BigWay Skills Camp 2023

• Fri 26th - Mon 29th May 2023 (only one day of annual leave required for UK participants)
• Skydive Pink Klatovy, Czech Republic
• Four days of jumping. (Thurs 25th is arrival and warm up day and is strongly recommended. Weds 24th is a bigway skills tunnel min-camps in the Prague tunnel).
• 20 jumps.
• No stress
• No blame
• No drama
• Just fun, smiles and socially distanced cheesy high fives.
• Please be ready for 8am Fri 26th May. 
• Release time (no later than) 4pm Mon 29th May (normally there are flights leaving Prague after 8pm)

• Skydivers who want to get bigway current for the summer
• Skydivers who haven't done multi-plane before
• Skydivers that want to learn bigway properly
• Skydivers who want to have a fun trip. Obvs.
• Skydivers that want a reference for other events

At the start of the event you must have:

50 jumps experience after you have done a proficient 4way skydive (4 points or more). The assumption is that this is at least 75 jumps in total.

Minimum 15 jumps in 3 months preceding this event, ie between 27th Feb - 26th May

Minimum 2hrs tunnel total of which at least 1hr in the 3 months preceding this event, eg 27th Feb - 26th May.

Practice Jump requirements:

Please practice your tracking. Get used to tracking next to someone for a few seconds before fanning out and separating.

Suggest you try this on at least two jumps ahead of the camp.

Plan and jump a normal FS jump, 2 or 3 way. At 7k, turn and fly as a tracking team. Fan out at 5k, and deploy at 4. These altitudes are just a suggestion, feel free to modify them to make them more appropriate for your jump.

NOTE: C licence (200 jumps logged in your logbook) required to jump from high altitude with O2 and to jump the balloons. If you're close, make it happen.

1) Read this website.

2) Pay the reg fee. Details in the reg form or available by email.

3) Fill in the reg form.

(scroll down this website to see the list of confirmed attendees - once registration is open, obviously)

Day 1 plan is to do 10-12ways (internal camera on one group).

To get the best results we need to build a strong foundation. A few of you might think progress is too slow on day one but the benefits will show later in the camp. Perhaps one O2 jump for people with >200 jumps.

Day 2. If we can do multi-plane, we will.

Days 3 and 4 are planned to be multi-plane. 10 from each plane. Perhaps 2x O2 jumps from increased altitude on Day4.

Nominally 5 jumps per day but we'll flex if weather requires it. Option of a 'special' 6th jump on one evening. See below.

NO CHANGE FOR 2023.

Sliding Scale. The bigway FS scene is ageing. To encourage younger skydivers to join we're using a sliding scale.

• Registration fee = £160 (equivalent to £40 per day for LO and camera on five jumps - a massive bargain. Equivalent to 4 mins in the tunnel)
• Under 30? Discounted reg fee = £115
• In full time education? Discounted reg fee = £90 (equivalent to only £22.50 per day, or approx 2 mins in the tunnel)

Credit card options exist in the registration form. Bank transfer saves 1.4% card handling fee. Euro bank account details exist too.

The reg fee covers your LO and cameraflyer costs for 5 jumps per day for 4 days.

PS The sliding scale seems to work so happy to keep it for a 6th year. Would love to hear your feedback.

PPS The credit card company takes 20p and 1.4% from every card transaction. After feedback from participants on previous events, I have included a voluntary option to cover the 1.4%. This is totally optional and not expected at all.

PPPS if a simple thing like money is the only thing stopping you from registering... speak to me. We might be able to find a flexible solution. I just want people to jump.

We all want to come home in one piece...

• No turns greater than 90deg under 1500 feet. 
• There shouldn't really be any turns greater than 90deg over 1500 feet either.
• Land in the same direction, as indicated. OR land well away from everyone else. So far away we can't film you.
• If your downwind leg is on one side of the landing area, then you should NOT travel the whole width of the landing area on your cross wind leg as you'll be cutting everyone else up.
• If multi plane, suggest you carry a phone with you. I've landed off on more multi plane jumps than wingsuit jumps. No one wants it to happen. But...
• Make sure you have the number of the DZ stored in your phone.  

