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skyjumpenfool

Who, Where, When??

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Wow! A blast from the past!

I'm the guy on the far left kneeling in the blue Silly Suit. Next to me is Mark Hernick, on my right. Jim ? is out in front. Our fearless pilot. Gary Hoffman is 3rd from the left, kneeling. T-Bone Meyer is 4th from the left in the White RW suit. Randy Iverson and Russell ? is at the end kneeling.
Second row from the left is Greg Pillan, Swede, Mark Brown, ?, Mike Livieri in the red suit, Stan Cronister, far right in the balloon suit. On the wing is the other pilot and jumper, Mike Hayden.

Greg Pillan was killed the same year this picture was taken due to a motorcycle accident.

Several years later Mark Hoffman, Christy Hoffman, JQ and Quasy, along with another young man were killed over Osceola, Wisconsin on a winter jump. They were killed in a mid air collision with another plane being piloted by a student pilot and his instructor. T-Bone Meyer was electricuted while working as a line man.

This picture was taken at the Oshkosh air show in 82? I believe.

I pissed off T-Bone that weekend when I laid his brand new Rapid Transit System against his van tire that had oil residue along the outside edge. The airport just got done resurfacing their driveway and parking lots. Opps...sorry T-Bone.

Post more pictures Mike!

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You are mostly correct Pete! Taken at the Oshkosh Air Show. This is the Freedom Fliers Demo team that did the airshow for a few years before the Liberty Team took over. Those were great demos. Randy Iverson owned the Beech 18 that flew us around the upper midwest doing airshows, state fairs, ect.

Sitting in front pilot/jumper Jim Hankock
Kneeling left to right… Pete (the pup) Anderson, Mark Hernick, Gary Hoffman, T-Bone Meyer, Randy Iverson, Russell Willis

Standing Greg Pillan, Don (Sweede) Gillsheimer, Mark Braun, Ted (Sax) Saxarude, Mike Livieri, Stan Cronister, with Mike Hayden sitting on the wing.

This picture was posted on facebook by Cheryl McMains. Thanks Cheryl!! I'll try to find more.
Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

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Quote

A few years ago? Don't you mean a few decades ago? :P



B| That might be, but just imagine the talent it took to fly those jumpsuites.... Three of those guys flew "Balloon Suites". It was like docking on the Pillsbury Doe Boy. It's a shame I was wearing a hat fot the picture. Back then I had a full head of hair. :$
Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

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By looking at the only guy with a three ring it was before 81 . That was the year the full round harness large harness was changed over to the one we know today. Jump Shack had a distorsion problem that require them being cut off.I agree with the load size being governed by how many you could put up the center aisle. Did you ever jump Steve Stewrarts with the plywood door and rope? You would slide it up the port side to exit. No $10,000 plastic doors for us

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I believe only one guy in this pic was still jumpen capewells. That'd be Russel and that rig was all he could afford. He was a charactor!! He put 500 jumps (at least) on that rig. I think his main was a 28' round and he'd stand it up in the peas every jump.

At the shows, we'd tell the croud that he jumped it just to show them what a round looked like. He became a rigger and a few years later got his pilots license, flying jumpers in a C-180.

Last I heard, Russel was still an A&P for Northwest (now Delta) airlines.

This was taken before the 3 rig problem because I was not yet jumping my Northern Lite (that was purchased during that time) which needed to be tested. As I remember, you had to have it tested and they put a punch mark onto it when it passed.

I'd almost forgotten about that. Wow. Good memory lekstrom. :)

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

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Hi fool,

Quote

you had to have it tested and they put a punch mark onto it when it passed.



Nope, the 'punch mark' came from the hardness testing machine. A Rockwell testing machine if I remember correctly ( been a long time ago [:/] ). Or maybe a Brinnell testing machine; take your pick. :P

If it passed you had to put a rigger's seal on the large harness ring using a 'substantial' thread; I forget the specific details of the thread.

JerryBaumchen

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