The Harry Parker.com BLOG

The Harry Parker Bahama Boogie

2011-02-03T01:45:00.009-05:00

SKYDIVE

If you are sick of the biggest snow storm in History

Just want to change the latitude of your life

Then..........Go where others only dream of, the incredibly warm, crystal clear waters of the Bahamas and make some skydives.

This is an exclusive invitation from me, Harry Parker to my closest friends and community members. Friday the 4th I will be leaving to Rum Cay on my own recon trip to photograph, video and provide you with my own interpretation of this Atlantic Pirate Haven.

I want to make sure this is everything I’ve heard and seen it to be, so I am going over there personally and you will have my word on the validity of this exclusive offer. Watch My Facebook Profile, this blog and the EVENT PAGE for updates this week from the 4-8th.

Slots are incredibly limited for this once in a lifetime experience. Max of 18 participants. Find your friends, make the commitment and ................(More After the Jump.....)

The Great White North Boogie 2001

2011-01-28T12:29:00.007-05:00

Skydive New England and a host of other New England represented drop zones showed up in Z-Hills Skydive City for the annual "get away from the cold" Boogie.
Despite cold, wind and rain, the group managed a to squeeze out enough jumps and a whole lot of partying to call it GOOD.
Dr. Pete was on hand to organize the RW crowd and many of the new jumpers from last season showed up in full force, many from the newly organized Jump IN! group I put together there this past summer for the up and coming jumpers.
All had a good time and were the winners in every nights contest to see who could stay up the latest, make the most noise and consume the most alcohol, while having more fun. They took home a trophy every night.
Skydive City took care of the crowd with nightly all you can eat dinners and a brand new "Bird House" bar. Skydive City has been the home for "The Great White North Boogie" for many years and the staff and overall "resort" accommodations are a one stop shop. The vibe rocks and any group that shows up can concentrate on jumping as just about everything is provided for.
You can tag yourself in the pics on Facebook and you can check out ALL The PHOTOS on the Gallery. If interested in more then just a web photos, get in touch. There are some excellent pieces ready to hang that are now available that are inexpensive when compared to a framed print.
I produced a full down and dirty Great White North Boogie Video as well that's worth a look.
Make sure to tag yourself in all The Harry Photos on FaceBook.
As always, comments and testimonials are greatly appreciated.
HP

Like the Skydive City Fan Page
Like the Skydive New England Fan Page

First Wing Suit Flight Course

2011-01-28T11:12:00.006-05:00

The Harry Parker is in Sebastian Florida for a little while and is available for WingSuit Coaching, organizing and special photo documentation as needed. Email The Harry for appointment and more info. Edited video and Stills are available with all packages.
A weekend or so ago the leader of the free wing suiting world, Jeff Nebelkopf left town on a secret wingsuiting mission, far, far away.
Being in Sebastian I totally swooped one of his first wingsuit students, Matthew from New York.
Seems like the whole DZ from the Ranch showed up as well, almost 35 strong. Everyone from jumpers working on their "A" lic to hard core swoopers and Free fliers were in attendance.
They rented a house locally and just tore it up, partying, jumping and having fun like only Ranch Hands can do.
Matthew did great on his first wingsuit jumps and progressed quickly. We did six all together and he was flying solo and enjoying himself for the rest of the boogie.
Training is everything. We had an outline, worked a lot of problems out on the ground BEFORE we ever jumped and it paid off in the air. His progression was a sure sign of his confidence in preparation and training, not to mention a solid background of currency.
A big thank you to all the Ranch Hands for their smiles, free beer and good times. Gotta love New York Jumpers.
Check out the video Matt's jumps and the antics of The Ranch. You can also tag yourself in the FaceBook Pictures.
Buy a WING SUIT. at Tony Suits. If you come to Sebastian, I can measure you up and have you in your own suit in no time.
HP

Don't MISS OUT on Deep Seed Suit Savings!

2011-01-11T19:58:00.005-05:00

Deep Seed's wisdom regarding our financial crisis is to SLASH prices!
Check out all the savings. Get a new suit now. This is all going to end on Jan 31st!

Pink Skies - The Story behind Jump For The Cause

2011-01-11T17:52:00.005-05:00

Reserve your seat!
Pink Skies Private Screening, Thursday, February 17 · 6:00pm - 10:00pm, Bay Area, California.

FREE ADMISSION!

Find Pink Skies on FACEBOOK

Skydiving is on top again with another large charity drive bringing "Cause Marketing" to the skydiver's mix on publicity.
The girls from Jump for the Cause have put together a very professional piece on the event and impacts of Breast Cancer in today's culture. If you are in the Bay Area at this time, don't miss this chance to witness Skydiving's impact on Breast Cancer Awareness. And of course the fun only skydivers can produce. A great night in the city for sure.
Many of you might know Team ILL Vision's Jump for the Cause Participant, Kriss Sosso, who will be on hand to sign autographs.
Hope to see you all there!

The Trailer for Pink Skies is Below, check it out.

Pink Skies movie trailer from Pink Skies on Vimeo.

Harry Parker Photo Specials

2010-12-14T19:18:00.023-05:00

I have some cool specials on photos for the Holidays. Don't know what to get someone for Christmas? All kinds of cool stuff to be had from my super slick Gallery, just in time for the Holidays. Fast processing, shipping and ultra high quality.

20% OFF
use coupon code
20XMAS

Packages: Click "Buy" / "Packages"
Save 10% on 11X14 Ready to Hang Float package, with 5X7 Photo Panel, Photo Luggage Tag and Key Tag. Can be all different photos.
Save $42 on a 11X14 Print Package. Includes 11X14, 8X10 and a 5X7. Can be the same or all different images.
Hurry, all specials end Dec 31st.

Tons of cool hot print options available for that stunning once in a lifetime skydiving image.
Check out these options below and then check out your pics in Harry Parker's Skydive Gallery

Try Ready to Hang Float Mounted Prints!
A lightweight alternative to framing! Your choice of metallic or lustre print, mounted on 3/16" rigid gatorboard. Each comes ready-to-hang with a 1/2" thick off-wall mount on the back.

Boxed Framed Ready to Hang Prints!
The image is printed on fine art quality paper, then mounted onto a rigid, Masonite board and set in a glassless wooden box frame. Choose Black or Chocolate stained wood to complement your print.

Canvas Gallery Wraps! Ready to Hang!
The ultimate in Print Experience. Printed on heavy duty PremierArt Water Resistant Canvas, then finished with a dry lamination process that is UV and water resistant. The canvas is stretched and then wrapped over a 1 3/8" thick wooden frame. Your photo extends to cover the sides of the frame for a beautiful presentation. Ready to Hang.

Want something even COOLER!
Contact me Directly for these super cool applications, all ready to hang!

Metal Prints:
A MetalPrint is made by infusing dyes directly into specially coated aluminum sheets, creating truly archival works of art. These MetalPrints showcase a revolutionary new medium that is highly durable, waterproof, weatherproof, and ultra scratch-resistant. The high-gloss sheen gives your photos a vibrant luminescence with incredible detail and resolution. Each MetalPrint comes backed with two 3/4" thick lightweight foam blocks and aluminum plate with drilled holes for easy hanging. When hung, these stunning prints will float off the wall. Each print has rounded corners for your safety and the surface can be easily cleaned with any commercial glass cleaner.

Thin Wrap Floats:
Great for the ultimate Wall Collage.
Print on your choice of Lustre Paper, Metallic Paper or Giclée Canvas material. We then over-laminate the image with a soft Satin Laminate or a Glossy Laminate. The resulting product is then mounted on Masonite or Gatorboard, with or without a foam layer (Softop) in between the print and the board. Finally, we apply a 1/2" spacer to the back of the ThinWrap which allows the image to be hung and appear to float from the wall.

Affordable Super Cool Wall Clusters: The ultimate in affordable, easy wall collages.
Supported by a grid of push-in pegs, pictures hang aligned and stay level. Installation is fast and fool-proof. And you can add, remove and rearrange pictures in seconds. The pictures are high-resolution prints mounted on 2mm black styrene. Super Cool, fast and affordable!

