SKYDIVE EVEREST 2008 - Handi-Capable International

EVEREST SKYDIVE

This adventure surpasses any experience in skydiving so far. Since 1991 the skydiving and BASE jumping communities have landed onto both the North and South Poles, and BASE jumped Angel Falls, Venezuela – They were the historic building blocks for this new and exciting challenge. The Mount Everest (29,035ft) Skydive pushes the boundaries harder and higher, for this is a challenge taking skydiving into two extreme environments – high altitude at 29,500ft plus extreme cold. The jump dates in Nepal avoid the 200mph jet stream that roars across Everest’s summit, and the Drop Zone (DZ) is the highest in the world at 12,350ft.

Everest Skydive draws upon the knowledge and skills of an unusual group of skydivers (some of whom are also Everest mountaineers) by drawing on detailed knowledge of the geographical area of Mt. Everest , and the surrounding Sherpa lands. Both disciplines have allowed two years of meticulous planning and preparation to bring this feat to fruition. The first Everest Skydive is to be filmed for distribution worldwide and will include the worlds highest ever tandem charity jump to raise funds for Global Angels (globalangels.org).

This exposure will be able to help so many more through Handi-Capable International.

WEATHER WINDOW

The dates for Everest Skydive have been chosen to fit the best-known high altitude weather patterns in the Everest region. These coincide with the summit “pushes” made by mountaineers to give the best chance of stable, calm conditions at high altitude. These weather windows are well documented and are predictable to a great degree. Local weather patterns can affect flying at certain times, and flexibility has been built into the parachuting program to cope with this.

ITINERARY

Day 1.

Arrive at Kathmandu international airport and transferred to Hotel Tibet. Early afternoon briefing and meeting with the other team members.

Day 2.

After breakfast, full and detailed briefings and equipment practice.

Day 3 – 9.

Early morning fly to Lukla airstrip at 9,100ft to commence acclimatization trek of 6 days.

Day 10.

Return to DZ. Full briefings. Exploration of DZ area.

Day 11.

Familiarization jumping takes place.

Day 12.

Everest Skydive in front of Mt. Everest from 29,500ft.

Day 13*

Back up day for jumping

Day 14.

Transfer by helicopter to Lukla airstrip, fly Kathmandu; also back up day for jumping.

Day 15.

Afternoon return flights or onward journey.

The Team

ANDY ELSON – Aeronaut, Cosmonaut, Specialist Life Support Systems

Andy has flown by open balloon to over 40,000 feet more times than anyone in history. In 1991 he was the first balloonist to fly over Mount Everest. Throughout the 1990s he designed and built all the capsules for all the international attempts to be the first to fly around the world (except for Richard Branson). These included the Swiss Breitling team and Steve Fossett. In 1998 he flew the Breitling Obiter 2 balloon with Whim Verstraten and Bertrand Piccard from Switzerland to Burma , setting a new world endurance record of 9 days. In 1999 he broke the world endurance record for any non-stop sub-orbital flying machine when he flew Cable and Wireless more than 12,000 miles from Spain to the Pacific in 18 days. For this he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Aero Club (previously only awarded 40 times to such pioneers as Louis Bleriot, the Wright Brothers, Alcock and Brown, Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins). In 2002 he trained as a cosmonaut in Moscow . In 2003 he attempted to launch QinetiQ 1 (the biggest balloon in history) from a research ship off St Ives, UK . In 2004 he designed and built, in Britain , a capsule to carry five astronauts to the international space station. However, this was not publicized at the time due to contractual terms with the American clients. In 2005 he designed and built a pressurized capsule and balloon to carry Air Commodore Vijaypat Singhania to the current world hot air balloon altitude record of 70,000 feet above Mumbai. While primarily an aeronaut, Andy has considerable skydiving experience, and brings his knowledge of High Altitude Life Support Systems to Everest Skydive.

NIGEL GIFFORD OBE – Mountaineer, Skydiver, Adventure Logistician

Nigel is the creator of the Everest Skydive adventure and responsible for its overall management and logistics. As the founder of High & Wild UK Nigel has over thirty years experience in the professional adventure world, and is responsible for extreme adventures and special projects. Such adventures include remote treks and journeys from the Arctic to the Equator and beyond. Recent adventures have been rafting the Great Siang gorge of the Brahmaputra in the tribal areas of India, participating in the Saami reindeer migration in the frozen North, and the first ever trek to Everest’s Lho La. Nigel has recently introduced the use of supplementary oxygen for trekkers on Kilimanjaro, Tanzania to optimize the potential success rate of summiteers. He has run projects for 20th Century Fox Worldwide, Channel 4 TV and Discovery channel, GKN and NPower, and was part of the logistics team for Richard Branson’s Global Challenger balloon project based in Marrakech and provided some of Richard’s survival briefings. A member of the team that successfully climbed Mt. Everest in 1976, Nigel has been returning to Nepal ever since. In February 2007 he secured permission from the CAAN for a high altitude flight with powered paragliders in front of the Everest Massif. The project was an outstanding success. Nigel has over 1000 skydiving descents.

