notsane

You didn't buy a 2nd suit did you Jon?

If you haven't yet registerd please do so as soon as possible. We need to get the logistics issues pinned down. Some of the folks on the list aren't "on-line" types. If you know them please contact them and ask them to register. We're counting down!!

I intend to be completely safe too ... as in .. too drunk to jump.

For those of you haven't seen the skydive city website, there will be night jumps for the sober Saturday night and a high-altitude load at 8AM Sunday morning. This is normally 2 jump tickets. There's no end to the fun! Scott

I believe it's 14,500'. I expect eveyone will show up all through the day on Friday (I'll be there by 9AM), but Saturday and Sunday will start at 9AM sharp. Scott

I spoke with TK about getting some extra altitude for Saturday. He told me that formation loads are an extra buck and additional altitude is an extra buck. But, he's willing to throw in one of those dollars, so dives on Saturday will be 1 extra dollar (what a deal!). So I suggest that when you get here, sign in with both manifest and Kathy (who'll have a tent near the covered hang-out area). Purchase 16 tickets from manifest (these tickets are refundable). Get 10 regular tickets and 6 hi-altitude tickets; 5 for Friday, 6 for Saturday and 5 for Sunday. Hand Kathy your 6 hi-altitude tickets ... this will put you on the list for Saturday's jumps and smooth out our ticket issues. Please, please if you want to jump on the big-ways, commit to all 6. Having people get on and off screws up things like you wouldn't believe. Debriefs will be held in the bunker. It's fairly dark in there and TK will have a projection screen set up. I'll bring a DLP projector with a composite video input port. It'll be set up all day until late at night. If you want to use it, just don't bust it or spill anything on it. If you want to show DVDs, bring a portable player. Scott

In order for the diamond to be complete it has to be perfect. That makes the magic numbers 4,9,16,25, 36, 49 ... That doesn't leave any space for lower experience folks to dock once the diamond formation is complete. I really want everyone to have a shot at being in the biggest formation possible. Now if we look at the pics from Saturday and see a perfect 36 or 49 way diamond possible I'm all for making an extra big way dive Sunday morning to see it completed! Opinions anyone?

Oh man, that's a sweet lookin' piece of nylon! Make sure not to f*ck up during FLock and Dock .. 'cause there's no way you can hide in that suit!!

Looking good, dude! Bring that suit down to Flock and Dock!

All, I had a request to address what the lower experience folks will be looking forward to. But I'll also address how the exit order will work for everyone. Friday: Smaller flocks. The plane captains; Me, Chris Ware and Rob Jones will be evaluating everyone to determine their best fit in the big ways on Saturday. Work on your exit and approaches. Show that you're heads-up and safe. If you can get close work on your flocking skills ... be in place and smooth. Do this stuff over and over with a base that will hold still and you'll be amazed how quickly you'll progress. This should make you comfortable enough for .. Saturday: The big flocks. How you've progressed will determine where you'll exit. Except for the secondary bases who have specific places to exit, there are 3 groups: A) Those that must be in their slot on time and perfect (they exit nearest the door of each a/c) B) Those that can get to their slots but may need a little more time and room (they exit next) C) Those that are learning and might get there (they exit last) So if someone up front is moving around or late they may be moved back, where someone doing well in back may be moved up so we end up with the largest perfect wedge we can have along with some folks behind learning the ropes. The deal is nobody gets "booted" for screwing up (like on the high pressure RW dives). You might be moved back in the formation ... the only way to get "booted" is to be unsafe. Nobody needs to go home in a box. Sunday: Your call. Stretch your skills on some sequential, 3D or other advanced flock, try out a new suit or join a smaller group to keep working on the flocking skills. I hope this helps out. The whole idea is to have a blast and be safe. I can't wait! Scott

Sweet. That's exactly it. Consider that added to the Sunday list.

I think I prefer Flockmanauti ... as in ... Flock My Naughty. Sounds better that way. James .. can you make a drawing of that in something like a 6-way?

All, I wanted to show you some of the stuff we'll be doing Saturday and Sunday. Saturday is going to be a big honkin wedge. Get a look at the bigflock.jpg pic. There were several options presented for the formation, but the consensus was that this presents the most slots for docking the earliest with the easiest visuals to position yourself in formation. If all 50 people show up we're talking about something like this .. or more. I don't expect it'll be quite this tight, but the presence of the secondary bases (marked 2) should help. I'll be in the lead (marked 1). Visualize the approach you'd make to different slots based on the aircraft you'd be in (also marked). Sunday we'll be breaking up to do some smaller, more technical stuff (and flocks too). James (unclecharlie95) was kind enough to make the following shots for me. We'll do some vertical stuff (stack.jpg), Matt Hoover's (the111) 3 up, 3 down sandwich dive (sandwich.jpg) and since we're jumping at Z-Hills a commemorative Z formation would be in order (Z.jpg). Hope you like. Let me know. Scott

I posted the handout for the meet for you to review at http://www.notsane.com/ZFND2.pdf. It will be handed out with your registration package when you check in. Check out the big way wedge ... if things work out that could be about the size we'll be looking at. Just imagine that drawing as a real photo with you in it on the cover of .... Scott

I spoke with TK about the plane situation yesterday. 3 Otters are definite and the Casa can be on-site 30 minutes after asking for it. So help us out and register ASAP!

