billvon 2,427 #1 August 23, 2001 I spent five days at Quincy this year. I spent most of my time organizing for DJan and company, and as usual, I had a lot of fun. Some highlights - a nude 17 way protest jump, several no-suit speedstars, and one jump where a woman with 70 jumps got her double falcon.Right after I got there I saw the B17 sitting there, tempting me. At first I was determined to not jump it, because it was $350 a jump, and that's a greedy price for a jump. They pled poverty, of course, and mentioned the huge expenses of running a cranky bomber, but as the pilots and crew all had hotel rooms and SUV's I found that hard to take too much pity on them. Finally I convinced myself that this was sort of a once in a lifetime opportunity (a dangerous rationale if overused) and decided to jump it.We all milled around for about two hours while they changed tires. "These tires cost $700 a _piece_!" one of the crew explained to us, as if pushing their case for poverty. I couldn't feel too bad, since the 14 of us on the load would pay for the tires 3 times over. Finally we loaded, and I ended up in the waistgunner compartments.Quick background on the B17: It was a 4 engine US bomber used in WWII. It carried at least two pilots, one navigator, six gunners, one bombardier, and a radioman. It dropped bombs the usual way, via a bomb bay just aft of the cockpit. In our case we had two jumpers squeezed into the navigator's position, six in the radio room just aft of the bomb bay, and six in the waist gunner's compartment. (We could have fit a few more people in the ball turret and tailgunner compartment, but they are a bear to get into and out of.) We would be exiting from the bomb bay. The plan was to climb back (or forward) to the bomb bay, climb down until you got one foot on rails on either side of the bay, and then pull your feet together and drop straight down. Six jumpers would 'preload' the bomb bay and go as soon as they opened the doors, and the rest of us would climb into position and go as quickly as possible.Anyway, the outside temp was about 98 as we climbed into the bomber, with the interior around 130. We strapped in and sat there in pools of sweat as they got the engines started, with great clouds of oily smoke swirling around the tail. Once we started taxiing, the plane cooled off a bit. We took the runway and started rolling, the engines generating far more noise (and far less thrust, per decibel) than the engines I'm used to. It was sobering to think that each of the huge radials had half a dozen controls to set and hundreds of moving parts to break or foul, while a single turbine engine from the Mullins King Air was about the size of a big bucket, had about ten moving parts, and generated about 70% the thrust of the bigger engine.We finally lumbered into the air. We took off the 'seat belts' and wandered around the plane. It was eerie trying to fit though the tiny doorways with a rig on - I couldn't help dragging my rig across the edge of the door as I squeezed into the radio room. The overhead navigator's window had been removed, and I climbed up to sit on the top of the plane for a minute. Behind me I could see all of Quincy, the runways, the tents, and of course the huge tail of the bomber. In front of me I could see the cockpit and beyond it, nothing but sky. I felt a little like the Slim Pickens character in "Dr. Strangelove," except I was riding an entire B17 instead of a bomb. Bugs hit me in the face, but for a view like that, it was worth it.I hopped back in so the freefliers could take video of each other sitting on the edge of the hatch. (To them, of course, it didn't happen unless there's video.) I realized then that Cory, a woman who had been screaming since we took off, was planning a nude 2-way from the bomber. She wanted to be the first woman to do a nude B17 jump. I later found out that the pilot had given her a free slot for going nude. She started the contortions required to remove clothing without taking your rig off, and I looked out the waistgunner windows at the countryside going by to give her some privacy.At 4000 feet we got the 'get ready' signal. The first six jumpers (including Cory) climbed carefully into the bomb bay and straddled the rails on either side of the bay. I got behind them on the catwalk to follow them once they left - I would be #7. A freefly guy behind me said "Get down! I gotta get this on video!" I hunkered down as low as I could, my feet just above the bomb bay door mechanism. It started to creak as it winched the doors open.The sight that greeted me there was the one I will forever will identify with the 2001 convention. The bomb bay doors slowly opening, turning the stinky, hot, dark bomb bay into a bright and very drafty clerestory. Below, through a thin layer of clouds, I could see the runways and tents of Quincy. I looked forward. At the front of the bomb bay I could see the bomb release mechanisms and the passage to the cockpit. In between were three skydivers ready to go, only one of whom was wearing any clothing. The combination made quite an image, one that I suspect you wouldn't be able to print anywhere.Cory exited once the doors were open, with the other two left-side jumpers exiting a second apart. They'd fall away through the still air of the bomb bay, then they'd hit the 130mph slipstream and disappear backwards with a sort of faint "fwush" noise. Cory screamed as she exited (of course) and her scream dopplered away as she hit the air and slowed down to normal freefall speeds. I climbed down, straddled the rails, crossed my arms and pulled my legs in. When I hit the air I tracked upwards, staying close enough to see the next two jumpers exit like little animated bombs. The plane kept dropping jumpers, and I could just make out the bomb bay doors finally closing after the last jumper exited.It was worth the $350.