• Quadrants
• Radials
• Stadium Approach
• Red Zone
• Tracking teams

You don't need experience of doing these though, that's what this camp is for. If we don't make a single completion BUT everyone comes back confident they've got the skills to nail a bigway formation record AND we're all smiling? That would be just perfect.

But obvs... I'd love some cool photos too. That's what facebook is for, right?

The DZ have confirmed that there will be two skyvans on the DZ.

Jump tickets at Klatovy are EUR39.50 each. (price correct as of May 2022)

The planes are equipped with O2 and can go to FL20. Single plane 02 jumps are marginally more likely than multi-plane 02 jumps.

The costs are:
4200m / 13,800 ft AGL is EUR 39.50 (No O2 required)

4800m / 15,750 ft AGL is EUR 45
5200m / 17,100 ft AGL is EUR 56

6000m / FL20 / 19,700 ft AGL is EUR 64

Klatovy is about 1k ASL so we'd get 1k less than stated numbers. ie if we're going to do it, we're going all in. To the top. Well, at least once anyway.

The DZ owns two hot air balloons. Two! All jumpable. Approx EUR 106 per jump. They fly every morning and evening if the conditions allow. It's recommended and we'll flex where we can to allow you to jump these.

And no, I've never heard of a multi-balloon jump either.

C licence is required or a logbook showing 200 jumps.

• Innhopps are AMAZING. 
• We'd jump one evening and land out. Somewhere. Somewhere scenic. Somewhere.
• Because you haven't seen the landing area, except in a rudimentary drawing, your senses are heightened making it an amazing experience. 
• Transport back to the DZ would be included. 2018 there was beer on the landing area, fire dancers, a cowboy on his horse and a live band. True story. 2019 we landed at a f*cking castle and there was beer on the landing area, dinner and tours of the castle. 2020... someone landed at the far end of the field, slung their canopy over their shoulder, climbed on the back of a local's motorbike and got a ride to where the beer was waiting. 2022 there was beer on the landing area and some of us were walking to the pub for dinner and were invited into a local's back garden party to sample the local vodka. On empty stomachs. And the local rum. There was a live band and there was dancing on the tables. 
• All the boring stuff is included like ground crew, transport for ground crew, smokes for landing direction, boat crew if near water, extra fuel for the plane, transport home for everyone etc etc, blah blah blah. 
• We've no idea on costs but if you budget for 1 jump ticket plus EUR45 then that's about right.
• Optional. You don't have to jump, there is also an option to ride the bus there to join us.
• No need to decide now. Decide at the event.
• This is not guaranteed to happen. However, we will endeavour to make this happen. It's the icing on the cake.  
  
  TBC

• Please be on the DZ for 8am on Day1. DZ registration can be a little slow. We'd like to be on a call for 9am. 
• You'll be released no later than 1600 on Day4 in order to make the late flights home to the UK.
• Camping is free
• DZ bunkhouse is cheap and clean and very close.
• We are working on a hotel package (Statek Ceskalipa) so we can all stay in the same place. Don't feel you have to if you've got a bigger budget. Costs are pretty reasonable. Standard hotel price is about 28 euro per night inc breakfast. Expect breakfast to be typically Czech. Expect twin beds to be separate mattresses but one double bed frame. I don't know why, it's just what they do there. 
• It is likely accommodation will be tricky and single rooms at a premium. If you definitely want a single, please look for accommodation elsewhere. :-(
• Nearest airports are Prague and the ones in southern Germany. Assume Prague will be most popular but suggest you do your own checks. 

I'll be LO for some chilled warm up jumps the day before. My current plan is to fly out on Wednesday morning. Hit the tunnel Wednesday afternoon, evening and Thurs morning and jump on the Thursday afternoon. Feel free to join me. Or do your own thing. I'll be on a lift Thursday afternoon and will do 3-4 jumps as quickly as I can and then I'll be stopping to catch my breath before the camp starts.

