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steve1

Scary stories from the old days?

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...at some point you will reach the maximum point on your fear curve.






Well at least I got THAT goin' for me! ;)




I just hope I reach that point pretty soon Ron, I dunno if I can GO another 30 years scared shit-less! :S:D

I haven't experienced everything sport parachuting has to offer. However, I have experienced everything that I imagined when I started jumping except a Mae West and impact.

The honor of jumping with the LPT was about the final fulfillment.
Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

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...at some point you will reach the maximum point on your fear curve.






Well at least I got THAT goin' for me! ;)




I just hope I reach that point pretty soon Ron, I dunno if I can GO another 30 years scared shit-less! :S:D


I haven't experienced everything sport parachuting has to offer. However, I have experienced everything that I imagined when I started jumping except a Mae West and impact.

The honor of jumping with the LPT was about the final fulfillment.


Those were some good times weren't they big brother! B|

...and believe me, the honor was all mine getting to jump with you!! :)

Ya gotta give the team leader credit, he certainly put together a great bunch of seasoned quality professionals with regard to the dynamic needed to perform demonstration jumps at that level. I always considered myself very fortunate to be a part of it, especially when a 'big dog draft horse' like you joined up! B|

You and a couple others made me a better jumper because it was blatantly apparent to me that I had to take my game up a notch or two just to hang! :)










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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I haven't experienced everything sport parachuting has to offer. However, I have experienced everything that I imagined when I started jumping except a Mae West and impact.

The honor of jumping with the LPT was about the final fulfillment.




Those were some good times weren't they big brother! B|

...and believe me, the honor was all mine getting to jump with you!! :)

Ya gotta give the team leader credit, he certainly put together a great bunch of seasoned quality professionals with regard to the dynamic needed to perform demonstration jumps at that level. I always considered myself very fortunate to be a part of it, especially when a 'big dog draft horse' like you joined up! B|

You and a couple others made me a better jumper because it was blatantly apparent to me that I had to take my game up a notch or two just to hang! :)

Thank you for the kind words.:$

Yes, good times, good times indeed.
Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

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~I moved this from another thread, kinda scary and has a parachute in the story. :)

Thought I'd bring it here with the rest! ;)





_________________________________________________






Funny story about a PEP that got thrown away~


About 15 years ago we were doing a night show over Hawthorne Racetrack near Chicago. We were jumping pyro, there was a T-6 with pyro on it, as well as a good friend in his Extra 300 also carrying night pyro...it was his first night show.

We went first and were down gathering gear when Tim in the Extra started his act with a low fly by, snapping to inverted.

I was staying with Tim at his house near Chicago that weekend and we'd talked about his show routine earlier...I'm standing on the track looking up wondering why he's slowly circling the field for several minutes...still inverted and starting to climb.

5 minutes or so later I see an exaggerated wing wag and the Extra appears to exit the area, no sky filled with fireworks, no funky flips & spins...no nothing.

Took several minutes to call the T-6 in early, he was orbiting away from the site waiting for Tim's 10 minute act to start and there seemed to be a lotta confusion on the comm., as to what was going on....where was Tim, is he coming back, & why isn't he answering the radio.

Tim's wife and mine...both accomplished airshow performers as well, were standing together looking worried.
They had a hand held and had not heard from the Extra since Tim had given the 1 minute to start call.

I was stuffing gear into the support van out in the parking lot 20 minutes later, when my wife came running out saying something about an emergency at Migs and all the trucks are dispatched... rut-row!

By the time we got there, the Extra is being towed off the runway escorted by several fire trucks. I find my ole buddy outside the fire-house talking to someone, still geared up in this flight suit-helmet & parachute.

He sees me and the girls walking over and throws me the 'gimme a minute' look, so I detour the wives into the fire house and wait for him to finish.

Couple minutes later he calls to me, and as I'm walking over to him I start getting the picture...He's SOAKED head to toe in AV GAS!

Seems when he went inverted one of the cross connect fuel lines that run through the cockpit broke wide open...he was upside down watching the clear canopy fill with gas! :|

He's in a cramped experimental at night, that has fireworks strapped all over it, with the associated electrical firing wires running into the cockpit to a temporary box on the stick...upside-down over a major city, with the bubble filling up 1/2 way - ahhh the scent of high octane perfume! B|


He was so afraid of ANY spark bringing his act to an impressive but short end, he wouldn't even key the mike on the radio...Bee-lined the closest airport, circled the tower inverted, flipped her over, a short final to touchdown and hit the numbers... not even waiting for a full stop before rolling out and running.

Hands still shaking, I get him undressed, into my jumpsuit, and hand him a cold one from the cooler...his gear is in a pile next to the fence, gas leaking from the PEP it was so saturated.

I picked up the rig, it weighed twice as much as before, and pulled the ripcord, figured I'd at least get some water on it.

