Canopy collapse kills VA skydiver...

[mnischalke 0]

Posting as I get it.
"There is going to be a viewing/memorial service in PA on the Thur."
More soon.
mike
The Lord giveth and the M-79 taketh away. Welcome to the world of zero slack.

[froglady 0]

He was jumping a Xaos-21 68, at a 2.0 wing loading. Manufactured Nov 01. Winds were out of the SW 10-16mph. I was watching his whole canopy flight, he had finished his right hand carving turn and was flying straight and level into the south about 100ft up. The right side of his canopy collapsed and sent him into severe line twist, his canopy looked like a streamer. It was so quick there was nothing he could have done.

[ChromeBoy 0]

Was Bob the guy with long hair and I think a goatee that slept in the Hanger in a sleeping bag Saturday night at the Orange Boogie? Hope not.

[mnischalke 0]

Yes.
mike
The Lord giveth and the M-79 taketh away. Welcome to the world of zero slack.

[ChromeBoy 0]

Damn man. I got to know him that Sunday.
Blue Skies Bob...RIP Brother!

[kevin922 0]

Memorial to Bob Photos.
Kevin
http://www.interone.net

[ChromeBoy 0]

Thanks for the pictures Kevin. I have been thinking about this a lot tonight. I had hoped that I would never know somone who had lost their life in this sport. But I guess that if you do it long enough you are bound too.
I went to Orange two weeks ago. The Sunday during the boogie. Being new to the dropzone I didn't really know anyone. I sat in a chair over by the bigscreen television and noticed that someone was sleeping in a sleeping bag on the floor while chaos was going on around them. A few minutes later Bob got up, went and changed and took a seat next to me. We discussed the weather and how it looked like we were not going to be jumping that day. He told me about his jumps on Saturday and how he wished the weather was better. We discussed a few different dz's in the area. I told him I was going to leave and he told me he was right behind me because he had to drive back to Maryland. I left.
Did I really know him. Not really. But I remeber that I sat in that chair for awhile and just watched everything going on around me. While driving home in the rain I remember thinking to myself that skydivers are really cool and friendly people. Bob and I talked like we had known each other for awhile. I guess we all have the connection of the sport in our blood and in our mind we are all equals.

[dove 0]

Nathan,
At the risk of sounding totally mushy... we are all family. I am saddened every time we lose another member of our skydiving family. But I was especially moved when Peter Tome lost his life at Delmarva last year. I didn't know him, but it was my home dz and somehow felt so much more personal and REAL. I cried a lot and prayed a lot. I was supposed to be there that day (Sunday) but left on Saturday with all my overnight stuff after an instructor creamed in and had to be taken away by paramedics. We are always sad to have lost em but glad to have known em and thankful they died doing something that made their soul soar.
dove