History lessons for the young pups

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

Hi Guru,

Quote

What is a round?

Well, you and I know what a round is. Others, eh.

A round is a military surplus canopy that has been modified for steering ( lots of forward speed ) or a new Pioneer 1.6 canopy.

A ParaCommander is a high-performance canopy.

A modified round = Sputnik orbiting the earth

A ParaCommander = Putting a man on the moon

Thoughts?????

JerryBaumchen

[Guru312 0]

JerryBaumchen

Hi Guru,

Thoughts?????

Jeesh, Jerry, you are making it worse! :)

I'm still not sure I know what a round is and now you have me pondering what you mean by these comments:

A modified round = Sputnik orbiting the earth
A ParaCommander = Putting a man on the moon

...in the beginning there were only rounds.

Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

[steve1 5]

Well...something that is making *me* feel older is understanding this thread.

To me, a "round" is a 28 ft diameter canopy modified with a T, LL or the really hot accuracy canopy called a 7 TU.

I have 2-300 jumps on 7 TU rigs but I never attempted CRW with one. Set me straight, what is a round?

Or so I remember....
........................................................................


I quit jumping for about twenty years. When I came back to jumping others were calling P.C.'s a round canopy. They were considered to be in the same class as 28ft. or T-10 canopies. I felt like saying something. After all a para-commander was about the best high performance canopy out there, in the early 70's. It was a whole lot better than a 7-TU.

Nearly everyone in our club, during the early 70's, called round canopies "rags". And that didn't include P.C.'s. I'm not sure when a P.C. became just another round canopy.

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

Hi steve,

Quote

I'm not sure when a P.C. became just another round canopy.

This happened when the StratoStar became the most popular canopy on the market.

JerryBaumchen

[wmw999 2,121]

Only cheapos were rags, but PCs and the like were always rounds to me (high performance rounds). I started jumping in 1975.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[pms07 3]

skyjumpenfool

... may remember John Killdahl who jumped a Dactyl for many years. I do recall him doing some CRW with it. John was also one of the early camera guys I can remember. I'd love to get in touch with him to see some of the old shots he took of us.

I jumped with John in the mid 1970s and would like to know where he's at and what he's doing now days. I jumped his Paradactyl at least once or twice...

[skyjumpenfool 2]

pms07

***... may remember John Killdahl who jumped a Dactyl for many years. I do recall him doing some CRW with it. John was also one of the early camera guys I can remember. I'd love to get in touch with him to see some of the old shots he took of us.

I jumped with John in the mid 1970s and would like to know where he's at and what he's doing now days. I jumped his Paradactyl at least once or twice...

John came along on alot of the Freedom Flyer demos including some of the Oshkosh Airshow demos. I have one photo that John took of us over the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in 78 or 79?

Back then, there were very few photographers jumping up here. Bergie and Dave Pink Floyde are the only others I can think of. Some of Johns photos would make for a great history lesson.

Birdshit & Fools Productions

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

[steve1 5]

JerryBaumchen

Hi steve,

Quote

I'm not sure when a P.C. became just another round canopy.

This happened when the StratoStar became the most popular canopy on the market.

JerryBaumchen

I quit jumping in about 75, for 20 years or so. I'm not sure what happened during that time period. It seems like it was a time of big change in terms of gear and what people were doing in the air.

Prior to 75 the hot canopy was a para-commander. My hero's "then" were the Golden Knights. They seemed to mostly be jumping P.C.'s packed in a Super Pro Container. Even Jock LaStrap jumped a rig like that, so that's what I bought. Fred Sands had the only Red Devil P.C. in Montana. He was one of my heroes too, so I bought one of them.

I think..... the only other hot canopies "then" were the Thunderbow, and Para-plane. I'll never forget watching Randy Mosley land that Para-plane....I was in awe! This was just the beginning of things to come......

[airtwardo 6]

steve1

***Hi steve,

Quote

I'm not sure when a P.C. became just another round canopy.

This happened when the StratoStar became the most popular canopy on the market.

JerryBaumchen

I quit jumping in about 75, for 20 years or so. I'm not sure what happened during that time period. It seems like it was a time of big change in terms of gear and what people were doing in the air.

