BigWay Skills Camp 2021
No stress. No blame.
Learn bigway the right way.
Sat 24th - Tues 27th July 2021
Skydive Pink, Klatovy, Czech Republic
Fri 23rd July - Arrival and warm up day - heavily recommended. Free Load Organising. Only small Cessna in morning. Skyvans from afternoon onwards.
Thurs 22nd July - Tunnel camp day in Prague. Very limited slots. First come, first served.
Weds 28th July - Boogie Fun Jump Day
40 slots. First come. First served.
Edit: Whoa, unprecedented demand so we have increased the size of the camp...
80 slots. First come. First served.
Edit2: Check out the attendance for the latest list of who's going.
Edit3: Date change. Stupid pandemic. Now late July.
BigWay Skills Camp 2021
The best entertainment and education per skydive.
🪂 THE BASICS
🪂 WHO SHOULD BE DOING THIS CAMP
🪂 WHO SHOULD NOT BE DOING THIS CAMP
🪂 MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
At the start of the event you must have:
Minimum 50 jumps post FS1.*
Minimum 15 jumps in 3 months preceding this event, ie between 24th April - 24th Jul
Minimum 2hrs tunnel total of which at least 1hr in the 3 months preceding.
*FS1 - ("Formation Skydiving 1") is a UK proficiency award. You're awarded this when you prove you can do at least 4 points of 4way on a skydive. There are other requirements but this is the headline one.
Practice Jump requirements:
Please practice your tracking. Get used to tracking next to someone for a few seconds before fanning out and separating.
Suggest you try this on at least two jumps ahead of the camp.
Plan and jump a normal FS jump, 2 or 3 way. At 7k, turn and fly as a tracking team. Fan out at 5k, and deploy at 4. These altitudes are just a suggestion, feel free to modify them to make them more appropriate for your jump.
NOTE: C licence (200 jumps total) required to jump from high altitude with O2 and to jump the balloons. If you're close, make it happen.
🪂 HOW TO RESERVE YOUR SLOT
1) Read this website.
2) Pay the reg fee. Details in the reg form or available by email.
3) Fill in the reg form.
(scroll down this website to see the list of confirmed attendees - once registration is open, obviously)
🪂 THE PLAN
Day 1 plan is to do 10-12ways (internal camera on one group).
To get the best results we need to build a strong foundation. A few of you might think progress is too slow on day one but the benefits will show later in the camp. Perhaps one O2 jump for people with >200 jumps.
Day 2. If we can do multi-plane, we will.
Days 3 and 4 are planned to be multi-plane. 10 from each plane. Perhaps 2x O2 jumps from increased altitude on Day4.
Nominally 5 jumps per day but we'll flex if weather requires it. Option of a 'special' 6th jump on one evening. See below.
🪂 REGISTRATION FEE
Frozen - no change for 2021. Sliding Scale. The bigway FS scene is ageing. To encourage younger skydivers to join we're using a sliding scale.
Credit card options exist in the registration form. Bank transfer saves 1.4% card handling fee. Euro bank account details exist too.
The reg fee covers your LO and cameraflyer costs for 5 jumps per day for 4 days.
PS The sliding scale seems to work so happy to keep it for a third year. Would love to hear your feedback.
PPS The credit card company takes 20p and 1.4% from every card transaction. After feedback from participants on previous events, I have included a voluntary option to cover the 1.4%. This is totally optional and not expected at all.
PPPS if a simple thing like money is the only thing stopping you from registering... speak to me. We might be able to find a flexible solution. I just want people to jump.
🪂 SAFETY
We all want to come home in one piece...
🪂 EDUCATION
You don't need experience of doing these though, that's what this camp is for. If we don't make a single completion BUT everyone comes back confident they've got the skills to nail a bigway formation record AND we're all smiling? That would be just perfect.
But obvs... I'd love some cool photos too. That's what facebook is for, right?
🪂 THE SKY(VAN) IS THE LIMIT
The DZ have confirmed that there will be two skyvans on the DZ.
Jump tickets at Klatovy are EUR36 each. (price correct as of Nov 2020)
The planes are equipped with O2 and can go to FL20. Single plane 02 jumps are marginally more likely than multi-plane 02 jumps.
The costs are:
4200m / 13,800 ft AGL is EUR 36 (No O2 required)
4800m / 15,750 ft AGL is EUR 45
5200m / 17,100 ft AGL is EUR 52
6000m / FL20 / 19,700 ft AGL is EUR 61
Klatovy is about 1k ASL so we'd get 1k less than stated numbers. ie if we're going to do it, we're going all in. To the top. Well, at least once anyway.
