Cost of your first rig

[SCS292 1]

I posted this earlier in the Valley Mills thread but it is interesting how much variation there is in the price of gear pre internet.
"(September or October 1971) The first time I met Pete Bandy he was still in a cast and Steve Hazen was trying to get me into skydiving. I'm not sure introducing you to someone with a broken leg is good salesmanship but I bought Pete's rig anyway. A note in my logbook says I paid $75 (there is a page to record your gear purchases in my old logbook). I got a 28' 7TU a 24' "hipo" reserve and an Army harness and containers. I also got his red and black jumpsuit with a hole in one leg. I patched it with a piece of white terry cloth and wore it till I quit jumping." Pete Bandy broke his leg when he went through a canopy of someone who opened below him.

I bartered my upgrade to a PC and 26" conical reserve by giving free rent to a friend for several months.

[vanair 0]

THANK-YOU

[WGore 0]

Dec 64 took my Christmas bonus from my first job and bought a 28' W-gore (or E-gore) along with a 24' T-7 Twill reserve with altimeter and stop watch for $50. Reserve repacks were $2 every 60 days.

When I was in the Army at Ft Knox in 66-68 we could get the 4 color 28s for $10 at quartermaster sales. The lines were cut at the links but there was a rigger on post that would retie the lines and sew and modify for another $10. His wife made sleeves for $5 IIRC. Sage green harnesses and containers (the hot ticket at the time) were another $5. Problem was there was no one around to install D-rings.

GUNFIRE, The sound of Freedom!

[dzswoop717 5]

Started jumping in 1978 at 16 years of age. Dad flew the plane so everything was FREE if you don't count, Washing the airplane, chasing down students and field packing for them, Packing T-10's, retrieving WDI's, ground crewing on demos, plus a bunch more jobs that go along with getting FREE gear and jumps. I forgot to mention that I spent 12 years on the dropzone before I was old enough to jump gradually learning these tasks and working for free because I loved it so much. I finally bought my own rig at age 18. Went to Joe Smith's shop in the old post office building in Lewisberry PA. Walked out with a brand new TOP SECRET container, Seirra light main, 26' Joe Smith researve, earthtone Silly Suit, Atimaster altimeter and some kind of funky helmet, all for 800.00. Went straight to Maytown and jumped it.

[lufkincy 0]

My first few years I jumped club rigs at the military bases where I was stationed. In the late 1950s I moved to Houston and started jumping with the Houston and Galveston clubs, using their equipment. Gus Anagnostis loaned me a rig which I used for awhile until I decided it was time to buy my own. Gus suggested I talk to Carlos Wallace and I did. Carlos suggested we meet at Houston’s The Levie, a banjo bar, and we did. We started talking price and Carlos said he would trade me a rig for the Timex Mickey Mouse watch I was wearing. I told him that would not be a fair trade because it only cost about $12.00. He said he knew that, but it was worth a lot more now. I figured if he thought it was a good deal then I knew it was a good deal for me so I made the trade. I got a C-9 seven-panel TU tri-color with Carlos’ FBI modification that he had died a dark purple, a Navy 26’ conical reserve with instrument panel including stopwatch and altimeter. I then returned to J.C. Penny and bought another $12.95 Mickey Mouse Timex watch. I used that rig for a couple of years until I bought a new ParaCommander and wrist instruments. I loaned the old C-9 to Anagnostis’ club until a visiting jumper borrowed it, had a Mae West, improperly deployed the reserve, reserved wrapped around the main, and became Galveston Skydiver’s first fatality.

Cy Stapleton
[email protected]
www.hotlinecy.com