Hercules Boogie '97

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What a week! A week of jumping, swimming, sunshine, rain, karaoke, cold nights and having lots of fun. Let me tell you about how I experienced it. If you were there last year you know what I mean, if you weren't you know what to expect next year.

Getting started

Getting there from Gothenburg harbor was relatively easy. Even though the roads squirm around everywhere in Gothenburg, the route as described on the Hercules Boogie homepage together with the road signs were clear enough to get there in one go. Arriving at the 'flygplats' gave a familiar picture: a couple of hangars to drink, eat, sleep and debrief with video, four cabins with the manifest and the bank and a number of mobile homes already parked on the campsite. So this is were we're going to spend the coming week.

This was Saturday and the computer manifest wasn't operational yet. So let's visit the 'metropolis' Lidköping then, which is 5 km from the airport. Not what I'm used to for a Saturday afternoon. See, I live in the centre of a town of similar size, and when you walk there on a Saturday afternoon it's crowded to say the least. Anyway, since almost all shops were already closed there wasn't really much to do. Back to the dropzone then.

The computer manifest was operational so check-in was started. Even though the money I transferred to the Hercules Boogie organization wasn't withdrawn from my account until the Friday before, the bank statement was enough to get my registration through. What a fun pack you receive then! The Hercules Daily with a special edition in which you can find any information you might need: from the organization to addresses and phone numbers and available services. Even the issue: 'What happens if you tie a piece of buttered toast to the back of a cat and then drop it?' is covered. Also in there is a Hercules Boogie '97 sticker and last but not least the Hercules Boogie 0.5l jug. To be used after the beer light goes green, of course!

More and more mobile homes come rolling in, so I guess it's time to secure a spot on the campsite before it's packed. While putting up my tent the Skyvan takes to the sky. The Hercules is coming tomorrow, but you know skydivers, they just can't wait. Time to get something to eat then. Wandering into the food-and-drink hangar a pizza oven can be seen. This is to become an important part in our daily lives....

In the air

Sunday. Most of the organizers are here, the Hercules is on it's way, the sun is shining, and even though the wind is pretty strong it is going to be a nice day. All the skydivers are distributed amongst the organizers and I end up in Sandy McRobbie's group. It's 23 persons big and will stay about that size for the rest of the week. An international group as was to be expected. I don't have the number of nationalities at the boogie but I've seen Scandinavian (oh really?), German, Belgium, French, Dutch, Swiss, Canadian, North- and South-American and Australian skydivers, and I'm sure I missed a couple.

Jumping the Hercules, I always wanted to do that. I had hoped to do it last year at the Espace Boogie, but they used an AN-26 helicopter then (which was even better). Now was my chance. I got myself a floater position on the first jump. Somehow I like that position the most. I did it on the AN-26 as well. Being a (super-)floater gives you the very best view on exit. It has it's disadvantages though. Since you are seated near the aft of the aircraft you get colder. And here the air was cold! The exit is also of a different category. 110 knots makes for an interesting experience. Go with the flow, that is the credo here. If you get out undisturbed, you'll do oke, but getting hit or struck by someone leaves opportunities for some fancy freestyle, as I demonstrated.

The dive wasn't spectacular, getting used to each other takes a little time, so after one point it's time to get the canopy out and get an aerial view of the scenery. Still some failed to spot the lake (Hi Jim!).

After another jump the weather turns bad, so it's time to execute the bad weather program: the public bath. What normally tends to be a peaceful and quiet public bath, things can change radically once you invite skydivers indoors. Massive fights over floating mats, and launching 4- and 5-ways of the top diving platform are the result. Others just wanted to get out of the cold and hit the sauna to get cooked. All in all a good way to spend the time. Getting back to the DZ means trying a different kind of pizza, getting your boogie jug filled and enjoying a good band. This is the recipe for a good boogie.

To the movies

During a boogie anything can happen. Being on the first load of the day doesn't mean you get up there first. Things started with the dropping of some sort of container from low altitude. As it floated to the ground camera's were rolling inside the Hercules. After that a climb to 13'000 feet was followed by a HALO jump of some snow-ready military jumpers with these hugh parachutes. All this being shot for some vague movie. (webmasters note: The movie was Hamilton, who is a swedish James Bond) Anyway, now this is over it's our turn. We build an 8-way base with three zippers and three lines between the zippers. We could have done more, I guess, but he, we're just starting. Bad weather spoils the rest of the day though. In the afternoon the pilots take the Hercules out for some practice. After that we get a little aerobatics show by the pilot in the trainer he flew in on this morning. Then the weather seemed to break, so the next load is quickly sent up. Only half of them get out though, the cloudcover is too great so the jumpmaster cancels the second jumprun. Oh well, the more reason to gather in the public bath, get something to eat and enjoy the evening.

The following day is even better. Even though the skydives are still below standard (we can't get to that #$!*&%@ big star!) we put two groups together and brief for a 36-way attempt. The weather is nice, because the winds eased up the air doesn't feel that cold anymore. Too bad it isn't going to happen today. We are all wondering why it takes the Hercules so long to get down after the second jumprun. The word is they wouldn't start the descent until all skydivers had landed(?). Oh well, we'll try it first thing in the morning when everyone is fresh awake after a good night sleep (not).