🪂 THE BALLOON IS THE LIMIT
The DZ owns two hot air balloons. Two! All jumpable. Approx EUR 106 per jump. They fly every morning and evening if the conditions allow. It's recommended and we'll flex where we can to allow you to jump these.
And no, I've never heard of a multi-balloon jump either.
C licence is required or a logbook showing 200 jumps.
🪂 INNHOPP
🪂 TRAVEL TO CZECHIA & ACCOM
🪂 FUN
I'll be LO for some chilled warm up jumps the day before. My current plan is to fly out on Thursday morning. Hit the tunnel Thursday afternoon, evening and Friday morning and jump on the Friday afternoon when the skyvans turn up. Feel free to join me. Or do your own thing. I'll be on a lift Friday afternoon and will do 3-4 jumps as quickly as I can and then I'll be stopping to catch my breath before the camp starts in anger.
After the event I'll be unwinding with some fun boogie jumps on the Wednesday. Wingsuit rodeos, freefly, big big star formations. Anything goes. Join me?
🪂 TSHIRTS
Event tshirts are notoriously hard to get right. I don't do them. I am happy to assist and guide someone else sorting them though.
2018 - event tshirts were crowd sourced. John Horne was 'the man'. He designed them and found a manufacturer.
2019 - The legends of Sun Path Products subsidised the event tshirts - it was a one off. Shirts supplied by Manufactory. Approx USD 70 per shirt. Wow. Amazing. Jemma Westing was the designer to rule all designers.
2020 - hahahaha.
2021 - If you want to make it happen, please be my guest. I'm happy to help. Thank you.
🪂 Small Print
E&OE. Registration fee is your deposit and secures your place. Non-refundable but can be swapped if you find someone to take your place - I will help as best I can. By coming on this trip you are confirming that with appropriate training and encouragement you will be able to safely fly 20-22ways. We will do our very best to help you. However, if you're unable to fly in 20-22ways safely; your approach is uncontrolled, your tracking is inefficient or your canopy control is reckless, or maybe you're just having a bad day, at some point you will be asked to stand down from the group.
- Places are limited. We need at least 20 to go ahead. Although we'd be aiming for 40, as in 2019 and 2020.
- If your Govt, or the Czech Govt forbids you from travelling there would be a 100% refund.
- If the Czech Govt requires a period of quarantine on entry, then there would be a 100% refund.
- If your Govt allows you to travel but recommends against it for all but 'essential reasons' there would be a 100% refund.
- If your Govt allows you to travel without an essential reason (eg holidays) but imposes restrictions, eg a period of quarantine, then this would be your responsibility.
- Deposits are non-refundable (with the above exceptions) but is transferable. I'd do everything I can to help you find a replacement.
In 2020, some Czech events weren't able to be held but the planes were able to fly to Cottbus in Southern Germany. I'm told their landing area is even larger. I hope we don't have to consider this but we might have to. It's not that far of a drive from Klatovy, a couple of hours so flights wouldn't need changing.
Everything here is reported as I've been told. Be aware though that planes can break. Fuel prices can go up. Weather can be shite. Balloons can be taken out by a bird with a sharp beak. DZOs can offer to pay for a 3rd plane to carry one skydiver to altitude solely to get outside video or they can change their minds. Volcanoes, earthquakes, locust swarms, meteor strikes, black holes, zombie hordes and virus pandemics all happen. Brian is not responsible. Blah blah blah. :-)
How do I get a place?
Did I mention this was first come first served?
STEP ONE
Read this website. Be happy with the contents. It has all the information you need. (If it doesn't, email me and I'll make sure it gets listed).
STEP TWO
Pay the reg fee. No change in 2021. Same levels as at 2020. It's on a sliding scale in an effort to encourage younger skydivers into the Bigway FS scene.
The payment details are in the Registration form or are available by email. I'm not sure how sensible it is to post bank account details on a website.
Reg fee covers LO and cameraflyer costs for five jumps per day for four days. I am a full time skydiver so I do need to earn something per day, I hope you understand. This is not planned to be a profit-gouging event, registration is still pretty reasonable and bigway event costs are notoriously unpredictable. My 21 month old daughter thanks you. x
STEP THREE
Fill in this registration form... click any of the buttons on this website. :-)
Who's got a confirmed slot?
Did I mention this was first come first served?
LO1) Brian (obvs). Confirmed in
LO2) Rob Kendall. Confirmed in
LO3) Pete Allum. Confirmed in.
LO4) tbc
Vid1) Paul Rimmington, previously attended as cameraflyer in 2018 & 2019. Fell off his bicycle and broke his thumb a few weeks before the camp in 2020 and had to cancel at short notice. What a plonker. Confirmed in.
