Skydive Delmarva :: 2008 News Archives

Record Participation for Safety Day 2008

3.29.08, 85-90 skydivers came to Safety Day 2008 at Skydive Delmarva, a record for our dropzone. Safety and Training Advisor Mike Davidson organized the events and started the day with a "State of the Dropzone" address. The major good news was that 2007 was a very safe year for our dropzone. Dropzone owner Brian Kunkowski and Dropzone Manager Dave Matchett updated jumpers on the Otter's recent maintenance and a few staff changes.

USPA Regional Director Scott Stewart followed with a presentation detailing the incidents that occurred in 2007 and how they could have been prevented. 2007 was also a very safe year for skydiving in general with the lowest number of fatalities since the 1960s. Still, the majority of fatalities happened under perfectly functioning canopies either because of collisions or low turns.

Scott Stewart presents the Chesley H. Judy Safety Award to Mike Schultz. Photo by Gregor Weeks.

Next on the agenda was the presentation of Skydive Delmarva's fourth annual Chesley H. Judy Safety Award. The Award is presented to the individual who, through example, deed, training, or innovation, had promoted safe skydiving in a substantive way. This year's award went to Mike Schultz, D-1180, who has been skydiving for over 44 years without a single injury setting a sterling example of good judgment for those around him. As an instructor, former Area Safety Officer for USPA, and USPA board member and regional director, he has been able to influence many others.

After accepting his award Mike Schultz took advantage of his spot at the front of the room to get a picture of all the smiling faces in front of him. He then gave a poignant lecture on judgment and how it can help skydivers participate in the sport safely.

Mike Davidson leads jumpers in their refresher training. Photo by Gregor Weeks.

Safety Day 2008 Group Shot. Photo by Gregor Weeks.

Following a short break and a group picture, Mike Davidson led an open discussion on the USPA's new pledge for dropzones to have a policy addressing separation of canopy traffic. Many concerns were discussed, and several options were presented. Mike Davidson promised to take everything under consideration and come up with a plan for further evaluation.

After the discussion, ten jumpers received free refresher training and many others practiced their emergency procedures in hanging harnesses. Finally it was time for the first load of the season, and a group of hardcore jumpers braved the cold temperatures. Several more loads flew on Saturday before sunset and the season's first bonfire was lit.

Ken Wilhide lands in the pea gravel. Photo by Gregor Weeks.

Christine Eckert and Alexis Kajencki. Photo by Arvel Schults.

Click here to see the rest of the pictures from Safety Day weekend.

Bobby Gill Completes His First Marathon

3.29.08, If you missed the lively antics of Tandem Instructor Bobby Gill on Safety Day weekend it wasn't because he was sleeping in. Bobby ran the 26.2 mile Sun Trust National Marathon in 3:48:20 on Saturday despite having to battle through achilles tendonosis that came up three weeks before the race and forced him to take a week and a half out of his training. Bobby says "It was probably one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had." Way to go Bobby!

Bobby Gill give the thumbs up. Photo by Daniela Smith.

Frank Ownes Passes Away

4.17.08, Long-time skydiver Frank Owens passed away recently. "Fast Frank," as he was known to his friends will be remembered for his candid, but warm personality, and for his perseverance that kept him battling through injuries to come back to skydiving. Frank was 66 years old. Blue Skies, Frank!

Fast Frank. Photo by Dave Matchett.

Butch Chelton Makes 100th Jump

4.20.08, Butch Chelton made his 100th jump over the weekend. To celebrate the milestone, Butch made an 8 point four way jump with Bruce Roberts, David Bradford, and Grant Spurrell. Congratulations, Butch!

Chrissy Eckert Gets Married

4.26.08, Skydive Delmarva regular Chissy Eckert got married to David Drell on Saturday. Congratulations and best of luck to Chrissy and David!

Chrissy and David.

Larry Robinson Makes 200th Jump

4.26.08, Larry Robinson made his 200th jump over the weekend. To celebrate the milestone, Larry jumped with 12 of his friends. Congratulations, Larry!

Larry Robinson. Photo by Damon Steele.