Tim said, "What does gas do to one of those?"

"Nothing good" I replied, "I think we should rinse it quick here and soak it back home...might be salvageable."
~ But I wouldn't jump it! :ph34r:

Then fuck it he said and dumped the whole thing in the 55 gal. trash barrel outside the fire house. :o


Short time later we were carefully pulling the pyro off the plane so it could be stored there over night...Tim was obviously a bit shaken and couldn't stop talking 200mph...

Lemme ask you this Jim, what would have happened if...I popped the canopy and got out, would the parachute have opened soaked in fuel?

I told him, Well...I would stand on my head for 10 seconds or so to get going really fast, that way the flames might blow out before ya deploy! >:(

He kinda turned white, called me an asshole, turned around and threw up... B|











~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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i'm not who you were talking to. but. the time at ft. campbell ky. I chopped the cruiseair and got a strong 26 ft lopo at 900ft. over a hot m-16 range pretty scary.;)

i have on occasion been accused of pulling low . My response. Naw I wasn't low I'm just such a big guy I look closer than I really am .


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There's some great stories on here. I think my favorite is one of Airtwardo's.

A guy burned in, right next to their hanger in Arizona. Then an old salt piped up, "I don't know who spotted that load, but whoever it was...they were good!"

If you haven't read any of Airtwardo's stories, you are in for a treat....

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I'm not going to lie, some of these stories get copied and pasted into e-mails to friends who aren't on this site (giving credit to the poster). Most of those are Twardo's stories. This is the best thread on DZ.com.
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

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A little background on this story which actually isn't mine...

I ran a DZ in New Jersey from '69-'75 or so. A few years ago, I got an email from one of my students, Rick McGonigal. In his travels, Rick got friendly with Owen Quinn the "father of BASE jumping" who jumped from the World Trade Center. My student was given a picture of Owen stepping off the tower. You can see it here:

http://berniesayers.com/Owen%20Quinn%20South%20Tower.htm

A month or so ago I got an email from a German photographer who started a website about the World Trade Center. He asked about the picture and could he contact the jumper or the photographer. His very interesting website is here:
http://my-wtc.com

I decided to track down the photographer, Mike Sergio who took the picture of Owen stepping off the tower. So...technically, this is Mike's "Scary story from the old days" not mine.

Mike sent a link to the story here:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1068903/1/index.htm

The story is about one of the most famous bandit jumps ever made. Enjoy...I certainly did.
Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

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Mike Sergio...


The instant I saw the name I knew the story, didn't even need to click the link~

In my 3 1/2 decades of involvement with the sport of skydiving, only TWO people have done shit that pushed the needle on my 'douche bag' meter to the peg, he's one of them.

The weird thing is...I couldn't have conceived it at the time, but BOTH guys were actually setting the trend of things to come.

Mikey's lil' stunt not only cost me a lot of money, but he single handedly pushed the profession of demonstration jumping BACK a decade. Most can't fathom the impact his 'look at me!' bullshit cost not only the demo segment, but the sport in general. >:(

He proved there really IS such a thing as 'bad publicity'.

For a considerable period of time he closed down both the 'Pro-Sports' and a huge segment of the 'large commercial venue' market in regard to demonstration jumping.

As well as spotlighting himself as the poster child for the general public 'outlaw skydiver' image we were ALL trying to cast away back then.

Sergio's little self-center quest for two minutes of fame still holds the Blue Ribbon for the 'That's Incredible' & 'Real People' idiocy that was going on back then.

At Perris a few days following the '86 series we were discussing the shortsighted callous disregard of the 'whole' for some egotistical instant gratification, when the epiphany hit...

There are Skydivers...and then there are people who skydive.

2nd place honors of the douche bag duo goes to ole Murphy...who was the only one on the '3 crash during the Nationals that saw fit to bring lawsuits against anyone or anything above room temperature, within 200 miles of the site.

Sure I'm a grumpy old fart, but it still amazes me how far we've come over the years...the kind of crap that set these guys apart, is now quite common place, heck even encouraged it seems. :S


Fortunately I've mellowed with age, I no longer hold the intense disdain for Mike that I once did...Oh sure, if I ran into him I'd still hook-knife his scrotum and force feed him an 'Oyster Sammich' he'd never forget, ~ but I wouldn't be MEAN about it! :ph34r:










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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Airwaldo said;

Sure I'm a grumpy old fart, but it still amazes me how far we've come over the years...the kind of crap that set these guys apart, is now quite common place, heck even encouraged it seems.


Fortunately I've mellowed with age, I no longer hold the intense disdain for Mike that I once did...Oh sure, if I ran into him I'd still hook-knife his scrotum and force feed him an 'Oyster Sammich' he'd never forget, ~ but I wouldn't be MEAN about it!
____________________________________________________________________________

Damn Jim, that last remark brought my knees together with a crash.