Vid2) Martin Skrbel, previously attended as participant in 2018 & 2019 and as cameraflyer in 2020. Confirmed in.
Vid3) Pete Harries (tbc)
Vid4) Dave Clarke (tbc)
5) Debbie Maline, 970 jumps, 175hrs tunnel, biggest 60way, previously attended
6) Jozef Just, 656 jumps, 25hrs, biggest 60way, previously attended
7) Stu Bruce, 260, 7, 24way, previously attended
8) Jozef Hloben, 605, 150hrs, 47way, previously attended
9) Timothy Veel, 280, 10, 23way, previously attended
10) L'ubomir Grogcik, 1480, 10, 46way, previously attended
11) Richard Kolozsi, 680jumps, 250hrs, 30way, previously attended
12) Jana Faixova, 192 jumps, 18hrs, 23way, previously attended
13) Jason Burgoyne, 460jumps, 2hrs, 25way, previously attended
14) Pavol Letko, 99 jumps, 10hrs, 12way
15) Martin Clarke, 387, 13, 20, previously attended
16) Ken Yeadon, 300, 50hrs, 12way
17) David Griffith-Jones, 501, 6, 28, previously attended
18) Paul Moden, 236, 3, 21, previously attended
19) Franzi Wesler, 155, 15, 16way
20) Phillip Fitzpatrick, 663, 8, 24way, previously attended
21) Mark Hay, 560jumps, 3hrs, 24way, previously attended
22) John Horne, 10,412 jumps, 12hrs, 50way, previously attended
23) Richard Donaldson, 220way, 17hrs, 60way, previously attended
24) Ivica Just, 181, 16, 23, previously attended
25) Anthony Green, 850, 20, 44, previously attended
26) Lucy Smith, 94 jumps, 5.5hrs, 8way
27) Anastasios-Odyssefs Ntinopoulos, 214, 1hr, 8way
28) Sabina Zadlo, 140, 4, 14way
29) Jim Parsons, 698, 35, 18way
30) Brian Webb, 420, 10, 20way, previously attended
31) Jonno Simister, 94 jumps, 4hrs, 6way
32) Alex Potter, 550, 40, 28way (cameraflyer)
33) Tomas Cacko, 490jumps, 7hrs, 30way, previously attended
34) Jens Klobes, 1220, 33, 30, previously attended
35) Stano Bilacic, 930, 30, 50, previously attended
36) Veronika Kontárová, 300, 25, 58, previously attended
37) Radko Urbanovsky, 530, 3, 36
38) David Houghton, 550, 6, 15
39) Marek Rehák, 225, 20, 9
40) Stuart Turner, 503, 4.5, 20, previously attended
41) Taras Vozniuk, 634jumps, 15hrs, 58way, previously attended
42) Nigel Cross, 1500, 10, 42
43) Nichola Houlahan, 1091jumps, 10hrs, 48way
44) Pavel Zajcev, 500, 14, 11
45) Karolina Zatorska, 215, 5, 39
46) Paul Flood, 98, 4, 6
47) Gareth Corfield, 800, 10, 20, previously attended
48) Jaqueline Marschitz, 599, 18, 60, previously attended
49) Jamie Tolan, 320jumps, 2hrs, 14way
50) Ross Walker, 630, 20, 16
51) Ben Huggett, 205jumps, 5hrs, 28way
52) Misha Jankovic, 750, 6, 25, previously attended
53) Nick Cook, 283, 12, 27
54) Nick Williams, 197, 2, 8
55) Mike Nisbet, 2000, 12, 36
56) Stefan Köstenbauer, 1500, 20, 50, previously attended
57) Jamie Ball, 453, 18, 60, previously attended
58) Scott Brettle, 400, 30, 20, previously attended
59) Brent Willis, 234jumps, 2hrs, 14way
60) Matthew Penney, 350, 6, 6
61) Jonathon Fysh, 230, 3, 16
62) Dave Hillwood, 430, 2, 23, previously attended
63) Martin Cap, 455, 12, 15
64) Jörg Albath, 3200, 20, 84
65) Michael Hanly, 249, 2.5, 7
66) Max Samuel, 88, 2, 6
67) David Galindo, 200, 10, 10
68) Kristina Aarvold, 163, 5, 11
69) Yves Lachler, 350, 3, 18
70) Paul Blak, 250, 1.5, 14
71) Nikolai Gorath, 370jumps, 3hrs, 10way
72) Danni Hurt, 580, 5, 42
73) Boris Kolozsi, 429, 15, 32
74) Ladislav Zatko, 1800, 15, 40
75) Janka Zatkova, 900, 15, 24
76) Michaela Galkova, 1500, 40, 85
77) Edgar Sartori Lisboa, 120, 5, 9
78) Alexandra Rastin, 37(!!), 2hrs, 4way
79) Filip Zec, 173, 4, 10
80) Zvonimir Veljača, 676, 4, 20
81) Stefan Paunović, 290, 1.5, 13
82) Terrance Crutchley, 240, 10, 19
83) Severin Bojic, 145, 4, 4
84) Mario Saldinger, 315, 6, 15
85) Chris Sears, 2800, 15, 30
86) Michael Hribernik, 3999, 75, 60
87) Martin Fagerer, 850, 5, 49
88) Andrea Schendel, 700, 10, 80
89) Daniel Winz, 500, 10, 40
90) Heiko Kunze, 4700, 1(!), 210
91) Thomas Acker, 2000, 1(!), 32
92) Hayley Jones, 240jumps, 20hrs, 18way
Reserve List
(Every year 5 or so people have to drop out... 2020? It was about 50 ppl, hence part of the reason why so many people are keen to make it in 2021)
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BigWay Camp 2020 and past events
BigWay Skills Camp 2020 - Martin Skrbel edit
July 2020
Skydive Pink, Klatovy, Czech Republic. 48 skydivers travelled from around Europe to jump.
