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PD Factory Team members Ian Bobo and Shannon Pilcher were selected as 2005 Skydiver of the Year by Skydiving Magazine.

The Skydiver of the Year award was established to recognize skydivers whose outstanding aerial accomplishments have earned them the unequivocal respect of their peers. With that in mind, both Bobo and Pilcher are truly deserving recipients. More info...

The PD Factory Team conducted a training camp in California from February 27th thru March 3rd. The main goal of the training camp was to practice team maneuvers such as "no-contact" formations, 4-way carousels and synchronized team landings, while getting JC Colclasure, the newest member, familiar with the PD Team's flying style.

"This year will involve lots of team flying in adverse conditions, so we're spending extra time in the air together to build trust and awareness. The learning is incredible, and the radio communication system provided by Rare Dynamic has helped us fine tune our high performance maneuvers."
- Jonathan Tagle

Jay Moledzki of the PD Factory Team coached a Flight-1 Swoop Camp in Picton, Australia from February 10-19. Drew Lipinski organized the event by bringing together skydivers who ranged in experience from 400 to over 8000 jumps. Sydney Skydivers has a large pond (395' x 175') and they provided a great atmosphere for learning, improving skills, and just plain having fun!

The camp was scheduled in the weeks preceding the 2nd Australian Nationals of Canopy Piloting. This event would determine the National Champion and the top competitors would have the opportunity to represent their country at the 2006 World Championships in Austria.

The new Australian Champion, Cameron Rolf, had this to say...

"Thanks heaps for the coaching. I set myself the goal of getting the entry gate every time and I did that very well. I also achieved my goal of getting into the top 5 and making the WCCP team!"

"I had the most amount of confidence I've had going into a meet and I appreciate your advice and help while you were over here."

"By attending these kind of camps and competitions and opening your minds and souls to becoming better pilots you set the example for all skydivers to follow" - Jay Moledzki

Shannon Pilcher was busy in February and March hosting two separate Flight-1 canopy camps. The first, held February 15-17 at Skydive City in Zephyrhills, Fla., consisted of 15 Scottish jumpers, with six progressing through the Essential Skills Course and nine through the Advanced Course.

The second camp, held March 10-14 at Skydive DeLand, was a private swoop camp with top Czech canopy pilots Roman Stengl and Radek Novak. Each jumper made approximately 30 coached jumps, including five Air-2-Air jumps with Pilcher, focusing finesse flying and intuitive flight development. Both Stengl and Novak are planning to attend Flight-1 camps in Empuriabrava, Spain (May 16-21) and Klatovy, Czech Republic (August 15-17).

Jonathan Tagle conducted Flight-1 Essential Skills Courses for 14 new students at Skydive Elsinore in Southern California on February 17 and 18. The Essential Skills Course is a five-jump (hop-n-pops) program with video debriefs and ground training sessions between each jump.

The Flight-1 curriculum is a joint effort developed by Scott Miller of Freedom of Flight and the PD Factory Team. For more information about Flight-1 visit, www.flight-1.com.

The PD Factory Team is getting ready to travel to Europe in less than a week. They're planning an expedition that includes dynamic team flights over Mount Blanc in Chamonix, France and The Dolomites in Italy.

Look for the full story in the next issue of the PD Factory Team Newsletter.