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Welcome to K Plane!
A 10th plane of very capable woman, whose focus and support is with the wider team, ready to join and strengthen them, if and when the call comes.
Why do we need a K Plane?
To answer this we need only consider the history of other events!
World Team 2004 achieved an amazing 357 way… but even the with the support team there were not enough capable bodies to make the original World Team 372 way goal a reality
World Team 2006 achieved an even more amazing 400 way… On this very same jump the last remaining official Alpha team member (its leader, Kirk Verner), joined the outside whacker of ‘British’ Sector 11.
Without the K Plane, main participant’s lack of preparation and natural attrition ahead of the event as well as illness, injury and lack of performance generally during the event, will make the 180 way goal unachievable.
The K Plane’s goal is quite simply to field a team to fill the gaps that make the dream goal a reality.
K Plane our goals?
To stay prepared through skydives, keep our energy high and demonstrate the teamwork needed to be added to the record at a moments notice
To support our fellow K Planers should they be selected to take a slot on the main record.
To always remain part of the K Plane team, even if we get selected ourselves!
To support the event fundraising goals
To party harder than 2005 (if we are up to it of course???) ;)
Who is the K Plane for?
There are many female skydivers out there who are capable of being on the record dives and who feel passionately about being part of the cause, but who, for whatever reason (e.g. professional, team, or personal) cannot attend qualifying events to secure a main slot. K Plane recognises this and offers these women a possible alternative route.
K Plane also expects to welcome a few women who are excellent skydivers and want to participate in the event, enjoy sequential skydives, but whose main interest may not be to be part of 100+ way skydives.
Whichever category you fall into, K Plane slots offer a unique opportunity to be part of a strong ‘team within a team’ and to provide the 180 way goal the skydiving back-up it needs.
Who are we looking for:
Women who:
- Want to be part of JFTC and commit to raising the money required to support the cause
- Know they can do it and want a chance to be part of it but perhaps can’t quite meet the main qualifying criteria
- Are great skydivers with a positive attitudes who are keen to learn more skills, gain more experience and meet more skydivers
- Value the opportunity to be part of a skydiving event that will, once again, be marked in history
What are the criteria for K Plane selection?
The selection criteria for K Plane are no less strict than criteria for the record itself. Everyone recruited into K Plane must have a positive attitude, be ‘switched on’ and be believed capable of 100+ way skydives. In addition, because K Plane skydives will be more sequential in nature, we will be looking for evidence of multi-point big way skills on top of this record potential. The main difference is that K Plane women do not necessarily have to meet the 100 way "in the last year" requirement.
Setting K Plane sights high is important if we are to guarantee great skydives, keep energy up and know that each one of will be ready to step onto a record jump at a moments notice. Under no circumstances will we recruit a K Plane member who might hold back the group as a whole.
What is the process for K Plane selection?
K plane participants will be selected from the women who show interest and relevant skills in the next month. Once the K Plane selection process begins you can expect to see names being added to the website.
Kate is working closely with Caroline Hughes - K Plane captain - to assemble potential names for K plane and welcome them on board as decisions are made.
In the run up to the event in September, Kate is also holding a number of record qualifying events where conditional main slots will be confirmed and K Plane slots will be formally offered.
How do I apply?
If you would like to join JFTC as part of K Plane, please complete a participation request form http://www.jumpforthecause.com/docs09/ParticipationRequestJFTC09.doc
Once you have been selected to join K Plane, you will be asked to complete some additional forms.
I have a question about K Plane, who should I contact?
If you have been offered a K Plane slot already and have a question, or if you would like to know more about K Plane, please contact caroline.hughes@btinternet.com in the first instance.
What do I need to do once I am selected for K Plane
- Complete the registration process as described in the welcome email.
- Get your FAI documents sorted – you can jump in the K Plane group without them, but you cannot be on the official FAI women’s record jumps without them. Visit http://www.jumpforthecause.com/fai_information.html for information on this.
- Pay your $500 deposit so you can order your jumpsuit – without a jumpsuit in one of the main colours you cannot join the record jumps. Borrowing and bringing along jumpsuits in other colours is well worth it too! All the information you need is here: http://www.jumpforthecause.com/jumpsuit_orders.html
- Start fundraising – K Plane participants are considered full members of JFTC and a fundraising requirement exists.
- Jump as much as you can – It’s so important to stay current. There are events happening across the world but, if it’s tough to get to them, remember that you don’t have to be doing 100+ ways to practice big way skills and stay current.
Our commitment to you
As a K Plane member we obviously cannot guarantee you will get a slot on the record dive. We do however promise that K Plane participants will be looked to as slots become available.
With a new formation design and more women jumping together than ever before, there will be a lot to learn and adapt to as the event unfolds. You have been assigned a plane captain to ensure that you do not miss out on this learning and that, should you be asked to step onto the record, you understand exactly what the job is in slot you are assigned.
