Skydive Chicago’s 2018 June Newsletter
Take a peek at the latest information and happenings at the world-famous Skydive Chicago!
Special Delivery From Rook Nelson
Finally, jumping season is upon us! There is so much to do. Wait, where do I even start? Its easy to get caught up by all the action on the dropzone. With so many disciplines to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to begin. First it is important that you follow the correct steps in learning. If you want to swoop, your not going to strap a 75 valkyrie on and send it. The better option would be to locate and learn from a qualified coach. Please know that not everyone who offers advise is qualified. Do a little research online and seek out recommendations before hiring a coach. This is true no matter the discipline you are trying to learn; whether free flying, wingsuit or CRW, etc. I am fortunate enough to have some of the best coaches and instructors who call Skydive Chicago home. Take advantage of their knowledge and be safe about learning anything new as you take your skydiving game to the next level. Stay safe and have fun!
Sincerely,
Rook Nelson
The Vertical World Record Tryout Camps Completed
The Vertical Elite just completed their last tryout camp of the season at Skydive Chicago this last weekend. There have been nine camps across the globe that began last year. These camps have led up to the making of a final list of people who will be invited to participate on August 13th-17th, 2018.
All in all, there will be 192 incredible flyers who have been invited to be a part of history here at Skydive Chicago! Make sure to clear your calendar and be here for a massive event that will showcase not only our ability to house such a record but also so that you can witness the world’s best free-flyers in action as they set out to crush the old record of 164 flyers in 2015!
Manifest Messages
Are you coming to a Skydive Chicago event this season? There are a bunch of them coming up and Manifest wants to make each of them easy and fun for all of you. Making sure your gear is in date, your USPA membership is up to date, and filling out the online waiver will help each of you get through the check-in process easeir. Thanks for taking the time to make your trip to SDC even more fun and enjoyable.
Night jumps are scheduled for June 23rd this month! We love night jump nights and want you to be prepared for your fun. Make sure you bring your B-License, a red or green glowstick or a flashing strobe, a glow in the dark altimeter or lighted altimeter, and a clear visor or goggles. We want everyone to be safe and visible. As a reminder, we require that you do at least one jump during the day, be signed up by 5:00 pm the day of the jump and pre-pay the $35 jump ticket.
Finally, as a friendly reminder, campground rent is due by the 10th of each month. We appreciate all of you who are making payments on time. If you happen to miss the payment date, there will be a $25 late fee added to your account. Let’s make sure to save some cash and pay on time. Thank you so much!
Grounds Crew Has Your Back
Potholes? Yeah, we know! We already fixed one round of pot holes in the campground and will be smoothing out a second round of Operation Pothole this week. Thank you for your patience as our dedicated team works to fix the grounds for you.
We would like to give a proper ‘shout-out’ to Ryan Easton who went above and beyond to jump in the pond and skim the algae off the top of the pond that was building up again. We have treated it with safe chemicals that should keep it free and clear for the rest of the year. Happy swimming everyone!
Finally, we would very much like to thank all of you who have been helping to keep our pavilion clean and free of junk and debris. We spent a great deal of time to clean that up from the winter and we are very proud of everyone who is helping to keep that section of the dropzone in good condition. Now that it is clean, let’s remember to not park any cars or golf carts underneath there. It’s a place for all of us to spend time with each other and hang out. Vehicles just make it more difficult to enjoy each other’s company. Thanks so much!
The SDC Flight Department Wants You To Be Aware
So you and your sky buds just rocked out an epic jump! You had a super sweet opening and you’re in the saddle looking around at the clouds. They’re amazing and the sky is oh so blue. Well now its time for a bad-mama-jama swoop! Right?! Mmmmmmmmmmmm? Not if your going to plane out crossing a runway and there is an aircraft taking off or landing!! Please remember USPA recommends not crossing a runway below 1000 feet. With that in mind, use good judgment when setting up to land. We know that a lot of canopy pilots start their swoops in the air at 1000 feet or more and that makes it hard for pilots to see from the limited view of the cockpit of our jump aircraft. Please know that we are always watching out for you and hopefully you’re watching out for us too. Sometimes there is a time to swoop and sometimes there isn’t. Think ahead, leave your self an out, land safe not close.Be safe we love you!
Close Calls Can Be Avoided
Over the last couple of weeks, we have had quite a few close calls. Ranging from improper EP’s leading to a two out, abnormal weather conditions which occured after the load had been sent and resulted in a canopy collapsing, as well as a skydiver landing while coming within a few feet of an otter about to take off. Thankfully non of these incidents resulted in any injuries. All of the close calls could have been avoided and the weather conditions changing could have be avoided by following the Golden Rules. Before you manifest that first load take a second. Look at the weather conditions, review EP’s, visually what your landing pattern is going to be like. Small things that only take a minute or two could save your life and your friends.
Rock Sky Market Minute
We’ve been getting a lot of question about some best practices when it comes to gear maintenance. We thought we might share just a few that we think everyone could benefit from taking a moment with their gear.
1. Main closing loop- This loop should be no more than 10% frayed. Make sure to check the whole length of your main closing loop. The usual damage comes from the friction of the pull up cord when packing, but it’s also possible to encounter fraying down near the grommet from a burr on the grommet or washer. We also want to make sure it’s the correct length. It should hold your pin securely- not too loose.
2. Reserve closing loop- This loop can also be no more than 10% frayed. Make sure to check every visible part of this loop as best you can- even the part that passes into the grommet. This loop should also be fairly tight. If you can push down on your reserve pilot chute and get slack in your reserve closing loop, then it will need to be adjusted by your rigger.
3 and 4. Main riser locking loops- These are the white loops found on your risers that pass through the small ring and hold the cutaway cable. These should have no fraying whatsoever. Discoloration is completely normal, so if you see this, you can continue to safely jump your rig. But if you see any fraying at all, please consult with your rigger before your next jump.
If you check your rig and have any questions on what is acceptable, please come see us down the hall at Rock Sky Market. Stop by anytime. We would be happy to help! ?
SDC Event Schedule Is Packed Solid
If you haven’t had a minute to look at the event schedule for SDC in 2018, you are missing out! This month is jam packed with events such as Night Jumps, Coach Courses, Canopy Courses, Skills Camps, a Skills Boot Camp, a FAI Wingsuiting Record Camp, 10-Spot, A-License Club, 16-Ways with Andrew Happick, High Altitude Jumps, Water Training, a Vertical Sequential Record, AFP Transition Courses, a Community Cookout, and even a Skyvan Weekend.
Whatever your sky game is, we have the tools for you to play it out here at SDC. Take a moment to check out all the event details at https://www.facebook.com/pg/SkydiveChicago/events/ and make your plans to be a part of all the amazing sun, fun, and jumps planned at Skydive Chicago this June!
Don’t Forget Your FREE T-Shirt For Early Rego!
Just like last year, if you register early, you will receive a FREE T-shirt from the boogie. While we haven’t finalized a design yet, who wouldn’t want a FREE T-shirt??!! Registration is only $80.00 this year for the full event. Early registration ends June 28th, so don’t delay.
Why should you register early? Well, besides being registered for an amazing week of fun times, great jumps, world-class load organizers, incredible food from Eat Up!, nightly acitivities, multiple bands and DJ’s, and friends that will last a lifetime, you will get a FREE T-shirt!
OH! YEAH! YOU ALSO GET A FREE T-SHIRT! Register today and claim your spot and FREE T-shirt for SF18 right here: https://bookings.burblesoft.com/index/27/105