Dag 4...

Ola,

I've just heard that I can write "schoown brieve", my vlamisch is improving dramatically. I'm now getting concerned that when I come back in Holland, that my Dutch collegues and friends will have a hard time understanding me.

(debriefing)

Luuk now knows when he has to switch on his camera, and when to turn it off. Also his self confidence is growing as during one jump, when we had to jump from 15.000 feet, he came below the formation. I think we should not jump anymore from that high, in the first place we become too scared when we jump from that high, secondly it introduces brainlocks.

The jumps are really progressing. Today we did blocks 1, 2, 3, 10, 16, 20. For me especially block 10 was so much fun, for the insiders as a tail I had to make a compressed with Sven (inside center) and keep on spinning, and at the end throw Sven out like a frisbee, I think the video tells it all. In tracking I'm completely out of breath, so I must be doing something good.

(family portret)

For Paul the block 3 exit was a great experience. He's hanging like an inverted monkey facing outward. His task is to jump out high together with me, and in the repeat he did a great job. Also the 1 exit was great for Paul. Me already landing while Wesley stil in the plane talking to the pilot (I know only insiders will possibly understand).

For Wesley he was very satisfied with the 16 block, we definitely closed it. Also exit block 2 was great for Wesley, so far in the plane, not hitting the door and still doing a good job. We are definitely improving.

(tunnel speed)

Sven liked the 16 as well today, he was now allowing me (tail) in closing the block using less brutal force. Sven has to control his anger during the execution of blocks, he is making an appointment with his shrink. He also like the 10 block, although I don't understand that as I am not allowing him to do anything. The block 3 exit he liked as well as right after exit he actually wanted to have a camera with him because it looked great. As I said, we are definitely improving.

As we are training together with Arizona Airspeed (they are quite an oke team) we are rotate the exit orders, so at least we can have some time to practise the next jump in the mockup. On one jump the Airspeed cameraman did the spot. After them we were quite late out of the door, a new difficult exit, and we had a perfect spot, leaving Airspeed in the middle of the desert. You would have expected that after making a zillion jumps here they know when to exit. Probably not.

(crashed on the couch)

Today we concluded day 4 of our camp. We've done so far 42 jumps. Tonight we will go to the tunnel, only starting at 20:40. So it will be late before we will start getting waisted. Its going to be a challenge, but with Paul as a captain for this event we are dead sure we will succeed. By the way Paul is still busy cursing his laptop, starting to considere buying a proper laptop, even a Mac (NOT).

Tomorrow probably we go to Phoenix (Poeniks) of Tuscon (Tukson). A minute away from the 'sandbak'.

We are quite tired but really satisfied with the progress we're making. In this phase we are busy understanding and practising the techniques of the blocks, the next phase will be consolidation and becoming constant. After that we will start on speeding up. We are on the right track to be the nightmare for numerous 'wanabee good' teams. We're really getting an American attitude, that's probably the result of mixing Belgians and Dutch in one team. Now we just have to make sure we are not exiled from both countries.

By the way, the waitress in the bar is really a "schoon wiefke", nice eyes etc. She's a real positive distraction compared to the crowd clapping and cheering each time we land. The average age of this crowd is approximately 175 years old, although very friendly. Arizona apparently is a state in which to wait until the winter in your own state has passed. Why the he... would you come to Arizona, there is just sand and a whole lot of nothing.

Oke thats it for now. Hopefully my teammates will enter a nice contribution tomorrow. I'm not betting on Paul, his laptop is still starting up since three days ago, and he types with one finger, and just love letters.

See ya,

Jacco