DAVE WOOD – Professional Skydiver, Chief Instructor, Cornish Parachute Club

Dave is a managing director and the Chief Instructor of the Cornish Parachute Club. He retired from the Royal Air Force in 2006 after 32 years service to run his own Drop Zone in UK . Dave has made over 7,000 jumps; including over 2,500 High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) and tandem jumps. From 1978 – 2006, while working as a military parachuting instructor he gained a vast amount of knowledge in many different environments all over the world. He has been involved in a number of TV programs which have required AFF and Tandems skydives to be conducted. In 1991 he qualified as a tandem master. Dave has also qualified as a United States Military High Altitude Tandem Master and qualified as a USA Military Tandem Examiner. He also qualified as an instructor of Military Freefall Oxygen systems ( UK ) and the Military Tandem Oxygen system PHAOS (USA). Dave is in charge of the parachuting operations for Everest Skydive, and responsible for all DZ control and management.

BEN WOOD – Professional Skydiver, Load Organizer and Aerial Photographer

Ben is a freelance skydiving instructor and aerial freefall photographer and operates www.skydivecornwall.com. Many photographs taken by Ben have been used in a number of promotional campaigns and books relating to skydiving. He has over 3000 jumps and over 1200 camera jumps. Ben has been the British National Formation Skydiving Champion in 2001 and 2002 he also won the Army Skydiving Championships in Germany and Cyprus in 2002 and 2003. Ben joined the Royal Air Force in 1997 as a Physical Training Instructor, he then transferred to become a Military Parachute Jumping Instructor in 2002 training airborne forces using various parachuting equipment. Ben went on to work at various joint service training centers as a senior skydiving instructor.

RYAN DUKE – Ground Communications and Acclimatization Supervision

Employed with a major supplier of aircraft components as a specialist machine operator in optical materials, Ryan was one of the subjects for an extensive high altitude blood/oxygen absorption program in Nepal in May 2007. It was during this time that he met Andy Elson and Nigel Gifford who were impressed with his eye for detail. The youngest of the management team, Ryan is responsible for Everest Skydive ground communications and the movement of people to their key locations during the acclimatization phase.

Dwight Steyn – Skydiver, Pilot, Mountaineer, Adventurer

Losing his leg at 16 years old, Dwight will join the October 2008 group of skydivers as the first amputee to jump over Mount Everest. Dwight is the founder of Handi-Capable International, a skydiving organization committed to introducing and providing assistance to the terminally ill and mentally/physically limited people for skydiving. Calling Mile Hi Skydiving Center, in Longmont Colorado, his home drop zone, Dwight is an avid skydiver and climbs Colorado ’s 14,000 foot peaks.

SKYDIVING EQUIPMENT & SAFETY

Jumping at such altitudes requires special parachute equipment which has been manufactured from very robust materials. Our Everest Skydive rig will be packed for us under the supervision of an advanced packer. The opening altitudes for the main parachute will be between 16,000ft and 18,000ft AMSL. The main landing area (DZ) is at 12,350ft AMSL. These altitudes demand large main parachutes of 300 - 400 sq ft and a reserve of similar size. Both the parachutes we are using have been proven successful on high altitude landing areas. A world renowned AAD has been incorporated into the system on the reserve. We will use a standard MA2 – 30 altimeter that is accurate up to 30,000ft, so our AGL will be correct at 12,350ft and we will have a true reading on your altimeter. We will also be using a skydiving oxygen system. The system has been well proven at high altitude, is unobtrusive, and non restrictive to body movement or vision. Thermal head cover, head protection and protective goggles will be used as well. Using test jumps we will be able to fully familiarize ourselves with all the equipment. We will also make our own test jumps so as to satisfy the Everest Skydive team– and themselves– that we are ready to make their High Altitude Skydive. We will also have a small personal survival kit, compass, firefly strobe, and 2 way mini radio in case of landing off the DZ. The DZ “vehicles” are an Equirrel B3 helicopter, or a Sherpa guide with a yak and yak man, if the distance is not too far from the DZ.

DEPOSITS

A deposit of $5,400.00 is needed to secure my equipment and aircraft and final payment of will be due 8 weeks prior to departure.

Every contribution (large or small) will go a long way to promote

Handi-Capable International, and so doing will give people who have otherwise lost hope a means to reach their dreams

Cost: $30,000.00 USD

INCLUSIONS

• International flights to and from Kathmandu

• All transfers

• Training jumps

• Accommodation at 3* Hotel Tibet in Kathmandu, or similar

• All meals throughout, either at hotel or restaurants

• All acclimatization trek costs, trek permit and park fees

• Experienced European trek leader

• Trek porters and yaks as required

• Constant communication to trek group from DZ

• Mountain weather reporting service

• DZ preparation

• DZ management

• Personalized, filled, 02 canister

• Use of O2 systems for skydiving

• Custom built High Altitude jump suit

• Use of external protective extreme cold equipment

• Use of special High Altitude rig (fully equipped with AAD) for landing at altitude

• Loadmaster/spotters, (Video and O2 superintendent) on every lift

• Aircraft positioning and hire of:

• Russian MI-17 helicopter

• French Equirrel B3 helicopter

• Polish PZL M-28 Skytruck

• Turbine P3 Piliatus Porter

• Services of advanced packers

• Services of packers assistant

• Rig repacking as required

• DZ Sherpa support team

• DZ medical team including Doctor

• Government permit to skydive

• Individual CAAN skydive fee

• Liaison officer fees (environmental, CAAN, and Film)

• Liaison officer costs (environmental, CAAN, and film)

• Communications permit

To get a PDF copy click Here Sponsor/Press Kit

Please donate now and become part of the dream!! For every $100 donation I will be taking a skydiving container closing pin with me on the jump and you will recieve a necklace, or something similar if you prefer, made with the closing pin as a thank you for joining me on the journey of a lifetime.