Little question for Bill Booth

[autoset 0]

Hey don't know if this is the right place to ask this but I've read a few posts from Bill Booth concerning the PIA lately, personally I didn't know he visited this site that much but I see I'm wrong.

So the question is: How you got involved in skydiving?, after reading a lot about the sport and the great progression it has made, in big part thanks to some of your inventions (3-ring system, throw out PC, etc) I feel this question is a must, Did someone take you to try out a jump and you fell in love with the sport...or how did it happen?

[brettski74 0]

Actually, I think this has already been discussed in here somewhere. Try a search - maybe in the SKydiving History and Trivia forum.

[MB38 0]

I believe he also tells the story in one of his Skydive Radio interviews.

I really don't know what I'm talking about.

[mandm 0]

From the thread "Scary stories from the old days? " in "History and trivia" (great thread b.t.w....):
"Although I made my first jump in 1969 on a 28' round, with a front mount reserve, with no pilot chute in it, no automatic opener, no RSL, and only about two hours training, I wasn't scared a bit. (Probably because I was 18 years old, and invincible.) What did scare the hell out of me though, was when I found out some 30 years later, that my instructor only had 6 jumps when he trained me. I hit the ground so hard, it knocked me clean out...and when I woke up, I was greeted with the unbelieable sight of my jumpmaster trying to get my canopy back from a cow, which was in the process of EATING it. We got it back, patched up the new holes with more duct tape, and packed it up for my next jump. Students nowadays have it far too easy, if you ask me.
billbooth"

and:

"Turn back the clock to 1970. We all jumped Para Commanders. To keep the heavy spring loaded pilot chutes and sleeves out of the "turn windows" on top of the PC, we used 30 foot long bridle lines. This kept the "glob" of sleeve and pilot chute trailing way behind the canopy.

It was a normal rainy day in South Florida, and I remember thinking how hard it was to pack because everything was damp. Anyway, however it happened, two guys made a close pass to each other under canopy, and as they turned off, the ends of their bridles got tangled. There they were, at about 1500 feet, 50 feet apart, slowly rotating around each other.

The wind was light, so from the ground we heard one of them yell, "Fred, we're tangled. You'd better cutaway," Much to everyones delight, Fred hollered back, "F*** You John, You cutaway!"

This dialogue continued as we watched this "dynamic duo", totally oblivious to where they were going, rotate right over the 128,000 volt, high tension lines that went down the road adjoining the DZ. As luck would have it, one went on the near side of the power lines, and the other on the far side... And when we all got there, were suspended about 5 feet off the ground by their entangled bridles...believe it or not, beating on each other, and yelling,"You should have cut away...NO, YOU should have cutaway!"

There was nothing we could do, because if anyone touched them, we would complete the circuit to the ground. "Guys", I yelled from a safe distance, "Cut it out, and take a look at where you are." They both looked down, and then up at their smoking canopies, in the buzzing wires. They immediately shut up, and gave each other great big bear hugs, holding on for dear life. It was obvious that both of them needed to cutaway simultaneously, and soon...or they were fried. (I think "crispy critters" is the term the power company guy who showed up later to retrieve the melted canopies used.) If one of them was ahead of the other, by even one second, they were both dead.

Now remember, there were no 3-rings yet, and Capewells took 4 separate motions to release both risers. We all knew that getting two risers to go simultaneously was hard...so four risers releasing at once was, shall we say...highly unlikely. But with no other choice, they very carefully opened the safety covers, and put both thumbs in the cable rings...For the moment, the best of buddies, for their lives truly depended on each other.

I said, "Alright, I'll count to three. "One...Two..."Wait a minute", John screamed, Do we go on three or GO?" As soon as we quit laughing, I said, "On GO". Fortunately, they both cut away perfectly, hitting the ground with a single resounding thud, as their recoiling canopies crossed the wires and exploded in a very expensive fireball, knocking out the power to half the town. It had to be the most interesting canopy relative work I've ever seen.
billbooth"

[steve1 5]

Aren't those two great stories! I still crack up when reading them. They both bring back a ton of memories.....Steve1

[autoset 0]

Wow those are good stories hehe, but still I hope Bill to see this thread and tell us what got him interested in skydiving, he was in the air force or something? etc., anyway this guy is the MAN! 30something years in the sport and counting.

[tdog 0]

Download his skydive radio interviews. A lot of your questions will be answered.

[agent_lead 0]

skydive radio for teh win

--------------------------------------------
www.facebook.com/agentlead

[Eule 0]

Quote

Download his skydive radio interviews. A lot of your questions will be answered.

Agreed - those are good interviews. Skydive Radio shows 16, 17, and 35.

Eule

PLF does not stand for Please Land on Face.