Yeah, yeah, we’re late with this. Last Big Splash was September 26-27 at Fantasy of Flight in Florida, but these videos are just as good now as they were then. We asked a random sampling of swoopers canopy pilots dudes people the same four questions. Check it out…
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So, for your viewing entertainment, we bring you the first day of Last Big Splash. Let us know what you think (but be kind, it’s our first foray into video-land!) and enjoy!
We’ll also have several sweet photos from photographer Justin Carmody in the November issue of Blue Skies Mag, so keep your eye out for that—and stay tuned for Day Two of Last Big Splash…
Sick wingsuit BASE video from JT. It may not be possible to get any closer to getting out and doing it yourself—which, of course, we highly encourage.
by Annie Cripe Drennan
The Performance Designs Factory Team (PDFT)/Flight-1 and Skydive the Farm launch pilot program to include essentials canopy training in AFF/A-License progression
In an ongoing effort to further safe canopy practices, Flight-1 and Skydive The Farm are happy to announce a pilot program that will include fundamental canopy education as part of the AFF/A-License progression package. The original package, which includes AFF ground school training, jump levels 1-7, jumps 8-25, and necessary coach jumps, was offered by STF owner Hans Paulsen as a means of encouraging new jumpers to carry on through their A-License without so much worry over the initial cost of learning to skydive. The package will now include a Flight-1 Essential Skills Course (ESC), to be taken anytime after jump 25.
Flight-1 (the business entity of the PDFT) offers its ESC to new and experienced jumpers alike. Many experienced jumpers may be familiar with the ESC; it was developed in the early 2000s by former PD employee Scott Miller, who toured the country for several years teaching canopy control to thousands of skydivers. Flight-1 eventually partnered with Miller in 2006 and has since become the sole conveyor of the ESC.
The purpose of the ESC is to establish safer canopy practices at DZs around the world through increased understanding of the canopy flight. Students spend a day of focused education with a Flight-1 certified instructor through a combination of classroom modules and practical aerial exercises completed over a series of five jumps.
PD Factory Team member Ian Drennan calls Skydive the Farm home.
“I have always felt the passing of knowledge from experienced jumpers to others, in any discipline of our sport, is essential to the longevity of skydiving,” said Drennan. “What better way to pass along your experience than to an up-and-coming jumper, or even a person who has been in the sport for some time and is looking to explore another discipline or simply increase his skill level?
“We (the PD Factory Team) also felt the pressing need to introduce better canopy control training to new jumpers. While AFF provides a great basic understanding of landing patterns, potential canopy issues, and basic inputs/responses, most new jumpers have trouble internalizing the onslaught of new information.
“As such, it seemed only logical to integrate better canopy control education at the formative stages of a skydiver’s development. We are excited to launch this pilot program, in conjunction with Skydive the Farm, and hope other DZOs will follow suit.
The program is scheduled for launch in September 2009.
For more information on the PD Factory Team, Flight-1, and their canopy course offerings (Essentials, Advanced, High Performance, and one-on-one coaching) visit www.flight-1.com, www.pdfactoryteam.com, or e-mail coach@flight-1.com.
For more information about Skydive the Farm visit www.skydivethefarm.com.
Swooping like a girl 
Just in time for the 3rd World Air Games in Torino Italy, the PD Factory Team completed a week of training at Skydive Elsinore, California. The expanded team, now ten members strong, already put in two successful camps earlier in the year at Skydive DeLand, Florida.
At the first two camps, the focus was on bringing the new team members (Brian Vacher, Pablo Hernandez, Jessica Edgeington, Tommy Delibac and Ian Drennan) up to speed on team flying skills and team landings. The third camp moved into the competition training phase as the team flew runs on FAI competition courses with 1.5 metre electronic entry gates.
Happy after a good training camp
The team managed to complete 20 jumps of each FAI discipline of Speed, Distance and Zone Accuracy for a total of 60 jumps. In Speed, the team were flying a variety of sizes and wingloadings of the new PD Competition Velocity. This year’s new Zone Accuracy rules posed many new challenges as the team tried to figure out the best strategy for approaching the course.
For Distance the team spent a day running downwind at just over the competition limit of 7 meters per second, experimenting with different wing sizes.
Pablo during a distance run
Pablo Hernandez of Spain completed his 9000th jump on the last day of the camp and the team was also able to make a tandem jump with one of their sponsors; Steve Brown, Marketing Manager of Gatorz sunglasses, well known amongst skydivers.
Lake Elsinore lies about 1.5 hours from Los Angeles and is the home dropzone of PD Factory Team members, Jonathan Tagle, Tommy Delibac and Jessica Edgeinton. The dropzone provided a great training location with their facilities and jump aircraft.
Reported by Brian Vacher
Photos by JC Colclasure
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