Clyde Jacks, D42, Remembering a Great Skydiver

[patworks 5]

Clyde Jacks, D42, Remembering a Great Skydiver

I started jumping in 1961. My instructor, Clyde Jacks, D42, accomplished fantastic feats of RW Skydiving skill years before the words "relative work, RW, skydiving, or formation" entered our vocabulary. Back then, pre-baton pass, we called it "contact." In those silk parachute and flat canopy days, Clyde was considered to be one of the best "spot-jumpers" in the USA. He could consistently land within 20 feet of the 3-foot square “Dead Center” of the cloth “X” target.

After he left the Houston Parachute Club’s DA at Beeline Airport in Houston, Clyde flew his a small 1-seater yellow stunt "Skeeter-Hawk" experimental bi-plane. He flew it out of George Sage's small field North of Houston. I'd spend weekends helping clean underbrush in return for free jumps from 3,000 feet from a Luscomb. A 2-seater, the pilot would hand you your reserve after you wriggled out the door. Clyde would punctuate the heat with low passes and snap rolls. After several weeks in the hospital, Clyde died on November 26, 1962.

This is from 1 of only 2 clippings in my log book. Skydiver Magazine, February 1963, by Herschel Lee (president of the 130+ member Houston Parachute Club).

"One Thousand, one hundred and seventy-two parachute jumps without a serious injury - then loses life in an airplane crash... That is the story of Clyde Jacks of the Houston Parachute Club whose brilliant career came to a tragic end on November 26 when he succumbed to multiple injuries received in an airplane crash on November 17 at Skeeter-Hawk Ranch near Crosby Texas.

"With his body badly mutilated and suffering from dozens of broken bones, Clyde hung to a small thread of life for nine days, only to loose the fight when complications set in.
"The Houston Parachute Club had planned a day of parachuting and Clyde had flown over in the little plane from its hangar in Baytown. The weather was not good on that fateful morning and the activities were called off when dark clouds folded in and the air became gusty. Clyde climbed back into the tiny plane, buckled his shoulder harness and swept off into the murky sky. As he circled back over the field at 1,200 feet AGL, he gave an aerial salute by performing a snap-roll to the left followed by another to the right. That was the fatal moment..."

Pat Works
Student and friend of Clyde Jacks, D42

Pat Works nee Madden Travis Works, Jr .B1575, C1798, D1813, Star Crest Solo#1, USPA#189,

[lufkincy 0]

I certainly remember Clyde. He jumpmastered me on some of my early jumps. I had intended to go to Crosby the weekend he got killed but went fishing at Galveston with my neighbor instead. I've got a question about his D-42 license number. I know Clyde beat Carlos Wallace to the gold wings (1,000 jumps) and I thought he got his D before Carlos. My records show that Carlos' D was D-21. Have I screwed up?

BTW, is Pat Works by any chance Pat Cupps?

I've attached a photo I'm trying to identify. I'm in the middle. Can you identify the other two jumpers?

Thanks

Cy

Cy Stapleton

Cy Stapleton
[email protected]
www.hotlinecy.com

[Guru312 0]

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I've attached a photo I'm trying to identify. I'm in the middle. Can you identify the other two jumpers?

I can't identify the jumpers but I can sure identify with the fancy jump clothing, belly warts and football helmets. That is one wonderful picture. I have about 100 jumps where I dressed like that and wore a football helmet. Good memories!

And thanks, Pat, for telling the story about Clyde... and reformatting your fascinating resume.

More stories!

Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

[patworks 5]

Cy, Carlos Wallace was D152... he had about 800 jumps when Clyde hit 1,000. In your pix, could the guy on the L. be RL Ticer? Here are some photos of me in the 60s Houston Texas era.

Pat Works nee Madden Travis Works, Jr .B1575, C1798, D1813, Star Crest Solo#1, USPA#189,

[JerryBaumchen 1,047]

Hi Pat,

The photo with the black jumpsuit looks like it might be at Lake Elsinore in those days.

JerryBaumchen

[patworks 5]

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The photo with the black jumpsuit looks like it might be at Lake Elsinore in those days.

Jerry, it was. I was visiting Stanley and Hop. Made some nice RW jumps!

Pat Works nee Madden Travis Works, Jr .B1575, C1798, D1813, Star Crest Solo#1, USPA#189,

[drjump 0]

Is that Doc Anagnostis's red van?

[patworks 5]

Yes that's Doc Anagnostis's red van.... At their DZ by the TC Motel towards Galveston..... We were making jumps form 25,000 from a turbo 206. Hypoxia caused real problems for my load.

http://users.cis.fiu.edu/~esj/uwf/uwf8.htm

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unconscious and falling

UWF CH 8, ...about the 7th jump story

Pat Works nee Madden Travis Works, Jr .B1575, C1798, D1813, Star Crest Solo#1, USPA#189,

[drjump 0]

Sam's club!

[patworks 5]

For Galveston Skydivers: Doc was in the 502 Airborne for WWII. He shared stories with me of 3-4 his combat jumps over Italy. ... Fate is the Hunter: one drop put 2/3rds in the ocean, another off target jump landed them in the middle of the German garrison, the other he mainly remembered liking his .45 cal 'Tommy gun' .. Magic with his hands, Doc'd lay you out on a bench and cure your hurts. Tommy Foster n me benefited. [Days of Cal Cary, Geo. Sage, Stevie, baby Tiger... great people. Made you welcome.] Watched Cal and ? try intentional canopy RW with 28' rounds. They were gonna link face-to-face and grab arms. One went thru the other's lines; they had a canopy wrap but no entanglement. both 'chutes reopened in about 100 or so feet. That sorta ended that notion for us.

Pat Works nee Madden Travis Works, Jr .B1575, C1798, D1813, Star Crest Solo#1, USPA#189,

[lufkincy 0]

It certainly was not Ticer. I stayed as far away from that thug as possible.

Cy Stapleton
[email protected]
www.hotlinecy.com