Steve Harrington Memorial Boogie

2010-10-24T20:12:00.014-04:00

This past September 2010 Raise the Sky produced an amazing tribute to Steve Harrington 11.25.68-11.11.09, who was killed in a skydiving accident during the 2009 US National Formation Record .
Everyone surrounding this project was very generous with their work and time. Taya Weiss, founder of Raise The Sky, is an amazing person dedicated to her mission of giving back to the world. This memorial event created the possibility for a new foundation formulated by Raise the Sky, The Steve Harrington Scholarship Fund.
A great weekend of jumping at Pepperell Skydiving Center, Steve's local Drop zone. Organizers for both RW and Wingsuiting were on hand to help out. Jeff Nebelkopf successfully organized an "S" formation with the pool of Steve's wingsuiter friends. A hard formation to complete and fly took only two jumps to complete surprising not only those on the ground but the jumpers themselves.
Photographers lined up to donate their pictures for this compilation and the future scholarship fund. I was fortunate enough to have the honor of documenting this event and compiling the life of Steve. From the collection of pictures produced from the event and family I was able to produce a complete coffee table book and slide show DVD for the family. My pictures can be found on my Steve Harrington Photo Gallery. The actual book layout will be posted soon after it goes to press with the final approval from family.
This event was a surprise offering and another memorial for me personally on my quest to document the life and times of jumping and the people surrounding it. I never thought I would be doing memorials and here I am learning that celebration of life is in every stroke of ones brush as they paint the canvas of their life. One thing memorials really bring to my attention is not only how fleeting life really is, but how it is uniquely our lives and how our lives are truly our choice.
Once passed on, a persons life canvas in not only a reflection of their creation but also holds the possibility of our own reflection and contemplation of what we are actually doing with our lives.
Skydiving brings celebration in everything, the simplest life has to offer all wrapped up in an adrenaline package. Through the celebration during the memorial of a fallen friend are made the memories that immortalize.
I am always amazed at the camaraderie and deep friendships made through this sport. We are so blessed.

Check out the slide show of the Steve Harrington Memorial Boogie Pictures including some pics of Steve. Do hope you enjoy.

A big thanks to all the Contributing Photographers:

Scotty Burns
Jeff Donahue
Dave G
Fred Harrington
Jeff Nebelkopf
Matt Veno
John

Great to see and work with everyone!
HP

Circle of Awareness: The power of thought

2010-08-24T14:31:00.011-04:00

Time moves so fast. It's easy to get comfortable the way life is, your healthy body, the routines and general plan your life has taken from day to day.
In the last two weeks our little drop zone has taken a hit to the community. A very experienced instructor and long time resident, Paolo Di Fino, with over a decade on this property misjudged a landing bringing himself close to death as anyone can be.
Again my new found drop zone and the community of skydiving completely amazed me. The outpouring of love through action is more then evident over time.
Paolo's accident sent a wave through our community as such a tragedy would. Vibrant, alive and full of life and experience, his accident caught many off guard as he would be the least candidate for such an mishap.
Close friends took the reigns immediately taking the first watch to more then a week of constant watch as Paolo hung on in ICU. To say the least the community was in shock and going back to work not knowing if it was the last time we would see Paolo was very difficult. Paolo has never been without a member of the community. Even his arriving family members were met with complete openness and generosity. Even the hospital staff was amazed at the care and attention Paolo received from his community.
News came in hour after hour and then day after day. Every minute a blessing. Severe internal damage and bleeding, back injuries and other complications made nothing definite.
Being new here gives me the possibility of a more observant perspective. The powerlessness to help but the fact he was still alive and might possibility pull through in time changes things. What to do? How does someone help? Be a part of the process?
On the day of the accident it was agreed we needed to come together. Latest word was that heavy internal bleeding prevented doctors from operating until they could find the leak. Word made it's way around and by the end of the day everyone converged without being asked, to the main landing area, just skydivers and staff, over 60 strong. We formed a circle, took our time to become quite and for the first time I witnessed the entire community here as one beyond each individuals personal stuff. Using mental imagery, breathing, intention and prayer our community agreed together our thoughts from day to day would be of the strong Paolo as we know him to be. Nearing the end of our circle small euphemisms came from participants narrowly defining our friend. From tears to laughter the mood changed, the energy changed. As a group we have kept that image and his ways of being in our thoughts and daily routines, through our conversation and our actions with each other. Everyday he is here with us. The mood lightens through the possibility of somehow becoming part of the process.
The next day we learned that about the time of our circle doctors located a torn lobe on the kidney and were able to cauterize it, stopping the bleeding, bring blood pressure up and create a new beginning for Paolo. Again, the mood lightened a bit, Paolo was with us in mind and heart as the strong individual we all know him to be. Coincidence or not, we as a group now felt part of the process.
Within the first week more struggles became apparent and we came together again, 46 strong. Sean P Rogan helped lead the next circle. Sean AKA "RockStar" writes his own music and leads the SNE All Star Jug band made up primarily of SNE Staff. He stared the circle off with "We Go Now" on his guitar, a song about Paolo, see the You Tube Link below. Sean then lead the group through breathing exercises to unify the group in mind and body. It was quite amazing. Paolo and Sean always met for early morning Yoga before jumping and it was thought if we were to truly all meet and be with Paolo at once, meditation and stillness might well be the most direct route.
This circle lasted over an hour in three stages, the first, to quite ourselves as individuals, the second to unify in group and the third to unify thought and the power of prayer to Paolo. Again, the strong image of our friend at the forefront. The end allowed everyone the chance to have a say, tell a story and share.
The magic of coming together as a group is apparent. The ability to be together as one allows everyone to see they are not as separate as they might think, that we all share the same attachments and feelings and together find our individual path through this experience we call a life. Powerful. Again, the mood and energy changed.
Paolo's supreme health at 50 as a non smoker, non drinker and active yogi are sighted as his prime means of surviving going through a tree and hitting the ground at well over 60 MPH.
Many who make it to ICU don't last there long. Maybe a couple of days. Paolo has been there almost two weeks, on his back, no food, no water.
In the last few days Paolo is gaining more strength, more awareness and power. Still in ICU he is now being sedated from time to time as he is becoming rambunctious. More and more of the community are able to visit him now and reports are getting better. All good news, but he is not out of the woods yet. He is still n ICU and anyone who has been there, knows what that means.
I share this with you all in hopes that your thoughts, prayers and attention will help spread some healing energy to Paolo, our friend, coworker and community member. All of us here at SNE would be entirely grateful.
The pictures below were taken by Kyle Jervis.
Thanks for reading and God Bless.
HP

Great Falls Balloon Festival Demo

2010-08-24T12:39:00.009-04:00

Always be Marketing! Our master marketing machine Foggy was on hand with his top notch team of interns as ground crew for SNE at this years Great Falls Balloon Festival event.
Carp took care of the air portion. Lots of planning including days and days worth of pictures, diagrams with circles and arrows paid off for a successful full Cessna load of jumpers including world renown Jeff Nebelkopf and Tommy Larochelle flying the American flag in face of stiff upper winds.
Over 50,000 spectators packed the area leaving a generous 25 foot wide landing strip for the skydivers. The crowd could be heard under canopy screaming and cheering. A windy day hampered balloon launching efforts this year making SNE's skydiving show the main event for Friday night. It was evident the crowd was hungry for entertainment.
All of us signed autographs and took tons of pictures with local residents for over 20 minutes after landing. I was actually surprised many had never seen skydiving before. The kids went crazy and the adults were all smiles many coming to shake our hands with congratulations and thank yous. After all these years in skydiving, it's easy to forget the impact skydiving has on the general public. People LOVE skydiving.
I've been to many demos and it's always fun. From the pressure of jumping a new site with new obstacles to the tight landing areas and changing conditions, to the cheers and smiles of the crowds, a successful demo is just plain fun.
Skydive New England performs a half dozen skydiving demonstrations in and around New England within their short but BUSY season. By spreading awareness and education about this amazing sport in the community, more and more New Englanders are getting addicted to SKYDIVING every year! We look forward to skydiving with all the new friends we made at the Great Falls Balloon Festival.

HP

SNE RW & FreeFly Scrambles

2010-08-23T20:34:00.011-04:00

This last weekend saw both an RW and a FreeFly scrambles by SNE Local Teams T-Minus:01 and Aeris.
Both teams planned a full day of jumping attracting almost 20 jumpers. Brian Touhey of T-Minus:01 and Local Club Jump IN! planned rounds for two way and then took the same people for rounds of three way. Team Aeris organized three rounds of four way with a team member as captain for each team and included video. Aeris also took the time to give a seminar on rigs and canopies to new jumpers. A full day of jumping for SNE fun jumpers.
The scrambles was custom tailored for the newer jumpers this year giving each the chance to test, hone and develop skills during a full day of jumping. Huge props to RYAN SEREWICZ for winning the scramble with the highest score!!! Next in line was Kari jackson and Nikolay Shustov.
Brian organized a big way speed star at the end of the day for thirteen newer RW jumpers that built to a ten-way proving SNE's newer jumpers are learning fast.
Below are some pictures from the weekend! Enjoy, more posted on the Skydive New England's Facebook.
We've got a great crop of jumpers coming up this season. Many have already show signs of leadership and willingness to work within a team environment. It is assumed a few of this years jumper harvest will go on to become well known skydivers.
If you are in the area, come on out to locals Wednesday sponsored by SNE and Club Jump IN! usually picking up later in the day jumpers start in smaller groups, coaching available and end of the day speed stars where everyone is welcome. BBQ that evening by SNE and Club Jump IN!
Thanks to our local teams Aeris and T-Minus:01 for all the hard organizing work that made an ordinary weekend something to remember.
If you want to see more pics and tag your self, check out the Skydive New England Fan Page.