Todd Supple Makes 200th Jump

5.3.08, Todd Supple made his 200th jump over the weekend. To celebrate the milestone, Todd did a 10 way jump with Kathy Kunkowski, JoAnn Dzenis, Bruce Roberts, David Bradford, Christine Weeks, Mike Schultz, Mike Smith, Dana Smith, Scott Regina, and Ben Fox on video. The formation built by 10,000 feet. Congratulations, Todd!

Grant Spurrell Participates in World Record Jump

5.18.08, Grant Spurrell travelled to Skydive Spaceland in Houston, Texas to participate in the POPS (Parachutists over Phorty Society) world record attempts. Although the weather didn't fully cooperate, the team persevered and performed a 3 point 30 way breaking the previous POPS sequential world record. What made this feat even more impressive was that the team exited from only 9,800 feet because of clouds. Way to go, Grant!

Grant on the 30 Way.

Tammy and Glenn Get a Future Skydiver

Glenn and Tammy welcomed their daughter Erin Lara Dalgliesh to the world on Thursday, May 22nd. Erin was 6lb 11ozs 19 inches at birth. Congratulations Glenn and Tammy!

Glenn, Tammy, and Erin.

Angel Regina Makes 100th Jump

5.25.08, Angel Regina made her 100th jump over the weekend. To celebrate the milestone, Angel made a 13 way jump with her friends. Congratulations, Angel!

Angel Gets Pied. Photo by Gregor Weeks.

Angel's 100th Jump. Photo by Ben Fox.

JoAnn Dzenis Makes 300th Jump

5.25.08, JoAnn Dzenis made her 300th jump over the weekend. To celebrate the milestone, JoAnn made a 5 point 3 way jump with Thalia and Grant who spun her towards the end of the dive. Congratulations, JoAnn!

Braden Hestermann Graduates AFF

5.25.08, Braden Hestermann became Skydive Delmarva's first AFF graduate of 2008 after a successful Level 7 jump with Instructor Steph Doyle. Braden completed all of his AFF jumps in just 3 days. Way to go Braden!

Braden Hestermann and Steph Doyle.

Drew Jackson Graduates AFF

6.6.08, Drew Jackson graduated Skydive Delmarva's AFF program after a successful Level 7 jump with Instructor Joe Manlove. Congratulations Drew!

Drew Jackson and Joe Manlove.

Sarah Wright Gets Married

6.21.08, Skydive Delmarva jumper Sarah Wright got married to ML Evelier. Sarah is now back from her honeymoon in St. Lucia and ready to get back to jumping. Congratulations and best of luck to the happy couple!

Sarah and ML Evelier.

Five Students Graduate AFF

7.4.08, Over the past month five students graduated Skydive Delmarva's AFF program. Congratulations to Brian Butterhoff, Matt Juliano, Tyler Naiman, Nick Shmel, and Pat Filipowsky!

Left to Right: Brian Butterhoff - 06/07/2008 Nick Shmel - 07/04/2008 Matt Juliano - 06/22/2008 Tyler Naiman - 06/28/2007 Pat Filipowsky - 07/04/2008

Instructors Tom Timmons and Joe Manlove Make Milestone Jumps

7.19.08, Skydive Delmarva instructors Tom Timmons and Joe Manlove recently made milestone jumps. Tom Timmons made his 8000th jump on Wednesday July 16th. He did a tandem jump, and JoAnn Dzenis docked on him in freefall. Joe Manlove made his 6000th jump on Saturday July 19th. To celebrate the occasion he made a solo jump with a round parachute. Congratulations Tom and Joe!

Chrissy Drell Makes 100th Jump

7.19.08, Chrissy Drell made her 100th jump on Saturday July 19th. To celebrate the milestone, she made an 6-way hybrid jump with Bruce Roberts, Mike and Dana Smith, Lisa Eckman, and Cassidi Reese. In the fine skydiver tradition, Chrissy was amply pied for her accomplishment. Congratulations Chrissy!

Chrissy Drell's 100th Jump. Photo by Lance Lippencott.

Dana Smith Makes 500th Jump

7.26.08, Dana Smith made her 500th jump on Saturday July 26th. To celebrate the milestone, she made an 11-way jump with Grant Spurrell, Bruce Roberts, David Bradford, Scott and Angel Regina, Chuck Crandell, Chrissy Drell, Mike Smith, Butch Chelton and Alexis Kajencki. Congratulations Dana!

