The Prince Who Falls From The Skies!
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I have competed in the FAI DIPC - Dubai International Parachuting Championships five times. My first experience was in 2011 during the second DIPC, where I had the opportunity to meet a very kind and friendly prince. You might find it hard to believe, but he is also a skydiver!
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Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, aged 42, became the Crown Prince of Dubai in 2008, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). — The capital of the UAE is Abu Dhabi.
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The Crown Prince holds multiple significant positions in the UAE government, serving as the Minister of Defence, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai. He received his military education from Sandhurst and studied economics at the London School.
In addition to his political responsibilities, he has a passion for horses and equestrianism. He has a large collection of animals in his palace, including tigers, camels, and more. He is also a poet and a skilled skydiver. He owns the world-renowned Skydive Dubai, the Skydive Desert Campus, and Inflight Dubai Indoor Skydiving. — The skydiving community appreciates his contributions!
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He truly embodies the meaning of his pen name, "Fazza," under which he publishes his poetry. In the Emirati dialect, "Fazza" means a person who hurries to help and support others. The nickname is quite fitting for him; he is known for his generosity, charisma, adaptability, and friendliness. Fazza evokes the feeling of being the best, the most skilled, and the most successful.
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—Mery Rose
DUBAI International Parachuting Championships
US Parachute Team 2015
Dubai is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is the largest among them, with a population of approximately 3.331 million residents. Dubai is indeed located on the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula and is situated along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf, which is also known locally as the Arabian Gulf.
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The UAE boasts a subtropical, arid climate characterized by beautiful sunny blue skies most of the year. From November to January, during the FAI Dubai International Parachute Championship (DIPC), the weather is pleasantly warm during the day and slightly cool at night, creating ideal conditions for activities like skydiving. Humidity levels tend to rise between June and August.
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Dubai IPC is an annual FAI Championship, located at Marine, at "The Palm Jumeirah," which is one of the most famous destinations in the world for skydiving —a series of artificial islands that resemble a tree when viewed from above.
Skydive Dubai - The view is truly one-of-a-kind:
Hold your breath! During the Dubai IPC, athletes have the privilege to jump by plane and joy free-fall at a speed of 200 km/h towards the stunning landing at the artificial "Palm Jumeirah" tree; it is a privilege of the few.
Participants usually are in for a great time at the DIPC. The event begins with a grand opening ceremony that combines a thrilling skydiving video. The excitement continues with the gala dinner at renowned places like Jumeirah Beach Hotel, featuring a stunning nighttime airshow and fireworks display. The relaxed awards and closing ceremony provide a joyful conclusion to a fabulous event.
During competitions, participants in three disciplines—Accuracy Landing, Skydiving Formation (4-way), and Canopy Piloting (swooping. Have days off, giving them ample time to enjoy the five-star hospitality of the DIPC hosts and explore the sights of Dubai.
Skydive Dubai is obviously an amazing Drop Zone! And definitely it has the most beautiful aerial views of the world: The Palm Jumeira Artificial Island, a residential and touristic complex on the sea, home of the Atlantis Resort owned by Donald Trump and the futuristic architecture of the buildings at Dubai Marina shore.
The organizers meticulously handle the details, and the mega-events are truly impressive! The infrastructure and the weather conditions are perfect. The vast blue skies, the clear green and blue waters of the Arabian Gulf, the local temperature averaging 74F/23°C, and the sunshine make for an excellent environment for all aspects of the event.
Full-time DZ facilities and professional rigging services have reasonably price during the competitions. A public addressing system and giant screens are available for the teams, judges, and the general public. A certified and experienced team of world-renowned FAI judges is also available.
The Desert Drop Zone is a skydiving school and the headquarters of the FAZZA3 skydiving team, led by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, an Emirati royal and politician who has been the Crown Prince of Dubai since 2008 who is a skydiver himself and DZO.
An excellent all-inclusive championship fee of $ 1000.00 per person ($ 1,200 for companion), including accommodation in luxury five-star hotels, all meals from dinner on arrival day to breakfast at departure day, and local transport.
By
Mery Rose
MeryRose.com
L > R: Angela Nichols, Elisa Tennyson, Karen Morrison. Mery Rose and Cheryl Sterns.
The U.S. Parachute Women's Team will represent the USA at the 30th FAI World Parachuting Championships, on July 22nd, 2008, for competition against 22 countries, at the city of Lucenec, the Slovak Republic. The women qualified for the World Championships by placing in the top five overall at the U.S. Nationals Championship in 2007.
The team is composed of two civilian athletes; Cheryl Sterns and Mery Rose, and three athletes from the U.S. Army Parachute Team, known as the Golden Knights: 1st Class Elisa Tennyson, Sergeant 1st Class Karen Morrison, and Sergeant 1st Class Angela Nichols. The Staff Sergeant Norma Estrella is an alternate for Team USA.
Members of the team have been training daily to prepare for the FAI World Competition. They will compete in the Style and Accuracy disciplines. Style is a speed event in freefall where each competitor jumps from 7,500 feet and must complete a series of six turns and loops in a race against the clock; points are given for the best time. Accuracy is where the parachutist jumps from an altitude of 2,800 - 4,000 feet, lands, and places their heel (They use a special tennis shoes), on a 16-centimeter pad with a 2-centimeter electronic target. The object in Accuracy is to finish with the lowest score.
Mery Rose
MeryRose.com
July 1st, 2008
San Francisco, CA
WOMEN'S TEAM TO COMPETE IN LUCENEC, SLOVAK REPUBLIC FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Mery Rose
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