AFF Instructor rating, finally, after all these years

2010-08-20T23:37:00.000-04:00

Well, it finally happened. Got my AFF Instructor rating here at Skydive New England, the crew here just wouldn't have it any other way. I went kicking and screaming through the whole process and glad it is over. Best part is I now will be way more involved with the students from start to finish. Check out the Skydive New England Learning Center Fan Page for more info on our student and fun jumper progression and Jump IN! locals club.

Three of us took the course, Jill Herrington, Dave Lake and myself. Jill finished first, I just finished and Dave will be on the starting blocks soon.
The first week Theresa Nadean owner of Keystone Skydive Center out of Pennsylvania, helped all the way through the initial course. She has over 10 years as an evaluator. Mike Hawley, our course director and evaluator with decades in the sport as an instructor and evaluator hung in there for months trying to get us finished up. Weather became a serious factor for most of it, from winds to rain in the beginning really slowed things down. It got to the point that if Mike was coming out we slept in figuring the weather would crap out on us.

let me tell you. Finish the course & you want to go hot ASAP and do your eval jumps. A week goes by or worse two to three and when your evaluator shows back up you feel at square one again. Doing your training and evaluation jumps is some the most focus intensive jumps you will make for a while. Having a student do just about everything to hose you makes me wonder why anyone would ever want to do it. Once it was over I can say that everyone of my students chewed gum, left their shoes untied, never could figure out how to configure a chest strap, left their goggles on the mock up and somehow figure out how to mis-route just about everything. And no matter how well you got them to preform on the ground, they completely de-arched on exit, blew every count, flipped, rolled, back slid, spun on every jump, and never, I mean NEVER, pulled.

My final and passing jump put me on a 20 minute call for my first student all the to cheers, jeers and overall hazing by DZ staff. Lots a fun for sure. That's two cases of beer by the way, one for passing and one for first AFF jump. I must say I was nervous. What was this guy going to do to us? At least I was current. The jump went perfect, the guy was totally heads up all the way to the ride through. Completely spun my noggin though.

I must say, the course is very comprehensive and one is bound to learn a lot. I don't care how long you have been jumping as a coach, you will get a lot out of this course. And gone are the hard core days of showing up and risking it all. This course has changed a lot over the years. By the time you fill out your card and get some practice jumps in the course is now designed to help you along by actually training you to become an instructor. You will know long before your eval jumps whether or not you can do this. After the ground skills are assessed and tested, it's all about your flying and looking after your student.

I must say, everyone here at SNE has been very supportive. Instructors of any type here are the life blood of the skydiving business and everyone here wants to see you do well. I couldn't have asked for more. Mike Hawley thoroughly enjoys instructing, training and working with students. And beyond that, having your friends and coworkers from your home DZ rooting you on, being completely supportive and not giving you the chance to fail, is a real blessing.
Thanks to all for the support. Looking forward to having fun and learning in this new space of skydiving, AFF.
If you are even doing coach jumps now and hesitating on the AFF rating. Get over it. Get out there and do it. You will be glad you did.
HP

New Rip Cord TV Commercial

2010-08-17T15:00:00.006-04:00

Got a lot to write about. Very busy here at SNE! Was thrown an ASAP by director and marketing genius Foggy with a job of getting video shots for a cable TV commercial for our snack shack, The Rip Cord. Did it all in one take, they used most of it. Shot in between tandem video loads and used every opportunity to check off the shot list I was given. Or, I should say the shot list I demanded. The shot list helped tremendously to acquire the footage needed in the shortest amount of time.
I even broke out a reflector for some portions of it. Shooting while working tandem videos meant that everything shot ended up being in the current tandem video for that jump. So, it had to be fun and spontaneous. I used random jumpers exiting before me and everyone was a good sport about it. This is such good practice, working on the fly with the looming tandem video 15 minute call countdown in the background of it all.
Skydiving in general is an ADD'ers paradise but for me SNE rules. There is always something to do, be a part of and a mission to complete. Below is the commercial as it airs on cable TV. Kinda cheesy, but sure to bring a smile to your face!
HP

Working at SNE

2010-07-28T12:36:00.001-04:00

The Skydive New England website has been revamped and now boast many of my photos. I believe the entire front page slide show is all my work. If you've got a minute, check it out. I haven't shot like this in years and I can feel the photographer truly developing through me. Would love to hear some feedback.
Time is moving so fast here. There is so much to write about and never the chance to share. This is my best attempt to keep you all up to date.
Below is a scan of a card recently sent to SNE from a group of 30 that came out last year, spent two days in the rain and loved it. This year they came back and all jumped and camped over two days. This keeps happening over and over again. And this time I just had to share it.
We are in the middle and height of the season. Full swing. A tandem, student and fun jump machine. Using one otter our manifest girlz will pump out over 50 tandems on a weekday and over 100 any given Saturday or Sunday with a confident and loving smile on their faces. Along with that AFF and fun jumpers share and call the sky their own.
On any of these days you might not even know it is busy. The staff is happy, the machine runs smooth and everyone here is dedicated to sharing the passion of their lives, skydiving. Working here the biggest thrill is the thrill of our customers, the dazed, crazed and goggle lined faces filled with joy and exuberance.
I have not experienced this much fun in skydiving in many years. I am so stoked to be working and jumping here. For the first time in many years I am actually really enjoying and rediscovering this sport and my place in it.
Last weekend we honored and celebrated the life of Dave Hersey with a memorial Ash Dive. Pics attached. A full otter load took to the skies giving one of the prettiest and biggest ash releases I have seen in a very long time. Pics attached.
Last weekend our ALL star SNE jug band played for a packed house by the bonfire. All our musicians work here or are local jumpers. The vibe was great. It was the first time I used two off camera transmitter controlled flashes. A few sample pics attached.
The bands leader, Rock Star, Sean P Rogan, writes many of the skydiving based songs, which we all use on our tandem videos. After I was done shooting I sat and watched in awe how our people, the locals and the staff kept the house, tandem crowd and all who attended in full amazement. Even some of our manifest girlz took a turn at singing to the surprise of all blowing away the crowd with new found talent.
Last night we had a full community town hall meeting and I witnessed everyone come together to air out grievances, concerns and ideas in a way that just made us all stronger, happier and more effective. A community that is SNE, a culture that is true skydiving. Many in my recent past have told me this was impossible and to this day still live in that impossibility they have created. I was almost convinced.
This place, in short, never ceases to amaze me.
Is there another skydiving operation like this?? If so, I would truly be interested in finding it.
The attached scan and pictures are a reflection of SNE. This is who we are.
If you have not come to this DZ, I highly encourage you to check it out. Tiki Bar is fast approaching and is sure to be a sell out again this year.
This DZ is a 200 acre private air strip adult toy wonderland. The way skydiving used to be and the best kept secret in skydiving hands down.
Thanks for reading. I do hope you are enjoying your day as much as I am enjoying mine! Enjoy the pics, more to come.
HP

Jump IN! Skydive New England's Locals Club

2010-07-05T14:18:00.000-04:00

Wow! Jump IN! Is really taking off this season. We have almost 50 jumpers on the list and more coming in.

Jump IN! is primarily structured for everyone who wants to participate. Most are on AFF, just getting off AFF, just now moving into A license territory and the jumper moving into the 100+ range. Jump IN! is dedicated to concentrating on why you got into skydiving in the first place, fun!

We have experienced jumpers on board ready to help out with questions, organizing, coaching, etc. Including Brian Touhey from RW Team T-Minus:01 and Adam from Freefly team Aeris. Kris Lafond is also on board and offers a great deal on Tunnel time and coaching every week! Check out the Northeast Air Crack Facebook Fan Page for more info. Way cool group.

