Taz 0 #1 November 11, 2005 Calling all Flockers to Darken the Skies over Pretoria WHAT: Wingsuit Weekend at Wonderboom WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, December 3 and 4 WHO: All wingsuit pilots who want to participate in building skills and fun flocks HOW MUCH: R160 to 11,000ft. in the King Air COMMITMENT: 8 jumps Saturday building to a big-way flock. RSVP: Please include total number of jumps, number of wingsuit jumps, height & weight, and type of suit. Confirm your commitment to 8 jumps Sat. and tell me how many you want to do on Sunday. Yup, it's time for another African flockathon. We already have nine birds confirmed a few hours after I sent out the info. Everyone's welcome, and the weather is just getting hot down here. We'll hopefully see everyone who can't make it to this at the AFFC... it will rock. Blue skies, -TIt's the Year of the Dragon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bodypilot1 0 #2 November 11, 2005 Flockin' Africans..... Have fun! Be safe Edwww.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bergh 0 #3 November 14, 2005 Flock base reporting for duty ! Exit weight: 78 kg Height: 1.68m Wingsuit jumps: 18 (10x Classic , 6x GTI 2x S-Fly). Suit to be used: Unsure (S3 is calling me ... ). Preferred Suit: GTI or S-Fly Best Fall rate: 53 mph in GTI Longest Flight: 103 sec from 11000. Experience level: Low Enthusiasm Level: Very High See ya there !!!_______________________________________ You are unique, just like everybody else ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Peej 0 #4 November 14, 2005 Bring it! Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tonto 1 #5 November 25, 2005 Quote Bring it! Bring what? Oh! You mean bring the GS-1 Demo that Jii-Wings just shipped up to me today? Taz says we have 14 people for the weekend, so the King Air is going to be full of wings! I'm hoping to get a flight or two on it this weekend. If you're at JSC tomorrow, you can try it on! tIt's the year of the Pig. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Peej 0 #6 November 26, 2005 QuoteBring what? Oh! You mean bring the GS-1 Demo that Jii-Wings just shipped up to me today? WHAT? Sweet as dude! QuoteI'm hoping to get a flight or two on it this weekend. If you're at JSC tomorrow, you can try it on! I'd love to dude, but alas, i'm sitting at work today I'd love to fly it sometime though! Hope you're enjoying the skies Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pierre3636 0 #7 December 2, 2005 cant wait for tom!!!!! lets hope the sky s stay clear! see you all at the briefing boys and girl ~ time is ~ time was ~ times past ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beverly 1 #8 December 2, 2005 Hey T, I am coming through, but cannot make the briefing. Got a new store to opening to attend. Will be there by lunch time. Looking forward to it. I think true friendship is under-rated Twitter: @Dreamskygirlsa Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taz 0 #9 December 2, 2005 This one is going to be off the hook--we've got so many people coming out to play that the opportunities to build some amazing stuff are there. Pray to the weather goddess. Blue skies, -TIt's the Year of the Dragon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pierre3636 0 #10 December 5, 2005 Taya and Tonto and the rest of the T&T flock (they did BMI us all ) thanks for a great two days, lots of flocking lots of insane exits and lots of awsome footage - bummer about my camera helmet though - great as always ~ time is ~ time was ~ times past ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tonto 1 #11 December 5, 2005 Sucks about the Helmet dude. This was a great weekend with more people and bigger flocks. The King Air is... challenging, but anything we can do out of a King Air will be much, much easier off a tailgate, and the 27th is getting closer all the time. I need a few solo's to savour my S3-S too. While cruising into 12 flocks this weekend was cool, I can't wait to get out there and just wring it's neck a bit! The dives at the AFFC are going to ROCK! tIt's the year of the Pig. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beverly 1 #12 December 5, 2005 Yea, thanks T & t for the weekend and allowing me on the big ways! Thanks to the rest of the flock for being gentle with me! It was a privilege to fly with some of the best winguiters in the country. See you at AFFC. I think true friendship is under-rated Twitter: @Dreamskygirlsa Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pierre3636 0 #13 December 5, 2005 you nailed the first one where we were second line of base - and then she went flat flying ~ time is ~ time was ~ times past ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taz 0 #14 December 7, 2005 Hey guys, here's the official weekend report as sent out in South Africa: The African Flock: Bigger, Better, On the Move December 3 and 4 at Pretoria Skydiving Club (Wonderboom) the African Flock came out en masse to darken the skies and push the limits of our skills. If the second and final Wingsuit Weekend of 2005 is any indication, this discipline is on the