The PD Blog

PD welcomes team Ranch Fallout!

Hello to everyone from Ranch Fallout! 
We are an advanced-class 4-way team that trains out of the Blue Sky Ranch in Gardiner, NY - where else!   The team consists of David Bauer, David Grabowski, Kimberly Schuyler and Bob Schuyler.  Our 4-way experience varies but we are all eager to learn and continue to improve as a team.
2008 will be Fallout’s second year as a team.  With a lot of jumping and a little bit of luck, we’re hoping to make our mark at this year’s USPA Nationals in Eloy, AZ.  When we’re not training or flying our PD canopies, we also try to make a point of helping out the local rookies and less experienced belly fliers, especially our friends at the Blue Sky Ranch and Mohawk Valley Skydiving.
We’re all about sharing our knowledge and love jumping with new friends so, if you’re ever in the area, be sure to stop by and make a jump with us or stop over for a chat (and with any luck, they won't throw a pie in your face).   This picture is taken when Dave Bauer got pied for his 1000th, and around the same time Kim was served a pie for her 2000th and Bob for his 4000th!
The team would also like to thank PD for welcoming us aboard.  It’s our privilege to be chosen to represent the best that is out there and we look forward to sharing an exciting season with the rest of the PD family.  Now, if only Kolla would get us a wind tunnel for canopies…

Storm???

Some of us in the UK are slightly puzzled at the release of PDs new canopy, Storm.  While we haven’t jumped it yet, knowing PD we’re sure it’s a great canopy but wonder if there is a market for it.  The guys from HEAT have already found that there is an awesome 7 cell on the market that is superior to anything else out there.  This canopy has a massive range of speed and provides a powerful flare with soft and accurate landings. 

Clearly we’re talking about the Velocity.  HEAT have been using them in a variety of disciplines and took them to the CP and Classic Accuracy British Nationals and plan to compete again on them later in the year at the British CF Nationals.  Just this weekend we were putting some 4 stacks together* on them cruising past the ever present clouds that our infamous weather system continually plagues our country with.  The Velocity comes in a range of sizes although we tend not to go to extremes and fly mid ranged canopies from 79 to 103 at wing loadings of between 2.1 to 2.7.

So why get a Storm?  Well, maybe if you are looking for an all around canopy to do a bit of freefall and then maybe a bit of CRW, but need a canopy that is better suited for the job (and preferably with someone that can instruct you in the proper CRW ways).  Curious?  Read more about the Storm here :)

But for us, we can’t find a better all round canopy than the Velo, so we’ll be sticking with it :)

*clearly this one is one of those "do not try at home, for highly trained stunt professionals only" deals. Seriously.  We mean it. 

Weather in Omaha

Well, the Lincoln Sport Parachute Club or LSPC hold their annual boogie in Plattsmouth, just south of Omaha Nebraska.  After attending the event last year and having a great time we knew we couldn't miss this years.  The official start of the boogie was today and as you can tell by the pictures, the new Storm was a big hit...well I guess it wasn't the PD Storm but a storm non the less.

UPT Vector, Firefly suits, and Skyventure Colorado are all attending the event as well.  There are some awesome skydives planned for this weekend so hopefully the weather will stay clear for us.  If it doesn't clear up, well, I will try to get some more cool photos of the lightning.  Sorry the pictures might be blurry but its hard to take them from a blackberry...  

Featured in Outside Magazine...

Photographer Brian Buckland captured this exit shot of the most recent 69-way Vertical World Record at Skydive Chicago in August 2007.  It was featured as a spread that ran in the June '08 issue of Outside Magazine.

Bill Coe's Birthday

Last year the world celebrated 25 Years of Flight as Performance Designs reached the quarter century milestone.  This year we celebrate yet another milestone, except this one is for PD's owner and head hancho.  Please join us in congratulating our fearless leader, Bill Coe, on his 50th birthday.  We suprised Bill today with a delicious cake, some gag gifts and an superb rendition of the Happy Birthday song.

If you would like to send Bill a happy birthday message, leave a comment on this blog post for him.

Jumper Appreciation & PD Demo Weekend at Mile Hi!

Mile-Hi Skydiving Center in Longmont Colorado is organizing a PD Demo weekend and other fun stuff for its jumpers this weekend.  There will be free demo canopies, a jumper appreciation day, free canopy coaching, and some cool PD swag!

Travis Roth will be organizing PD canopy demos Friday through Sunday and all instructors will be available to review video of landings to give canopy coaching to those who are interested.

