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Orly King opened dropzone
Freeflyer Orly King has opened a new DZ in Jasper, Tennessee. The dropzone has a Turbo-charged Cessna 207, with a rear-side door with floater-bars. It will take 6 jumpers very comfortably to 12.5k in about 16 to 18 minutes. Orly will also be operating a freefly school, so if you have been wanting to learn to freefly the time is now and the place is Valley Skydiving. Orly invites everyone to visit them and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact him at orlyfree@aol.com.
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News from The Ranch
by Guy Wright - blskyranch@aol.com
Skydive University set up a campus at the Blue Sky Ranch in Gardiner, NY. It's set up in the great hall next to our freefly school Generation Freefly.
Anyone interested in attending a Skydive U coaches course, we will be hosting one July 2-5, just prior to our super "4th of July Boogie" Call the Skydive U main campus in Sebastian to register at 1-800-891-JUMP and 1-561-581-0100 or by email at skydiveu1@aol.com.
June 23-24 is the Ranch Freefly League Meet #2 hosted by Generation Freefly. The first meet brought in over 13 teams and we have 5 meets schedule for the season. Contact Generation Freefly at the dz for more info at 845-255-9538.
All you 4 way teams might be interested to know that you can jump for only $14.00 per slot the week of June 25-29 as long as you are registered in one of the NSL regional meets. Great deal.
The Golden Knights will be here from June 29-July 14 training for 4 and 8 way. The plane takes off early so come on out and get in some early dives before the summer heat. They will be offering free coaching for 4 way teams during our Ranch Skydiving League Meet # 3, June 30-July 2. You can learn all about our RSL by checking out the Ranch web page at www.ranchskydive.com, under RSL link.
Our 4th of July Boogie is July 4-8 this year. PD and Relative Workshop will be here with all their demo stuff. The fireworks show is Friday night the 6th and we will have a band playing. The big pig roast and fight night are Saturday evening. We will have organizers for all levels and a raffle of gear and free stuff. Check out all the latest and greatest at our web page.
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FAA Issues Part 105 Final Rule
The final rule that amends Part 105 was issued and published by the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration of the USA] and can be downloaded as a PDF file at www.avweb.com/other/faa0119b2.pdf. With a 60-day waiting period, changes take effect on July 9, 2001. Here is a summary of the new rules.
Tandem skydiving is incorporated into Part 105; exemptions will no longer be required (and students will not need an explanation of why they are an "experimental test jumper"). Tandem instructors will need to meet certain experience requirements (three years in the sport, 500 freefalls, and a D license) and complete a training course conducted by a manufacturer or other FAA-accepted course provider. AADs must be installed and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. There is no age limit in the FAR.
Packing Part 65 and Part 105 are changed to say that persons who may pack a single-harness main parachute include: a rigger, the person making the next jump, and any person under the direct supervision of a rigger. Persons who may pack a tandem main parachute include: a rigger, the tandem instructor making the next jump, and any person under the direct supervision of a rigger.
Direct supervision is defined to mean "that a...rigger personally observes a...person packing a main parachute to the extent necessary to ensure that it is being done properly, and takes responsibility for that pack job." (Preamble language suggests that the FAA intent is that the rigger be on the premises and available for consultation.)
AADs If an AAD is installed on any parachute system, the AAD must be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Tandem systems must have an "operational" AAD and the AAD must be armed during each jump.
Radio Communication with the relevant ATC facility must be established at least five minutes prior to the jump. A pilot is no longer required to report when the last parachute is on the ground, but must now report when the last skydiver exits and when the operation ceases. If radios become inoperative, the jump must be aborted.
ATC Authorization/Notification Jumps in Class A, B, C, and D airspace require an ATC authorization; jumps in Class E and G airspace require notification to ATC. The authorization/notification is made with the ATC facility with airspace jurisdiction. (Flight Service is removed as a contact for these purposes.)
Foreigners may jump their own non-TSO'd, single-harness rigs as long as those rigs meet, and are packed in accordance with, their own country's certification requirements.