Dana Smith's 500th Jump. Photo by Glenn Dalgliesh.

Several Jumpers Earn USPA Licenses

7.26.08, Congratulations to Braden Hestermann, Nick Shmel, Brian Butterhoff, Jeremy Arroyo who recently earned their UPSA A Licenses, and to Dana Smith who recently earned her UPSA D Licence. Way to go, all!

Braden Hestermann Makes 100th Jump

8.3.08, Braden Hestermann made his 100th jump today. To celebrate the occasion, Braden made a 10 way jump with Gregor and Christine Weeks, Bruce Roberts, Steph Doyle, Grant Spurrell, Scott and Angel Regina, Arvel Shults, and Chrissy Drell. Congratulations, Braden!

Braden Gets Pied. Photo by Gregor Weeks.

Braden's 100th Jump. Photo by John Handrahan.

USPA Eastern Region Update July 2008

Hi everybody. We've had a USPA meeting in July, so it's time for an update.

The TSA is looking for outdated skydiving rigs for training inspectors. You may have had issues at airline check-in with TSA personnel not understanding your rig and wanting to open your reserve. They are working on that issue even as I type. They can't just ignore parachute equipment or it would become the choice of terrorists for transferring dangerous objects. TSA wants to train their people on what to look for with hands on experience. Larry Hill from Skydive Arizona said he donated some old rigs to the TSA for this and then every TSA training outfit in the country asked for more. It was suggested that dropzones should donate old rigs and outdated AADs to the TSA. My feeling is they should get them the same way we do….BUY THEM!

DZOs as S&TAs. USPA has noted some issues with DZOs who are also S&TAs doing accident investigation at the DZ that they own. Some seem to view this as a conflict of interest. It might be prudent for an S&TA other than the DZO to be the primary accident investigator. Ed Scott said that a recent fatality at Skydive the Rockies in Colorado received some press coverage noting that the S&TA who conducted the investigation was also the dropzone owner. (He is also the regional director) Ed said it is not proper for S&TAs to be DZOs. I pointed out that not only is the DZO an S&TA but he is also the person who appoints all the S&TAs in the region. SO…… according to Ed's logic DZO's should not be regional directors either. That went over like a lead balloon because several people on the safety and training committee are DZO's. I stand by my position that drop zone owners should not be on the board of directors because of a clear and blatant conflict of interest.

USPA in a Law Suit again. USPA has been named as a defendant in the case where the tandem student fell from the harness in Ohio. I suppose the lawyers are using the "shotgun" approach and suing everyone they can find. We are hopeful that the case against USPA will be dismissed. If lawyers decide USPA should be a party to every fatality suit, we are in trouble. USPA cannot possibly afford to defend these suits. It amounts to the same thing as suing the FAA every time a plane crashes. But once again this brings up the issue of DZO's serving on the board. The owner of the dropzone in question is also a national director for USPA. Any time there is an incident and the plaintiffs' attorneys find out that the owner is a USPA board member then USPA could be included in the lawsuit. I think it is wrong that USPA member's dues should go to defend USPA against lawsuits because a board member owns the dropzone being sued.

"A" Cards and other USPA paperwork. USPA is receiving paperwork with errors that are costing the membership dollars. Please be sure what you send to USPA is filled out properly !!! I have received two award applications in the last week that were rejected because they were sent in to headquarters without my signature.

Introductory Membership. The introductory membership has been modified to assist those traveling from other countries to skydive in the US. Foreign skydivers can now visit the US and get a temporary membership more than one time. I think that US citizens should also have the same privilege but my opinion was shot down because others felt it would allow people who only jump in the summer to get cheaper dues by getting temporary memberships each summer. If we are going to allow repeat temp. memberships for foreigners then we should allow them for all. I did not get my way on this one.

180 Day Repack Cycle. The 180 day repack cycle is on track. I had been told we could get it from the FAA as early as December. The most recent word is that it could happen as early as September.

Tenure Certificate Changes. USPA was having difficulty with tenure certificates. Over the years we have changed database formats a number of times and this has been causing errors. In the future, tenure certificates will not be automatically sent. It will be an "applied for" award, the same as the Wings badges and the Gold freefall badges, except that the RD does not have to sign. USPA will research each application individually to see that the member qualifies. If you believe you qualify for a 10 year certificate or 20, etc., send an application to USPA and you will be given a choice to have it sent directly to you or to your RD for presentation. What was happening was people who joined 10 years ago and then left the sport and re-joined were given 10 year certificates even though they were only members for a few years. Personally I never received one without asking for it but I guess some people did. From now on you will have to ask if you want one.

