18 MAY 2014

		Thursdays again proved perfect for student jumps as Gabe Ward worked on Level 2 with Wendy and Scott this week Also jumping Thursday, Jasper Byrom took advantage of the blue skies and low winds to work on Level 4 turns Then on Saturday, while higher winds kept most AFF grounded, Dalvin Hickerson got up early in the day and knocked out his Category A training tandem with Scott And joining his Army buddy Dalvin on the same load, Daniel Byers also did his first training tandem, jumping with Steve. Finally, on Sunday, Michael Daniels and Kayla Ransom took the FJC from Beth, and both were able to make their training tandem jumps on the last load of the day, and the last load in N447XP, the Caravan we've been jumping over the last year.
T-2 WEEKS 'TIL SKYDIVE TEMPLE 25TH ANNIVERSARY BOOGIE		Skydive Temple's 25th anniversary boogie May 31st and June 1st is just two weeks away! Don't forget to sign up on the Facebook phun jumper's page to jump the Hughes 500c Turbine Helicopter! (lift ticket $65 and B-licence minimum)! In a bit of otter chaos, Spaceland mis-scheduled their Twin Otter, but we will be jumping a SUPER CARAVAN instead! Be sure to tell your whoffo friends to save big bucks and make a Tandem for $25 off the regular price AND get PICTURES AND VIDEO FOR JUST $80 MORE (a savings of $70 on the media alone!) And don't forget all the other festivities: what Mark Mark calls an Oklahoma pool party (pick-up trucks filled with water, and Chicho's large dump truck with a water slide), the free beer, great food, and a world famous Toga Party. Stay tuned for more details on our Phun Jumpers Facebook page.
YET ANOTHER SCR & SCS JUMP		Saturday, just two weeks after performing a like feat, 8 jumpers ascended to help Juan get his SCR and Shelby get his SCS The Star Crest Recipient Award is earned by docking on an eight-way or larger round that is free flown from exit (no grips in the launch); and a Star Crest Solo is earned by docking eighth or later on such a formation Participating in the fun, in order of docks, Juan Carlos, visiting USPA Regional Director Jack Paland, Steve Ruiz, Scott Fritz, Wendy Faulker, Ray Shafer, Tony Albano and Shelby Palmer Yes, you can watch it all on YouTube! We'll be doing the ceremonial beer pouring Saturday night May 31st at the boogie!
A CHANGE OF PLANES		The Cessna Caravan that Skydive Temple has leased was just sold to another party, and we will instead be getting TWO Cessna 182s to jump out of. The Cessna 182 can hold up to four jumpers and is easily the most prolific jump plane in the United States. More skydivers have made more jumps out of Cessna 182s than any other aircraft. For students in particular, the change in planes means they no longer have to wait for a larger plane to fill with Tandems or other jumpers; they can often arrive, plan and dive, weather permitting -- no more "waiting for the load to fill!" The 182s should be arriving at SDT on Thursday! Will you be the first to jump them?
		DID YOU KNOW... Once you've earned your A-licence, one of the most fun and rewarding skydiving disciplines is Formation Skydiving (FS), or more traditionally called Relative Work (RW) This is jumping with others in groups ranging in size from 2 to hundreds, adjusting relative fall rate and position with others to dock and make formations in the sky. The United States Parachute Association Skydivers Information manual gives some helpful guidelines on group skydiving in Section 6-1. As the boogie approaches, and you consider jumping in groups, review the guidelines to help remember some the risks and how to mitigate them safely. Avoid jumping with large groups, especially groups with a high ratio of less experienced jumpers whose flying skills in that discipline are not yet hone. Instead, seek out coaches and load organizers who can tailor a fun jump designed to advance your flying skills based on your own needs and goals.
SAFETY TIP OF THE WEEK		Setting the pattern: The first person down is not always right! Lately here at Skydive Temple the winds have been light and/or heavy and very much variable. There is usually a pattern that is set for the load and jumpers stick to that shared pattern unless the winds change in a big way. You should know what the landing pattern is BEFORE you jump! If you don't know, ASK! If the winds do change the first person landing will set the new pattern and everyone behind should follow to avoid the risk of collision. However, just because the first person down set a new pattern DOES NOT mean that the new pattern is correct. It is your job to look at the wind socks and determine if the winds did in fact change or if the first person down was just wrong or had a bad pattern due to a malfunction, low opening, intentional down wind landing, or they are a swooper. If the first person down landed downwind and you follow and have never landed down wind and are not use to the increase in canopy speed over the ground you could kill or injure yourself. Let's all go out there and be safe this season and have safe, fun filled jumps AND landings at the boogie in two weeks!
Contact Skydive Temple at 254-947-3483 or email jump@skydivetemple.com