-bill von Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #2 August 23, 2001 Wonderful story! Thanks for sharing it - I could imagine it right along with your relating it...glad for you!cils- through bomb bays or otherwise-Michele"What of the dreams that never die? Turn to your left at the end of the sky". ~e e cummings~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dutchboy 0 #3 August 23, 2001 Cool story. I have flewn in a B17 (about an hour), but that was when I was still a whuffo. I flew in a different B17, the one owned by the EAA. It was really cool. They charge $350 for a ride in the plane. Believe me when I tell you that they are NOT making any money off you. There are only a half dozen of these things flying in the world and they are extremely expensive to operate. Just the fuel alone is enough to kill you. EAA spent millions getting their plane flying again.When we landed in the EAA's B17 the tail wheel broke and they had to fix it on the runway because they didn't want to drag it all around the airport.I can't imagine what it would be like to jump from one, but I certainly enjoyed the hour I spent flying in one.The Dutchboyhttp://www.geocities.com/ppolstra Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rainman 0 #4 August 23, 2001 Great story Bill,Thanks for sharing!With all the S&T articles I've read from you, it's too bad you only have a handful posts here on DZ.com! Name that song (it's a giveaway....):"Throw me to the wolves because there's order in the pack,throw me to the sky because I know I'm coming back"Ramon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Pammi 0 #5 August 23, 2001 It was great meeting you at Quincy! How's the toes?A new page! Bi-Plane pics! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites wingnut 0 #6 August 23, 2001 thanks for the story bill, someday i will jump one!!! my grandfather flew in one, as a ball turett, and tail gunner durring the second wold war and i think it would be great to see one let alone jump outa it!"if dreams are like movies, then memories are like films about ghosts"-counting crows Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites RemiAndKaren 0 #7 August 23, 2001 QuoteHow's the toes?Pam! I sure hope that in the face of the distress caused by not having access to your honey's toes (cast and all), you ended up ... .never mind..... my mind sure is in the gutter today! lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites freeflir29 0 #8 August 23, 2001 $350 to 4,000 ft. Man where are you jumping? At ......Oh yeah......We have made a solemn promise not to flame that DZ.......Just kidding. That does seem a little on the expensive side for the experience. Pretty neat but not sure it's $350 worth of neat."Don't give a F$#ck if I'm comin or leavin"-Pappa RoachClay Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Tee 0 #9 August 23, 2001 What an experience!!! I would pay $350 for that....and I'm a Canadian, so that is like....$1,000,000 cdn dollars! It certainly sounds like it could be one of th highlights of your trip, with the exception of meeting Pammi and the Sistah, but that's just a given! Tee Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mountainman 0 #10 August 23, 2001 QuoteAt 4000 feet we got the 'get ready' signal.I am gonna agree with Clay. Wow!! How much altitude did you get for your $350?? Either way, I can't blame you. That must have been a great experience and thank you for writing about it with such detail. I'm sure you'll not soon forget it. --------------Drop on in...leave a message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites billvon 2,427 #11 August 23, 2001 >It was great meeting you at Quincy! How's the toes?All black and blue, still, but I can walk on them now.Story for the rest of you:On Friday I was in the plane, near the door, with a novice skyboarder in front of my group. He was first out, I was front float for the second group. He started putting his board on at about 5000 feet. When the door-open light came on, he stood up and started hopping around on the board. He said "Watch your toes" so I pulled my feet as far under the seat as I could. When the green light came on he took a mighty hop backwards and landed right on my foot (I was wearing Tevas, of course.) It hurt like hell, and sort of bent my foot at a most unnatural 90 degree angle. I yelled."Huh? Oh, did I get your foot? Gee, I . . .""Just GO!" I yelled at him. I looked at my foot - not too much blood - and made the jump. After I landed my toes were killing me.Saturday they still hurt, and they also seemed a little weak, somehow. I jumped all day with no problems.Sunday I made two jumps - my goal was four before the King Air left. As I was landing after the second jump, my toes touched the ground and just sort of folded under. This also hurt like hell. I really wanted to make two more jumps with Anita before she left, but common sense finally won out and I stayed on the ground.I've been on crutches most of the last week. I don't know if it was the skyboard or the landing that did it, but I must have done some damage. (Good thing you were there with that golf cart so I could get a ride to the terminal with my 60 pounds of baggage! Thanks.)