29 JUN 2014

		Winds this week kept students grounded, except for Craig Beitelshees and Spencer Hanson, who took the FJC from Beth on Sunday, and got to make their training tandems the same day with Steve and Issac, respectively. Christopher Treyz also got refreshed in Sunday's FJC and is ready to jump again.
FIFTH OF JULY PARTY		This Saturday night, July 5th, we'll celebrate our freedom in the best Skydive Temple tradition, with a great little party after jumping is done. Mark Mark has promised a surprise, so you can only imagine the fun we'll have. Remember we do have crash couches in the hut, free beer, and showers, too.
		DID YOU KNOW... Borrowing gear, or lending it to others has been a factor in many skydiving accidents. The United States Parachute Association has published short & simple guidelines to borrowing or changing equipment in the Skydiver's Information Manual. If you haven't yet, take a look at Section 5-3.I
SAFETY TIP OF THE WEEK		Continuing our series on equipment inspection, this week, we pass along some good advice from Jim McGraw at SD Dallas and a link to a PD video Who inspects your MAIN canopy? If you assume that your rigger is inspecting your main when you get your reserve re-packed, you may be surprised. Many riggers consider inspecting the main to be a task outside the realm of a "reserve inspection and repack". You certainly can pay your rigger an additional fee to inspect and pack your main canopy. However, the good news is that you can learn to do this yourself. It is wise to inspect your main canopy frequently. Performance Designs has made a nice video which shows how to inspect a ram-air main canopy.
Contact Skydive Temple at 254-947-3483 or email jump@skydivetemple.com

22 JUN 2014

		Lots of students got a lot of jumps in this week, starting Thursday when Frankie Dessuit made the first of what would add up to seven jumps by Saturday, getting as far as his level 5 jumps. Then on Friday Daniel Renkel got in his training Tandem, on what would turn out to be just the first of four jumps made this weekend, getting as far as level 3 on Saturday. Also on Friday, Brian "Sackajaweea" Lancaster" finally got to get back up in the skies and fell free for the first time on his level 3 jump. Also Slayden Howell returned to the Salado Blue and did a refresher jump with Beth and a quick refresher course with Scott and is all set to resume training. And Keith Nevins made it out to do an outstanding job on his first level 1 AFF with Scott and Wendy! Also doing his level 1 AFF, with Beth and Scott, Hunter McVeigh is now ready to do his level 2. On Saturday, nearly perfect weather let Danny Reyes knock out his level 1 AFF with Beth and Scott. Finally, on Saturday, Jasper Byrom got to jump twice in one day, working on his level 5 turns. Sunday's clouds and winds kept students grounded, but Eric Slater, David Salzberg and Erin Bultje took the FJC from Steve. Erin and David had just done their very first Tandem jumps the evening before on Saturday, and decided that very night to take the FJC and learn to skydive. The next day both got to do their second jumps, Training Tandems with Steve and Scott on Sunday.
WATER TRAINING MAKES A BIG SPLASH click to enlarge		Friday night, a number of skydivers met at Li'l Buddy's house for water training. A requirement to earn your USPA "B-license," water training involves hands-on practice getting out of your gear should you land in water. Participating in the fun: Steve "Turbo" Delaney, Sidney Hoelscher, John Hollond, Brian "Sackajaweea" Lancaster, Juan Pablo, Danny Reyes, Drew Story & Elijah "Haywood" Tienda.
		DID YOU KNOW... The United States Parachute Association has published guidelines to survive a water landing in Skydiver's Information Manual. If you haven't yet, take a look at Section 5-1.F on landing emergencies, (Water landings are the first hazard listed) as well as SIM Section 2-1, USPA Basic Safety Requirements on water jumping equipment and SIM Section 6-5, Water Landing Recommendations (unintentional and intentional)
SUMMER SOLSTICE BBQ SMOKE-OUT PARTY GREAT SUCCESS click to enlarge		Bob and Mark Mark served up wood smoked lamb Saturday night at the DZ marking the inaugural BBQ of the smoker recently added to the SDT facilities! Sam King not only provided the ranch-raised, home-grown, grass-fed lamb, but many of the fixin's as well. Penny also contributed to the spread which included Pasta Salad, Seasoned Red Potatoes, Humus and unleavened bread. The free beer flowed and we enjoyed the end of the longest day of the year and ate until sunset! Thanks Mark!
SAFETY TIP OF THE WEEK		Parachutist online has a great article with pictures about broken lines on opening. Your parachute, harness and container wear out over time, a bit more on every jump. The stress of opening, exposure to UV rays, and friction are just some of the factors that all take their toll. Poor pack jobs, hard openings, rough landings, dirt, dust, and moisture accelerate the wear. Wear and damage not caught and fixed could result in malfunctions, death and injury. The best way to catch this wear and damage is to inspect your canopy each time you jump and pack it. Make sure you harness isn't worn or frayed, check your risers for wear, damage or stress, make sure the rig is oriented correctly as you do a line run up or line check each time you pack. Are your lines crisp or frayed? Inspect the canopy for holes, faded nylon, porosity and slickness, line attachment points, foreign debris, or any visual damage. If you find anything you're not sure about, consult a rigger and have them look at it.
Contact Skydive Temple at 254-947-3483 or email jump@skydivetemple.com