Last week during a weather hold Jump IN! organized it's first event with a spotting class. About 10 people participated with some staff jumping in to help out. Dave Lake gave a great lecture on spotting, Jill Herrington helped with the math for wind drift and wing loading, our pilot, Solar, gave a aircraft safety briefing and a much needed perspective on jumping from the cockpit's point of view. And instructor Scott Jaszlics, our S&TA helped out with all levels. Everyone's involvement really made the event a great success. Participants ranged from 20+ to 100+ jumps.

Jumpers were built into groups of four and had to use current wind conditions to figure out their own agreed upon spot using the math they just learned, then they had to figure wing loading which they used to come up with an exit order. Once done, they got signed off by an instructor and we all headed to the airplane. We made it to about 6000 feet and made four passes where jumpers had to work in a group and give corrections to the pilot who purposely was off jump run by 30+ Degrees. Jumpers got the hands on experience of actually calling the spot and controlling the otter. It was a blast!

After exit it was accuracy time where staggered opening altitudes allowed each jumper clear skies to run their best pattern. The winner, James won a case of beer!

The whole experience was a lot of fun and everyone learned something they will use for the rest of their jumping career.

This Wednesday will kick off our first weekday local's rule event. After this week we should start seeing BBQ put on by Club Jump IN! and the Rip Cord for Wednesday evenings. This week whoever shows up, JUMPS. Organizing with coaches available. This will surely turn into a solid hump day of jumping for the true locals and die-hards alike who show up.

Today, Brian Touhey is organizing 10 Jump IN! members and putting them through the tests. Everyone's learning curve is being shot through the roof. Just a great day of jumping with friends in an environment were mistakes equal learning all the way to the last load. Video on every jump really showed the learning curve in action as the completions were bigger and bigger with the last load being one of the best. Brian really showed the spirit of jumping by putting the FUN, in Funnel!

If you were on these loads, had fun and want more of this, make sure you post here and to the SNE Fan Page.

Yes, as usual there will pics to tag on the Skydive New England Facebook Fan Page! Thanks everyone for a great day of jumping!

HP

July 4th Boogie SNE

2010-07-05T14:02:00.007-04:00

July 4th boogie here at SNE was a BLAST. Beautiful weather gave way to solid back to back loads all the way through the weekend. From tandems to Fun jumpers to AFF everyone was jumping, all day long.

We had two people get their "A" licenses this weekend, Kevin and Jamie. We've got a lot of people coming off AFF and moving into the coaching realm and more "A" licenses are on the way. Definitely a fine summers crop of skydivers ready to ripen and blossom. On Friday Dale made his 100th jump with great video and as standard, ceremoniously pied and tossed into the swoop pond when we all finally caught up to him.

Saturday saw a full day of over 90 tandems and fun jumper loads with Dr. Pete and Lyle presse each group jumping throughout the day. Lyle brought hybrid sequential to the picture with team T-Minus:01 and Aeris working together for some cool 8-way sequential hybrid action. The inside video by Brian was awesome.

Saturday night went off at the Rip Cord. Local musician and marketing extraordinaire Foggy and Tony Tommachine ripped it up with his band to the serious explosions of a first class fireworks show by the legendary Carpenator. All to the light of one seriously big bonfire. Again, sorry for no pics, I was totally caught off guard. But simply enjoying it for a change was just fine by me.

On Sunday, Jeff Nebelkopf and Taya Weiss organized a Maine State Wingsuit record of five that built after a full day of currency jumps for the flock on Saturday. And Lyle and Dr Pete kept organizing load after load.

World famous swoopers Pia Mcfarland, Mike Shatlov and Tim Bernard showed up for hop n swoops that made for some great sunset pond action during the weekend. And Trunk from Hypoxic was on hand all weekend long with his round the country RV with Erin in tow showing off all of his wares and beatn' up his jumpsuit swooping the pond. Hypoxic sponsored a Video Fest on Sunday night showing off some of the weekends videos and set the stage for Jim's 100th pie ceremony where more then one person was covered before it was all said and done. On Monday night Trunk sponsored a lobster and clam feast giving an incredible end to a great boogie for those in attendance.

Monday is still going strong. Brian from Team T-Minus:01 is organizing a 10 way right now making the youngn's jump through hoops and pushing everyone's skill level all under the Club Jump IN! banner. Club Jump IN! Is getting stronger. We have almost 50 local jumpers on the list and its still growing.

Check out pictures that are posting regularly at the Skydive New England Fan Page!

Thanks for checking this out. A LOT more to come so stay tuned from the North East's funnest DZ!
HP

Summer In New England

2010-06-26T19:29:00.019-04:00

As we move like a freight train into summer I am finally catching up enough to actually look and write on my own blog.
I've been in New England Area since the middle of March. The Coastline is simply beautiful in any weather. The timing was just perfect with enough cold and wet weather to experience winter and the timing to a perfect spring. The icing on the cake is sharing it with Shireen who has graciously accepted my craziness for the time being. Hikes, mountain biking and runs through a gorgeous coastal town make the perfect way of being.
I've had the pleasure on dinning on lobster more times then I can remember and am enjoying the seafood here at every chance it get. The walk to town is over a 100 year old bridge and the town is just that, a town, with a main street, shops and lots to do and see. A summer mecca for surrounding towns and states.
It's been absolutely gorgeous and this is the first time I have experienced a real spring in a very long time. And believe me, it goes by fast. Before you know it the leaves are back on the trees and the flowers are everywhere.
Cooped up in a small office I was afforded the opportunity and time to educate myself on photography and even took in a Vegas trade show, made new contacts, invited to write for a Photography SEO blog, Togs4Togs, and began shooting again.
Then I came across Skydive New England, which is run by an old friend Mike Carpenter and his partner Fred Cotreau. It's amazing skydiving center they have built over the last 10 years and is reminiscent of jumping centers of long ago. Jumping here makes me remember why I started jumping in the first place. It's more like a big family.
Nestled in the woods about an hour from Boston is a private airstrip surrounded by a couple hundred acres of land. It's a pretty tight airfield with about a mile runway that goes downhill and even has a dogleg to it. The jumping students that come out of here are very good at accuracy as they have to be with little outs and 100 foot trees in all directions. That goes for the pilots too.
Before I knew it I was offered a summer position as General Manager with 30+ staff and time took off. Fully moving here and setting up took almost two months. Living quarters here are in the middle of the woods amongst the tall trees in one of the coolest, friendliest and happy campgrounds completely filled with Skydivers who love and are proud of what they do.
One has to live here to work here. Over 100 tandems in a day is the norm during the peak season. Every day that goes by the busier we get. I've gone from barely having enough equipment to a full editing station, an office and a complete home.
The staff here are amazing. My learned team concepts were readily accepted. It wasn't hard to see again the timing was right and this is a very seasoned and serious DZ staff. Everyone works hard, takes pride in what they do and when this place is running you might not even know it was busy, except for making ten plus jumps on any given day or pumping out over 100 tandems on any given day.
Management is one of the best I've work with over the years, hands down. Committed to not only their business but the staff and the jumping community is truly refreshing. No matter what side one is on when the chips are down everyone is working together. Time is going so fast and we are all working on so many projects it is going to be interesting to see how all this turns out by the end of the season. It's exciting to say the least.
In this part of the US there is a short summer season for jumping so the jumpers out here are very eager to jump. The drop zone is always busy with work of one kind or another. Projects are always underway. I haven't seen a DZ that works as hard as this place on their facilities in regards to the operation and business, the staff and the fun jumpers.
There is just tons to do, be involved in and it is never boring. Since accepting the position I have not stopped moving. It was the perfect timing and offer.
I am hoping in the coming months as summer races to an end here I will be able to share this drop zone, lifestyle of skydiving and the pictures that go with it. Stay tuned, I am just getting started. Most of my shooting has been tandems and I have been experimenting with these photos.
Hopefully in the next month I will be garnering new camera equipment and begin actually documenting the people and lifestyle, so stay tuned.
Summer in New England, absolutely beautiful!
Check out the Skydive New England web page. We have two facebook pages The Skydive New England Fan Page and the Skydive New England Learning center where I am uploading tons of pics every week.
Thanks for tuning in!
HP

Pat Dodgin 1949-2009 BOOK and DVD

2010-04-30T09:41:00.013-04:00

This is a peek at the final product for this project. A book and DVD commissioned by Pat's wife Amy and the organizer, Jeannie Banksten.
I've truly enjoyed working on this project. The camaraderie of the skydiving community really shines at these times and the success of the day and tribute to Pat was a combined effort of many.
One of the impacts memorials and funerals have on me is the reflection of the community that come out to honor those who have passed. It's easy to see what the world around us truly values in a person and that reflection is evidently authentic at these times.
It is these times a clarity in life seems to emerge where we can take stock in our own lives, who we are, who we are being as an impact to the world and those around us.
Which brings me to the "DASH" between the date of birth and date of death. How are WE spending our DASH? Something to think about, not just during a time of loss but perhaps when we get comfortable again.
If you knew Pat and would like to remember the day you said farewell in this true celebration of life as only skydivers can do, check out the book.
Below are some pics of the book and DVD set. If you would like a copy of the book you can go to my book store for the Patrick Dodgin Book. Check out the slide show of the book below and follow the links on the bottom of the show as well.
Get your copy of the day's DVD!
Just send me an email letting me know you want one. DVD's are approximately 30 minutes long, includes dives of the day, interviews, ground footage and beach party and costs only $26.50 including shipping. Payment accepted through PayPal and delivered First Class Mail..
These are a standard DVD copy without the DVD case and DVD printing
Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this event and I do hope you enjoy this reflection not only of Pat but also of yourselves, the skydiving community.