rise in South Africa and Beware! It is both rewarding and addictive. The flock is growing, and we hope that in 2006 it will be migrating to a dropzone near you. Vital Stats: Number of wingsuit slots filled: 125 Number of Participants: 17 Wingsuits in attendance: 7 (Birdman Classic, GTi, S3, S3S, and PHI: Phoenix Fly Vampire: Jii-Wings GS-1) Largest successful flock: 12-way clearly visible from the ground when it blocked out the sun As a wingsuit organizer, I dream about exceeding a King Air's capacity to hold all the birdies who want to fly at one of my events. On the first load Saturday, that is exactly what happened. Marius reluctantly but generously backed off to heed the call of camera work, and 13 of us boarded to start this epic weekend. We did a total of 12 wingsuit loads of between 8 and 13 people, evenly divided between Saturday and Sunday. 9am Saturday our big briefing took place under a tree, which somehow seemed appropriate (the classroom was occupied). Our main goal: to better what participants had done at the last wingsuit weekend at JSC in October, a 9-way flock. We were all about quality, not quantity. For example, an extremely tight 10-way would be preferable to a messy 13-way. We talked about focus on flying a particular slot as well as learning to fly closer. The briefing also covered safety issues like run-in, exiting from the King Air to avoid a tail strike, forming up, breakoff, and pull altitudes. We then divided into two groups for the smaller morning flocks, which included extensive briefing and debriefing. After 3 smaller group working dives of around 6 people each, we decided it was time to combine our talents and go for a bigger formation. Based on performance and preference, we rotated the base and various slots and tweaked the exit orders for the next three dives. Edgar and Rainer teamed up to hang outside the King Air door on jump run so that three people could get out at once. The result was a beautiful 12-way flock led by the seemingly magnetic birdbabe Glenda Miles in her GTi. We wrapped it up on Saturday with a good debrief and lots of smiles. Sunday we created some incredibly tight base groups of between three and six people flying in such tight formation I can now tell you in detail about the soles of Bernard van Biljon's shoes. Several brilliant 9- and 10-ways created learning experiences for everyone as we all tried different slots and approaches to the formation. Clearly the appeal of winged flight wasn't lost on PSC's working skydivers: Blikkies Blignaut finally stopped trying to resist us and shed his tandem rig for a GTi Sunday afternoon. Although he shared our loads, he went solo to work on his own flying. Picking up on the group's good vibes, he went from 71mph vertical on his first dive to a personal best of 67mph. At the end of the weekend, the eight people still fit enough to compete agreed to a "Survival of the Fittest" dive. The race put Bernard van Biljon and Edgar Gaiao on an S3 and Vampire respectively, into the base, flying for the optimum combination of time and distance. Everyone else would exit and attempt to catch up, passing if possible to become the new base. Tonto, flying a Birdman S3S (Skyflyer 3 Special), exited last and made a dramatic play towards the end of the skydive to pass both Bernard and Edgar in a display of speed. On this dive, we exited 2 miles from the dropzone and flew back in a straight line. Some of us not only reached the DZ in record time, but overflew by over a half a mile. That's pure performance! Although we did achieve our goal more than once, particularly with the 12-way on Saturday, this weekend turned out to be even more about learning than it was about achieving. The King Air, for all it's wonderful lift capacity, challenged us with a small door and fast run-in. That challenge was taken up bravely and successfully by everyone who participated. Many thanks to Pete Lawson, the pilots, and everyone at Pretoria Skydiving Club for making this event a success. We were not just tolerated but welcomed, and the atmosphere of encouragement and fun made the whole weekend a great pleasure as well as a notable accomplishment. What's Ahead: Many of the wingsuit pilots who participated in this and the last wingsuit weekend will be at the African Freefall Convention in Mafikeng at the end of the month. With the benefit of tailgate aircraft, higher altitude, international Birdman organizers, and lots of great skills building over the past few months, expect some big-way and even record attempts to rival what South Africa has seen before. The African Flock is not to be messed with. We want YOU to come and play! Blue Skies, -Taya Participants: 1. Taya Weiss 2. Eric "Tonto" Stephenson 3. Pierre Marais "Bob" Badenhorst 4. Riaan Bergh 5. Edzard Biermann 6. Rainer "Carrot" Eimbeck 7. Edgar "Vampire" Gaiao 8. Dian Kemp 9. John Mackay 10. Mark Riesnik 11. Bernard van Biljon 12. Bertus De Beer 13. Glenda Miles 14. Marius van der Walt 15. Beverly Cosslett 16. Pete "Zammy" Samuelsson 17. Blikkies BlignautIt's the Year of the Dragon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taz 0 #15 December 8, 2005 Nice to have you. No matter what anyone says about your flat flying (myself included ), the great thing about wingsuiting right now is that it cuts across those "Freeflyers are unstable" and "Flat flying is great if that's all you can do" cliques. Everyone loves wings! Flock on. -TIt's the Year of the Dragon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
