Name of Skydiving TV Show in the 60's

[mikkey 0]

I was just reading in another forum something about why people start jumping. This reminded me that I actually took the decision that I would do skydiving back in my childhood in the 60's. There was a US show about 2 parachutist with a small Cessna and their adventures. Watching that every week got me totally hooked as a kid and I fulfilled my dream in the late 70's.
Anyone remember what the name of the show was and anything relevant to it??

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When people look like ants - pull. When ants look like people - pray.

[AggieDave 6]

Something about Angels, right? They used to say "going to Angels 10-5" for going to 10.5k, right?

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[skyboyblue 0]

black and white? There was a show called "ripcord"

[mikkey 0]

Does not ring a bell. But remember it is at 35 - 40 years ago I saw this, but the "feel" burnt itself into my childhood mind that I had to try this later on in life.
Just did a search in this forum and it is mentioned that Bob Sinclair did a TV show call "Ripcord" (?). Could that be the one I am thinking off??

And while I am on the "memory lane" - I would love to buy the old Boenish movies they showed me in the 70's when I first started skydiving. Anybody know if I can buy them in Australia? Or order it somewhere else (in PAL) and get it send down here?

Edited: Ooops, just saw the thread regarding the the Boenish movies.

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When people look like ants - pull. When ants look like people - pray.

[murrays 0]

Ripcord was the show....I remember watching it when I was a kid as well.

You can buy Carl Boenish's videos in PAL from an outfit in Germany called www.Skydivingvideos.de Quite a good selection! Let us know how the quality is...I've been thinking of buying them and converting them to NTSC.

--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

[mikkey 0]

Thanks for the information. So Bob Sinclair was one the guys, who was the other jumper? Any additional information about the show, like how long it ran etc.?

Edit: I have ordered the Video with the 3 Boenish movies. Assume they will be of good quality. The company seems to own the rights and the owner is a well known freefall photographer and film maker himself. Will let you know after I receive them.

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When people look like ants - pull. When ants look like people - pray.

[pop 0]

Ripcord

7 ounce wonders, music and dogs that are not into beer

[steve1 5]

You could probably write or call Bob Sinclair himself to get more info. He lives in his bus at the DZ in Coolage, Arizona. He'd love to talk to you about the old days. As far as I know he is still there......Steve1

[howardwhite 5]

http://www.tvparty.com/ripcord.html

HW

[indigoSkye 0]

I only remember Ripcord. That was my decision to skydive also. HALO jumpers & T-10s.

The other show with the Cessna... wasn't that "Sky King" --?? I don't remember parachutes in that one, just the neat 60's Cessna.


Perfect speed is being there in time for the goat roast.

Perfect speed is being there at the goat roast.

[tbrown 26]

I was a hardcore seven year old Ripcord addict. We used to play "skydivers" jumping out of trees and off of swingsets with our arms out, running all over the backyard like little idiots going, "sheeeew". It was the first time I'd ever seen freefall film in my life. I didn't get it at first, how come these guys weren't falling, they were flying ? Then how come they needed parachutes ? My dad assured me they were falling and had to wear parachutes or they'd die.

Many years later in 1979 I made some jumps at Perris with a guy named Terry Ward. Terry was one of the old Arvin Good Guys team and a veteran of the first 8 way and 10 way stars. He'd been a stuntman on Ripcord and was still jumping the round red & white canopy with the cool Ripcord logo. I was in awe. Terry was killed in the Taft Beech crash in '82.

The characters names on the show were Ted McKeever and Jim Buckley. Jim Buckley was played by Ken Curtis, better know as Festus Hagan from Gunsmoke.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[NoMMO 0]

I was just a kid when "Ripcord" was on too. Anyone know if it's available on DVD or tape? I even ordered the skydiver toy from the show, a fold up parachute with a blow tube - that's when I got hooked! A couple other shows from that era were "Sky King" and "Whirlybirds". Sky King started with the Cessna T-50 tail wheel "Bamboo Bomber" and ended I think with a Cessna Skynight or similar model. The "Whirlybirds" show featured two models of the Bell Helicopter during it's run and also stared "Festus". Those shows apparently had some inpact on me as I became a jumper, a helicopter pilot and fly corporate jets for a living.

