rdesilets

Hi All, I have 2 slots left on Thursday July 2 for the Diamonds and Jewels Invitational being held as part of the CASA boogie up at Jumptown. Friday (July 3) is full but I am putting people on the waiting list in the event that we have slots open up due to last minute changes or we end up flying the Super Otter in formation with the CASA. You do not need to commit to both days, come Thursday, Friday, or both. The dives for the event are posted here: http://blog.formationskydivers.com -Rob

As of right now the weather is looking sweet: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=77583

For those interested: http://tsr.formationskydivers.com I will update nightly with the dives .. -Rob

That would be a hoot! Jim -- please keep us posted. It sucks about your shoulder :(

I see your profile says you are from Houston so I am assuming that is where you are from and just going to school in New England. Ironically I moved to Austin (specifically to get away from the cold and the dark) 12 years ago and it was one of the best things I have ever done in my life... I was a new person (atleast in the winter months).. The first thing I noticed about down here was the difference in weather systems.. Not only (obviously) that it was warmer, but cloudy days down here (when we have them) last for about 1 day whereas up in New England they can persist for 6 days.. When we do get a few cloudy days in a row the first thing it does is remind me about New England .. Coming from someone who lived up there (Massachusetts) for 23 years (until I moved away when I was 23) I feel your pain and know exactly what you are going through. I had those same feelings from Nov -> March each year I lived up there. In my experience, to go outside and find something outside to do as that did not really help at all. The fact is that its dark, cold, and most of the time cloudy to boot. The only thing you can do, honestly, is just deal with it or move away and go to school someplace south. It will get better as the days get longer .. but the fact is that it will be well into April up there until you start to get temperatures that feel "Warm" to you if you are from Texas. On another more happy note, there is nothing like July 4th weekend up there when the sun is shining at 5am and you are getting ready to head to the DZ for first load...

Yes -- that show rocks. The same thing happened to me.. I was in CA last year for work and my boss asked me if I watched BSG. I had not heard of the new series.. I got back and watched the first show.. from that point on I ended up watching 4 hours per night until I was caught up.. my wife was like WTF .. then about 2 months later I convinced my wife to give it a try .. so I had to watch them ALL again with her. P.S. Some of the jumptown folks came down to Spaceland last weekend for the Texas Team Elite dives with Guy .. it was a hoot.. -Rob

TSR for me as well. I would love to do the CA event but we have a Guy Wright 36 (or more) way event in Spaceland the weekend of Jan 10/11 -- so I can't schwing that and CA since they are soo close. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the Spaceland 60-ways this weekend .. woohoo.. -Rob

Greetings, Last weekend I helped to organize a 30-way event we had here in Texas (from the CASA). As part of the event, I wanted to have all of the dives stamped so that once we slotted each it was quick and easy to create a handout for all participants -- showing their slots in the aircraft and each point in the skydive(s). After doing much research it appeared that people used Autocad and older dive maker software to accomplish this but it was not as quick as I wanted nor did it have the merge capabilities I was looking for. I used Excel and Word (merge) to accomplish this and the 3 dives are attached. After the event I had many people asking me what software I used to create the dives in. Instead of answering each of them, I decided to put together a 15 minute "quick and dirty" tutorial that illustrates (at a high level) how I accomplished this. Let me know if you have any issues viewing it, or questions... http://www.icalc.com/tutorial/stamping_dives.html -Rob

The first round of invites went out Sunday night and we have 24 confirmed as of this morning. We have folks from the World Team, TSR, Texas 44s, Back to the Future, License to Thrill, Arizona Challenge, and the list goes on. A really great group. If you are interested in participating in this event please fill out the form in the link above (previous post). edited to add: 6 slots left thanks! -Rob

Check out the Parachute shop in pepperell. ([url]).

Skydive San Marcos is hosting a 1 day big way event during the annual Halloween CASA boogie. This event is invitation only and will be organized by Harry Hopkins, world record holder and sector captain for the 2007 Texas State Record 150-way. The event will consist of 3 very challenging multi-point 30-way skydives. Each dive will be repeated once for a total of 6 jumps. Participants will have a different exit position for each skydive and many slots will be outfacing. All jumps will be video debriefed (we will have 2 videographers). Video and stills will be available for purchase. For all of the event details and to register, please visit the following web page: http://www.icalc.com/ssm_bigway/information.php Blue Skies... -Rob

Greetings, We are having a boogie in Sept. and are interested in getting some custom pull up cords. I was wondering if anyone knows a place that does this as I have no clue where to start.

When I first started diving from an otter I had a similar problem -- I was always going ass over tea kettle each time. It turned out that I was diving out with my right foot slightly forward, which was causing me to present my back to the relative wind -- and that's all she wrote. One person told me to make a concious effort to have my left foot forward (slightly) as I dove out with my arms straight out in front of me looking for the tip of the wing -- this will (for the most part) get your chest into the relative wind instead of your back. Once you "Feel it" a few times you are all set. Nowadays, I don't even think about it and I can go out with my head in any direction (e.g. looking for the base as one other posted talks about), etc.