As always, comments are greatly appreciated. Comments are one of the life energies of a photography business.
Thank you & God Bless,
HP

Captain Pat Dodgin 1949 - 2009 by Harry Parker | BOOK INFO

Pat Dodgin Slide Show

2010-02-25T07:53:00.002-05:00

Below is a slide show with many of the pictures in time line to music. Do hope you enjoy it. Like what you see here, please leave a comment. Would love to hear some feedback from you all. The video and book will take a little longer to deliver so this is it for a bit.
I am really enjoying working on all this, playing with the photos, going over and over such an awesome day of skydiving and celebrating such awesome relationships in the name and honor of a friend. How lucky we are to have a community such as ours. A life such as ours.

This is my second memorial and again this time it's as if I had a partner while editing, picking music, etc. A really fulfilling feeling.

Jeannie "Bee's" love, dedication, and commitment to this process just keeps getting bigger, deeper and more powerful. I feel very lucky to have friends like you all in my life.

Thanks for taking the time to check this slide show out. You can also find it on Facebook as well.

If you haven't seen all the pics yet, they are in a Gallery web site.

Enjoy!

A Celebration of Life - Patrick Dodgin 2.4.1949 - 12.26.09

2010-02-23T22:09:00.007-05:00

As skydivers, learning to say goodbye starts with simply celebrating life as only skydivers can.

This past weekend, Queen "Bee" Productions, Jeannie Bankston, organized an incredible memorial tribute to one of our own Patrick Dodgin and hosted by his beloved wife Amy Smith Dodgin.

It was a full day. Four jumps blew the rust off a few with the last two jumps being ash dives with one on the beach. A tribute by Ruben Garcia was simply inspiring, started the ceramony. The VFW showed up in full force with over 25 participants, a military gun salute and a flag presentation to his wife, Amy Smith Dodgin.
Lyle Presse organized the troops with a foolproof plan that worked for all jumps, giving everyone a chance to get in on the formation. On the beach jump Marty Jones Flew the American Flag during a final sunset farewell jump while friends and family gathered below.
Once beach side, Pat's son, Scott Dodgin, lifted his glass to a final "Captain Morgan" toast to his beloved father as Balloons of Red, white and blue flew into the sky with the sunset.
Amy hosted everyone to an open bar and food while Pam Geoffrey's slide show video played capturing the attention of all and educating more then a few of the life, smiles and times of Patrick Dogdgin.
Many people gave their time and attention to helping setting up, breaking down, moving and transportation. A big thanks to Keith Larrett for coming out for some high sky flying picture taking and helping me to round out the event. Keith is a well known and long time skydiver who is renown for his amazing art and craft of skydiving photography. It was an honor to have him on board.
The collage below is suitable for printing, just click and then download.
To see pictures of the day check out both Myself and Keith's pictures at my Gallery Web Site.
A slide show is on the way, an actual BOOK and a video, so come back for updates and more STUFF from an awesome celebration of life.
If you would like to tag yourself on facebook, just go to the picture album and have at it.
Thanks to all for the tears, smiles and passion of a real celebration.
HP

Switzerland 2009

2009-08-16T17:46:00.012-04:00

I sit here now in a van heading for France for more BASE jumping after almost a week in Switzerland BASE jumping with Team ILL VISION. Three days of wet weather and slippery exit points was followed by bright blue skies and two jumps via helicopter from the Eiger Mushroom as the trip’s highlight.

I was fortunate enough to meet many incredible people and made close to 15 jumps total for the trip.

Switzerland’s Lauderbrunnen Valley is a place of dreams, not only for its remarkable access to the biggest mountains of Europe or it’s simple quite and beautiful laid back farming style, the food or the people but the opportunity to pursue whatever outdoor sport you wish.

The area is lush with forest and incredibly huge granite walls on both sides. Trains and cable cars allow sportsmen and families alike to reach trials and vista’s unimaginable by American standards. The beauty of the area is nothing short of breath taking in all directions and one could spend months in just this one area and never scratch the surface of what is truly offered.

The area is reminiscent of R.J. Tolkin’s “The Hobbit” and brings to mind the place he called “Rivendale.” Some of the farming family’s history is over 500 years old still tending to cows and grass pastures. Nomes, hobbits and elves? I get it now. You have to see this to believe it.

Traveling, another sense permanently embeding an area to memory is sound. The area is rich with the sounds of church bells ringing every 15 mins, the clanging of cow bells, helicopters echoing through the valley everyday, all day and the constant flow of waterfalls 360 degrees.

Water is never a problem. The weeping walls of the valley produce some of the cleanest and freshest water I have ever tasted. Public free flowing fountains can be found on many street corners flowing fast enough to fill a 2 liter bottle of water in a matter of seconds.

The outdoors is shared by everyone from hard core extremists to families, the old and young alike. Even at the most remote destinations all the comforts of home can be found complete with toys and parks just for keeping the kids entertained.

I am incredibly grateful at the opportunity to experience my sport and life in such a setting. Below are a few pics. I will have more up on my Gallery later. For now I must go. We are reaching our destination in France and should be at another incredible huge exit point soon, more to come.

Check out some more pics here of our BASE jumping.

Yes, I am still alive

2009-07-07T18:20:00.011-04:00

Where do I begin. Many of you have written wondering why I haven't made any posts.
It's been well over a month, I know.

I made a last minute, risk it all adventure. An old friend and jumping partner offered the opportunity I have been attempting to create for several years now.
The opportunity to help bring his team, Team ILL VISION, to the next step. Now none of us know what that is, but he knew that it was time to push it to the next level. So, I signed on as Team Development, documentation and marketing.
I had three weeks to move years of baggage and stuff, pack my car and shut the house down ready for a Hurricane. Took a week to drive out West stopping at several friends places along the way. I finally made it to Perris Valley, CA for some work with world renown aerial cinematographer, Craig O'Brien. Those event posts are below.

My girl, Shireen, flew into Huntington and we took a week driving up the coast, which was awesome. The highlight being the Hearst Castle and two nights and threes day in Big Sur. We hiked, walked and took in the sights. I will post those shortly. The coast is amazing.

I eventually reached my destination of Northern California on May 16th. Shireen helped me settle in to my new place and then it was straight to work. And let me tell you, it's been busy. The calender is booked solid with travel and events.
I plan on posting pictures here as I move through them. Really just wanted to give you a quick update and start posting.

Current Project, Team ILL VISION
Enjoy the pics below from our recent trip to Twin Falls, ID and the Perrine Bridge where the team jumped with others four days in a row during great weather.
That makes two blogs I am running and of course my Facebook page. If you are interested and want to keep up on the latest. Those three outlets are where to look and all three will have slightly different postings and pictures depending on the audience.
My life has taken an incredible and exciting turn. One thing I really notice is the view. Completely different, as you will see.
Thanks for all the support. Look forward to seeing many in Sebastian coming this winter.

The ride out to Idaho was amazing. As soon as we made it through Reno the desert opened up, the cell phone slowly died and for the first time, in a long time, I let myself disconnect from the matrix. It was wonderful. Ten hours of just open country and the elusive "No Service" Sings, on my phone, on the road. Perfect. I could feel my breathing change, my mood elevate and the conversation took a different tone. It was by far one of the best mobile offices I've ever had.

All these were taken from the truck. Sometimes and open window, sometimes closed and then sometimes through the front window filtered with bugs and road stuff. To see some BASE jumping Pics go to Team ILL VISION.

Perris 100 Way Camp COMPLETION

2009-05-10T22:23:00.008-04:00

Want to check out all the pics, go to the low priced, easy download GALLERY.

Want to tag yourself, your friends? Go to my FACEBOOK profile.

