patworks 5 #1 January 29, 2011 Thanks Greyeagle (Bill Davis, SCR 97, 12:00 in yellow). ... Brings a flood of memories.... Around the birth of time and stars, the coveted 16-man star patch was a big deal. California was big-star Mecca and gave birth to the *, 10, 12, 16, 20, and 23 way stars. Here, most participants have 2-digit SCRs. Fewer then, but as always, women were players. Here Linda Padgett and Diane Bird. Donna Wardean and Patty Wilson, for example. Having a 16-way plus a SCR patch was your entry ticket to better loads. As I recall, the patch was just the black number "16" within a red circle, but I was certainly Proud to earn mine at Z-Hills in '71(?). Organizing a successful world-record formation was never easy. Back then, Jerry Bird was a master organizer. Hot flying was also sought after but rare. A fast flier could dive from the door to wrists consistently faster than others. Single file exits were slow, meant that the base would be out of sight somewhere "down-there".... Bee-like, you'd follow the guys in front of you until you could see something building. The fastest flier during these formative times was our buddy Stanley Troller, SCR 53. When nearly every good skydiver made his dive-approach by diving down-then across like the letter "L", Stan tended to fly across-then-down*. Jerry Bird was fairly quick too. He always used the straight-in approach.... about a 45 degree angle from aircraft to wrists. Exits using "floaters" would not be seen for 3-more years until the first 10-way Nationals when Patty Wilson showed up with a leather-sleeve jumpsuit and exited first**. I dunno when linked exits started....EXITUS?? Thanks for sharing these formative early foundations that fertilized the growth of 'Fun Jumping RW' into the memories of excitement and love we share broadly with the world today. Cool beans. *Very fast albeit a bit dicey. (a huge vertical-speed component scares folks. I'll use it still. FYI, Nowadays, occasionally, when big-ways are VERY vertical from the git-go, a sit-fly approach is cool.) ** As I recall, feather-ass me too would be switched to be a floater in front of Pirate and Streak-of-Shit ...or was it in front of Jim Barron?.... brain rot is herePat Works nee Madden Travis Works, Jr .B1575, C1798, D1813, Star Crest Solo#1, USPA#189, Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve1 5 #2 February 1, 2011 A 16 way was "big doings" back in the early 70's. Most of us would have given a lot to be in one. The closest we ever came was a 15 way in about 75 or so. B.J. Worth was on the load. A couple of Jerry Bird's team mates (from Jerry Bird's All Stars) stopped by to jump. Most of us were just local yocals. We were in awe of these California jumpers, and one of them organized the load. They were just passing through town. We rented a D.C. three from the Smoke Jumpers. The star built to 15 before it blew up. That was a new state record for Montana. We were all proud of ourselves. But we still never earned our 16 way patch...."What a bummer!" I would have loved to have sewn that thing on my jump suit, next to my SCS and SCR.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #3 February 2, 2011 Pat, just using rough figures, there was around 880 pounds of gear on that load. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lodestar 0 #4 February 2, 2011 I remember those days at the Hills, it seemed like every weekend there was news of another big star being made out west, I know we were all in awe of the "California guys" when they showed up at the DZ. Not to mention some pretty serious "partying" going on as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybill 19 #5 February 5, 2011 Hi Pat, Just got ta' thinkin', April of '69. 'Twas in my Navy daze and Uncle Sugar had me galevantin' across the pond more often than not. Checked my logs, I was out at Perris the day before for a few hops then out to sea on the Sweet Pea LPH-5 the next day. The Sport was just makin' its' first 16-MAN STAR and the Space Program was gettin' ready to do Apollo "X" (10) Mission. Missed seein' the 16 MAN at Elsinore but about a month later I was on the flight deck of the Princeton watchin the Apollo "X" Cap do its re entry burnoff out in the South Pacific!! Stafford, Cernan and Young were the Astronauts! Princeton was the pick-up ship. We're comming up on 41 years since!!!! Are we having fun yet???SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
patworks 5 #6 February 10, 2011 OK, do you know: what is the weight of a B4-Paracommander with a belly reserve? ... Does anyone KNOW? ... I get mumbles of '... about 50 pounds...' ?Pat Works nee Madden Travis Works, Jr .B1575, C1798, D1813, Star Crest Solo#1, USPA#189, Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #7 February 10, 2011 Quote OK, do you know: what is the weight of a B4-Paracommander with a belly reserve? ... Does anyone KNOW? ... I get mumbles of '... about 50 pounds...' ? Mine was 47 pounds but it was the "lite" weight model. Sparky http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp55/mjosparky/Skydiving/FirstrigElsinore.jpgMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scr097 0 #8 February 15, 2011 Hi Bill, I was on a couple Gemini pick ups in the late 60s -- pretty cool stuff. They put it on the hanger deck and put a ladder up to it so the whole crew could go up and look in the open door. The 16 man was a big deal "back then" it took many attempts and the record held for a long time once made. -- bill, scr97Blueskys & Fairwinds .. grayeagle (bill davis) .... 1st jump 1961 ...... scr97 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Douggarr 6 #9 February 23, 2011 Pat -- I still have my 16-way patch! Found it amid the detritus when I staged my comeback 2 years ago. It is very of its time -- black, red border, 16 yellow points, red background inside with a black 16 numeral in the middle. Very cool looking still. Got mine out of two planes in Z-hills way back.SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Douggarr 6 #10 February 23, 2011 The 20-way patch was very very hip too. Black with 2 white X's. The epitome of cool at the time.SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RogerRamjet 0 #11 February 23, 2011 I had both of those patches. Had the XX patch on my pop-top reserve. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Douggarr 6 #12 February 23, 2011 Back when 20-way was a big way, we used to say a jumper was "double X rated."SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #13 February 24, 2011 A picture is worth a thousand words. Sparky http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp55/mjosparky/Skydiving/Patches2_0001.jpgMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lodestar 0 #14 February 24, 2011 Zhills ten man patch with pilot chevron [IMG]http://i524.photobucket.com/albums/cc329/redfish443/2009_1214jacket0011.jpg[/IMG] Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RogerRamjet 0 #15 February 25, 2011 IMG won't work on this forum, here it is linked: http://i524.photobucket.com/albums/cc329/redfish443/2009_1214jacket0011.jpg ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lodestar 0 #16 February 25, 2011 Thanks Roger.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldwomanc6 38 #17 February 26, 2011 Mike, I've got one of those 24-way patches, still mint condition. I never got around to putting it on my jumpsuit. I bet there aren't too many of them. lisa p.s. check your logbook for a jump we did on 4-12-81 at Elsinore. It was a 30-way. We ended up in each other's slots. It was built by 5 grand. Not too bad for the time?lisa WSCR 594 FB 1023 CBDB 9 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #18 March 8, 2011 Quotep.s. check your logbook for a jump we did on 4-12-81 at Elsinore. It was a 30-way. We ended up in each other's slots. It was built by 5 grand. Not too bad for the time? I did 4 30 way dives on that date, 2 of them complete. If I remember they were called Fielding loads. SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