K Plane challenge
Imagine the situation. Two record attempts left and the call comes... two women are needed to step into two whacker slots on a 180 way formation. All of a sudden all eyes are on you, you’re stepping, with the support of your remaining K Plane team, onto the biggest formation you’ve ever attempted and you know that failure isn’t an option.
Who do you want to be right now?
The woman who’s capable but tired from partying late, got a bit fed up watching the record attempts happen, hasn’t been listening at debriefs and has no idea what the build sequence and landing rules are for the record attempt she is about to be part of
The woman who’s capable and has been at the cheering line after ever record attempt, who’s been watching the dirtdives, has been there on time every morning, soaked up as much information in debriefs as possible and who stopped drinking at a reasonable hour the night before because she knew she had to be ready ‘just in case’
Now consider if just one woman was needed and you were Kate… who would you choose?
Do not underestimate the challenge of being ready in mind and body once that call comes!
K Plane & JFTC – the facts:
- K Plane offers NO guarantee of a slot on the record dives
- A confirmed participant slot ALSO does not guarantee a place on the record dives!
- A K Plane slot can (and for many, will) lead to a slot on the record dives
- Slots will open up on the record jumps before the event begins and as it progresses
- Only K Plane members who have met fundraising requirements and have their FAI documents ready can be considered for slots that become available
What do I have to do to get from K Plane to the record dives?
Each time a slot on the record dives becomes available Kate will meet with the K Plane captain to discuss which member would be best placed in the available slot. Who is chosen will depend on the type of slot (base, middle, outside), the job to be done in that slot (anchor, whacker etc.) and who has performed strongest in the K Plane (skills, attitude/mindset etc.).
To stand the best chance, stay focused, positive and part of the wider team, be prepared to accept challenges and make every skydive count!
What kind of skydives can I expect to make in the K Plane
At the start of the event K Plane will be jumping on 50-60 ways with the rest of the JFTC team. This will ensure you get the same opportunity to warm up as everyone else. Once the record dives begin those on the K Plane will make their own skydives as a group.
While your K Plane captain will focus on keeping diving skills current and flying slots that replicate the record dives, she will also be challenging you with multi point sequentials and complex builds that really put your zero momentum docking to the test! There will also be some fun stuff to keep everyone smiling!
Overall, the K Plane can expect to receive top level coaching from Caroline and others on site with the specific goal of being in the record formation. There may also be an opportunity to make jumps with the support team for the men’s record.
Who will organise and debrief my skydives
Your plane captain Caroline Hughes will brief and debrief all your skydives (although other eyes will certainly be on you too!).
Learn more about Caroline at http://www.skydivechoreography.com/carolinehughes.htm
Caroline has a great deal of event and load organising experience ranging from her flag ship UK Big Way Beginner events (where a few JFTC participants did their first formation loads), through to high experienced challenge events. She will ensure that the dives you do are challenging and fun. She will also stay linked in with the record dives themselves, ensuring that everyone on K Plane is practicing the right skills and taking on board the in-event learning as the record dives take place.
How many jumps can I expect to do each day?
As part of the K Plane you can expect to back up the record dives (mens or womens) each time they jump. On occasion the record jumps may need to take priority, and of course K Plane participant will do fewer jumps at high altitude. All of this is however reflected in a reduction to the minimum financial donation.
How will K Plane benefit my overall progression
Being a positive, supportive member of K Plane will say more about you than anything else.
Being in K Plane will also make you very visible to the core organising team who will be watching closely.
Finally, the type of dives planned for K Plane will also add to your skydiving CV in their own right. With big way events these days being as much about complex sequentials as they are about number of people, it’s a great place to be to be part of events of the future.
How should I prepare?
Between now and the event do your best to stay current by checking out the events that are happening near you. Remember, you do not need to be on a big way to practice big way skills!
At the event we will expect you to prepare each day as if you were going up on a record. That means being on time in the mornings, thinking about how much you party, drinking lots of water and eating properly through the day and getting plenty of sleep!
What are the financial commitments of K Plane?
K Plane members commit to a $2,500 minimum donation. This covers jumpsuit, jumps, hotel, food, goodie bags, t-shirts and website profile.
An initial $500 donation will be required to secure your slot and order a jumpsuit.
If you are moved into a confirmed slot BEFORE 1st September then you will need to make a further donation of $1,000 (bringing your total to $3,500 – hence matching those who already have a guaranteed slot).
If you are moved into a confirmed slot after 1st September or during the event you will not need to pay any additional amount. As always though, we encourage you to raise as much as possible up to the last minute!
Please Contact Caroline Hughes <caroline.hughes@btinternet.com> for any questions about K plane!
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