The end is here. The camp is over. LAST jump and my group did it! They completed. The other group had to do a go around, lost floaters and had to land.

What a great weekend. Never before have I seen a camp this big where people generated so much big way experience. The learning curve was HIGH to say the least. Many of these peoples limits were pushed beyond their own expectations.

Any of you looking to take your RW to the next level should check out Perris Valley Skydiving

It's the end of the day, pictures n people are going crazy and I gotta pack up and get to the next adventure.

I will be on the road and not sure when I will post next. Stay tuned. It's going to be an interesting summer.

Make sure you check out the pics and leave a comment!

Aerial Pink Play House Breast Cancer Fundrasier, Perris Valley Skydiving

2009-05-10T11:42:00.004-04:00

Gonna make this quick. It's early, I was up late, I'm late and on a 10 min. call. The party was great.
The organizers really did a bang up job on this party. The planning was top notch and it showed. From carny games to sumo wrestling to a spread of food it was all there. A great fundraiser for a great cause created by a an awesome group of people.

Here are the pics. I'm on a 5 minute call. Enjoy!

Want to tag yourself, your friends? Many more Pics. Just Go to my FACEBOOK profile.

Saturday at Perris Valley Big Way Camps with P3

2009-05-09T23:50:00.004-04:00

Want to check out all the pics, go to the low priced, easy download GALLERY.

Want to tag yourself, your friends? Go to my FACEBOOK profile.

Gonna make this quick. Great party going on.

Another awesome day of jumping. Flew in the left trail and left, left trail all day. Great group of people in both planes.

No completions yet but it's so close many of us thought it was a done deal until we looked at the pics.

Five jumps, full altitude, took all day. That's it. Gonna party with the gang. Think I'm a carny for a booth tonight.

Enjoy the pics

Friday 100-Way Camp

2009-05-09T00:13:00.006-04:00

Want to check out all the pics, go to the low priced, easy download GALLERY.

Want to tag yourself, your friends? Go to my FACEBOOK profile.

If you like this blog or the pics, please leave a comment at the bottom.

Made five loads today. Didn't get a completion but everyone had a lot of fun. There are a lot of new people here really pushing their comfort zones and limits. I don't think I have ever seen an event where you really get the chance to learn. Everyone did the same dive all day and for some of the dives it really paid off and a completion here or there was missed only by a few.

And, no one gets upset. Learning is a process. Tomorrow I am sure the group will be mixed up and even more progress will be made.

Today, we all stayed with the same group and the same airplane. I was blessed with the right trail trail, the newly painted Shark, out of five airplanes I am in the last one on the right. And, I was with the funnest airplane for sure. Many of the jumpers were members of TEAM Awesome! and they don't get that name as a group for nothing. Smiles on every load, chants and good vibes.

From our airplane we could see the entire plane formation all the way to altitude. Just a blast. Our communication with each other made for some smooth climb outs and exits.

Our camera team even grouped up after opening for some formation flying and landings on every load. Challenging all the way till our feet hit the ground.

Tomorrow is going to go big. The organizers have something up their sleeves and the girls are throwing down BIG for a fund raising party for Jump For the Cause, breast cancer.

The "Aerial Pink Playhouse" will boast a boxing ring, sumo wrestling, a bouncy house as well as a climbing wall and carnival games! There will also be a DJ, magician, face painting and belly dancing, I an told. Supposedly the boxing ring will feature boxing rounds with the organizers - Dan BC, BJ Worth, Larry Henderson, Doug Forth..........

A "Pleasure Station" will feature "MonaTinis" a martini made with Mona Vie, jello shots and free beer. They even plan to hold a "boobalicious" bake sale.

So stay tuned for more action from the P3 100 Camps here at Perris Valley Skydiving.

Perris Valley 100 Way Camp Blasts off

2009-05-07T21:27:00.006-04:00

Want to check out all the pics, go to the low priced, easy download GALLERY.

Want to tag yourself, your friends? Go to my FACEBOOK profile.

If you like this blog or the pics, please leave a comment at the bottom. Feedback is rare and greatly appreciated. Would love to hear what you think.

This Thursday afternoon the P3 group from Perris Valley Skydiving brings together all the instruction from last weekends big ways to this weekends 100-way camp.

The P3 organizing team consists of Dan BC, Kate Cooper-Jensen, Tony Domenico and Larry Henderson. The Participants consist of new up-and-coming big way enthusiasts, as well as many veteran large formation skydivers.

Today we made four loads for two groups of 110 people. That's five planes back to back alllllllll day long. The first two loads went to 13,500 for basic base building and whacker site orientation. The last two loads went to full camp altitude of 16,500 ft requiring O2. Both loads got closer and closer to completion as organizers cleaned up slots and traffic.

Overall a great day of jumping. We have a nine person camera team, four on each load and one on the ground downloading. The plan is to keep our group and switch planes so even we as the camera crew get to hone our skills on every jump. And let me tell you, this is way fun. Floating on big formations is a wild ride and using O2 requires ones attention. Once all the floaters are outside the airplane the pilots must keep their positions relative to the lead plane and that can be a bumpy fun ride. Time is crucial to position oneself perfectly with the base making sure for excellent and professional debrief video. The pressure is nothing but pure overdoses of satisfaction.

The organizers definitely have their hands full and at the same time progress is the proof after every jump.

Overall a very successful day of jumping for all involved here at Perris Valley. Enjoy the pics and please leave a comment if you like what you see.

Check out the FULL GALLERY.

Sunday at Perris Valley Big Way Camps by P3

2009-05-03T19:16:00.008-04:00

Don't forget to check out the Gallery for ALL the printable pics. Also check out resident and photographer organizer CraigOB.com

Wanna tag your friends? Wanna freebie? Check out my FaceBook profile.

The Shark is back up and running with a brand new paint job. Yaowza. Does it shine! Even got a pic of me under canopy. Great day.

Today concludes four full days of skydiving hard here in Perris Valley. Participants put all they learned to the test doing 55 ways from three planes at 18000 msl. Three planes taking off at once back to back all day. Even at that altitude the day couldn't have been more comfortable.

As you reach 20,000 feet the color changes, swear! It gets so clear and crisp. Just wonderful.

A total of 168 jumpers from 26 countries, with USA being the minority, made over 3100 jumps on 160 loads during the four day camp.

The bigger it gets the funner it gets. I love working as part of a team. Many loads had up to three cameramen and there is a plan to follow with each responsible for a certain shot the organizers are looking for. We all took the opportunity to trade plane slots from lead and both trail each providing a different challenge.

As the weekend ends it's obvious the P3 organizers have taken big way formation RW skydiving to the next level . If you are an RW jumper or just want the opportunity to do more, then I highly recommend you check out their events page and get yourself out here.

Thanks to all for the smiles, high fives and great skydives. See you next week for 100-ways.

From what I hear they have two 110 ways for the four day camp. That's 5 planes at once running back to back loads for the entire time. Yahoo! Check back for more posts and pics.

Off to the Bombshelter for a cold one Enjoy.

Saturday at Perris Valley Big Way Camps with P3

2009-05-02T21:05:00.005-04:00

Make sure to check out all the pics! at the Gallery!

Wanna tag yourself or some friends, check out my FaceBook profile.

Another great day. The weather here was made for skydiving. Perris Valley Skydiving ROCKS!

Today the P3 organizers took participants to the next level. A full day of 30-ways out of three airplanes making sure all jumpers tested and honed their big way skills. The three plane, two pass loads provided a timely and comfortable pace for everyone.

And again, by days end the formations began to complete and ended with a DZ full of happy jumpers.

I am loving the formations loads. It's not often one gets to do these and especially this many in one weekend. Multiple cameramen on one loads really gets the team work going and raises the challenge for all.

Tomorrow we are going even bigger and will be using O2 at over 17,000 ft. Can't wait. Yahoo! Stay tuned, more to come.

Tonight is the big banquet, so I will make this one short. Enjoy the pics.

Big Way RW Camps

2009-05-01T14:02:00.009-04:00

Looking or more pics, check out my GALLERY.

Day two of the camp starts on time at 8am sharp. Organizers took what they learned from participants the day before and reorganized groups. Formation loads started taking some of the groups straight to the next level.

Aerodyne made it. Yep, Cookie and Les are here. Gotta love those guys. Always a ton of demos. I traded in my quicky canopy for a bigger PILOT. Brand new, been jumping it all day, soft openings, soft landings, even in the dirt clods of the dersert. Definitely an asset at any event. Check out their events page and find out where they will be or contact them to see if they can come to your event.

