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steve1

Scary stories from the old days?

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Your wish is granted; second installment here:
http://www.ducts.org/06_06/html/memoirs/garr.html
It covers, among other things, Doug's first jump at Greene, NY (there was a brief thread here a bit ago about that DZ), along with a series of reflections on the danger of skydiving.

HW


........................................................
Man, this is great stuff. The best writing I've read in reference to our sport. It's amazing how Doug Garr can put into words the things we have all felt while skydiving, but probably couldn't describe half as well. What a great writer!....Steve1

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I did, I had the same nickname then, as a matter of fact, Ralph Hanle gave me the nickname french fry and it stuck. First jump course at La Tech in 1977, $35 including the first jump. I BET you may remember the pool jump we made in 1979. I was a hundred jump wonder, at least in my own mind. And I had seen the jump made the previous year, with Ralph cutting away about 5 ft over the pool. Really cool looking but Ralph had one of the few Wonderhogs, with a 3 ring release. I had bought a crappy Cobra 10, supposed to be lighter and pack smaller than a Strato Star. Blew 12 lines on it on opening, thats another story, and had just got it back from the factory with new lines. Had not made a single jump on it yet.
Well, for some reason I got asked to go on the pool jump. Huge pool, shaped like a T for Tech. BUT, surrounded by concrete, chain link fence and on top of a hill. With cafeteria at one end. We make a pass, get out ok. Ralph lands first no problem. Tim, with an SST, and one shot cutaways, was DETERMINED he was going to cut away. And he did. About 35 feet up, and over the shallow end. Knocks him unconscious and our guys drag him out. I didn't see it cus I was 3rd. Land right in the middle of the T, cut away my 3 rings under the water and come up with my arms over my head. Yee haw! Now there was more good looking women there than you could shake a stick at and I was thinking "I am the star of the show!"
BUT, NO ONE is looking at me. They are all looking at Reid Lea, number 4, cus they were thinking HE is going to die. He flies all the way down the pool. Now you can land anywhere in the pool, it's deep enough to land anyway you want to. But , NOOO, Reid flies the length of the pool, then tries to do a 180. TRIES. Knocks a lifeguard off her stand, slams into the concrete and breaks his leg. So much for our party!
I got out of school and received a letter from the FAA the next fall and had to pay a $250 fine. And used my buddies names and license numbers for years to do demos to stay under the radar.
We made the final pool jump ever, cus the next year they put a cover on it and made it into a natatorium. BS, BD!!!:P

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Thats so cool hearing the details of that legendary
load. I mentioned it almost a year ago in a post in this forum.....had never heard an eyewitness account though.

Mark...you may remember my brother Don Fuller.....
he was at Tech when you were, & roomed with Ralph for awhile.

The last time we saw Ralph, ('86) he showed up at our little cow pasture dz in NW La. ...borrowed a rig, made a leap, paid with a bad check, and rode off into the sunset:D.... vintage Ralph stuffB|

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Yea, I remember him. And that IS vintage Ralpher stuff, for sure. I posted that from work, not really happy w it, been a long time since I wrote anything. I will post another one, from home where I have more time to do a better job when I get the time. Blue Skies,

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:PYeah, we were. Don't know where Dudley is. BUT, you remember that Rodriquez rig he had? The one that closed with Velcro? WELL, we were skydiving in Bastrop, La, one summer and he was determined to hang off the wheel of the C-182. He was 1st, I was 2nd out, Ralper was third..... Dudley climbs out, bends down to grab the wheel, his rig opens and his canopy wraps around the tail. I am halfway out the door, Ralph is screaming "go, go" but I am frozen. His stato star swings behind the plane, lifting the plane up about 20 feet. Then it swings down and comes off the tail and I see little pieces of metal glittering in the sun. About this time, Ralph kicks me off the strut. We do a 3 way and looking up, can see Dudley. His star is split halfway down the middle, but he LANDS it! Sitting on his slider, no shit! And asks us how come we didn't dump high and do Crew with him! He was a character, we all were. Often, I am amazed we (most of us) are still here. Jay, tell me a Grego King story, dude

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BUT, you remember that Rodriquez rig he had? The one that closed with Velcro?



It was called "The Solution". I had one in 77 or 78. Had it come open after leaving 9 or 10 out of a D-18. Knocked the crap out of me and tore a Piglet from skirt to apex.
My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

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Nice HAT!:P


Cooper Hockey helmet. All the rage in the late 70's.:)



I still have one that I use for CRW. I put a few jumps on it just yesterday.

Kevin
SCR-3022
_____________________________________
Dude, you are so awesome...
Can I be on your ash jump ?

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I know...still have my WHITE one!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Couldn't afford a pretty one eh?



***


GOOD GUYS.....wear WHITE HATS!B|



Really GOOD GUYS wear WHITE HAIR!:)
My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

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Gotta cast my vote, too. By far the best thread on here. Ok down to business.

This isn't my scariest moment but a good friend claims it's one of his. I'll tell it just like he does, best as I can remember.

"Me and a buddy had been jumping one morning when the weather turned shitty and started storming. we'd been drinking Jack most of the morning anyway but by that evening we'd moved on to bigger and better things, not the least of which was a couple nice big healthy hits of acid.

"Not too long after taking that the sun was going down as the weather cleared up beautifully. It was gonna be a perfect summer night, and my buddy decided we should get a night jump in just for the hell of it.

"He had a red strobe for his helmet and light for his alti and i had nothing but my rig, so the plan was for me to follow him out, or more precisely follow that strobe out, and when it slowed down real quick fast in a hurry then it would be time to open.

"With our fool-proof dive plan in place we bribed the pilot and off we went. The acid was really coming on as we got to jump run, and it was really a pretty unique trip. anyway, out goes my buddy while I'm checking out the crescent moon, oops, follow a couple seconds later, playing catch up.

"I looked around, spotted his red strobe, and couldn't believe the separation! That bastard was hauling ass! I started tracking as hard as I could trying to close the distance. I stayed like that the whole damn jump, right up to the time I saw the antenna that the red strobe I was tracking to was on. Very short canopy ride, very LLLLLLOOOOOOOONNNNNGGGG walk back."


Truman Sparks for President

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Not meaning to stir up shit, the story just seems a little far fetched to me.



Like the title says, this is the History forum. Things have changed a lot in the last 20/30 years. Sometimes I can't believe some of the shit that happened and I was there. (but just as an observer) :)
My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

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Not meaning to stir up shit, the story just seems a little far fetched to me.



Like the title says, this is the History forum. Things have changed a lot in the last 20/30 years. Sometimes I can't believe some of the shit that happened and I was there. (but just as an observer) :)



Agreed. That story doesn't sound at all beyond possible in fact it has a certain amount of familiarity about.:D Saw and also participated in similar activities. To me, skydiving wouldn't have been as much fun if it weren't for happenings such as that on a more or less regular basis.:oB|
The older I get the less I care who I piss off.

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That is a pretty funny story, but I am more then a little skeptical. Sorry[:/]



You don't get around much then. I have been on at least five dropzones where that could have happened on any weekend of the year.:ph34r:




Now...Like Sparky...I was angelic in those days but I can vouch for the wild times.......I think.


bozo


bozo
Pain is fleeting. Glory lasts forever. Chicks dig scars.

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