After the event there's often a boogie fun jump day - Wingsuit rodeos, freefly, big big star formations. Anything goes. This year the DZ is currently planned to be shut Tues 30th May however. If they have a plane, they will let us know.

Event tshirts are notoriously hard to get right. I don't do them. I am happy to assist and guide someone else sorting them though.

2018 - event tshirts were crowd sourced. John Horne was 'the man'. He designed them and found a manufacturer.

2019 - The legends of Sun Path Products subsidised the event tshirts - it was a one off. Shirts supplied by Manufactory. Approx USD 70 per shirt. Wow. Amazing. Jemma Westing was the designer to rule all designers.

2020 & 2021 - hahahaha.

2022 - we did them and it wasn't a total nightmare. But later event tshirts were.

2023 - I'm still suffering the after effects from tshirts in 2022! A long story. I don't do tshirts. If you want to make it happen, please be my guest. I'm happy to advise, I've made enough mistakes, I feel like an expert. Thank you.

E&OE. Registration fee is your deposit and secures your place. Non-refundable but can be swapped if you find someone to take your place - I will help as best I can. By coming on this trip you are confirming that with appropriate training and encouragement you will be able to safely fly 20-22ways. We will do our very best to help you. However, if you're unable to fly in 20-22ways safely; your approach is uncontrolled, your tracking is inefficient or your canopy control is reckless, or maybe you're just having a bad day, at some point you will be asked to stand down from the group.

- Places are limited. We need at least 20 to go ahead. Although we'd be aiming for 40, as in 2019, 2020 and 2021. 2022 the camp was 96ppl but this was a handful.

- If your Govt, or the Czech Govt forbids you from travelling there would be a 100% refund.

- If the Czech Govt requires a period of quarantine on entry, then there would be a 100% refund.

- If your Govt allows you to travel but recommends against it for all but 'essential reasons' there would be a 100% refund.

- If your Govt allows you to travel without an essential reason (eg holidays) but imposes restrictions, eg a period of quarantine, then this would be your responsibility.

- Deposits are non-refundable (with the above exceptions) but is transferable. I'd do everything I can to help you find a replacement.

In 2020, some Czech events weren't able to be held but the planes were able to fly to Cottbus in Southern Germany. I'm told their landing area is even larger. I'd be surprised if we have to consider this but it's not a long drive from Klatovy, a couple of hours so flights wouldn't need changing. All good skydivers have a plan B.

Everything here is reported as I've been told. Be aware though that planes can break. Fuel prices can go up. Weather can be a disappointment. Balloons can be taken out by a bird with a sharp beak. DZOs can offer to pay for a 3rd plane to carry one skydiver to altitude solely to get outside video (true story) or they can change their minds. Volcanoes, earthquakes, locust swarms, meteor strikes, black holes, zombie hordes and virus pandemics all happen. Brian is not responsible. Blah blah blah. :-)

Read this website. Be happy with the contents. It has all the information you need. (If it doesn't, email me and I'll make sure it gets listed).

Pay the reg fee. It's on a sliding scale in an effort to encourage younger skydivers into the Bigway FS scene.

• Registration fee = £160 (equivalent to £40 per day for LO and camera on five jumps - a massive bargain. Equivalent to less than 4 mins of tunnel per day)
• Under 30? Discounted reg fee = £115
• In full time education? Reg fee = £95 (equivalent to only £23.75 per day, or approx 2mins of tunnel per day)

The payment details are in the Registration form or are available by email. I'm not sure how sensible it is to post bank account details on a website.

Reg fee covers LO and cameraflyer costs for five jumps per day for four days. I am a full time skydiver so I do need to earn something per day, I hope you understand. This is not planned to be a profit-gouging event, registration is still pretty reasonable and bigway event costs are notoriously unpredictable. My 3yo daughter thanks you. x

Fill in this registration form... click any of the buttons on this website. :-)

• It's the minimum information we need now.  
• There will be an update form in mid May asking for your latest stats. It will have detailed information so that we can make sure you get the most from the camp. 
• Jump numbers don't need to be precise. To the nearest round number is fine.