Election Information. At a past BOD meeting, it was voted to eliminate the phrase from the Governance Manual "ballot photocopies will be encouraged". That was done, but proper procedures were not followed, i.e., notice must be given of the proposed change prior to the meeting. At this meeting we voted to return the Governance Manual to the 2006 wording and require that proper procedure be followed for future changes. To give you a little history, there has been abuse of the photocopy ballots and changes were needed. That will have to wait until the next session because of the foul up. We discussed some of the abuses and what was proper use of photocopies in the elections. A few of the problems addressed were:

• Pre-marked ballots. It is required that a member mark ALL sections of the ballot and no one else may write on it.
• Discount offers in exchange for ballots. It is considered to be vote buying to give a discount on anything in exchange for a ballot.
• Setting conditions in exchange for ballots. It is said to be improper to set conditions to require a member to turn in a ballot, such as "everyone must turn in a ballot today prior to.........."

It is important that we increase the number of members who vote and that we do it in an ethical way. Photo copied ballots will be allowed in the upcoming election but there is still a movement afoot to eliminate them in the next election cycle. Please do not vote for any candidate who supports this.

Fatalities. Fatalities for this year are up over last year. It continues to be the same old story. We are killing ourselves and our friends under fully functioning canopies. We experienced (in Florida) another double canopy fatality just last week !!! Each DZ has been asked to decide the best way to address this problem at their DZ and to implement it. If you experience dangerous activities at your DZ, please talk with the S&TA assigned to your DZ. We have to get a handle on this. We are on pace to double the fatality count from last year.

USPA Dues. USPA is running in the red. There have been no increases in member dues in six years. Costs on everything have been going up; postage on Parachutist, paper, printing, gasoline, etc. We have to cover these costs in some way, but I am against raising membership dues to compensate for poor choices the USPA board has made in the past ten years. There was a presentation at this BOD meeting to possibly set up something on the USPA web site to allow people to book tandems or AFF jumps and USPA would get a few cents from each one booked. This could fill the dollar gap so that we could avoid increasing dues. The downside, according to some on the board, is that it leaves the purpose for which USPA exists and they would prefer a dues increase. (There was a lot more to this presentation, but it is too lengthy to cover here.) I am against dues increases and I think the proposal to book tandems through USPA is a nutty idea. It sounded too much like USPA becoming a skyride type organization. (If you can't beat them, join them?) With all the stupid things USPA has wasted money on in the last ten years asking members to pay more seems way out of line to me. Cut spending first before asking the membership for more money. Again, I did not get my way on this one and I think dues increases will be in our future. Please do not vote for any candidate who supports dues increases!

Jumper retention. People who have to jump alone are at prime risk of leaving our sport. It is sad to have them spend thousands of dollars to learn to skydive only to leave because they are jumping alone. Please look around at your DZ and if you see this happening, give something back to your sport and offer to jump with them. We can't afford the dropout rate as it exists and this is something each of us can fix !! Jumper retention and growing our sport is a big priority for me.

I have personally visited 7 dropzones in 2008 and attended 5 safety days. Out of 30 dropzones in the region I have been to 10 in the last 12 months. I will be leaving the region soon so I will not be able to run for re-election, but I am running for National director and I hope everyone in the region will support my efforts. Visiting the DZs and taking your views to the full board is what I will continue to do as National director. Once again, for those who do not know, I am NOT a paid employee of USPA, I am a volunteer. This is my way of giving back. I've been honored to be your Regional Director, and pleased to get to know many of you. Even if you do not vote for me please get out and vote! We need new leadership at USPA and I am confident I can do the job. I will be on the road for the next two weeks but you can reach me on my cell at 410-271-5600.

Bill Hanrahan is running as a write in candidate to fill my slot as Eastern Regional Director and I strongly endorse him as a candidate. I think Bill would be an outstanding director and would continue to serve the best interests of the region. Bill is an S&TA, AFF I, Tandem I and Master Rigger. He is also a long time instructor at Dave DeWolfs riggers course and all around great guy.

