Ramblers DZ Round-up

Well here we go again, Newsletter 10 picking up where we left off - from Tuesday 13th September.

Matt Stuart finished his AFF course and stuck around all week completing his A license in 15 jumps. Well done Matt, see you again soon.

Wednesday got busy; Rhyley Heron was back with two friends for tandems, Brian Long brought his 16 year old daughter Febe...

Febe Long - Static Line Jump 1 - Photo by Wade 

...for the Static Line course, along with Justin Cooper...

Justin Cooper - Static Line Jump 1 - Photo by Wade

and Trevor Woodward.

Trevor Woodward - Static Line Jump 1 - Photo by Wade

Wade was kept busy! 

 Wade landing

Thursday was busier. Febe and Brian kept going, Adrian Kennedy did stages 6, 7 and 8, Chris Belliza...

Chris Bellizia - Stage 5 - Photo by Wade 

...did Stages 4 & 5 and James Farrugia...

Jimmy Farrugia - Fun Jump - Photo by Wade  

...continued on towards his A license. Even Dave Carr rocked up for his first jump in 18 months. Phil Kemper was flat out jumping and packing (Louis is on holidays).

Friday was just as busy. Naomi Millar took over the packing and worked like a Trogan all weekend. 

Naomi Millar - Photos by Lisa

Brian and Febe didn’t stop, Dan Davill did a jump  and David Schmuttermaier did four! The weekend crew started arriving, Funky, Costa, Luke Kristo, Rob Burke and Adam Harrington all did jumps. And we had a Sausage sizzle – yahoo what a great week. The old 182 sure got a workout!

And then it was Saturday, possibly our biggest one this year. Seventeen tandems arrived, and we had 7 First Jump Course students including John Goodenough and Dennis Yates, Oliver Binz, father Alex, son Alex and daughter Christie Turner who stayed Sunday and did the 3 jump package, and Brett Ruddell... 

Brett - exit off the 182 - Photo by Phil

...who started the 20 jump package and stayed all week. 

Brett tracking next to the clouds - Photo by Phil

Other novices included Hayley Murphy who finished her A license - well done! And James O’Brien who did a B Rel with Marc. 

Jim O'Brien - Photos by Marc

The licensed jumpers numbered 35. Paul Taylor was back, and Nada. Gary Myors (who brought along 7 of the tandems – all on Harleys) did 3 jumps including one with Simone Bull – go the APF jumpers! The “Big Boys” did 10 training jumps and had Greg Maskell as Coach.

Suzanne, Andy, Al White and crew got stuck into it, Crikey and Georgia kept the freefly alive, plus, as stated a stack of other jumpers including Tezza made Homer do 13 loads . Poor old Alec Adsett thumped in and got carted away with a crook back. “My wife’s gunna kill me! She’s Sicilian“! Good luck Alec. (We had 3 “Alex’s” here Saturday).

Sunday was almost as busy. The Big Boys kept at it, the students from Saturday kept at it, Peter Flanagan did 4 jumps and got his A license - Congrats! Adrian Bramwell and Chris Bailey did a few each. Cheri Bullen and Jamie took Cheri’s grandad RoyBoy for an ashes jump, sad but lovely.

Cheri and Jamie release ashes - Photo by Wayne

Brody, Kimbo, Riss and Marc Dergacz helped out with instructing along with our regular instructors. John McMahon had a big weekend. Rebecca Morris did a couple, her first after injury.

I took off and did a demo with Doug (with his giant Aussie flag) into the State Finals AFL match at Victoria Point. ATC gave us a hard and we had to exit at 2,000’. It was scary but good fun.

I got back just in time for the sunset load and managed to lead all seven of us off-drops! Rebecca (manifest) also did a jump – her first for a while, and also landed in the show grounds. And then it was Pub Night!

It was busy again Monday. We had 7 tandems, Brett and Febe kept on with their training, Febe doing her First Freefall.

Febe - Strut Hang - First Freefall - Photo by Phil 

Josh and Bubba hung around and Naomi Adam continued with her Freestyle training.

Then we had a DZ burn-off!! 

DZ Burn-off - Photos by Rebecca Henderson

Tuesday was a good steady day with just Febe and Brett getting three in. Wednesday was a bit busier, Alan Milkovic was back for his last PRP and First Freefall. Stewart Penny did his first jump course, Brian Long got into his B-Rels...

Brian - Strut Hang - B Rel 5 - Photo by Phil 

Brian - Tack - B Rel 6 - Photo by Phil

...and Greg White did a couple. We did six 182 loads Thursday with the same crew (Stewart did stages 2,3,&4) and Justin Khoo paid a visit. Friday just kept going with all the same students.

Febe finished her Static Line course - Congratulations!