I know there are a lot of articles and posts on big way formation skydiving available but I wanted to add one more to the list. Attached is a document that Hollie Reno and I put together for a Big Way Camp at CPI a few years ago. Pepperell is putting on a 1 day camp August 2, 2008 and we are going to go through this document with attendees (so I found it buried on my hard drive and made a few changes). I thought it might be useful for others interested in learning/reviewing the concepts of big way skydiving. Here it is: http://www.icalc.com/download.php?fileID=bigwaycamp.pdf -Rob

Greetings, Skydive Pepperell (http://www.skyjump.com) will be hosting a 1 day big way camp on Saturday, August 2, 2008. Start time 8am. 6 Jumps total, with video debriefs. Rob Desilets, Jeanine Bodvin, and Sally Burgess will be organizing. All jumps will be one point skydives with a focus on big way concepts (varying exits, slot flying, team tracking, etc, etc.). A document that we will be reviewing and practicing in the air can be found here: http://www.icalc.com/download.php?fileID=bigwaycamp.pdf Slots are limited so please email Jeanine to register. Her email is: skyflyjb@yahoo.com Thanks. -Rob

For those not in the New England skydiving list(s) (from Gary Pond on Wed. June 25, 2008) New England skydivers (including free flyers and bird people) we have a unique situation happening right in our back yard…………..formation loads with TWO TWIN OTTERS. July 7th and 8th at Jumptown. What will be going on?????? Saturday and Sunday (July 5-6) I, with some help from Tom McLaughlin, Sally Burgess, Dave Parody, Rob Desilets and others will be in “camp” mode for large formation skydives. What do you need to know and how to do it safely. Come play if you need to air out or would like to learn what it takes to be doing your first formation loads on Monday-Tuesday. For Monday-Tuesday it would be great to get a large percentage of those jumping commit to both days…….that would give us some real consistency and the basis for some kick ass dives. Even if you are not ready for large formations, you can still do 4 and 6 ways from a two plane otter formation……….just give large group exiting ahead of you 15-20 seconds and have two of you in each plane ( we will keep the planes flying in formation till you get out) and two in the other, there ya go!!!!!!! Would like to have an 8:30 am brief for the formation loads, please be on time so we can get jumping. D-6969 Gary

I love the Z1. I had an Oxygn as well and did not like it. I like the Z1 because you can (easily) flip up the front. I usually keep it up until just before exit and then snap it closed. Protrack mounts outside.

Jumptown (www.jumptown.com) will have 2 otters on Monday and Tuesday July 7th and 8th. The plan is to have organizers for all levels and there will be plenty of formation loads for those interested. Gary Pond, Sally, Tom, and others will be there organizing. If you are an up and coming formation skydiver looking to get some big way and multi plane experience or an experienced formation skydiver – this event is for you. Depending on the interest, we can also have mini seminars that talk about all of the aspects of big way formation skydiving: exits (floating and diving, lead and trail plane), approach (radials, docking), flying the formation, breakoff (staged breakoff, tracking), and awareness under canopy. It is time to put in for those vacation days or use up that sick time. Its not often in New England there are 2 turbine planes at the same place. I just spent 3 days jumping with Guy Wright down in Dallas so I am all fired up for some more skydiving…. If this is something that interests you please shoot me a direct email (rd@icalc.com). It will give us and idea of who will be there and I will forward the info on to Diane. -Rob

Thanks to everyone who made it happen.. What a great time. It looks like Eric just posted a few picts: http://www.shutterfly.com/pro/ericboyd/skydive -Rob

I am :) I hope the weather stays .. today it is picture perfect... 73, light breeze, clear. Yahoo!

I could not agree more. I experienced burnout a few years back (when I had about 450 jumps).. I was so burned out that I sold all of my gear and did not think about it for 4 years.. I was that burned out.. Do other things with your weekends and (maybe) the spark will come back. Now I am 1000% more enthusiastic than have ever been. However, I do things differently now.. I am more of an "Event" jumper.. big ways, boogies, etc. No more instructing or rigging -- show up, skydive, have a lot of laughs with friends, and go home (wife and kid at home).. If the weather is bad I don't go down to the DZ and "hope" for the clouds to clear, I do other things -- jet ski, park with the family, whatever... Bla bla.. I am sure you heard this all before :) .. and don't feel "bad" that you are not at the dropzone on a sunny saturday.. enjoy doing other things and skydiving will most likely become fun again..

Well.. I never thought I was "ready" to have kids.. now have a 3.5 year old and one on the way. I was 30.. As with many of the posts, we both had good jobs, had a home, had $0 debt and some $ in the bank. It's not a prerequisite, but just makes life easier when you are not "struggling" with money issues (IMHO). I work from home (computer geek) so that was a huge help and my wife quit her job. I disagree with another post that said to prepare to put your life on hold. It's all about balance. Actually, I skydive more now than I ever did... but it's not all weekend every weekend. Saturdays I head to the DZ for 3/4 day, home by 4pm. Luckily with turbines, I can make 5-6 jumps and still be home at 4pm... For special events (Big ways, boogies, etc) we (my wife and I) work it out, maybe I will take a thursday and friday off from work to hang around/help around the house and then split for the weekend... balance.. I love having my son and can't wait for another. Just my $.02 FWIW.

Try Ethan Allen, they have a few stores in NC. After much looking around, it seems that we always end at Ethan Allen as they have a great selection, and good service (IMHO). -Rob

I could not make it down ... just wondering if anyone is down there and how things are going with the big ways... Weather.com says it was cloudy yesterday, then sunny this morning, then cloudy again... so I am not sure how much skydiving is going on.. People sitting at desks want to know

I had about 500 jumps and got burned out.. Skydiving was just not fun like it "used to be".. I sold my gear, bought a 1200cc Jet Ski and spent many hours on the lakes and doing other things. I did not think about skydiving for 4+ years.. .Then I just got the "Bug" again... and now I am as involved in skydiving as I ever was. However, now I am a "fun jumper" (no instruction, etc). I show up (mostly to preplanned events like big ways, etc), skydive, and head home. I also enjoy bodybuilding, have a 3.5 year old (and one on the way), have a very fast jet ski ... sounds like we have similar life. Anyhow, just remember that if you ever get the bug, skydiving will always be there... I also agree with one post that there are some people who just can't grasp the concept of people giving up the sport.. I am not one of those. I consider skydiving "just another (fun) hobby" that I do in my life. A slice of the pie I call my life. Have fun! -Rob