No changes were made to:
* holding pilots responsible for skydivers creating a hazard
* requirements for airport management approval
* the reserve repack cycle
* Part 119's 25-mile from-airport exemption from requirements for a commercial operating certificate.
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Big Air Sportz releases the "Lotus"
Big Air Sportz has released the newest in a line of Airlock parachutes. The Lotus, company President Brian Germain describes, is a Sabre-class nine-cell canopy. The planform does, however, include a very light elliptical taper. The slight shape, says Germain, lightens the toggle pressure, and thus the flare and turn response, while decreasing the front riser pressure. The Airlock system, the same method used in the Jedei and Samurai 2001, smoothes the canopy’s flight through turbulence. The Lotus is the product of five years of testing, and has been available in its final form for several months.
The Lotus is available in 97, 107, 120, 135, 150 and 170 square foot versions. The suggested wing loading is 1.1 to 1.3 for beginners, 1.3 to1.5 for intermediate pilots, and 1.5 to 1.8 experts. The pack volume is comparable to the equivalent size Sabre, plus about 5%, due to the airlock panels.
Although all other airlock canopies are classified in the high performance range, Big Air emphasizes that this canopy is for anyone looking for the airlock advantage, without the drawbacks of elliptical designs. "Airlocks are a safety feature", says Germain, "not a means to increase the level of performance, as many customers assume."
Brian Germain, the President of Big Air Sportz, is the inventor and patent-holder of the airlock design. Two new canopies replace Brian’s first high-performance airlock parachute, the Airtime Designs Jedei: the PD Vengeance, and the Samurai 2001, a revised version of the original design. Demos of all Big Air canopies are available.
For more information regarding this and other Big Air products, go to www.bigairsportz.com, or call them at (813) 788-4444.
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Sky Knights help kids
The Sky Knights Sport Parachute Club in East Troy, Wisconsin, is holding a benefit event to raise money for Camp Heartland. The world's largest camping and outreach program for kids affected by HIV or AIDS, Camp Heartland provides a summer camp experience for children affected by the virus. The SKy Knights will host the Swinsuit Charity Boogie June 27 - July 3 at East Troy Municipal Airport, with various competitions Friday through Sunday. A CASA and King Air will be flying. A POPS state record attempt will take place on Friday, with bikini bit-ways on Sunday and high-altitude jumps on Monday. For more information contact Steve Close at (262) 642-9494 or (800) 28-CHUTE, or visit their website at www.skydiveskyknights.com
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News from BLiNC Magazine
by Mick Knutson
BLiNC has accomplished many things over the past weeks. They released the **FREE** E-mail service. This new E-Mail System is just like Hotmail and Yahoo mail, but you get a really cool address -anyname@BASEJumper.net. But you must hurry to get the name you really want, as they will go quick. Right now, they will support English, German, French, Italian, Finish, Portuguese, Chinese and Dutch. For more info, or to sign up, go to www.basejumper.net.
Doug Blane is now administering the "BASE-Jumping Web Ring". This is similar to the Skydiving web ring. I am going to be updating the description page soon, but trying to get the mail up first.
BLiNC now has up-to-date weather for most sites in the USA, and soon International. Go to www.blincmagazine.com/weather and check it out. You can also see live weather feeds off of the main home page. You can also sign up to get these forecasts sent to you every morning via e-mail.
I would like to request everyone, to post a least 1 (preferably more), Review statement in the product review section. I would hope that everyone wants to let other jumpers, and the manufacturers, know what they actually think of many different. Go to www.blincmagazine.com/review
BLiNC also is trying to create an "Adventure Directory". You can go to the BLiNC home page, scroll down until you see "Destinations". Then click on "Twin Falls". This will give you a demo of the "Shilo Inn". They would love to have submittals from the other destinations listed to try to add as many resources here as possible.
Check out all the other goodies of the BLiNC Magazine at www.blincmagazine.com.
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