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ralu

What was your first canopy?

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My first jump was in 1960 on a T-10 while in jump school at Ft. Bragg with the 82nd Airborne.

My first sport jump, June 1960, was, think a C-9, or similar, with a 5 gore double L modification while in the XVIII Airborne Corps SPC.

My first jump on my own modified rig was a 7 gore TU. I bought the canopy, again I think C-9, for $10.00. I used the home sewing machine of an elderly seamstress friend and did all the modifications myself in her parlor. She couldn't believe all the material that took up much of the little room.

The worst part about the old rigs in my estimation was the two-shot Capewell connectors. Those damned things were impossible to disconnect if they got even slightly dirty.

My first jumpmaster got killed on Sicily DZ at Bragg because he had a difficult time recovering from being dragged in windy conditions. He made the mistake of releasing the first 'shot' while about 200 feet off the ground. One riser wasn't fully inserted in the Capewell, somehow, and the canopy 'disappeared' when the riser released. A sad day for me seeing him die about 50 feet away.
Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

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First jump: 28-foot Cheapo (No Malfunctions)
First Round: Papillon (No Malfunctions)
Second Round: Piglet (One Total, Not Canopy Related)
First Square: Strato Star (No Malfunctions)
Second Square: Cruisair (No Malfunctions)
Third Square: Cruiselite (No Malfunctions)
Fourth Square: Sabre 150 (No Malfunctions)
Fifth Square: Stiletto 135 (Three cutaways, All Spinners)

Wanna do BASE jumping?

NickD :)BASE 194

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unmodified 28 ft was the first one i jumped 28' 7 tu was the first canopy i owned but i wasn't allowed to jump untill i had 25 jumps. it was to fast for a student . go figure



***

My first 10 were on a T-10 with a 7-TU...

Of course I started 10 years AFTER you did Mike,
'we' had the HOT SHIT!;)










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

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First jump...the usual static line thing...

-28 foot double L mod..that classic quarter white, OD ,Orange & green.

Next several jumps were the all OD 35 foot T - U.

My freefall rig was my favorite rental rig...the DZ had this white 28 foot job in a solid black sleeve that was dyed and should've come out red but came out this weird lavander color..it was different...and the duct tape patches made it more so.

Everyone refrerred to it as "patches"...
What..you need a rig???
Well, we're kinda busy today..they're all being repacked right now...but "patches" is available.

We learned quick at this DZ that if you wanted to jump several times in a day, repacking was a good skill to learn.
I jumped patches on my first freefall....after I packed it.
Gave me something to think about on the way up.

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A brand new orange and white double L. My instructor, Don Molitor D-95, after my first 5 second delay, said, "Hey kid, try this on", and then after seeing my delight with trying on a new rig for the first time, said "it's yours", I couldn't believe it, he just gave it to me, it was mine, I sleap with it at the foot of my bed for months.
Ya!
SCR-21

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A lot of old parachutes listed here.

A lot of old parachutists too! My first jump in 1966 was a D-T in a B4 container, reserve was a T-7A. First rig owned was purchased from Lee West and was a 7TU in a B4.

First Paracommander jump came on number 48, used the PC for about 1100 jumps before making my first square jump on jump number 1181. First square was Cloud and then a Voplane. Made approximatly 50 jumps on a Delta 11.

I don't care how many skydives you've got,
until you stepped into complete darkness at
800' wearing 95 lbs of equipment and 42 lbs
of parachute, son you are still a leg!

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Well, mine was a camo tripple T. Then a TU-7. Then a red,black,yellow check Para-Commander. Only six like it in the world. Jumped in Ft. Lauderdale in the 60's with the Gold coast Skydivers. Bought a square in the early 70's(71 I think). Ya couldn't do terminals in it. Very hard openings. ya could only do hop&pops! Just started jumping again after 32 yrs. My 2 sons just started and I just can't sit and watch any longer! I know ya can relate to the pic! Wayne
Here's to Old Farts in the Wind!

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First one I bought was a PINK 28' 7-TU. How it got pink, I forget. Paid $75 for it in 1969. Next was a well used PC for $75.



Where'd you get it? If it's the same one that I had, I can explain how it got to be "The Pink Panther." Even if it's not the same one, the same thing might have happened.

Cash was short among university students. Not too many people that I jumped with could go out and buy "custom made" rigs with pretty colors, but we wanted to individualize our stuff anyway.

I had the idea to tie-dye my all-white cheap-o canopy...in the bathtub...using Ritz fabric dye from the grocery store. The plan was to tie off parts of it, dye some red, then tie off other parts and dye them blue. A few parts would be left white.

The first problem was that the tying-off procedure didn't work as I'd hoped. The dye seeped underneath and the whole canopy was exposed to the dye. Ok...Plan B...dye the whole thing red.

The next problem was that the red Ritz dye didn't take too well on the fabic...added more...same thing. I think that the directions said something about putting vinegar into the mix, but I wasn't keen on adding even a dilute acid to something that a canopy was going to soak in...didn't do that.

After three soakings and dryings, the best that I could get from the effort was a pink canopy. I did, however, have a red and white old enamel bathtub (lots of Clorox and scrubbing got rid of that). I jumped the rig for awhile, then it became a student rig when I bought a used PC.

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Yeah, I think I like that too.

First jumped: 28' lopo 5TU (I think)
First owned: Starlite (loved it)
First square: Viking Superlite

Wendy W.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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I bought the PINKIE from Pete Pertee, Columbus, Ohio, 1969.. Dunno know where he got it. Yes, that $75 was an absolute fortune to a poor college student. I have no idea how I afforded to jump back then, but I guess if there is a will there is a way.........
Regards, Bill>:(

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