-bill von Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites chronistin 0 #12 August 23, 2001 Great story. I hope I can jump that bird one day...longingly looking up to the skyAndrea*************************************http://www.wortwerkstatt.at/skydiving Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Aviatrr 0 #13 August 23, 2001 Quote Cool story. I have flewn in a B17 (about an hour), but that was when I was still a whuffo. I flew in a different B17, the one owned by the EAA. It was really cool. Ahh, that would be Aluminum Overcast.. I've got a couple hours in the nose gunner position on that plane.. I got to ride along(didn't have to pay, either!) from one airshow location to another.. Very cool..Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mountainman 0 #14 August 23, 2001 QuoteI got to ride along(didn't have to pay, either!) from one airshow location to another.. Very cool..If you paid them $350 they probably would have let you fall out of the bombbay. Should have tried!! --------------Drop on in...leave a message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Dutchboy 0 #15 August 23, 2001 QuoteAhh, that would be Aluminum Overcast.. I've got a couple hours in the nose gunner position on that plane.. I got to ride along(didn't have to pay, either!) from one airshow location to another.. Very cool..Yeah, I didn't pay them either. I was president of my local EAA chapter at the time. I was going to be on a 15 minute ferry flight, but they had just changed crews and everyone else on board was family of the new crew!We had a hard time getting on the plane initially. The EAA said we could ride if we found our own way back. They hadn't communicated this to the crew. They seemed to think we were practically stowing away. Actually, they were quite rude, now that I think about it. I didn't care too much, I still got my B-17 ride.The Dutchboyhttp://www.geocities.com/ppolstra Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Aviatrr 0 #16 August 23, 2001 Quote If you paid them $350 they probably would have let you fall out of the bombbay. Should have tried!! Actually, this was before I started skydiving.. If the same thing happened now, I would take my rig.. "WE'RE TAKING FLAK!@# I'M OUTA HERE!" Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mountainman 0 #17 August 23, 2001 QuoteActually, this was before I started skydiving.. If the same thing happened now, I would take my rig.. "WE'RE TAKING FLAK!@# I'M OUTA HERE!"You should have taken some firecrackers and thrown them in the back. They would have HAD to open up the bombay's so you could bail!! Make sure you think of that next time!!--------------Drop on in...leave a message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites lewmonst 0 #18 August 23, 2001 i jumped the b24 last year, $20, i kept my clothes on and got lucky, won the raffle. not sure why they wouldn't allow b24 jumps this year. but quincy was still a blast, or I should say the WFFC was a balst, forget quincy, we'll go wherever the wffc goes...bombs awaylew Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mountainman 0 #19 August 23, 2001 Quote$20, i kept my clothes on and got lucky, won the raffleYou could have just got naked for the fun of it!!QuoteWFFC was a balst, forget quincy, we'll go wherever the wffc goesNo kidding!! Bring it to Richmond!! That would RULE!!--------------Drop on in...leave a message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. 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Pammi 0 #5 August 23, 2001 It was great meeting you at Quincy! How's the toes?A new page! Bi-Plane pics! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wingnut 0 #6 August 23, 2001 thanks for the story bill, someday i will jump one!!! my grandfather flew in one, as a ball turett, and tail gunner durring the second wold war and i think it would be great to see one let alone jump outa it!"if dreams are like movies, then memories are like films about ghosts"-counting crows Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RemiAndKaren 0 #7 August 23, 2001 QuoteHow's the toes?Pam! I sure hope that in the face of the distress caused by not having access to your honey's toes (cast and all), you ended up ... .never mind..... my mind sure is in the gutter today! lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #8 August 23, 2001 $350 to 4,000 ft. Man where are you jumping? At ......Oh yeah......We have made a solemn promise not to flame that DZ.......Just kidding. That does seem a little on the expensive side for the experience. Pretty neat but not sure it's $350 worth of neat."Don't give a F$#ck if I'm comin or leavin"-Pappa RoachClay Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tee 0 #9 August 23, 2001 What an experience!!! I would pay $350 for that....and I'm a Canadian, so that is like....