. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CFPasi 0 #14 October 17, 2011 Hope to get more info about that 13-stack - date and place of the jump and ... All info are wellcome! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CaTo 0 #15 October 20, 2011 Quote I once saw a 12 -way stack being build (i was the cameraman) by a group of english crw-nuts it was partly build as using a planed formation, partly stack. The biggist problem was that it was swinging at the low-end, making it VERY hard to dock. Eventually the succeeded the full formation (uk record as i remenber) I should have the video somewhere..... If i find them i will post them found some footage, look between 8:56 and 9:21 and you see some clips that show the setup of the 12 way. And yes, no stack but almost all in plane.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo1xXtZrsuc (by the way, I grew some muscles keeping track of the stack going down... :-)Caren Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Madison 0 #16 October 20, 2011 Quote the largest planned stack is 24 built in England in 1986 The 24 stack was built with the jumpers exiting from a helicopter along side the stack as it built. Just saying...Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
morris 0 #17 October 23, 2011 Quite a lot about planed stacks coming in, but I still wanna know about unplaned stacks, what to take care about...? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TVPB 0 #18 October 31, 2011 To be technical, a "planed stack" is an oxymoron. A plane is where feet are at risers, a stack is where feet are at bottom skin. Planes are more stable because the canopy is supported by the lines of the canopy above, whereas on a stack the canopy can pivot around the feet. Stay Safe - Have Fun - Good Luck The above could be crap, thought provoking, useful, or . . But not personal. You decide. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
