{"id":21447,"date":"2019-11-20T19:12:29","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T19:12:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=21447"},"modified":"2019-11-20T19:21:53","modified_gmt":"2019-11-20T19:21:53","slug":"crankin-in-the-moonlight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/crankin-in-the-moonlight\/","title":{"rendered":"Crankin’ in the MOONLIGHT!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Shining results for the record-breaking stars of the night…<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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For the past four years, a loose confederation of skydivers led by Steve Woodford have met in the late fall at Skydive Arizona in Eloy, Arizona to chase one record or another. Our informal name: Moonlighters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First it was 2016 with a 40-way night jump. It was an FAI world record, though it wasn\u2019t the most number of jumpers ever at night. In 2017, we went all out and set the ambitious, never-been-even-attempted before, 64 jumpers out of three airplanes, FAI record and largest night formation. We got it on the second try. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the bigway records set, Steve set his eye on sequentials. Logistically they\u2019re a bit easier to pull off since they require fewer planes and fewer jumpers. (Finding even 22 skilled jumpers willing to go on a bigway night jump can be a challenge!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So when the Steve Woodford called us for another trip into the night to set a newly minted FAI record category, 22 of us from 9 different countries answered the call. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The challenges for this record attempt were much like any other. It\u2019s a series of problems that need to be solved. The exit is engineered and refined. Slots are changed. And one of the outside people, Latency McLaughlin, even noticed we had a wrong set of grips which was sorted out just before our first record attempt. With sequentials, you can optimize movements to make the grips come quicker and that was engineered by Derek Thomas. All of this led of course by Steve Woodford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vertical separation is built into canopies at night\u2013 Image by Andrey Veselov<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Break-offs are staggered into three waves and deployment altitudes are varied. It\u2019s usually not a great idea to have people opening at different altitudes on bigways, but it\u2019s more important to build some vertical as well as horizontal separation for canopies at night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon opening, we take advantage of the very large open landing area at Skydive Arizona and all turn towards the direction of landing (dictated by cars on the ground pointed in the landing direction). No turns, no patterns, just straight-in approaches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my favorite parts of the night record attempts is not just the night jumps (which are beautiful as they are nerve-wracking) but also the twilight jumps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We did the twilight jumps as a kind of dress rehearsal. Most of us agreed that it was a good halfway point between day and night jumping. They\u2019re pretty rare jumps, as most drop zones do what they can to get the last load up in time to land before the sun dips below the horizon, and most night jumps are done one hour after sunset to satisfy the D license requirements of night jumps.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We couldn\u2019t ask for better weather. The nights were mostly clear and the moon was bright AF, as the kids say. The days were warm enough (low 80s F\/high 20s C) to help keep the night at comfortable cool (one of the previous night records was during a cold snap, I\u2019ll take this weather any day). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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World record on the first attempt!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The first night was messy, but we set a 2-point 22 way World Record. Boom! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steve Woodford felt we could do better and we all agreed. However the second night had a number of challenges, and we only matched the first attempt (2 points). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the third night was our last chance. I think this added to everyone\u2019s anxiety, and it certainly added to mine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Night jumping is something that can make even the most seasoned jumpers anxious, not to mention a 22-way bigway. But the last jump added performance anxiety as well. The bigger the group, the more people you would potentially disappoint if you didn\u2019t perform. I thought of the words of Alan Shepard, the first American in space: \u201cDon\u2019t f*ck up, Shepard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t f*ck up, Bourke. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n


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