posted Apr 18th, 2008 - More information and the first meet videos have arrived from Elsinore where the Southern California Skydiving League launched its 2008 season last weekend. The NSL News story on 15 April 2008 mentioned that UK's national 4-way team in IPC's female category, Bodyflight Storm, competed from the left-hand door of the Twinotter, even though the team trains for a right-hand pattern from the Pilatus Porter this year.

Bodyflight Storm had not trained from a Pilatus Porter this year so far. However, the British team was still well prepared after practicing the right-hand pattern from other left-hand doors and especially in the windtunnel at Bodyflight Bedford.

Storm videographer Gary Wainwright provided the NSL News with two videos, Rounds 3 and 5, of the SCSL competition in Elsinore. These are the two rounds where Hannah Betts (Center Inside), Claire Scott (Center Outside), Sarah Smith (Point) and Kate Stephens (Tail) outscored their coach's team, Dan BC's Founding Fathers.

Storm's reigning world champion in the female category, Claire "Sparky" Scott, mentioned that it meant a lot to her team to keep up with the Founding Fathers: "We were pretty pleased with the results, especially as we gave Founding Fathers a run for their money. Round 1 wasn't so good for us, but we got the attitude and calmness back in the following rounds."

Dan BC and his fellow Founding Father John Hamilton enjoyed the competition themselves, together with their teammates Andy Delk and Josh Hall. Dan BC said that the Founding Fathers were formed with the goal to make sure that he and John Hamilton get the opportunity to compete in 4-way once in a while. They are both busy running their dropzone operations in Perris and Elsinore:

"Founding Fathers was formed with one goal: a way for Hammo and I to be sure that we can get our 4-way fix in. We are going to do our best to pull in two others to join us at every CASL meet we can."

Coach Dan BC and Bodyflight Storm went straight back to normal operation after the fun meet weekend in Elsinore. It was time for the British national team to test the new waters from the Pilatus Porter. Dan BC reported that the Perris aircraft maintenance staff built a Pilatus Porter basically from scratch and that it is now flying like a brand new airplane.

Bodyflight Storm started the exit work with 20 jumps from the Porter on Tuesday after the meet. Dan BC said that the team plans to do between 20 and 30 jumps a day from the right-hand door for the rest of this week.

He added that Perris owners Ben and Pat Conatser were flying the plane. Ben Conatser started Perris Valley Skydiving back in the mid 70s. Pat and his sister Melanie own and run it now.

The first exits proved to be challenging for Bodyfight Storm, as for all other teams. Claire Scott was not shy to send a short video of the team's first exit. Her team did not take it too serious when the Bow made a complete flip to begin with. Dan BC reported already a few days later that "the exits are starting to come together." The video of the first exit can be viewed by clicking here.

Claire Scott summarized the team's first experiences from the Pilatus Porter in Perris: "It is very different to the Otter, but it is good to be back in our normal exit slots. If you remember, we started floating them from the Otter to suit our new mirrored continuity plan. I think everyone shared our excitement at Perris when the Porter started flying for the first time. It has been a long project for the DZ, so it was good to finally make some Porter jumps today."

Bodyflight Storm will continue to compete at the meets in Southern California, and the Founding Fathers will probably offer the competition for the British team. The next two SCSL meets in Perris and Elsinore are on the team's agenda, and they will most likely be from the Pilatus Porter.

Claire Scott finally confirmed Dan BC's view of progression: "Our exits were better today. We have done 40 in the last two days which have helped contribute to our bloopers footage... although our success rate is improving."