I should have a few scary stories to post after our next Air Trash Old Farts get together at Taft this coming May 28th.

Regards,
Dennis

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...Oh sure, if I ran into him I'd still hook-knife his scrotum and force feed him an 'Oyster Sammich' he'd never forget, ~ but I wouldn't be MEAN about it! :ph34r:



Oh, come on, Jim, why don't you tell us how you really feel.

Mike's jump into the stadium and Owen's jump from the south tower were defining moments in the history of the sport. I think their story needs to be told.

I spent months working to keep my commercial ticket after I flew for what was--fortunately for me!--a totally legit jump into Veteran's stadium on opening day of the Philadelphia Phillies season. I'll have to check what year that was; I'm rather sure it was prior to Mike's night stadium jump by a few years.

Quite honestly, I never thought about the repercussions of his jump on your wallet or the effect on others who do demos as you do.

Earlier today I told a guy I've known for 40 years about having posted the link to Mike's story. He did lots of demos back in the day. His comment was, "that guy screwed our demos up for a very long time because of his jump."

You make a good point regarding how Mike's jump hurt demo jumping. I can see why you would be less than happy with his actions.

But... thousands of folks read this thread and I think his story should be out there...even if the only value is that we are saying: "don't do something really stupid just for the shock value."
Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

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Jumping at my old teammates DZ a guy named Walt recommended this thread on this forum. Resurrected some good/not so good memories.

As I tell most wuffos-It ain't for everybody including some that do anyway.

So I am in the Howard with DRay and a friend of ours girlfriend, cause he asked us to jump with her. Being good Sky Junkies(we jump with anyone for any reason for beer).
So I go base and Sandy(that is the chicks name by the way) flops out the door. DRay blows past her and pins me. then we patiently await her arrival but she has followed DRays lead and gets into a decent dive and starts accelerating. Unfortunately she must have missed the part where he slowed down and blows thru us like a bowling ball getting a perfect strike. As I get stable, the sweet thing is tits up plummeting to her doom right in front of me. So I go over to her as DRay fades out of the picture. While I am trying to decide wether to pull her main or chest mount, she comes too and does the second smartest thing in her life and immediately saves me from making a decision and dumps her main. Whew. After we land she gets in her car and apparently makes the Smartest decision in her life, at least for the time being, and never returns or is heard from again. And no, we ended up buying our own beer anyway.

If you are going to be a bowling ball............

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This should awaken a few slightly abused brain cells.

There I was sewing carpet onto my huaraches in the tin building at Perris next to where they now fuel the aircraft. The first jump course was being conducted in the student side and the door was open to the loft. A loud clamor arose from the packing area and I stepped out to see a person plummeting tits up almost directly overhead. I stepped sideways to get behind a car so I didn't get splashed just as the reserve starts its way out of the wart. Too late thinks I to a very loud quite near opening shock. Stepping back and then around the car there is a young lady flat on her back trying to catch her breath. Frankly, I was so amazed I forget what she said. I went back in the loft and the Jumpmaster asked what all the hubbub was all about. "Just another student doing everything right at the last possible moment." Shucks, I was shaking so bad i had to give up my little project for awhile. Can you believe she was asked to take up bowling?

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Hey Tom, You're right it was Norton and I. I believe that we did the first one, although we called it a "Sleeping Bag" It happened one afternoon when I front risered onto the top of Nortons canopy and found myself laying down stretched out on top of Nortons canopy. when I looked back, I noticed that the upper skin of Nortons Strato Star looked like there was no one on top of it. Then I leaned over the leading edge and looked down and decided that there was enough room inside his center cell so I climbed into it. We did this quite a few times with me on top and I would reach through the baffles to help hold me inside his cell. In this way, I was able to remain completely invisible and Norton would quietly tell me left or right and I would steer us into the peas. At the last second, Norton would call flare, and I would flare my canopy. It was great fun. Norton, aka Robert E. Thomas, received the nickname because he liked Nortons first and Indians second. Thanks, Steve Haley CCR #1

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Hey Tom, I leaned over the leading edge and looked down and decided that there was enough room inside his center cell so I climbed into it. Steve Haley CCR #1



Scotty Parker from Miami used to jump in Deland in the late seventies/early eighties. He pulled this stunt with Rick Rundell and was quickly dubbed "most likely to die young". That stuff's nutz!

jon

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Anyone have photo of that?



I second that. I can't understand what you mean by "with the top guy inside the center cell of the lower chute."

Seriously, how does one get inside a cell? I can not picture what you mean.

Can you try to explain? I'm not getting something...

I was wondering if this is some kind of an April Fools joke foisted old farts like me.
Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

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I recall seeing a published picture years ago of a stack with the top guy inside the center cell of the lower chute.

wasn't it in one of the skies call books?
i have on occasion been accused of pulling low . My response. Naw I wasn't low I'm just such a big guy I look closer than I really am .


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