Video by Martin Skrbel
BigWay Skills Camp 2020 - Emily Aucutt edit
July 2020
Skydive Pink, Klatovy, Czech Republic. 48 skydivers travelled from around Europe to jump.
Video by Emily Aucutt
BigWay Skills Camp 2019 - Paul Rimmington edit
May 2019
BigWay Camp was at Skydive Pink Klatovy in Czech Republic. 46 skydivers travelled from UK and Ireland to jump.
Video by Paul Rimmington
BigWay Camp 2019 - Tom Shorten edit
May 2019
BigWay Camp was at Skydive Pink Klatovy in Czech Republic. 46 skydivers travelled from UK and Ireland to jump.
Video by Tom Shorten
BRIT200
2020-2024
Brit100 was 1999. It's time to go big again.
Skydive Algarve Xmas Boogie
Xmas 2019
FS LO at Skydive Algarve Xmas Boogie
BigWay Camp 2018 - 22ways
May 2018
BigWay Camp was at Skydive Pink Klatovy in Czech Republic. 22 skydivers travelled from UK and Ireland to jump.
Video by Paul Rimmington
BigWay Fun 2017 - 45ways
BigWay Fun 2017 was at Skydive Pink Klatovy in Czech Republic. 45 skydivers travelled from across Northern Europe to jump. Don't expect the same standard of skydiving at the camp. Camps are for learning and training. This is a no stress, no blame camp for learning.
And yes, I'm biased, but this is my most favourite event video ever. Credit: Dan Girdea
Paul - the gauntlet has been laid. ;-)
What does Brian know anyway?
Sept 2015
World Record 2 point 202way formation. This photo shows the intermediary photo between the two points. Taken over Skydive Perris. Photo by Willy Boeykens
202way Sequential World Record - My PoV
I was late diver on a trail plane on a nine plane formation. This is my footage. Can you see the quadrant, the radial, the stadium and the tracking teams?
BigWay Beginners - Nethers, Langar & Hib
BWB has been running since Caroline Hughes and Skydive Choreography came up with the concept. We teach the basics in a no blame environment whilst providing testing slots for intermediate and experienced skydivers at the same time. BWB has run at Nethers, Langar and Hibaldstow in the past. If you know a DZ that offers a multi-plane experience in 2020, we'd love to know. This photo taken over Hib. Photo by Jon Trevor.
Chasing Tails 28way team - Hib
Chasing Tails competed in the Hib 28way competition from inception to 2013. Brian was captain in 2011 (1st place) and 2013 (2nd place). Photo by Matt Black.
Skydive Spain Xmas Boogie
Xmas 2008 and 2009
FS Load Organiser at Skydive Spain Christmas Boogie.
Also likes wingsuits
Oct 2015
Large formation wingsuit world record holder - 61way set over Skydive Perris. Photo by Norman Kent.
Testimonials
48 ppl, two groups.
Rated 4.8/5 from 31 reviews
46 ppl, two groups.
Rated 4.7/5 from 32 reviews
23 ppl, one group.
Rated 4.8/5 from 22 reviews
It's simply not possible for the 2021 event to be more special than we had in July 2020. Expect a good event where you will learn loads. If BWSC21 is hyped too much so that you're expecting the best skydiving event ever, then if you only get a very good event, then it may be a disappointment.
Holy crap, the pressure is on! ;-)
Copyright 2020