If we have 45 wingsuit flyers and if I'm reasonably sure the lower experienced folks have it together enough to stay safe you can COUNT on a 3 plane formation! If we have a CASA though it may only be a 2 plane formation dammit ... unless more people show up! BRUSH UP ON YOUR EXITS! Scott Campos' book has good stuff on exiting a tailgate a/c ... only the first row gets to back off the tailgate. Everyone else either does the outside turn into the wind or does a gainer. I'll leave space for others to fill in the details on it ...

Ybor (eee-boar) City is still there and really hops on the weekend. If you insist on walking back to your car drunk in the dark there is a strictly enforced BYOG (bring your own gun) policy. You'll need it. http://www.ybor.org/ no visit to Ybor is complete without a stop tp the Columbia restaurant. Tampa also has Channelside. Shops, bars, restaurants in an renovated shipping port.http://www.channelside.com/ If nature is your thing, Hillsborough River State Park is right down 301 from ZHills. Very nice. http://www.floridastateparks.org/hillsboroughriver/default.cfm Strip clubs are a staple of the Tampa scene, although a recently enacted 6-foot rule spoils the fun as far as I'm concerned. The Mons Venus http://www.monsvenus.com/ is probably the most famous men's establishment in the area. Tampa has many great restaurants and it's not nearly as expensive eating here as it is in some other cities. Some of my favorites are: Bern's Steakhouse (don't miss the dessert room!) Watch out for the cognacs, a snifter can set you back $100. http://www.bernssteakhouse.com/ Roy's Yeah, it's a chain but damn the food is hard to beat. http://www.roysrestaurant.com/ Sideberns Another in the Bern's family tradition but more modern than the bordello style the original has. If you go for the tapas and stay away from the $13 martinis you won't max out the credit card. http://www.sideberns.com/ The Blue Martini Girlie sweet versions of martinis, but that's the only way I can get a martini to stay down. $10 martinis are a deal if you just left Sideberns. http://www.bluemartinilounge.com/ Buca de Beppo [/url] Another chain, but crazy good italian food. Served family style so take friends. The prices are good if you share! Seafood ... too many to name. Bonefish comes to mind, but it;s another chain. bon appetite! Scott

If you don't need to have your false teeth refitted or your hearing aid adjusted you're pretty much out of luck in Zephyrhills. By the time we get done at sunset, toss back a few and chow on some of Janine's good food the old folks (like me) will be headed to bed. I'm sure though that Matt and Omar will be up for some "shenanigans"

I wanted to let everyone know what the basic schedule will be for the event ... And, if you haven't read the flocking article James and I wrote in last month's Skydiving Magazine now would be the time to check it out. Expect 5 or 6 dives per day. If you can't keep up with the packing we have some great packers at Z-Hills http://www.skydivecity.com/html/facilities/ Kahn and the guys RULE! Friday: Smaller flocks. We'll be breaking up into smaller (

Rob has updated the registration page. You can now register on-line!

If you haven't jumped at ZHills in a while you'll certainly need to get a waiver signed and a gear check .. standard stuff. I've sent Rob an email about the registration issue on the baserigs.com site. Scott

Guys, Things will get started Friday morning as everyone checks in. Of course there is some paperwork to go through ... make sure you have your logbook and USPA (or other) membership card. Save yourself LOTS of grief and make sure your reserve will be in date for the entire event. I can't wait! Scott

Zoo-ing exits is always on the platter

For obvious safety reasons we'll be limiting the number of dedicated camera flyers at this event. If you'd like to wear a camera and be part of the flock that's fine, but you'll have to break off with everyone else. Anyone not a dedicated camera flyer who's zooming around the flock will have to answer some questions. Safety is not optional. We all want to have fun but none of us need to see two backflying camera flyers smash into one another. No one wants to go home in a box. The primary camera flyer for the event will be Scary Perry. If you'd like be one of the dedicated camera flyers please PM him. He will coordinate all the camera activities at the event. Scott

Friday and Saturday look good. Sunday may have some showers. I can't be there but I'm sure some other flockers will be!