Stolen gear stories with happy endings

[Krip 2]

Hi Ladies and Gentlemen

I know that almost back in the day, there were lots of regional differences in jumping due to the lag time of the pony express

I think we have a winner for the earliest payed packjob Thanks steve and pat.

Stealing anything on a DZ in the midwest was like stealing a horse. But we didn't have many visitors either.

Any success stories about tracking down stolen gear from "all most back in the day".

In 70-71 I had a error in judgement and left my rig in my car behind my GF's apartment. . Damn horse thief

The horse theif stole my whole herd includeing my log books!!!!!

I lucked out and got all my gear back.

The logs books were returned by someone who found them in their back yard with my name and phone # . There was some water damage but the log books were imo gold.

We used the local grapevine in Ks , MO and found out who stole it, who they sold it to and much the new owner paid for it, their address and phone #.

A G.I. at Ft Bragg had paid pennies on the $ from the guy who stole it. In the spirit of cooperation I contacted the G.I. first, with a Long distance phone call told him what I knew, and gave him two choices.

Return my horses ASAP or get strung up by his CO.

I got my horses back ASAP No internet, no rigger checking serial #'s on reserves, no police Just the way it was back in the day. In the land of OZ
Of course I had another error in judgement stayed with my girlfriend in the same neighbor hood and another horse thief stole my car

R.I.P.

One Jump Wonder

[jonstark 8]

In Atlanta, early eighties, my girlfriend's gear bag was stolen from her car. A YEAR later a jumper from the area was driving along the interstate and saw what looked like a gear bag in the break-down lane. He pulled over and retrieved it. After finding out from the logbook it belonged to a good friend he returned it totally unharmed.

Happy enough ending for me.

jon

[steve1 5]

Back in the early 70's I was at a College Meet at Boise, Idaho. B.J. Worth had thrown together an eight way team. I was the most the inexperienced guy on the team with a whopping 85 jumps. But then again B.J. only had about 500.

At any rate we were able to build two eight way stars. They were the first and second ever built by a collegiant team. We even beat the Air Force Academy.

Ray Cottingham film things.

We waited a long time for that 16 mm film to arrive. Finally it did arrive....

B.J. took it down to the local pub, and we played it over and over again, on the wall of the bar. It had some really cool scenes in it, and we just couldn't get enough of it.

Well, some local wuffo's were getting sick of watching this. One of them ripped off the movie. We were all sick.

I never did find out, who stole that movie. Apparently the thieving bastard, was a friend of my room mate. My room mate got the film back a few days later. I was able to return it to B.J. and we all lived happily ever after...

[Krip 2]

***In Atlanta, early eighties, my girlfriend's gear bag was stolen from her car. A YEAR later a jumper from the area was driving along the interstate and saw what looked like a gear bag in the break-down lane. He pulled over and retrieved it. After finding out from the logbook it belonged to a good friend he returned it totally unharmed.

Happy enough ending for me.

Hi Jon

A very happy ending in spite of a "little" MIA. Hopefully the gear was still current

WAG some kid stole it hid it in his room until until his mom got on his butt to clean up the dump or else.

Happy ending & very lucky timing.
I don't know about now, but I would expect almost any jumper to return gear they found dumped somwhere.

It's not finders keepers it's a jumpers gear and Log book

R.I.P.

take that DB Cooper

One Jump Wonder

[piisfish 136]

unfortunately the "stolen gear" stories we have had around here did not have happy endings

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[dragon2 0]

I couldn't exactly afford it but I bought it, my first freefly suit. In fact, my first brand-new custom suit ever. Black, with purple flares. Disappeared from my gear bag after only having done a couple jumps on it.

I was fairly beaten up about it and kept going through lost-and-found bins, for-sale ads etc everywhere for over a year but no luck. Bought an el-cheapo 2nd hand suit in between as I couldn't afford anything else.

Over a year later, I saw something purple sticking out between one of the H-beams in our hangar and a kitchen cabinet someone had recently put up. Pulled on it. Pulled on it some more as it was really really stuck.

Hello old/new suit

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[Guru312 0]

My comments aren't about a happy ending over stolen gear as much as being comments about our sport and how small an amount of stuff that actually does get stolen.

I was a DZO for five years. After that I flew jumpers for about 8 years. I attended almost every Herd Boogie over the years and for all of that time I can think of only one or two incidents of stolen gear...or stolen anything.

One of the most impressive things about a Herd Boogie was the hundreds of people who left gear, money and unmentionables unattended or barely hidden in a van, on a car seat or out in the open on a blanket. Hundreds of people with their gear laying out...and always safe. We all trusted our kind.

I don't mean to be all dramatic but... our community it is a very large group of people who have incredible respect for others in the sport. The mutual respect was always something that I admired.

In addition to the very few cases of theft I never saw a fight with actual physical confrontation. A few yelling and screaming matches but never have I seen a fight.

Have you ever thought about this: If the rest of the none jumping world could have the same degree of respect for others that we show to other jumpers this world would be a much better place.

Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

[Krip 2]

Hi Guru

Quote

I don't mean to be all dramatic but... our community it is a very large group of people who have incredible respect for others in the sport. The mutual respect was always something that I admired.

In addition to the very few cases of theft I never saw a fight with actual physical confrontation. A few yelling and screaming matches but never have I seen a fight.

Have you ever thought about this: If the rest of the none jumping world could have the same degree of respect for others that we show to other jumpers this world would be a much better place.

Quote

IMO 99.932% of the time it's not the jumpers that you have to worry about takeing stuff. I don't think jumpers do car prowls etc.

I've left my whole rig outside one night at a DZ. Packin kathy's kids picked it up and kept it in their car till I showed up the next day
Alti's, helmet bags, jumpers are usually very respectful of ea others kit. And we'll even pull the drunks out of the fire pit if possiable.
I forget where rec. or dz. I read the story about two dudes showing up at the local DZ somewhere, that wanted to sell some 'stuff'. Didn't have a clue what it was worth etc.

The way I remember the story the DZO asked the dudes to standby for a while and he called the cops and maybe the real owner.
Busted

R.

One Jump Wonder

[pchapman 262]

I've told this one before. I don't know the details but I think you can see how the culprit was nabbed:

Jumper gets gear and jumpsuit stolen from car in town.

Months later a whuffo comes to the DZ to take the first jump course... wearing a skydiving jumpsuit.