Calling those who have jumped in Texas

[AggieDave 6]

If you ever have jumped in Texas, did you ever jump at the old AOT (Ags Over Texas)?

I'm trying to compile a timeline of people and things, with stories and pictures (if possible). Also, tell me what plane you jumped out of and if it was for a boogie.

For instance, supposedly a T-Bo was there for a while and Mullin's King Air was in for a boogie once.

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

[usedtajump 1]

Was there in 83 or 84 for the TEXXAS 20 way meet and seems we used Spaceland's Twin Otter and a Skyvan that were brought in for the meet. Another time, don't remember when, for a boogie and it seems there was a T-Bo and the Skyvan again.

The older I get the less I care who I piss off.

[JohnRich 4]

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I'm trying to compile a timeline of people and things, with stories and pictures (if possible). Also, tell me what plane you jumped out of and if it was for a boogie.

I jumped there regularly in 1980, when Steve and Mary Haskett ran the place. The regular plane was the C-182 nicknamed "duct tape". I think you know what eventually happened to that plane.

For a while there was indeed a Twin Bonanza, which lasted maybe six months. I can still picture the guy who owned and flew it, but can't remember his name. Supposedly one wing had been replaced with a part from another T-Bo, and the rumor was that it was from a different model and was a couple inches shorter than the other wing. I don't know if that's true or not, but it is a story that was going around.

Texas 20-way was held there in 1983 or 1984, with a fairly big turnout. One of the guys on my team had his arm broken in freefall, which caused several people to cease jumping. So we finished the dives with a 20-way team consisting of onlyi 15 people.

One of the 20-way boogie jump planes was Tom Bishop's Caribou, a huge lumbering beast. After each flight they would haul 5 gallon cans of oil up on top of the wing with a rope, and pour it into the big radial engines. The forget to remove the safety pins from the gear on one flight, and after takeoff, couldn't retract the gear. Oops. On another flight, a thunderstorm moved over Coulter field, and we all had to go land in the plane at the other airport (name?) nearby, and wait for the storm to pass. Then we took off again, and finally jumped back into Coulter.

It was a very friendly place, and I loved it - like one big family. So much that I was shocked once to see Mary changing clothes in the T-hanger right in front of everyone, down to her underwear. She didn't think anything of it, but I sure did. That's how comfortable everyone was with each other.

Anne and John Yonke were instructors. I loved their student debriefs at the end of the day, in which the students were required to tell their story, with everyone else sitting around, beginning with "No shit, there I was...". And the trick question which so many students couldn't answer was: "What color was your parachute?"

Speaking of John Yonke, what year was it he decided to see how fast he could ride a motorcycle down the runway at night, lost control, and got the worst case of road rash anyone has ever seen?

Those are good memories.

[AggieDave 6]

John, that is awsome! Thank you for sharing those stories! The nearby airport was most likely Easterwood (KCLL) which is on campus.

Do you have any pictures from any of those stories?

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

[iowa 0]

The good old days. I jumped there from '85 to'88.

I was in Steve Van Burens Beech when the chain was jumping around the sprocket. The gear ended up being jambed. We all bailed out at 5000'. Steve burned off fuel for a while and bellied her in as well as could be done.

I have video of the time some people painted Steve Hasketts 182 to look like the one in Fandango for his birthday.

Great times there. A lot of firsts. CRW, 9 stacks, night CRW. The RW was good too. Graduated from a T-10 to a Para-Comander and from belly wart to piggybacks.

Speaking of Jon Yonke. Anyone know where he is these days?

Keith

''Always do sober what you said you would do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.'' - Ernest Hemingway

[SkydiverRick 0]

Steve burned off fuel for a while and bellied her in as well as could be done.

[JohnRich 4]

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The nearby airport was most likely Easterwood (KCLL) which is on campus. Do you have any pictures from any of those stories?

Yeah, that's the airport. I could remember that it started with an "E", but couldn't remember the rest.

Unfortunately, I don't have pictures from those times...

[Yoshi 0]

well I have jumped in texas, but all recently... spaceland and san marcos.. I doubt that is anything that you are looking for.. good stories though:)

-yoshi

_________________________________________
this space for rent.

[Don90 0]

Check out the webpage Steven set up as a clearinghouse for AOT stories (I'm assuming that you mean the _old_ AOT to be Aggies Over Texas):

http://aotwiki.com/MoinMoin/AOTWiki/moin.cgi

This is an open site where you can post your own biographies, anecdotes, photos, etc.

The 03D Fandango paintjob is on there, and I believe that bellied-in Beech may be as well. Unfortunately, nobody has come forward with pics from the hottub parties we used to have @ Steve & Mary's place.

Szadow had a T-Bo there for awhile, too, before he and Claire got involved in Skydive Houston.

Keith & John: It's good to see you're both still kicking!

--Don Griffiths (AOT 1986 -- 2003)

[flighty 0]

http://aotwiki.com/MoinMoin/AOTWiki/moin.cgi

Wiki clicky

giggle

~Cindy~

~Cindy~
Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
Spelling and grammar errors are left as an exercise for the reader.

[AggieDave 6]

Man, I had forgotten about Wiki!

Thanks for posting that!

When are you gonna get your butt out to the DZ to jump our sweet Beech 99, huh?

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

[Don90 0]

Sorry Dude - I'm far away.

I see I put above that I jumped at AOT until 2003, but that should have been 1993. My bad.

Hey, what's ten years here or there?