whatever 0 #16 December 8, 2005 wow T, you guys are rocking out down south! I just hope I don't totally embarras myself with crappy flying when I get there... last time I flew my wingsuit was 29 October and even though I have done 121 jumps since, only 2 of those involved an airplane... hopefully I'll remember not to pull 3 seconds after exit and I won't be too scared by the now unfamiliar sight of those two extra cells on my canopy and that scary looking slider... all the same, I'm really looking forward to flocking bigtime when I get over there and the prospect of not even slightly caring how I pack my canopy really appeals to me... cya sam soon to be gone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taz 0 #17 December 8, 2005 Yee ha! We are having way too much fun. Can't wait to see you and get you up to a respectable altitude. We're pretty chill down here, and despite (or because of) the low-pressure environment we still manage to put some really nice stuff together. When do you arrive? -TIt's the Year of the Dragon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taz 0 #18 December 8, 2005 Check out these awesome pics from Bernard!It's the Year of the Dragon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fergs 0 #19 December 8, 2005 Hey Taya, Nice pics. Is that Wonderboom? Last time I jumped there was early / mid 80's. Anyone from RSA coming over to Australia for the Picton Christmas Boogie? There'll be a wingsuit boogie running parallel - with lots of fun and records planned. Plus, like you, we're in summer. Life is good - spread the love, fergs BMCI Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taz 0 #20 December 8, 2005 It is indeed Wonderboom! We had a great time there last weekend. The vibe is very happy and chill. Unfortunately the Southern Hemisphere flock will probably be pretty divided this year, since we have our African Freefall Convention with Jari and Jussi coming down to organize flocking and wingsuit competition. We're busy trying to get all the South Africans to that boogie, closer to home! But it will be great to hear what happens at Picton and the AFFC as they run around the same time I think. We may have wireless access at the boogie so we can post from there. It would be cool to have a running dialogue between the two boogies! Happy summer flocking, -TIt's the Year of the Dragon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
whatever 0 #21 December 8, 2005 I haven't finalized my travel plans yet. Just looked at the African Freefall Convention website quickly and it seems trickier to get from Capetown to Mafikeng than I thought. Are you guys going to start an 'African Freefall Convention Ride Sharing Thread' ? I think it could be really helpful. I could get to JHB area pretty easy and relatively cost effectively, from there it seems a hassle if you don't have a car. Anyone willing to give me ride from JHB area to or from the convention, let me know! I also won't be able to stay the whole duration, I think about 4-5 days only, which days would be the best ones to be there for the flocking? thanks! sam soon to be gone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taz 0 #22 December 8, 2005 Hmm, not a bad idea about the ride sharing thread, although I know there are lots of people going who won't look at it. Let me at least try and hook you up with a lift out. We could take you from JHB on the 26th but that's a full day before the boogie officially starts. There will be lots of people coming and going from about halfway through I think, so finding a way back shouldn't be too bad. It's only 3.5 hours from Joburg. You probably want to come from around the 29th to the 2nd? Anyone else have suggestions on dates? Let's get firm ones and then I'll send mail to the listservs here and see who can pick you up. -TIt's the Year of the Dragon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beverly 1 #23 December 9, 2005 HI, I am happy to take you from JHB. I am going from the 27th. Will PM you my details. cheers Bev I think true friendship is under-rated Twitter: @Dreamskygirlsa Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
980 0 #24 December 9, 2005 Hi there sam here, I'm switching to this username and retiring 'whatever' please send your PM to this username instead thanks for the offer! the 27th may be a bit early, I'm having serious trouble trying to convince my parents I need to spend 5 days of my 20 day stay skydiving in Mafikeng instead of hanging out in Somerset West... cya sam Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beverly 1 #25 December 9, 2005 No problem, offer stands. Have pm'd I think true friendship is under-rated Twitter: @Dreamskygirlsa Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