Febe - Backloop - Photo by Phil

Febe - Track - Photo by Phil 

And Alex Turner was back for stage 4 – check video!! Alex’s younger son Adam also did a tandem. Dave Smedley got his B license - well done! Rodney and I did a jump with 70 year old Milton, his first jump back since the 1970’s!

Rodney & Milton

 

Milton - Photos by Macca 

Luke Smith, Frank Klaus and Rob McCulloch arrived early for the weekend so we got a Homer load up, and had a sausage sizzle.

Saturday was huge again. Emily Hatfield got her A license - Congrats!

Emily Hatfield - Exit - Photo by Lisa

Adam Phillips was back, Alex Turner and daughter Christie both did Stages 4&5...

Christie - AFF Stage 5 - Photo by Phil

...and Stewart finished his Stage 8. Gavin McKinnon got his Star Crest...

Gavin's star crest - congratulations! — with Holly Godwin, Sol Mann, Rab Mac, Ben Nordkamp, John Leach, David C Brown, Jo Parsons, Joel Carpenter, Gavin McKinnon and John McMahon - Photo by Lisa

Amy McDermott did a Bi-Plane with Lisa...

Bi-Plane - Lisa (top) and Amy (bottom)
Photo by Steve Fitchett

We did 5 tandems and there were 40 experienced jumpers. I did an Atmo with Alex and Justin Khoo,...

Justin and Alex - Photo by Macca 

...a Head-Down with Marc and Phil, 

Phil and Marc Head Down - Photo by Macca

...a Sit-Fly with Alex and Lou...

Lou and Alex - Photo by Macca 

...and an AFF with Alex Turner .

Alex Turner - AFF - Photo by Macca

Lisa did a great load Energiser job!

Lisa - Photo by Steve Fitchett 

Steve Fitchett was also taking photos.

  
Steve Fitchett - Photos by Lisa

Ben organised a Club Big Ways day...

Big Way - Rab Mac, Blaino, Wayne Gannon, Ben Nordkamp, Gavin McKinnon, Holly Godwin, Al White, and Chris Searle - Photo by Lisa

...and Pony, Crikey, Joorj and Blake did 7 Off Track jumps

Team Off Track - with Chris Cosgrove, Blake Hooper, Bain Andrew, Tom Clark and Ryan 'Joorj' Mair - Photo by Lisa. 

...with Tom Clark – back from OS with Holly Godwin. Tintin rocked up for the big-ways. Ceri Hilton and Ulli were back from work jumping in the States.

The sunset big-way was a beauty (I was out last – yahoo!)

Sunset Load - Photo by Macca 

...and the party Saturday night was a beauty too.

Sunday started windy and got worse, hot north-westerlies, yuk. We only got three loads in and called it quits.

However we did do some “special” tandems; George Woods did his first 8 jumps sixty years ago as part of the First Army Paratroopers Course and he was back to jump on the anniversary. He brought along his son-in-law, his grandson and granddaughter and his great-granddaughter.

George Woods - War Veteran - Freefall - TM Motzi
Photo by Phil
 

Claire - Great Grand Daughter - TM Motzi - Photo by Phil

L-R: James Chatterton - grandson; Jackie Robertson - granddaughter; George Woods, Claire Eaton - great granddaughter; Paul Malcomson - Son-in-law. Photo by Phil

Watch the Channel 7 News on YouTube!

How’s that! And he made Channel 7 news. On ya George and James and Paul and Jackie and Claire. 

Then we opened the Bar!

Monday we all went to the new Clubhouse Official Opening at the Sunshine Coast Airport. Mayor Bob Abbot did the honours. It was a great day, a real milestone. I handed my official letter of resignation to Mayor Bob. Congrats to Wayne and Susie and Team. Good luck and go hard.

Official Opening of the Ramblers Clubhouse:
Mayor Bob Abbot unveiling the plaque.
L-R: Susie McLachlan, Mayor Bob Abbot, Wayne McLachlan, David McEvoy
 

Ramblers Clubhouse Opening, Sunshine Coast Airport
26th Sep. 2011 - Photos by Rebecca

Watch the Channel 7 News on You Tube!

Tuesday it was back to work as Febe and Brian were back for more 182 jumps and B Rels. Wednesday same-same plus Stewart arrived for stage 9. Jack Keogh brought Jez Fwawn for a tandem and Alex Woodward arrived for a couple of wingsuit jumps, plus a Head-Down with me.

Alex Woodward - Photo by Macca 

And that’s enough for this newsletter!

See ya,

Macca.   

Photo Overflow

Alex Woodward - Strut Hang 182 - Photo by Phil
 

The Stig - AKA - Wade - Photo by Phil
 

Homer - Sunset Landing - Photo by Rebecca

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