$1,000,000 cdn dollars! It certainly sounds like it could be one of th highlights of your trip, with the exception of meeting Pammi and the Sistah, but that's just a given! Tee Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #10 August 23, 2001 QuoteAt 4000 feet we got the 'get ready' signal.I am gonna agree with Clay. Wow!! How much altitude did you get for your $350?? Either way, I can't blame you. That must have been a great experience and thank you for writing about it with such detail. I'm sure you'll not soon forget it. --------------Drop on in...leave a message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,427 #11 August 23, 2001 >It was great meeting you at Quincy! How's the toes?All black and blue, still, but I can walk on them now.Story for the rest of you:On Friday I was in the plane, near the door, with a novice skyboarder in front of my group. He was first out, I was front float for the second group. He started putting his board on at about 5000 feet. When the door-open light came on, he stood up and started hopping around on the board. He said "Watch your toes" so I pulled my feet as far under the seat as I could. When the green light came on he took a mighty hop backwards and landed right on my foot (I was wearing Tevas, of course.) It hurt like hell, and sort of bent my foot at a most unnatural 90 degree angle. I yelled."Huh? Oh, did I get your foot? Gee, I . . .""Just GO!" I yelled at him. I looked at my foot - not too much blood - and made the jump. After I landed my toes were killing me.Saturday they still hurt, and they also seemed a little weak, somehow. I jumped all day with no problems.Sunday I made two jumps - my goal was four before the King Air left. As I was landing after the second jump, my toes touched the ground and just sort of folded under. This also hurt like hell. I really wanted to make two more jumps with Anita before she left, but common sense finally won out and I stayed on the ground.I've been on crutches most of the last week. I don't know if it was the skyboard or the landing that did it, but I must have done some damage. (Good thing you were there with that golf cart so I could get a ride to the terminal with my 60 pounds of baggage! Thanks.)-bill von Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chronistin 0 #12 August 23, 2001 Great story. I hope I can jump that bird one day...longingly looking up to the skyAndrea*************************************http://www.wortwerkstatt.at/skydiving Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aviatrr 0 #13 August 23, 2001 Quote Cool story. I have flewn in a B17 (about an hour), but that was when I was still a whuffo. I flew in a different B17, the one owned by the EAA. It was really cool. Ahh, that would be Aluminum Overcast.. I've got a couple hours in the nose gunner position on that plane.. I got to ride along(didn't have to pay, either!) from one airshow location to another.. Very cool..Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #14 August 23, 2001 QuoteI got to ride along(didn't have to pay, either!) from one airshow location to another.. Very cool..If you paid them $350 they probably would have let you fall out of the bombbay. Should have tried!! --------------Drop on in...leave a message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dutchboy 0 #15 August 23, 2001 QuoteAhh, that would be Aluminum Overcast.. I've got a couple hours in the nose gunner position on that plane.. I got to ride along(didn't have to pay, either!) from one airshow location to another.. Very cool..Yeah, I didn't pay them either. I was president of my local EAA chapter at the time. I was going to be on a 15 minute ferry flight, but they had just changed crews and everyone else on board was family of the new crew!We had a hard time getting on the plane initially. The EAA said we could ride if we found our own way back. They hadn't communicated this to the crew. They seemed to think we were practically stowing away. Actually, they were quite rude, now that I think about it. I didn't care too much, I still got my B-17 ride.The Dutchboyhttp://www.geocities.com/ppolstra Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aviatrr 0 #16 August 23, 2001 Quote If you paid them $350 they probably would have let you fall out of the bombbay. Should have tried!! Actually, this was before I started skydiving.. If the same thing happened now, I would take my rig.. "WE'RE TAKING FLAK!@# I'M OUTA HERE!" Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #17 August 23, 2001 QuoteActually, this was before I started skydiving.. If the same thing happened now, I would take my rig.. "WE'RE TAKING FLAK!@# I'M OUTA HERE!"You should have taken some firecrackers and thrown them in the back. They would have HAD to open up the bombay's so you could bail!! Make sure you think of that next time!!--------------Drop on in...leave a message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lewmonst 0 #18 August 23, 2001 i jumped the b24 last year, $20, i kept my clothes on and got lucky, won the raffle. not sure why they wouldn't allow b24 jumps this year. but quincy was still a blast, or I should say the WFFC was a balst, forget quincy, we'll go wherever the wffc goes...bombs awaylew Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #19 August 23, 2001 Quote$20, i kept my clothes on and got lucky, won the raffleYou could have just got naked for the fun of it!!QuoteWFFC was a balst, forget quincy, we'll go wherever the wffc goesNo kidding!! Bring it to Richmond!! That would RULE!!--------------Drop on in...leave a message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
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