32-way

In a few weeks, we are going to try a new club record, a 70-way. Today there are training jumps, 32-way. These are organised jumps (well organised, thx Tom!) with 2 Caravans. On the one hand, they are selection jumps for the last articipants, and they are also for people like me: the last "big" formations I did, was a weekend of 32-way sequential almost two years ago, so I am quite rusty on this.

And it shows: first jump, I start my approach in the wrong sector (I am some 30° off), I am slow, and I am way too conservative. I am almost ashamed when I watch myself on the video, waiting over 5 meters out... Second jump is better. Straight approach, I am a stinger, so I can go to my position and wait there without hindering anybody. I can take up grips around 6000 ft, but break off is at 5500 for us, so there is no more time for the wacker to build behind me. Third jump and I am starting to feel comfortable. There is one guy missing in the wacker behind me, otherwise our site of the formation is OK.

I doubt if we will be able to make the record. A 50-way: no problem. A 60 way: do-able. But a 70 way: that's ambitious for our club. There will be people on the jump who need babysitting, I just hope there aren't too many of them. And of course, if you have 10 people on the jump who can do it 9 times out of 10, you will always need luck to make them do it all together.

In the afternoon it gets cloudy, so we have to cancel jumps 4 and 5. But it is not too cloudy for a quick FF dive!!