Please get out there and VOTE!

Blue Skies,

Scott Stewart
USPA Eastern RD

Ed Short Makes 500th Jump

8.17.08, Ed Short made his 500th jump today. To mark the occasion, Ed made a 12 way jump. Congratulations, Ed!

Ed Prepares for 500th Jump. Photo by Lance Lippencott.

Ed's 500th Jump. Photo by Lance Lippencott.

Nick Firestone Graduates AFF

8.31.08, Nick Firestone Graduated AFF after a successful Level 7 Jump with Instructor Mike Schultz. Way to go Nick!

Nick Firestone.

Grant Spurrell and Gregor and Christine Weeks Participate in Virginia State Record 88 Way

9.7.08, Grant Spurrell and Gregor and Christine Weeks took a road trip to West Point, Virginia to participate in the state record attempts for the largest skydiving formation. The warmup jumps started on Thursday with 40-44 ways and continued into Friday afternoon when Hurricane Hanna cut the practice short. After losing a day and a half to Hurricane partying, the participants began the actual record attempts on Sunday morning. Five jumps were scheduled for the day with exits from 17,500 feet from two Casas, an Otter, and a King Air. The first three jumps each had problems preventing the formation from building. The fourth jump went very well, but one jumper made it to his slot just a second after other jumpers had broken off. It came down to the last jump of the weekend, and the pressure to build the formation was intense. Fortunately everyone on the jump performed their job and the formation built by 8,500 feet and held until the first wave broke off at 6,500 feet. The participants knew they had the record and they could be heard cheering under canopy from the ground. Video confirmed that the record was official and the champagne began to flow. Congratulations to Gregor, Grant, Christine and all the participants.

Jumpers Come in to Land After 88 Way. Photo by JoAnn Dzenis.

Grant Spurrell and Gregor and Christine Weeks after 88 Way. Photo by JoAnn Dzenis.

3rd Annual Mike Schultz Skydiving Skills Meet a Great Success

Skydive Delmarva hosted the Third Annual Mike Schultz Skydiving Skills Meet September 13-14. Seven teams of four jumpers with varied experience levels competed in events that encompassed several facets of skydiving. The Meet was named for Mike Schultz who has been a shining example of comradery and good sportsmanship in skydiving for over 40 years.

The first event was Formation Exits. On Saturday "Skid Row" with Harry Kerill, Bill Morrissey, Jerry Burdsall, and Joe Manlove earned 10 points for launching a perfect Chinese "T." On Sunday "Fourmula 401" with Mike Smith, David Bradford, Christine Weeks, and Butch Chelton launched a perfect Stair Step Diamond.

The next event combined two skills: Speed Formation and Formation Skydiving. Two jumpers launched a linked exit and points were awarded based on how fast the other two jumpers could dock to complete a round. Teams also earned a point for each formation built on the jump. "Safety Third" with Stu Ware, Christine Brushak, Lorri Atkins, and Erin Hamilton had the best jump both on Saturday with 13 points and on Sunday with 19 points.

The final event, called "Stack Out," began with teams directing the pilot to a pre-declared spot then exiting individually. The goal then was to fly a disciplined pattern, maintaining the same order from exit to landing, and to land as accurately as possible. "Hot Chick Sandwich" including Braden Hestermann, Steph Doyle, Kathy Kunkowski and Sallie Haas had the best score on Saturday with 28 out of 30 possible points. "Safety Third" had the best score on Sunday with 29 points.

Jumpers were also scored on landing accuracy on every jump. Concentric 10-meter rings were valued at 10 points in the center, with subsequent rings worth 8, 6, 4, and 2. Jumpers were awarded one bonus point for touching down on a 18 inch disc in the center, and two bonus points for a standup landing with both feet on the disc. Alexis Kajencki who has just under 100 jumps had the best landing of the event earning 12 points for a tiptoe landing on the disc.

"Safety Third" won the Overall Team Award for having the highest point total. "Hot Chick Sandwich" won the Team Accuracy Award. Bill Morrissey and Stu Ware tied for the gold medal in individual accuracy, however Bill graciously conceded the medal to Stu. Steph Doyle and Gregor Weeks earned silver and bronze respectively. Larry Robinson and Todd Supple earned Most Improved Accuracy honors. Meet Director Mike Davidson, Judges Gary Coffey and Thalia May, Manifestor Robin Davidson and Pilot Keith May deserve high praise for a fun, well-run event.

