Total loads: 625 loads for the year.  The record set in 2001 is 698 loads, close to the previous record in 2000 of 649 loads.  99% of ALL of these loads have been to 10,000 feet in altitude.
Records broken: Jim Sharp was obviously the LOAD HOG (sorry Paul E.) this year with all the jumps he normally makes, plus the 40 jumps on his 40th birthday in one day!  So with those 41 loads (the last jump was an 8 way), he broke the record of most loads in one day on May 17th this year.  We almost broke this again May 26, with 39 loads, this time all to altitude and with regular jumpers; the previous record set in 2000 was 35.
Return jumpers: 16% of people making their first jump with us made at least one more jump!
Did we jump often?  Was weather a factor?
Possible Days: 105
Days Open: 94 (90%)
Days Closed: 11 (10% - 8 of these days have been bad weather, 3 good weather but 2 of those over our Traditional Christmas Break anyway)
Days Jumping: 68 (72% of days open)
Days of Bad Weather: 26 days of being at the DZ, winds blowing or clouds hanging low, staring at each other (or moving furniture!)

If you liked this "Year in Review" or have comments, email Jen.

Tidbits from the year...

Freefall Photographer Rance Sackrider takes 35mm photos and video of student passenger Lisa Ebert.  Lisa turned 18 on Wednesday, November 13, 2002, and that weekend made her first jump as part of a high school project she's been working on for a couple years.  Lisa and her family visited the DZ several times this summer gathering information for her project.  The jump was the culmination!
Photo by Jen Sharp




Bob Lowe flies his canopy over Skydive Kansas as the sun reflects off Melvern Lake in the distance. 
Photo by Paul Eriksmoen.

Congrats to the last 8 way of the year, an ALMOST sunset load after a busy 12 load day Saturday, November 23, 2002, a round held for about 8 seconds: Austin McKune, Rick Gardner, Charlie Dyck, Steve Schonfeldt, Bob Kemper, Craig Ketter, Mike Lowe, Bob Lowe.


Happy Halloween!  We didn't get to jump, but had fun dressing up!


Bob Kemper took this photo of Bob Lowe as they were playing Space Ball.  A Space Ball is a tennis ball filled with exactly the right amount of weight so that it falls at the same speed as bodies in freefall.  A pull up cord is attached at the top to give it extra stability.  Games with the ball help hone flying skills and are a lot of fun!  Special care is taken so that the ball does not reach the earth unaccompanied!


As the amount of daylight diminishes by 2 minutes every day, sunset loads will be more plentiful.  Saturday, Oct. 5, 2002, Brent Ingham makes a beautiful sunset landing after a tandem.




The Hop & Pop Load!  On Sunday Sept. 22, 2002, these three Phase 3 students all made their A license required Hop & Pop from 3,500 feet and all passed!  From Left to Right is Jaime Schonfeldt, Coach Rick Gardner, Jason Norris, and Jeremy Lyons.  CONGRATULATIONS!

A special THANK YOU to Rick Gardner on Saturday, Sept. 21 who was the only brave volunteer to climb on top of the hangar to fix the wind meter!

Heard at the DZ from K.H. under canopy:
"What the hell are you guys looking at!??"

On June 8, Skydive Kansas marked another milestone: 15,000 total jumps at Skydive Kansas.

On July 4, come out and bring Seafood and watch the Osage City Fireworks.

On July 27, Skydive Kansas will do a demo jump for the Shrine Bowl into Pittsburg State University.

On Sunday, June 23rd, Jim Sharp made jump number 2,000.


TWO Kansas Air National Guard B1 Bombers
flyover Osage City on July 4th, 2002

Congratulations to Tom Hanrahan of Ft. Riley who earned his A license October 21, 2001!

Congratulations to Gustavo Fernandez of Salina who earned his A license November 10, 2001!