Also the Wright Flyer, squares, zero-p and free-flying!
There is an interesting article in the August 1964 issue of National Geographic Magazine about an expedition to a remote valley in Peru, led by department store heir Peter Gimbel, and included Skydiver Jack Joerns. They jumped into the valley on Aug. 5, 1963 using PCs, whch were very new at the time. Las Vegas skydivers sweatshirts were prominent in a few of the pics.
It was this article as well as one in Life Magazine in the very early '60s, which inspired me to start skydiving.
(This post was edited by jimp on Sep 8, 2003, 11:20 AM)
Met a guy that did the first 'test' jumps on PC's for the Army Team... prior to their using them for demos and competition.
I may be wrong...but I though he said that was in '61.
Twardo, that would close. Jim Arender was world champion in 1962 and they were using Lo-Po's then. Dick Fortenberry was world champ in 1964 and used a PC. That was the first time in world competition. Fortenberry, as team captain, had the US Team practice off target to fool the CCCP Team. It was the first time they had seen one and would sneak around the packing area trying to get the measurements. I bought mine in 1965.
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Sep 8, 2003, 10:02 PM
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The Comp model has lines shortened by 42 inches and more steering vents.
I did a few jumps on the Comp model in the late 70's (fun canopy to jump ) and seem to remember that the "front" was cut "higher" then the standard PC model for greater performance (speed). The CPC I jumped had a tendency to not fully deploy (front collapsed inwards due to to the "profile) before you pumped the brakes a few times. Also seem to remember peeple telling me that the mal rate on CPC's was higher then on the standard PC due to the design differences.
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Sep 9, 2003, 8:20 PM
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You are soooo spoiled.... In the roundie times PC type canopies were known to be soft "landers". I had a C-9 7-TU main for about 60 jumps. I was about 5 kg heavier then the recommended max weight for this canopy. Talking about hard landings..... I used the french type para boots with the thick soles with air "chambers" at the time to make landings less painful...
(This post was edited by mikkey on Sep 10, 2003, 6:01 AM)
Back in the late 70's you were required to have 100 jumps under a round canopy before you were allowed to jump a square. I had 50 jumps under a 10 with front mounted reserve and 50 under a Paracommander. my paracommander landed extremely soft if you pulled back on the back risers just before landing
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Sep 10, 2003, 9:10 AM
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>my paracommander landed extremely soft if you pulled back on the back risers just before landing
I was told that's an "advanced" landing technique and should'nt be tried on a first round jump. I was at the max for the comp PC it turns out and I was coming straight down. One one bothered to tell me about how poorly you can do a PLF if you have no momentium except straight down Next time I'll do the downwinder into the peas
Back in the late 70's you were required to have 100 jumps under a round canopy before you were allowed to jump a square. I had 50 jumps under a 10 with front mounted reserve and 50 under a Paracommander. my paracommander landed extremely soft if you pulled back on the back risers just before landing
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Tony-
You must have been on one of those progressive California dropzones!
We had to have 200!!! (I cheated and just bought a used Para Plane after around 150...)
I had a Church Window PC that was shortlined incorrectly... The Apex lines ( 2 thick ropes that pulled down the center) were the same length as the suspension lines...
It opened like a 24' flat resrve...(snot knocker) and came out of the sky like a modern day drogue!
...It WAS accurate though.
I also had (still have) a Papillion...
The vents in the front, which the para commanded lacked... were said to allow you to 'back-up' if you were overshooting.
I jumped that PAP at Elsinore some years back... after coming in downwind... and spraying the pea gravel all the way to the packing area...
Back in the late 70's you were required to have 100 jumps under a round canopy before you were allowed to jump a square. I had 50 jumps under a 10 with front mounted reserve and 50 under a Paracommander. my paracommander landed extremely soft if you pulled back on the back risers just before landing
They let me jump my Cloud after only 39 jumps on a PC.
my paracommander landed extremely soft if you pulled back on the back risers just before landing
.
I always landed mine this way. Just reach up as high as you could on the back risers and do a chinup at flare time. It usually worked well. A lot of guys would flare with toggles though and seemed to land about the same. I guess it's what you get used to.......Steve1
I remember someone jumping his new Strato Star with 50 jumps in 1975. But he was gonna die!
Of course, he didn't
Wendy W.
Quote:
A little off the subject... I was reading through the stolen gear last night... From Omoro Wis. Someone stole a rig with a 'safety star' reserve... How long since they made one of those???
I remember someone jumping his new Strato Star with 50 jumps in 1975. But he was gonna die!
Of course, he didn't
Wendy W.
Quote:
A little off the subject... I was reading through the stolen gear last night... From Omoro Wis. Someone stole a rig with a 'safety star' reserve... How long since they made one of those???
I woun't know, I am not old enough to remember "Satety Stars". lol I do know they were only about 180 sq. ft. Ouch
My got my paracommander from Charlie Brown ( he later joined the Golden Knights) in 1978. It was in a bag which it wasn't designed for, in piggyback which it wasn't designed for and the rig was a Green Star Express. The absolute stupidest thing I ever did was take up to 7500 in Dublin , Virginia a make a test jump in it, not knowing til later if it hadn't worked that chances were that my reserve wouldn't have worked either. It's truly amazing I that I survived to be a young 60 years old.
How's Brooks doing? Tell I said hi.
Blue skies!
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Sep 12, 2003, 7:30 AM
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The reason I believed the stiching wouldn't have worked was because, shortly after the rig " the Green Star Express " was banned at DZ's because of some many reserve risers came loose on reserve deployment. Fortunately I didn't have to find out if it worked or not.
) and seem to remember that the "front" was cut "higher" then the standard PC model for greater performance (speed). The CPC I jumped had a tendency to not fully deploy (front collapsed inwards due to to the "profile) before you pumped the brakes a few times. Also seem to remember peeple telling me that the mal rate on CPC's was higher then on the standard PC due to the design differences. 
1