From the start it was obvious participants were having a great time, learning a lot and pushing their boundaries. I was lucky enough to be filming Larry Henderson's group. Every jump new slots were assigned testing and teaching new skills. Our plane load kept getting better and better and our full 20 way began completing it's dives by the middle of the day. We made six jumps, as did the other groups. I am talking about non stop turn arounds for ALL the planes.

There are a lot of people here and I've noticed a lot of smiles and high fives. This is the place to be if you are interested in taking your RW skills to the next level of big ways and the P3 group are the organizers to make it happen. Jumpers with under 500 jumps are getting the chance to get serious coaching from some of the best in the world. I've met old friends and am making new ones and many are coming in from other disciplines, including free fly, wingsuit and even a BASE jumper or two.

Blue skies and light winds created some landing direction problems in the morning and by mid afternoon the winds picked up with some overcast. Only two jumps through about 1000 feet of ice. Being from Florida, I notice those things.

Great day. Tommorow the loads should get bigger and even more challenging. Stay tuned.

Perris Valley Big Way Camps with P3

2009-04-30T13:02:00.019-04:00

The Harry is back.

Just landed in Perris Valley California after a five day drive from Florida making California my home for the summer. More to tell in an upcoming post.

This weekend I have the honor of working with some of the best Skydiving Cinematographers organized by Craig O'Brien and RW organizers at Perris Valley Skydiving. This Thursday morning kicks off a four day jumping intensive weekend with "Perris Performance Plus" P3 Big Way Camp aimed at all experience levels.

The 8am call started the day with a complete meet and greet before breaking into smaller 20-way groups. There is nothing but smiles and good weather to kick off the event. Everyone knows if they do well this weekend they can move on to 100-ways this coming weekend May 7-10th. And of course many are striving to the get a slot on the coveted "World Team."

Check back often for pics and updates as the weekend progresses. To see the full gallery of pictures check out my GALLERY, which is updated daily. You can also tag yourself on my facebook profile.

The P3 team of Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld, Kate Cooper-Jensen, Tony Domenico, Larry Henderson, Doug Forth and Tom Jenkins will lead jumpers through a four-day camp structured to enhance and improve big way skills. Jumpers will learn and apply techniques of diving, floating and base work in this 4-day 18-jump camp.

Many jumpers are repeat attendees and almost a 1/4 of the jumpers have under 500 jumps. This camp is designed to give everyone the needed info and skills training for 100-way and bigger formations. The proven model the P3 organizers use allows smaller formations, 20 - 40 ways, to duplicate all the jobs, visuals, and responsibilities of a 100+ way form.

The leaders include Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld, Manager of Skydive Perris, founder of Airspeed, multiple gold medal winner in four and eight way at the World level and organizer of the GO FAST 300-way World Record. Joining Dan are Kate Cooper-Jensen and Tony Domenico, both of whom have been involved with most World Record large formation skydives. This includes organizing the last three Jump for the Cause Women's World Records, including the upcoming JFTC 2009, and the current 400-way World Record WT '06. Larry Henderson, a WT '02, 04 and '06 captain, TSR captain, and a familiar face from ESA boogies and many other events worldwide, joins the team once again. Also returning are World Team member, veteran competitor, and formation skydiving coach Doug Forth, and Tom Jenkins, World Team member, TSR and large formation organizer.

For more info on how to get the best big way coaching, check out Perris Valley Skydiving web page for upcoming events.

3.5.09 Shuttle CReW Video at Skydive Sebastian

2009-03-31T20:16:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone! Thank you very much for your patience.
Here it is, the shuttle video you've been asking for.
Please leave a comment at the bottom of this post if you would. This was a great jump and did we luck out. Great weather and a delayed shuttle launch that finally took off on schedule after many scrubs.
Coupled with an awesome line up of pilots the formation built quickly and the view was incredible.

Thanks to everyone for making this happen

Enjoy!

Check out the Shuttle Pics

If you wanna print go to MY GALLERY

March Madness Casino Night

2009-03-29T20:32:00.009-04:00

Another great party at Skydive Sebastian, Florida.
Weather kept most out of the skies for the better part of the weekend, but everyone stayed for this yearly Casino themed event.
Lyle Presse from SkydiveTshirts.com hosted an organized RW weekend with Carolina Flock jumpers. Many only jumped Friday during the event and wisdom and experience kept them on the ground Saturday as winds gusted over 30MPH.
Some pics are below.
Still, Lyle kept the group busy with trips to the local watering holes and boat rides to the islands.
The prizes during the party were top notch totaling over $5000! Including a FREE Javelin Rig and blocks of tickets.
Great to see old friends and meet some new ones.
Our last big boogie for the season. Looking forward to a Rockn' summer.
Check out the slide show below.
If you wanna nab yourself a pic, check out Harry's Gallery for all the pics during the party.
If you are looking for Skydiving Pics, visit my Facebook Pic Album.

HP

Shuttle Jump At Sebastian

2009-03-15T22:16:00.009-04:00

Last minute rush to pack, attach a flash, climb in the plane and WOW. Sunset couldn't have been more celebrated then with close friends on a skydive together watching the last night launch of the space shuttle.
This launch has been delayed several times and the one time we get in the plane, it's a go.
Barely enough time to make altitude we jumped three minutes prior to liftoff giving enough time for the formation to build and set up for the show.
Sorry for the rush, but I have to catch a plane to the West Coast, be back in a week.
Enjoy the pics!

Flexvision Dirty Dozen

2009-03-01T12:28:00.008-05:00

Hey Gang! Thanks for a great day of jumping.
Lyle Presse is now shaking up the organizing with a more lax approach and allowing more jumpers to attend. This weekend saw some pretty cool 12-way turning multiple points to incredible Florida winter weather.
I really enjoyed filming a larger group then eight and am looking forward to larger groups in the near future. Do hope you all enjoyed yourselves, I sure did. Thanks
Just FYI, Lyle and Kyle will be launching a whole new site with a scheduled release on March 15th. Check out www.SkydiveShirts.com often as the changes are coming and so are some of the newest coolest designs and printing available from someone you know!
Check out the slide show.
More pics on Facebook

Harry Sighting Working

2009-02-26T08:44:00.001-05:00

Yes, it's true. A co-worker, Mikey, took this snapshot of me actually working on a very big job site. Another coworker fell ill so I was called out from behind the computer to help pull a few 1000 feet of fiber and set up installation for security and surveillance on a nearby city infrastructure project.
Digging ditches was fun. The weather was excellent and I even managed to get some sun.
Next week I will begin the fiber connection process hooking up over 20 cameras and perimeter beams that will virtually lock down this installation against unwanted threats.
It's all high tech and the new fiber that is being installed and used everywhere can handle TONS of data leaving the actual network the weakest link in relation to speed. The system can be monitored from anywhere using a computer hooked to the Internet. Some cool James Bond Stuff.
To check out some of the stuff we utilize at my Unkle Jon's, world famous canopy relative worker, go to Diamond Quest and look over the videos.
Hope you are enjoying the weather!

Jackson Hole 2009

2009-02-10T17:02:00.017-05:00

Wow. The mountain is BIG. And STEEP.
Just getting back from a trip to Jackson Hole with the Philly Crew. They've been doing a yearly ski trip for over 20 years now and this is my second trip with them. Great bunch of people and a challenge to keep up with on the mountain. They've been all over and are in the process of checking off a list of resorts they all want to ski over the years.
We stayed in a sweet condo that was for sale for 1.8 million dollars. Fire place, big kitchen, big rooms, the works, three stories.
This year didn't see the BIG POW everyone was looking for, but we did get some nice blue bird days and even close to six inches in the middle of the trip to soften things up.
The mountain is HUGE and the new tram holds a 100 people and gains 4,000 ft+ of altitude in just a few minutes.
We got the chance to cover most of the mountain except for the incredibly steep and notorious lines Jackson Hole is known for and saved those for the Mangy Moose video Screen Après-ski.
Four full days of skiing with one of those a full day of X-Country Skiing. Can I tell you how much I am from Florida now? I love the cold and snow, don't get me wrong, but my legs have since divorced and left me in the cold. OW.
Hot tip, don't ever follow the skiers no matter how "good" they tell you the snow is. Bumpity Bumpity bump ruined me the very first day. But the groomers and some of the trees were heavenly. Nothing the community condo hot tub and a micro brew couldn't take care of though.
Thanks guys, looking forward to next year!

Full Gallery, check it out HERE.
Slide show HERE.
The show can also be found on facebook HERE.