15 JUN 2014

		A great week of skydives got started on a beautiful June Thursday, when Daniel Reyes came out and made his very first skydive ever, a training tandem with Scott. Then on Friday Dave Garcia happened to stop by and got to work on his level 4 turns with Wendy. Also Elijah Tienda got to make a screamin' coach jump with Shelby, working on his fall rate adjustment; just a few more jumps before his "A-license!" And after a long winter break, Thomas Harrison finally got back up in the air, doing a refresher jump with Wendy! On Saturday, high winds didn't stop Eric "Sparky" Martinez from getting his very first skydive in, a training tandem with Steve! Finally, on Sunday, Hussain Alkhalaf took the FJC from Isaac and got to do his training tandem with him on the last load of the day. Hussain hopes to get some more jumps in this week before heading back home to Saudi Arabia.
SUMMER SOLSTICE BBQ SMOKE-OUT PARTY SATURDAY!		Mark Mark has added a new addition to the SDT facilities; a smoking' hot BBQ! This Saturday, June 21st, we'll be having a Summer Solstice Smoke-out BBQ party, rain or shine, after the last load is done! Free Beer! Our own Sam King will be providing ranch-raised, home-grown, grass-fed lamb for the inaugural smoke-out BBQ! Bring whatever fixin's you want and join our fun!
		DID YOU KNOW... In the U.S., the Federal Aviation Administration does not regulate skydiving directly. However the FAA does regulate pilots and aircraft. The United States Parachute Association has published excerpts of the Federal Aviation Regulations that pertain to skydiving operations in the Skydiver's Information Manual. If you haven't yet, take a look at FAR part 105, one of the key parts that affect skydiving. You can read it online, or look it up in your copy of the SIM
RODEO IN THE SKY click to enlarge		Once you get A-licenced, the amount of fun you can have in the sky is limited only to your experience, imagination, and opportunity. Saturday, Kevin Diaz, wearing his wing suit, did a rodeo jump with Jack Drinkard (pictured). A rodeo jump is one in which one jumper rides (sits) on the back of another who is belly flying (or in this case, tracking) until they break off at a predetermined altitude, or for as long as the rider can hold on.
SAFETY TIP OF THE WEEK click to enlarge		According to Wikipedia, Target Fixation is an attentional phenomenon in which an individual becomes so focused on an observed object that their awareness of hazards or obstacles diminishes. In such cases, the observer may fixate so intently on the target that they will not take necessary action to avoid it, thus colliding with it. The phenomenon is commonly observed in student skydivers. When individuals target fixate, they are prone to steer in the direction of their gaze, which can often result in a collision. Even if you are purposefully staring on a pea-gravel target for accuracy, break your gaze to look around for traffic: this will often clear any target fixation you have, and help you to be aware of any other jumpers around you. Steer gently left or right to avoid colliding with objects such as wind socks, wind blades, trees, other jumpers, etc. Steering gently avoids swinging you out underneath the canopy in the pendulum effect, so you can still land gently.
Contact Skydive Temple at 254-947-3483 or email jump@skydivetemple.com

