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 In late January, the PD Factory Team ascended upon one of the world's seven wonders--the Grand Canyon--with the ambitious intent of flying deep inside its rugged walls. This wasn't the first time that skydivers have flown in the Grand Canyon, but it was the first endeavor of its kind, where skydivers dared to navigate the canyon's jagged and merciless terrain with ultra high-speed canopies.
 Blessed with five days of perfect weather and a passionate and resourceful production crew and ground crew, Factory Team pilots Ian Bobo, JC Colclasure, Jay Moledzki, Shannon Pilcher and Jonathan Tagle attacked the canyon's sharp ridges, sheer walls and treacherous ravines, successfully executing a variety of epic flights into the heart of the canyon. The camera team of Utah's Sundance Media Group was there every minute of every day to capture the action from all angles. Whether dangling from ropes 1800 feet above a razor sharp talus or simply manning a tripod in sub-freezing temperatures, the Sundance crew remained focused on the goal, and by week's end, had captured stunning images of the flights. Check the PDFT website for 'behind the scenes' photos captured with the talented eye of Justin Carmody.
 By nature, expedition flights require careful planning, scouting, knowledge, skill and support. But the Grand Canyon adventure was exponentially more challenging in every aspect. For that reason, the PDFT would like to publicly recognize expedition leaders Ian Bobo and Jay Moledzki for their devotion and leadership. Bobo spent literally hundreds of pre-event hours tackling a long list of administrative and logistical hurdles, ensuring that the project flowed smoothly, and that the team's goals were achieved. Once on site, Moledzki stepped up as operations leader, decisively guiding the team through tireless days of scouting, making executive decisions when necessary, and generally keeping the team focused on its mission.
 In the end, it was a huge success. In only eight jumps, the team successfully executed a wide selection of eye-popping flights, including stunning team formation flights into the canyon, BirdMan flights beneath the rim, formation toe-drags off the snow-capped rim followed by synchronous barrel rolls down the wall, criss-cross landings on the merciless canyon floor, solo high-speed barrel rolls into tight ravines, multiple BASE jumps, and more.
As always, many people and organizations made this event a success, and the PDFT would like to acknowledge those efforts. The biggest "THANK YOU," of course, goes to our PLATINUM partner Performance Designs, who not only make the most "super-bad-ass" flying machine on the planet (the Velocity!!), but who also believed in this dream enough to finance its exorbitant costs. Special thanks to former marketing manager Rob Wilson for his vision, and to John LeBlanc and Bill Coe for honoring that vision.
 
Thank you also to our GOLD level partner Sun Path Products, Inc., for catering to our specialized equipment needs, and for its continued financial and moral support. The Javelin Odyssey is unmatched in comfort, durability and safety, and we simply will not trust our lives to anything else.
Thank you to our SILVER level partners--Airtec GmbH (Cypres 2), Gatorz (Precision Eyewear) and Ouragan Suits--for contributing beyond your means financially, and for patiently working with us to develop products that allow us to stay focused in flight.
 Our BRONZE partners--Alti-2 (Neptune), Asylum Designs (Perigee Pro BASE rigs), BirdMan (S6 wingsuits), Consolidated Rigging (BlackJack BASE canopies), RareDynamics (Air-to-Air hands-free communication systems), and RealXstream--are equally committed to helping us achieve our aims, going to unprecedented lengths to shape their product and services to match our specific needs. Thank you all for your faith in us.
 On the operations front, we offer a heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Jack Guthrie of Skydive Utah and his partner Debbie Zimmerman, who selflessly contributed their entire week tending to our every need. Their presence at this event was not expected, but it in hindsight, it is something we literally could not have done without. Thank you both, and welcome to the "team."
 In the extreme environments of mountain expeditions, precision aircraft piloting is essential. Hats off to our skillful helicopter pilot Greg Barlow of AirWest Helicopters, LLC for his willingness to take us everywhere we needed to go. And to our Cessna pilot Michelle Knutson for donating her time and expertise. Thank you also to our jack-of-all trades, Dave "Clem" Major, whose unlimited skill and experience allowed us the versatility to "get the shot." At any given time, Clem might have been hanging from a rope, flying canopy chase video through a gnarly notch, or chasing Jay in his S6 BirdMan as he smoked Mach-5 past the jutting rocks.
 Finally, to the team at SunDance: Having never worked with a professional film crew, we weren't sure what to expect. What we discovered was a passion, fervor and dedication paralleled in magnitude only by our own. To Douglas "Spotted" Eagle, Matt Wimmer, Joey Allred, Benjamin Bressler, and Mannie Frances, we are grateful for the experience, we are humbled, and we look forward to future missions together.
To all you reading our newsletter, THANK YOU for the respect. It is mutual, we assure you.
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February 22, 2007 