Team Hot Chick Sandwhich.	Team LOAPATT.
Team 403.	Team Safety Third.
Team 402.	Team Formula 401.
Team Skid Row.	Group Shot with Mike Schultz.

Landing Accuracy Scores

Event Scores

Alexis Kajencki Makes 100th Jump

9.21.08, Alexis Kajencki made her 100th jump over the weekend. To celebrate the milestone, Alexis made a 10 way jump with Mike and Dana Smith, Chrissy Drell, Larry Robinson, Bobby Gill, David Bradford, Ahmed Khurtom, Bruce Roberts, and Thalia May. Alexis, who has recently shown great improvement in her landing accuracy, landed right on target in the pea gravel for her 100th jump. She was then amply pied by her friends for her accomplishment. Congratulations, Alexis!

Alexis' 100th Jump. Photo by Lance Lippencott.

Alexis After Her 100th Jump. Photo by Lance Lippencott.

Grant Spurrell Takes on Freeflying

10.5.08, After spending his entire jumping career of over 1500 jumps making only belly-to-earth jumps, and after much coaxing by Lisa, Grant finally decided to try free flying. Free flying is skydiving in any orientation other than belly-to-earth. Grant made several free fly skydives with Gregor and Lisa over the weekend and showed good progress. Grant hopes to make many more free fly jumps and says that he now has the "free fly fever." Welcome to the dark side, Grant!

Grant Freeflying

Grant Makes a Head Down Exit with Lisa

Josh Rittenhouse Makes 500th Jump

10.5.08, Josh Rittenhouse made his 500th jump over the weekend. To celebrate the milestone, Josh did a 4 way horny gorilla jump with Grant, Gregor, and Christine. A horny gorilla jump means all the jumpers lock legs and lean outward. The formation spins rapidly until the jumpers can no longer hang on. On Josh's jump, Christine got flung off rather early, but Josh, Grant and Gregor managed to hold on through countless revolutions and thousands of feet. Congratulations, Josh!

Josh's 500th Jump

Josh's 500th Jump

Aaron Harris Makes 1st Jump

10.12.08, Skydive Delmarva Packer Aaron Harris made his first jump over the weekend. Aaron jumped with Instructor Tom Timmons and was followed by Packing Loft Manager Ed Short. Aaron is one of the few skydivers who have packed their own parachute for their first jump. Congratulations Aaron!

Aaron's 1st Jump. Photo by Lance Lippencott.

Aaron's 1st Jump. Photo by Lance Lippencott.

Eight Delmarva Jumpers Make the Leap at Bridge Day

10.18.08, Jerry Burdsall made his first two BASE jumps at Bridge Day this year. Jerry performed exceptionally well, taking four second delays and expertly navigating his canopy to the small landing area. Christine and Gregor Weeks, Scott Regina, Ben Fox, Vlad Merker and Scott and Steph Doyle also made multiple successful jumps. The governor of West Virginia was on hand and he extended the jumping window for an extra hour. As a result a record 1060 jumps were made this year. Congratulations to all the Delmarva regulars who jumped!

Jerry Landing	Scott Doyle Rotating a Gainer
Gregor in Freefall	Steph and Christine in Freefall
Scott Regina Coming through a Double Gainer

Grant Spurrell Makes 1900th Jump

11.9.08, Grant Spurrell made his 1900th jump today. To mark the occasion, Grant made a 10 way jump with Gregor, Christine, Ed, Mike Smith, Dana, Mike Schultz, Kathy, Bruce, and David. Congratulations, Grant!

Grant's 1900th Jump. Photo by Sergey Viter.

Grant's 1900th Jump. Photo by Sergey Viter.

Ben Harris and Raphael Jurkovic Make Their 100th Jumps

11.30.08, Skydive Delmarva's Packer Ben Harris and fun jumper Raphael Jurkovic made their 100th jumps this weekend. Raphael jumped his newly purchased gear with his wife in attendance. Congratulations, Ben and Raphael!

Ben Harris. Photo by Dave Matchett.

Raphael Jurkovic. Photo by Dave Matchett.