8 JUN 2014

		Steve Delaney took advantage of the blue skies Friday and did a refresher with Steve and a Coach jump with Li'l Buddy. Saturday was too windy for students to jump, and Sunday was rainy, but Eric "Sparky" Martinez and Marcos Reyes took the first jump course from Beth, and now await their training tandem jump.
CARAVAN STILL HERE FOR NOW		While there were plans to exchange the Caravan for two Cessna 182s, so far, the Caravan remains here and we are still flying loads. Come out and jump the big door, enjoy the bench seating and large groups while you can.
		DID YOU KNOW... The United States Parachute Association has published a handy table for looking up free fall time. Your fall rate will depend on several factors, including your weight, size, amount of drag (e.g. no suit vs. wing suit) and type of skydive (e.g. belly fly vs. head down) If you jump with someone wearing a camera, you can review the jump to get your actual time and compare it to the chart to see how closely they match, but remember, you need at least 200 jumps minimum to jump with a camera.
SAFETY TIP OF THE WEEK		USPA reports there have already been 11 fatalities this year in the U.S. alone. Nearly half of this year's fatal accidents have stemmed from equipment problems and incorrect emergency procedures. Low turns and freefall collisions make up another third. These same categories account for many of the fatal accidents each year, so it is pretty easy to see where we need to focus more attention to improve our safety record. Inspect your gear and consult a rigger if you have any doubts or questions about your gear or packing methods. Get with a buddy or instructor and practice emergency procedures in the training harness next time you're here. And always be careful under canopy: look out for and avoid traffic -- make sure you know who else is on the load and look for each one after opening. Avoid low hook turns into the ground or obstacles. If we continue to foster safe habits, exercise good judgment and anticipate then mitigate danger, we can minimize the risks that result in accidents.
Contact Skydive Temple at 254-947-3483 or email jump@skydivetemple.com

1 JUN 2014

		Memorial Day Monday was rainy, cloudy and wet, but Frankie Dessuit came out to take the FJC from Scott and came out Friday to do his Training Tandem. W Also jumping Friday, Kayla Ransom made her first AFF, nailing her level 1 with Wendy and Steve. Saturday's skies were too filled with boogie traffic for students to safely jump, but on Sunday, Jasper Byrom passed his level 4 jump with Steve And Michael Daniels came out and did a great Level 1 jump with Scott and Wendy.
SKYDIVE TEMPLE 25TH ANNIVERSARY BOOGIE HUGE SUCCESS		The Boogie was full of Belly-Flying, Beer-Drinking, Ballad-singing, pool-dunking, toga-wearing, foam-pit-sloshing, barbecue-eating, helicopter-jumping, tent-sleeping, rebel-rousing jumpers who also made a few skydives on what turned out to be a beautiful weekend of blue skies (except for Sunday morning, when most everyone was too tired to jump anyway) Watch our Facebook phun jumper's page for the highlights, the postmortem, and the pictures once everyone recovers.
		HAVE YOU MET ERIC? He normally works as an electrician, but on weekends, you'll find Eric Martinez aka "Sparky" helping out around the DZ doing chores and catching Tandems, which he says he's getting REALLY good at. Long-time friend Elijah Tienda constantly asked Eric if he wanted to skydive, but when Elijah told him of an opening on staff, Eric decided to go for it. Now, after working here a month, Eric has decided to take the FJC. Eric also fancies himself a great Bowler, once scoring a 282, so skydiving represents a move up on the scale of danger and excitement, if not as risky as working with live wires. Eric wants to one day open his own bowling alley and homeless shelter, which as we know, if he keep on skydiving, he has a great chance of achieving on some level or another.
COOL NEW SKYDIVE TEMPLE T-SHIRTS ARE IN		Skydive Temple has a bunch of cool new t-shirts in for Summer! The lightweight, breathable cotton shirts come in a variety of sizes and feature the new SDT logo on the back with a retro athletic shirt design on the front that pays homage to the 25 years SDT has been in business. Pick up yours at Manifest the next time you're here for just $25.
		DID YOU KNOW... The United States Parachute Association has published the latest Skydiver's Information manual online in new website: sim.uspa.org Now the BSRs, license requirements, Student dive flows, and all the accumulated wisdom of the sport can be easily accessed online in a very slick interface. Of course you can still download a pdf or buy a hard copy from USPA's website, and smartphone users can download a free sim app from the App store, or Google play, depending on their phone OS.
SAFETY TIP OF THE WEEK		Most of your fiends and family can only imagine one kind of Skydiving accident; where the chute doesn't open. In fact, for most of the last decade, the majority of fatalities have been jumpers under perfectly good canopies. The killer: collisions. Check out this good advice from USPA Director of Safety & Training and FAA Senior Rigger Jim Crouch in Parachutist online this month.
Contact Skydive Temple at 254-947-3483 or email jump@skydivetemple.com

