TooAddicted

Hi Guys, I just wanted to refresh this post as I have noticed that Anne & Pete are advertising for this years PD Project I've re-read my post from last year (see below) & it all still stands - the event is a great way of getting an introduction or further progression in 4 way and getting the worlds best (and free) coaching along with it! If anyone has any interest in 4 way and wants to see what it is all about or wants some good solid progression in a fairly relaxed environment, then apply right now. Judging from last year I'm sure that like-skilled individuals will be grouped together or infact teams could be accomodated - best ask Anne & Pete directly if youde like to go along as a team. Maybe see you there..... G

Over the past 4 days Pete Allum at Inner Rhythm Coaching supported by Anne and 2 of the best that PD (and the world) have to offer - Shannon Pilcher & Ian Bobo, have been holding a 4 way RW coaching event at EmpuriaBrava. I was lucky enough to be selected to attend and below are some of my views of the event: 15 participants where selected - including an established 4 way team from Seville. The mix of ability ranged from people looking to get a taster of 4 way through to intermediate / open jumpers looking to refine skills & pick up more technically challenging jumps & debriefs. Geographically, people arrived from all over the place (from the UK to Australia) Experience levels - of course - gave the coaching team a difficult task - no one wants to jump below their level, everyone wants to be pushed however could this balance be found ? I cant speak for the other groups but from my mind it was a resounding "yes", I feel this was down to 2 factors : 1) the coaching team reviewed jump numbers as only one of the selction criteria to build groups; atitude, drive, enthusiasm, tunnel time (of course), coaching history and the language used in emails all played a part, 2) the first few jumps were essentially drill dives - shortfalls in ability would be found !! As the event developed, the rapid progression of everyone was evident: less experienced jumpers began to work closely in the sky and put together some good radnom work, more experienced jumpers moved on to blocks & bigger pages. This is in no small way down to the quality of the coaching - what started as "scratch teams" were pushed to gain in confidence and ability very quickly (over just a handfull of dives) but it was also down to the energy generated by the participants (admitedly levels where a little lower the morning after the event meal !). There was a tangiable buzz about the place with jumpers shuffling, creepers spinning & exits practiced followed by 60 seconds of mega focus & some interesting vocals on break off & landing. By the end of the event 3 of the participants are well on the way to forming a new team & from my point of view, ability levels shot up, future direction was re-affirmed & the fires to "go fast, 4 way style" were fueled. Lets hope the guys put on a similar event next year -keep an eye open, I'd recommend it. G

OK - the following may be a little bit over enthusiastic, but i really like the place ! I'm just back from FS1 and for the second time, it turned out to be a great trip. Flights to Madrid are plentiful & cheap, especially for a long weekend, and public transport is easy to negotiate & takes you to Aranjuez (the town local to the DZ) From here the only slight "con" is getting to the DZ - its about 20 mins by car & there is no direct public transport (as far as I'm aware) - but Freefall university will pick up & drop off for a very reasonable fee. When there, the atmosphere is very relaxed, but manifest is well run & efficient and there should be plenty of lifts a day from now until the end of summer (I guess this depends on the number of people around) Depending what your there for & if you know the place, manifest will take your money & let you jump or the FFU will be on hand to make you feel welcome, check your kit, give DZ briefs, get you started on courses etc. During the day, there is a real buzz about the place - plenty of students from AFF to FF2 & BASE groundschool (and all in between), swoopers, insructors, visiting teams. The plane (at the mo) is a little porter -gets a bit crowded with the combinations of students & FS but that just adds to the character of the place. The top is usually around 13k, usually no clouds & great spots - but with a field as big as theyve got, its difficult to really land off ! If you miss one lift, dont worry, chill in the sun & wait just 15 minutes for the next one ! By the way - landings really are soft as can be - especially the brown fields which are ploughed regularly but green ones less so, so when your setting up - go for a brown one ! The down side is plenty of dust in the summer & clay like mud in the winter - youll walk back about 3 inches taller than usual with it sticking to your shoes ! It brushes off easily when dry - as I've found out !. Packing area is pretty big - room enough for about 8 inside & 4-6 outside plus plenty of grassed areas if you dont mind a bit of dirt. By the way - the DZ is 2.5k ASL so the landings can be a bit swift but get it right & the glide is great ! If your up for it, nighlife is great but very smokey - brilliant craic with the folks from the DZ, great tapas bars & full bellies. The local hostels are cheap, clean & whats needed. If your considering a trip, stop considering & get it booked - you wont be dissappointed. If youve been there before, get back & get a warm welcome-return.

Good question & intersting replies Concidered opinion from Blighty - Wheels just balance the A/C - they dont create forward movement. The prop pulls the plane through the air & this reletive movement of air from nose to tail creates lift under the wings, the only way a plane can take off is if there is enough lift (ie: from movement of air) under the wing. No relative movement of air (as per the conveyor situation) means no lift, so no take off Just to be clear "lift under the wing" - there are 2 components to this - positive air pressure under the wing & negative air pressure over the wing, both adding to "lift" and both requireing relative flow of air. Anyway- life would be boring with conveyors. Find a proper runway, get up, jump out