The PD Blog

Project XRW Elsinore with the PD Factory Team a success!

 
LAKE ELSINORE, CA, 23 September, 2010 – For the first time in the history of human flight, three wingsuit skydivers in freefall linked up with three parachutists for simultaneous “human surfing” in the air. One of the linked pairs became the first female team ever to ever dock a wingsuit and parachute in flight (skydiving is an 85 percent male-dominated sport). The surfing pairs held the configurations for a full minute, a new record, at an average vertical descent rate of 33 miles per hour.

On a separate jump, two wingsuit skydivers flew up on either side of a parachutist, taking both his hands in a never-before-seen linked configuration. Advances in technology and skill allowed the wingsuit skydivers in freefall to match the slower vertical descent of the parachutists while flying in formation. The wingsuit skydivers all opened their own parachutes before landing.

The stunts were organized by Raise the Sky in coordination with the Performance Designs Factory Team at Skydive Elsinore. The event marked the launch of a partnership to take lessons about leadership and the science of human flight into schools around the United States. “XRW is a grueling and rewarding process. We want to share our adrenaline management skills not just with other skydivers, but also with kids for whom the risks and fears of getting to school every day make XRW look tame,” said Ian Bobo, a PD Factory Team parachutist.

Reported by: Taya Weiss

To learn more about this spectacular project, check out raisethesky.org, and the event blog.

 

Skydive Everest Report-May 2010

Here's a quick update from the folks at Skydive Everest....

May 2010 – Everest Skydive Progress Report

Here's an update from the Himalaya as we prepare to begin jump operations in a few days.  After arriving in Kathmandu earlier in the month, the team began it's necessary preparations to move our equipment into the Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park.  A few days later the team arrived at Lukla airfield (Elevation: 9,000ft MSL) to begin the 2 day trek to the Syangboche Airfield (12,350ft MSL), the world's highest civilian dropzone.  All of the team parachute equipment was subsequently flown into the Syangboche Airfield which arrived shortly after the expedition team.

After carefully inspecting and repacking the parachute equipment at the Syangboche Panorama View Lodge (13,000ft MSL), unofficially now the world's highest rigging loft, the team has now set out to manifest it's jump program for the May 2010 expedition.  In addition to the traditional range of both solo and tandem jumping, the Everest Skydive staff is also planning some new and exciting jump programs.  The programs include the first ever Everest Skydive wingsuit jumps which are scheduled to be made during this expedition as well as the possibility of  potential repeat of the world record setting jumps made last year onto the Kala Pattar plateau (17,192ft MSL) if weather conditions permit, landing even higher on the ridgeline.

Everest Skydive is proud to announce that with the introduction of the United Parachute Technologies Sigma Tandem system to the equipment roster, that now all Everest Skydive parachute systems are  Skyhook equipped.  As Everest Skydive has grown into a sustainable, repeatable venture, with more and more complex jumps being made each year,  it became clear to the expedition staff that the potential for high altitude breakaways predicated that the Skyhook become adopted as standard equipment for all sport and tandem jumps being made. 

The May 2010 equipment roster includes:

Performance Designs Canopies

United Parachute Technologies Sigma Tandem Systems and V3 Sport Systems

Sunpath Javelin Sport Systems

Vigil II Automatic Activation Devices

Larsen & Brusgaard Altitrack and Military Altitrack Altimeters

 

Without the tremendous support from expedition sponsors, Everest Skydive would not be the global success that it is today.  The entire staff of Everest Skydive would like to extend our heart felt gratitude to all of our sponsors.

 

Namaste to all and thank you all for your support,

 

 

Reported by: Everest Skydive Expedition Mountain Crew-

Wendy Smith, Tom Noonan, Mary Noonan, Ryan Jackson, Antione Forestier

 

The Velocity of Lightning

In between some CP training two members of HEAT and two members of the Red Devils hooked up for a bit of CF at Netheravon.  The Red Devils were flying Lightning 176 and 160 canopies while HEAT were flying Velocity 103 and 84 canopies.  While the different types of canopies and sizes are not traditionally thought of as being compatible for this type of flying a bit of planning made it work.  There's also a short clip of the video of the jumps.

Nik Daniel - dressed for success!

This time around, photographer Nik Daniel (video man for Perris Fury) can be found in FRONT of the lens - imagine that!   
Check the photo out closely to see if there might be some unusual stuff going on, hmmm!

Picture was taken by Craig O'Brien, another fine PD sponsored photographer.