DanBC

Hi Liffy, There is much more to coaching than a coaches personal competition accomplishments. Many great coaches in various sports have never professionally played in the sport that they have had great success coaching. On the other hand, there are many great athletes who could not coach as well as a preschool gym teacher. I have personally worked with and trained the coaches who will be involved at our camps. There are several teams who have seen great results in their skydiving after training with them. During our camps each group would have the primary coach who is giving them 100% of their time. In addition I will be overseeing all the groups and offering information in both the prejump preparation and debriefing. The only point you made that is worth questioning would be have they coached teams "at a high level." We do not anticipate that many teams at a high level (above a 16 average) to register for our camps. More often those teams would come for their own training camps. When they do we set them up with Chris Irwin, David VG, myself or another member of Airspeed as a coach. For the other 99% of skydivers that have never averaged over a 16 in competition, our camps will be ideal. They will have the chance to work on personal body flying skills in the tunnel and to then apply them to what will undoubtedly be some of the best 4-way jumps they have ever made.

Whether you are training for serious 4-Way competition or going through the AFF Program, I don't see there being any negative effect on the sport from utilizing the tunnel as a training tool. The tunnel is an advantage for everyone. Like other pilots, we now have a flight simulator. We can practice our skills and moves with far greater time efficiency than we have every done before. This allows us to learn far more quickly, to reach higher levels much sooner, and for the top teams to push the bar ever higher. Everyone will improve. But the individuals and teams that commit more time, money, heart and soul will take it further than anyone else. This has always been the case and nothing has changed because of having access to a wind tunnel. No matter what place your team finishes in, the higher level your team is skydiving at the more fun you are having. Averaging 10 points is more fun than averaging 8. Averaging 12 is more fun than 10. It just keeps getting better. So enjoy the game and don't worry about who has got an advantage. It is there for whoever wants it. As for the non-competitive skydivers, the tunnel is also a great tool. AFF students are much more likely to continue in the sport when they aren't scared away by being out of control in actual freefall. Weekend jumpers that begin to get bored because the average weekend jumps don't challenge them anymore will have a way to continue to push themselves. Everyone will get better, they will enjoy skydiving more than ever and because of this they will make more jumps not less. I'm getting excited just talking about it. Quote[email]

Hi, I won't be competing at the Valentine's Meet but I will be there coaching the Swiss 4-Way and British 8-Way teams. Let me know if I can be of any help while you are in Eloy. See you this weekend. Dan

If you want to get on a Large Formations you should come to the Airspeed Big Way Camp, March 27 - 30. Take a look at our web page for complete details and registration information. www.airspeed.org

When trying to fly sideways it is common that skydivers find themselves turning towards the formation. This is caused by bending and twisting you body towards the formation when you are trying to see keep your eyes on it. You twist your upper body to see and leave your lower body behind. You have already received a lot of good advice on exactly what your body does when executing a sideways move. But in the air it is sometimes difficult to think about all of that without twisting your body into a pretzel. Next time you have a sideways move try this. -Keep your eyes on the formation by turning your head to see without twisting your torso. -Keep your body straight and square. -Roll your hips down in the direction you want to go. In the process of rolling your hips you will lower your knee towards your target while raising the other one. -Think mostly about your hips and lower body. Most skydivers fly too much with their upper body and leave their ass behind. Fly from your hips. -Your upper body will usually assume the correct position without having to put too much effort into it. The correct position in your upper body will be with your shoulder lowered in the direction you want to go. -I think to fly with my torso like this. If you fly from your hips and shoulders the rest of your extremities will usually fall into place. They are an extension of your torso and if you lead with your torso they will follow. Lastly, don't try to hard. Stay loose and relaxed in the air. When we think that something is hard we end up TRYING TO HARD. Remember that when you finally get it right, IT WILL FEEL EASY. Don't make it harder than it is.

The tail can be holding onto either the OC or IC during a Murphyflake exit. The tail's piece partner is usually exiting from IC so it is most frequently a shorter transition to the second point if the tail already has a grip on their piece partner in the first point. The exit flies just as well either way.

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Hello Again, Thanks for the warm welcome. Of the many things I love about skydiving, I love none more than the people in this sport. We are from all walks of life, from all countries of the world, all backgrounds, and all ages. But in another way we are ONE OF A KIND. Looking forward to talking with you more. Dan

Hello Everyone. I have just recently had the pleasure of becoming familiar with dropzone.com. What a terrific web page. A great way for the international skydiving family to communicate about events, ideas and share experiences. I'm looking forward to speaking, meeting and jumping with you. Blue Skies, Dan