[mikeat10500 9]

Photo

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Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1
Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

[narcimund 0]

I was lucky enough to come across a first edition copy of the kid's novelization of Ripcord. It's around 10 chapters of high adventure describing the death-defying heroics of two DZOs and their overweight pilot who somehow happen to find a way to save someone's life once per week.

My favorite chapter starts with the DZOs sitting in the loft, enjoying some rolicking TV-sitcom style banter when they hear a plane overhead. Somehow one of them just KNOWS that a strange plane overhead the DZ MUST mean an untrained whuffo is about to jump and need rescuing, so they RUSH their Cessna to altitude, jump at the exact right moment, then manage to pull the whuffo's handle mere seconds before impact. When they discover the whuffo is actually a GIRL(!) they all have a good laugh at themselves and go inside for a hearty round of wholesome rootbeers.

Other chapters include rescuing high altitude jumpers who get knocked unconscious, extinguishing forest fires, and jumping into forbidding terrain at night to rescue the General's injured son who was expected to die before over-land rescuers could arrive.

While the circumstances are ridiculous, the technical details were really quite realistic overall! And I'm sure ten year old boys thought this was the BEST adventure book they'd read all summer.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[tbrown 26]

Cool, I remember "Whirlybird" too! Remember the time they rescued the blind guy from the quicksand ? Thanks for the memories, you rock!

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[tbrown 26]

Cool! Note the bad guy with the Magnum on the step. Anybody remember the one where they were jumping in with a case of nitro to clear a log jam ? (I thought nitro was replaced by dynamite in 1868, but who the hell cares...).

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[mikeat10500 9]

Quote

Cool! Note the bad guy with the Magnum on the step. Anybody remember the one where they were jumping in with a case of nitro to clear a log jam ? (I thought nitro was replaced by dynamite in 1868, but who the hell cares...).

I think bouncing around in the aircraft with the Nitro
is just more exciting! LOL...mike

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Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1
Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

[tbrown 26]

[Those shows apparently had some inpact on me as I became a jumper, a helicopter pilot and fly corporate jets for a living.

[mikkey 0]

Quote

Ripcord was the show....I remember watching it when I was a kid as well.

You can buy Carl Boenish's videos in PAL from an outfit in Germany called www.Skydivingvideos.de Quite a good selection! Let us know how the quality is...I've been thinking of buying them and converting them to NTSC.

Just received the Boenish Videos from Germany. Very good quality and the company is nice to deal with. Only problem is he has not the right to NTSC. So it is PAL only.

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When people look like ants - pull. When ants look like people - pray.

[murrays 0]

Michael,

Thanks for letting us know the quality is good. I think I will order them and have them converted to NTSC at a place in town that supposedly does a good job on conversions. Apparently they will convert to DV - NTSC so that I will be able to edit them on my computer and burn them to a DVD.

Blue skies,

--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

[mikkey 0]

Just be aware that there is a big copyright notice on the videos, i.e. not allowed to make copies. Klaus Heller told me that the rights for NTSC are with Boenish' widow.

BTW, check out the old ad at the end of the tape, it is so funny! It is Klaus' company advertising in German: Parachute T-shirts (worn by a lady in lingerie) and "skydiving under pants" for men (parachute printed right on "the spot")

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When people look like ants - pull. When ants look like people - pray.

[tbrown 26]

I think bouncing around in the aircraft with the Nitro
is just more exciting! LOL...mike

[CrazyDave 0]

nitro as in nitros oxide? (nos)

that would be pretty funny for the outside party wathcing that footage

[cutaway1 3]

It was called Ripcord, besides Bob Sinclair, two of the other jumpers that appeared on the show were Lyle Cameron, and my instuctor, Don Molitor D-95. I loved it as a kid also.

SCR-21

[LivingInClip 0]

http://tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-2772/

TVtome is your friend.

:)