Jumper appreciation day will be Saturday, with $5 off each slot to full altitude for those who stay all day and attend the free BBQ that night. 

Also taking place on Saturday, are 20-way invitational jumps for those "big way belly jumpers" new and old who have demonstrated the ability to dock on a formation.

Travis will have a wide assortment of PD canopies to try, including PD Reserves and Optimum Reserves!  If you haven't been introduced to your reserve yet, now would be a great time to try one out!  Those who try out the reserves will be rewarded by being entered in a drawing for free PD stuff!

Free PD demos...free coaching on landings...discounted fun jumps...free BBQ...free PD stuff.  Sounds like it will be a great weekend at Mile-Hi!

As soon as Travis has rested up from the busy weekend, he promises to send us some pictures and let us know how it went!

Air Sports Live in Kiwiland...

Photographer Brian Buckland captures 2 PD sponsored athletes landing in Wanaka, New Zealand, December 2007.  A group of athletes from around the world converged there for the Air Sports Live event which featured many types of air sports including skydiving, ballooning and paragliding.

Nik Daniel "under" Canopy

Nik Daniel of Perris Fury with an interesting photo of his new Velocity 84!  Enjoy :)

I like to ride my Optimum, I like it alot!

Michael (Ted) Farnsworth dropped us a line the other day, to tell us about a reserve ride he recently had on his PD Optimum reserve.  It's always great to hear from people using our products (hint hint, if you have a story to share, send it in!).  Reading this e-mail we felt all warm and fuzzy on the inside, so we decided to share it with the readers of the PD blog.  Enjoy.  And to you Ted - thank YOU for choosing PD!

Dear PD,

             On a routine Tandem Video jump this weekend, I opened to find line twists and a diving canopy that was applying pressure to me in a way that made it impossible to untwist the lines.  I cut away after some concerted effort to correct the problem proved ineffective.  My PD Optimum-143 Reserve (S/N OP143-000396) opened quickly, smoothly and without any twists or surprises.  I thought that was very nice.  I then did a canopy-control-check to ascertain the condition and flight characteristics of the canopy, so I would be familiar with it for landing.  I was very pleased with the control range and stability of the canopy.  I then turned to fly back to the landing area so I could video the landing of the Tandem Pair.  I initially thought that I would not be able to make the landing area due to the extra altitude loss from the malfunction, but I was again very pleased with the way the reserve floated with rear riser input, without loosing much forward speed.  I made the landing area easily, turned into the wind and set up for a moderate final approach and landing.  The Flare was predictable, and powerful.  I had a beautiful, tip-toe soft standup landing.  The Student was unaware that I had had a cutaway and reserve ride, and the Tandem Instructor did not comment until after we were out of earshot on the subject.  I have been jumping for 29 years, have around 5000 jumps, and have around 14 reserve activations for various reasons.  I have 7 rigs; all with PD reserves.  I am a Master Rigger, and have been rigging since 1981.  This was the smoothest, cleanest opening, best flying and landing reserve I have ever had the pleasure of using.  Thanks for continuing to do the research and development that results in improvements in the technology we as skydivers rely on to keep us safe and whole, and thank you very much for making MY Optimum-143.

Sincerely,

Michael (Ted) Farnsworth
Professional Skydiver
A-6814, D16891

PD Going Green!

No, we're not trading in the orange that so many have come to know and love, but we are taking some steps to do our part for the environment and the people that work at PD.  As fuel and energy costs rise around the world, we at PD too feel the effects. Over the coming months we plan to put in place a number of programs that are designed to decrease energy consumption, decrease motor vehicle use, and do what is right for our planet.

The first step in that direction will help us do the following:

• decrease electricity costs at our plant
• reduce crude commute costs and gas consumption for our employees (thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants)
• improve the work/life balance of over 200 employees

That said, beginning the week of July 7th, PD will be changing factory hours. 
We will be going to a 4 day/10 hr workweek (rather than a 5 day/8 hr one).  This will initially be done on a trial basis and was a decision we did not arrive at lightly, but after much research, discussions and introspection.  We wanted to make sure that with despite the obvious benefits, there were no major pitfalls.  To help with the transition, our customer service, maintenance and shipping departments will be available on Friday mornings as well, to take care of items that could not be addressed Monday - Thursday. 

Our new Office/Phone hours will be as follows:

• Monday 8:30-5:00
• Tuesday 8:30-5:00
• Wednesday 8:30-5:00
• Thursday 8:30-5:00
• Friday 8:30-12:00

For more information, questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact us.