25 MAY 2014

		On Thursday our own all-purpose gopher "Sacajaweea" aka Brian Lancaster finally got back up in the skies passing his level 2 jump with Steve and Wendy. Also jumping Thursday, Keith Nevins made his first AFF, nailing his level 1 with Wendy and Scott. And Sidney Hoelscher got to do a coach jump with Shelby, working on her Category G jumps. Finally, on Sunday, Mitch Cleeland and Hunter McVeigh took advantage of a light day, attended the First Jump Course and later made their training tandem jumps with Scott and Isaac and now are all set to do their Level 1 AFF jumps -- welcome to the skies guys.
SKYDIVE TEMPLE 25TH ANNIVERSARY BOOGIE THIS WEEKEND RAIN OR SHINE!		Of all the weekends to come out, Skydive Temple's 25th anniversary boogie May 31st and June 1st is the one you won't want to miss. Did you sign up on the Facebook phun jumper's page to jump the Hughes 500c Turbine Helicopter? (lift ticket $65 and B-license minimum)! Have fun improving your skydiving skills by getting with one of our load organizers jumping a SUPER CARAVAN! Be sure to tell your whuffo 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!) RAIN OR SHINE, we'll feast on Saturday Night Dinner Special featuring BBQ Chicken or Pork or Sausage w/ Bread, Potato Salad and Cole Slaw or Gumbo w/Red Beans & Rice with Hush Puppies all for $15, plus FREE BEER! 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), raffle prizes (with prizes for EVERYONE WHO ATTENDS), and a world famous Toga Party. Stay tuned for more details on our Phun Jumpers Facebook page.
COOL NEW SKYDIVE TEMPLE T-SHIRTS ARE IN		Just in time for the boogie and the summer jumping season, Skydive Temple has a bunch of cool new t-shirts in! The lightweight, breathable cotton shirts come in a variety of sizes and feature the new SDT logo on the back with a retro athletic shirt design on the front that pays homage to the 25 years SDT has been in business. Pick up yours at Manifest the next time you're here for just $25.
LEARN HOW TO PACK		One of the requirements for earning your USPA A-License is knowing how to pack your main parachute. Knowing how to pack not only saves you $7 pack jobs, it also helps you understand your equipment so much better, see how to avoid deployment malfunctions, and give you a deeper confidence in your equipment. You can contact Wendy Falkner to schedule packing sessions where you will receive personalized hands-on training and practice. It usually takes several hours but costs just $45, less than seven paid pack jobs!
		DID YOU KNOW... The United States Parachute Association conducts skydiving competitions every year in seven different disciplines, including canopy piloting, aka "swooping." The 2014 USPA National Skydiving Championships of Canopy Piloting have just wrapped up Friday at Skydive City Zephyrhills in Florida. Along with the medals, America’s top canopy pilots competeted to win one of 8 slots on the U.S. Team, which will represent the U.S. at prestigious international competitions around the world. You can review the events and scores at uspanationals.com and get a feel for what skydiving competition is like.
SAFETY TIP OF THE WEEK		Some manufacturers used to sell risers that had no way of stowing excess brake line once you set your brakes, increasing the risk of malfunctions and knotted steering lines. Check out this handy guidance from USPA Director of Safety & Training and FAA Senior Rigger Jim Crouch.
Contact Skydive Temple at 254-947-3483 or email jump@skydivetemple.com