Santa Barbara, California

2009-02-02T13:42:00.009-05:00

Never a dull day. After the State Records were a wash out due to weather, the weather cleared and opened up to beautiful blue skies for all our travels home. I took advantage of the break and made my way up the coast to take advantage of a workshop David Jay was hosting at his house.
Get this, I show up and it is Tom Sanders old place. What a trip.
On the way I got to hang with some old friends, even one from Florida. With a day off we took a drive around Santa Barbra to check out some of the biggest and most desirable homes in the US and of course whatever we happened to come across.
When we saw people flying off the hill the skydiver in us found what we were looking for. We hooked up with couple of cool instructors from Fly Above All and Eagle Paragliding and had a chance to get a closer look at this very cool sport.
Joe Webber is an old BASE jumping friend and a premier dentist in Santa Barbra. I just happen to catch up with him while he was about to do a lobotomy on another friend David Major.
I love California and all the friends I have there. Good time, and as usual, too short.

Cali State Records Day 5

2009-01-27T14:18:00.007-05:00

Been a long week watching the clouds ready for the 10 minute call. As skydivers do they keep themselves busy with all kinds of stuff including poker and stupid human tricks. One jumper even broke his ankle on a fun jump.

Still we all kept to the plan and on the last day we made three rides to altitude, 19,000+ MSL. At least the cold front had moved through and it was very cold at atlitude. Two of those rides to altitude ended with all the planes landing due to could cover. On the last attempt we got the blue sky we were looking for and made the jump.

All was well, the base was perfect, on heading and the jump began to build. All it took was someone to go a little low, slide under the base and then it went from a building skydive to tons of humans in the sky.

Everyone was relieved to get a jump in after being grounded all week. The group could have pulled this off if they had the chance. Organizers spent a lot of time designing the dives and on that very first jump video showed the planning paid off and all was set to go well.

Great to ride in the plane with you all. Best wishes for a great year!

HP

Cali State Records Day 2

2009-01-22T23:13:00.008-05:00

Again waking to mayonnaise layered skies, the mood is still upbeat and the mission is focused. Regardless of the weather everyone makes ready for the inevitable get-it-on short call.

Circle up at 8am ready to skydive begins the day.

I can’t help but feel a sense of purpose that brings back so many memories. Over the years in Sebastian, or Margaritaville, everything is so laid back. Here in Perris, one of the nerve centers of skydiving’s evolvement, the mission and objectives are clear and the purpose is very focused.

In short, this is SERIOUS fun. It’s why the learning curve is so high, it’s why they can organize two separate 100 ways during a single weekend for a “get ready” camp. It’s why the dives work.

The energy is different and I find myself anxious and I realize it’s because the environment has become almost foreign and how much I miss it. Everyone operates from the perspective of “team." It’s a great energy to be around. And it's obviously one of the reasons everyone here is at top of their game. All the photographers are constantly pushing and helping each other. The growth and professionalism is apparent.

As a cameraman I love the pressure of having to push myself, knowing they are expecting perfect video for the debrief and accepting nothing but the best.

We've managed to squeak out three loads. All but the one from 8K was two passes each with two planes, ½ a plane load in each plan e.

The weather outlook is less then ideal. This record is coming down to the wire and the pressure is mounting. At this rate, there won’t be much warm up and everyone will have to perform and complete the record in a few dives. This is sure to be exciting.

Below is a picture of what the completed formation looks like. We will be going for the record in the morning with an 8:30am take off.

Enjoy the pics.

Cali State Records Day 1

2009-01-21T14:34:00.011-05:00

Day 1 at the California State Record 162-way Attempts.
Rain and overcast conditions. Now awaiting arrival and hopefully quick departure of a thick fast moving front. Dirt dives are now in progress for the sectors with a full dress full formation dirt dive coming up.

No jumps today but a LOT of dirt diving and pre-flights. No one will have an excuse for not knowing where they are, that's for sure. Call for the day 3:30pm.

I am on team of seven photographers for one skydive. We will each have our own group to film with one lucky guy getting the ability to fly where, when and how he wants as long as he calls his flight plan to the rest of the team before the jump.

The photographers here are top notch and I am quite excited and nervous to be here. I will have my own sector and plane to film. This is where it is at for RW right now. We are talking the biggest and best known organizers in skydiving now under the Performance Plus3 banner here at Perris Valley Skydiving.

Check out some of the pics from these guys to get an understanding of the level of expertise and experience of the team.

Craig OB
Will Boeykens
George Katsoulis
Niklas Daniel
Karen Lewis
Terry Weatherford

Perris Valley California State Records

2009-01-19T12:47:00.004-05:00

Time for another road trip. Leaving in the morning to work and shoot with the infamous Craig OB at Perris Valley Skydiving.
And then it is off to a photography class in Santa Barbara with David Jay.
I will be gone till the 1st of Feb.
BUT
With this new blog I will be able to keep up while on the road. Check back for pictures and events as they happen. The trip is sure to turn up some good stories and pics. Cali always has a way of bringing out the adventure.
You can also now leave comments and feedback with ease.
And as always, keep in touch!
HP

Flock South WingSuit Boogie

2009-01-18T21:34:00.003-05:00

Jeff Nebelkopf organized about 14 jumpers this weekend here at Skydive Sebastian. Friday we got winded out as a front moved through and Saturday brought some of the Artic Blast the rest of the country was feeling. Most of us had to button our Hawaiin shirts all the way up. I came down with the heeby geebies and made one jump on Saturday, but still managed to get the TIKI Bar open for the gang to watch a video of the days jumps edited together by "Range."
Sorry, no pics from me.

PDFT X-Project

2009-01-12T18:41:00.002-05:00

They finally did it. Performance Designs Factory Team, the most infamous and south after team for skill coaching in the world, has finally expanded. And, I was lucky enough to be chosen to document and blog about the final camp help for the selections.
Situated in the boonies of Central Florida, 15 lucky candidates spent a week with the team showing the team what they were made of and the team grilling the candidates in a physical and mental tear down.
What a week of 12-16 hour days. But it was worth it.

Hey guys, I know some of you were looking at where to get pics. Been swamped. Please look over the PD page, next link below, and send me a list of file names. I will then upload to a page you can order prints from or digital files.

You can check out all the pics HERE

Check out the Video Blogs

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3 the final post

Happy New Years!

2009-01-01T18:38:00.001-05:00

Get this, I just took over the TIKI BAR at Skydive Sebastian. It took me over a week to get up to speed and then it was New Years during the "Invasion" at Skydive Sebastian. I don't have any pics of the place as I am always working hard during the events. But they will come soon.
Here are some pics of Skydive New Englands 16-way. Away from the cold of the North, SNE knows how to party and get the most fun out of a skydive!

Christmas Party!

2008-12-15T18:36:00.004-05:00

Although I didn't hold my own Christmas Party this year, I did get a few invitations and this one turned out to be a real luxury. Our group did it's best to find the clothes to even get in and once inside everyone was treated to the best in food and wine for a celebration of the Holidays.

A few selects below.
Check out the SLIDE SHOW!

8-Way with Lyle Presse

2008-12-13T18:40:00.001-05:00

More good times on a rockn Saturday with Lyle Presse and the gang. I am sure this will turn into 16-way soon enough. Weather hampered efforts on achieving the 6 jump goal, but persistence and quick manifesting netted the group three jumps, which is more then anyone else got that day.

My Candy Cane Girls

2008-12-07T18:34:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas. Every holiday deserves a photo shoot and these girls did it right with a skydive tribute to Christmas! And, let's not forget our infamous "Dee" and her 100th jump! What a riot. A near miss turns into a milestone.

Check out the CANDY CANE SLIDE SHOW

Jill Herrrington, Jump IN! Organizing

2008-11-30T18:26:00.001-05:00

Jump In! members and new members to be enjoyed some of the biggest formations of their fledgling careers on this Saturday. Jill Herrington organized all day while I did video and stills. We had great time and kept a large group together all day.
Even got in a freefly jump.

Cali, a week of work

2008-11-20T18:32:00.001-05:00

After the WingSuiting world records with Team ILL VISION, I was lucky enough to score some web design work for a long time friend, Dave Major. Check it out at www.aerialacecinematography.com

Team ILL VISION & The WingSuit World Records

2008-11-15T18:29:00.002-05:00

Another chance to jump with Team ILL VISION, this time in Elsinore, CA. for the WingSuit world records. As a team of 9 and armed with the same designs in different sizes, we shredded the competition and flew the right wing with speed and precision.

Bridge Day 2008!

2008-10-25T18:21:00.002-04:00

It's been a while. This year was a blast. Hanging with Team ILL VISION, I managed to score the announcer slot for the event and even interviewed the Governor of West VA.!