The 36-way is getting off of the ramp. Target is to build a 6-way base with 4-way zippers on them and lines in between. Even though people were warned about this thing not falling very fast, a couple just couldn't keep level and went low. We got about 31 in. If we only could have a second chance. Too bad that didn't happen. You had to be careful manifesting. Double manifesting was allowed in the beginning of the week so if you snoozed you ended up in a load hours from now. Luckily the Hercules Boogie organization changed that during the week, but that made doing jumps with combined groups more difficult. So the groups went their own way and we build diamond, weedwacker and loopy things on three more dives. What!? Four dives a day? Oh yes, the Swedish Air Force send a former fighter jock to fly the Hercules. Taxiing at top speed, climbing like a rocket, jumpruns like on the edge of a razor blade and descending like 'a homesick anvil'. He managed to put 20 loads in a day, that is 1600 skydives!

A five hour breakfast

Next day was a real bummer to start with. Just as we got speeding things up yesterday, low clouds and high winds dominated the day. So Jim, Deb, Sandy, Adrian and I sat down for breakfast and just waited for things to come. Sandy didn't leave his seat for a solid five hours! (sitting there must be for free then). Suddenly at four o'clock the skies cleared. Even though the winds are still pretty strong the next load is called and the Hercules is prepared. It looks like we go up as well, as the sunset load. No one is really into it though. After such a day you're not in the mood to make that perfect skydive. Then a problem with one of the engines of the Hercules caused the first load to be postponed half an hour. This got us 'off the hook' so Deb, Jim, Sandy and I hit the public bath once more. Hearing the Hercules taking off, I log some extra freefall time from the diving platform.

What a day

Friday is to be a top day. You could tell that as you woke up. Clear skies, hardly any wind and a good temperature. Everyone is relaxed after a day off and eager to make good skydives. We go up on the second load of the day and start building a 20-way. The first formation is an 8-way base with four zippers and clusters. The clusters fly through the zippers into the base, after which the base splits in two, to make two stars. Everyone is at their best to keep them close and on level. Then we break open and just manage to get the big star. Everyone is cheering, and relieved we finally made it four points to the big star. On to the next then, and again three points.

The big one

Then three organizers get together. Sandy, Wim and Gareth make plans for a 54-way. We still have to make one jump before all groups are lined up on manifest, so we can combine the groups on one load. We go up for a 24-way which is really disappointing. One point only, the transition to the three stars fails miserably. Everyone has the 54-way on their mind, and eager to do good on that one.

After the last group gets down we only have 30 minutes to brief the 54-way. Not a lot of time, but the formation is quickly put together (8-way base with four zippers and lines in between), exit order determined and breakoff trained. All in all a good effort. Then it's time to get to the Hercules. The first jumprun, well almost the whole plane is for us and even the last rows of seats have to be put away to give us the room to get lined up. I find myself as an extended floater in my favorite position and it really is great thing to see the Hercules spitting out the lot. The base started to build and everyone gets to his or her slot. Then you wait, and wait and wait and start wondering why can't the guy in front of you dock the formation? He's in perfect position, so I guess the guy in front of him hasn't docked yet. Finally he docks, and I follow him directly. Being busy flying my slot I can see some people having trouble keeping level at the other side of the formation. So it's not going to build to a 54-way, I knew that. The video showed even worse. A couple of people had serious trouble building the base, that is what kept us waiting. I'll have to check the video to see how many made it in. Too bad this is the last day for me. Tomorrow one jump in the morning and then I'll have to leave.

Launch!

The final day has come. It is beautiful as the day before, too bad I can make only one more jump. Several others had to leave as well, so the group shrunk to 16. 'Shall we launch it then?' was the question, 'Yes, of course!' was the answer. So there we go, creating this exit thing with all kinds of in between links, so it would hold on exit. Looked very interesting on the video. First the zippers, which stood out from the side, get simultaneously thrown around and land half way on top of the formation. Then more and more fall of, both up and under the formation. What a ride! At the end the 8-way base survives and when we finally recover all the projectiles we build two points.

This fun ride ended the jumping for me. Floating down I look out over the lake for one last time and think: 'See you next time'.

After the final debrief Jim, Deb and I say goodbye to the group and go to our things in the car. Deb and Jim arranged for some of their stuff to be moved by Adrian, our cameraman, the rest is pilled into my car. After folding ourselfs into the car, we wave a final goodbye and drive off into a warm afternoon.

Closedown

This was a well organised and safe boogie. A couple of reserve rides were to be expected, but nothing serious happened, even though accidently watching a spinning malfunction from opening to reserve does wake you up. Man, these things go down fast. Staff was very friendly and watched carefully over the safety. Also the Swedisch Airforce did a good job by providing a good aircraft and crew who know how to use it.

Finally I like to thank Sandy for the organizing, Adrian for the video and Deb and Jim for the skydives and the photo's.