The Drop
News and Resources from AXIS Flight School
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Over the 4th of July weekend, AXIS Flight School took a trip to Skydive San Diego in an
effort to learn something new… wing-suit flying.Barry Holubeck, a highly accomplished wing-suit pilot, skydiver, photographer, and BASE jumper, showed us the ropes over two days.
Here are a couple of screen grabs from Barry’s Go Pro. (Brianne flying a blue Tony Suits T-Bird, and I am Flying a white Birdman Blade)
Barry has a long list of accomplishments, such as:
-Being one of the first humans to fly a wing suit next to Mount Everest
-First person to successfully perform a linked mixed formation flight while BASE jumping
-Wingsuit pilot for Raise the Sky – Project XRW
-Wingsuit pilot for AXIS XRW training camps
-Flights in Tianmen Shan, Hunan Province, China
… just to name a few
Some of his more recent work includes the Versizon FiOS Quantum Speed Flight Commercial, which is a must see!
Check out the behind the scenes footage to see how the commercial was made.
AXIS Flight School would like to thank Barry for his great instruction and time. Looking forward to flying with you again soon 🙂
A week later I borrowed a suit from a local jumper and expand on some of my skills with flocking dives. So here it is, my first couple attempts of taking photos back home while flying a wing-suit (this time a Phoenix-fly Phantom2):
Above images were taken with my Go Pro Hero 2.
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I would like to thank Kolla, Lara & Pierre from Blue Skies Magazine for making one of my recent images their featured photo! It depicts Bill Butler (AXIS Flight School Student) and myself completing a “Compressed Stack” over Skydive Arizona.
BTW, if you don’t have a subscription to Blue Skies Magazine, what are you waiting for? Click here to subscribe!
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I would like to thank USPA‘s Parachutist for utilizing one of my resent photographs for the July 2012 cover spot. The image depicts a hybrid flying over Skydive Arizona while Arizona Arsenal‘s Steve Curtis lurks above.
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If the number of inquires USPA Headquarters has been receiving on a weekly basis is any indication, this year’s National Skydiving Championships at Skydive Arizona is going to be the biggest ever. Here’s some basic information for those interested in competing:
Registration: All competitors, including alternates and videographers, pay a general registration fee of $50. In addition, there is an event entry fee, plus the cost of jumps. Event entry fees are calculated based on the estimated number of participants sharing fixed costs; therefore, more entrants in your event results in lower cost per competitor. Event fees are as follows:
- Formation skydiving and vertical formation skydiving: $100 plus jumps for the first event, $50 plus jumps for each additional event
- Canopy formation: $150 plus jumps for the first event, $50 plus jumps for each additional event
- Artistic events: freefly, $75 plus jumps; freestyle, $125 plus jumps; freefly and freestyle, $150 plus jumps
- Style & accuracy: $200 for one or both events plus jumps
Jump prices are based on fuel prices; if the price of fuel goes up $1 per gallon, jump rates go up $1.50. If current fuel prices remain stable through October, then the price per jump is as follows:
- 2,500-4,000 feet: $22 (accuracy landing)
- 4,001-9,000 feet: $23 (style and CF events)
- 9,001-13,000 feet: $24 (artistic and FS/VFS events)
Here’s a sample calculation: You enter both FS 4-way and 8-way. You’ll pay the $50 general registration fee plus $150 for two FS events, plus $480 for jumps ($24/jump for 10 rounds for two events). Total cost is $680.
Registration is open from the beginning of the official start of Nationals until 5 p.m. the day before your event starts. At approximately 6 p.m. the evening before your event, meet management will announce the draw and hand out individual/ team numbers and assign jump order (you’ll get a copy of the draw).
Skydive Arizona has created a 2012 Nationals Event Page with basic meet information and FAQs. Look for a dedicated Facebook page sometime in September. You can go to Skydive Arizona’swebsite now to check out the DZ’s amenities, aircraft, lodging, food, rigging, transportation options and a motel/lodging list.
Here’s the schedule for Nationals:
Write competition@uspa.org with any questions; see you there!
Skydiver’s Competition Manual Gets a Makeover!
USPA’s Competition and Communications staffs have been hard at work on a major, long-overdue overhaul of the Skydiver’s Competition Manual—not only implementing the many changes that went into effect at 2011 and 2012 USPA Board of Directors meetings, but also completely reworking the manual into a format similar to the one used by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale and the International Parachuting Commission. As new chapters (formerly sections) of the SCM are completed, they’ll be posted on the website for free downloading. The complete SCM will be available in early July.Source: News Update from the United States Parachute Association (Web Newsletter)
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Just some of the highlights from last night’s tunnel session. Flyers: Kimberly Winslow, Brandon Atwood, Ty Losey, Niklas Daniel, Potter Cividino, Mike “Friday” Friedman.
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I would like to thank Scott Jontes from Performance Designs for creating the advertisement below. It features an image he took of me flying a Sabre 2 during a photo shoot in Palatka Florida back in April of 2010.
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Here is the new Sun Path Ad comprised from an image taken by Bill Schmitz and myself. The podium shot was taken at the 2011 USPA Nationals at Skydive Arizona.