Prior to 75 the hot canopy was a para-commander. My hero's "then" were the Golden Knights. They seemed to mostly be jumping P.C.'s packed in a Super Pro Container. Even Jock LaStrap jumped a rig like that, so that's what I bought. Fred Sands had the only Red Devil P.C. in Montana. He was one of my heroes too, so I bought one of them.

I think..... the only other hot canopies "then" were the Thunderbow, and Para-plane. I'll never forget watching Randy Mosley land that Para-plane....I was in awe! This was just the beginning of things to come......


The 'young guns' used Papillons!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[steve1 5]

That's right....I forgot about paps. I always wanted one of those shiny things.

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

Hi Jim,

Quote

The 'young guns' used Papillons!

Just a ParaCommander V2.0. Sort of like blonds or redheads; not really that much difference.

And yes I have jumped a Pap; a fair number of times. And I do agree, it did have a nice sink.

JerryBaumchen

[airtwardo 6]

JerryBaumchen

Hi Jim,

Quote

The 'young guns' used Papillons!

Just a ParaCommander V2.0. Sort of like blonds or redheads; not really that much difference.

And yes I have jumped a Pap; a fair number of times. And I do agree, it did have a nice sink.

JerryBaumchen

Had a P.C. too ~ & I'm married to a redhead - trust me, there's LOTS of difference!!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Guru312 0]

steve1

...
Prior to 75 the hot canopy was a para-commander. My hero's "then" were the Golden Knights.
...

The Knights were my heros, too. In 1960 I started jumping with the XVIII ABN Corps SPC and the Army Golden Knights were in a building across the street. We watched them from afar.

They were my heros because they were permitted to jump a canopy known as a very "hot and difficult to control" 7 gore TU modification. Beginners like me, were only permitted to jump a T or LL canopy. 7 TUs being WAY too high performance for the likes of a non-knights jumper.

I'm proud of myself, being able to remember that far back into the last century.

Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

[steve1 5]

I recall my first day of jump school. They sat us all down in some grandstands. Benning was like paradise compared to Ft. Polk......

A single Golden Knight exited a Cessna far overhead. He was jumping with smoke. Then his P.C. blossomed overhead. After making a perfect standup in front of us, he strode off. Kind of like the hero walking off into the sunset....

Damn, that was cool! I figured I've got to try that someday!

I still recall reading article after article about Gene Thacker in parachutist. I wish I could have met him.

[Spooky52 0]

I had the same problem a couple of months ago. I wanted to do a "come back" dive to celebrate my 70th birthday but, as you said, the BS was too deep. All the DZ's around here wanted me to do the AFF as if I had never made a jump and they wanted me to use their equipment, even though mine is still in perfectly fine condition. I have a friend locally who has a plane and is willing to do it, as soon as he finishes the rebuild on his engine. Kinda reminds me of Roger Miller's "Uncle Harvey's Plane". If you haven't heard it, look it up. It's funny.

Jim Chandler D-4501

If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

[airtwardo 6]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hygT8SyYIjg&feature=share&list=PLDB1A76B82E0C0104

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Guru312 0]

Thanks for that!! What a hoot. Never heard it before.

Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

[377 20]

Spooky52

I had the same problem a couple of months ago. I wanted to do a "come back" dive to celebrate my 70th birthday but, as you said, the BS was too deep. All the DZ's around here wanted me to do the AFF as if I had never made a jump and they wanted me to use their equipment, even though mine is still in perfectly fine condition. I have a friend locally who has a plane and is willing to do it, as soon as he finishes the rebuild on his engine. Kinda reminds me of Roger Miller's "Uncle Harvey's Plane". If you haven't heard it, look it up. It's funny.

Jim Chandler D-4501

Jim,

Its very hard if not impossible to find a DZ that will accomodate old gear being used by a non current jumper trying to get back in the air. Been there, tried that.

I had laid off jumping for a bit when my kids were little and then tried to find a DZ that would let me jump my PC and round reserve. No luck.

I didn't have to take AFF but I did have to get ground school training on the new gear and do a couple of coached jumps with rental gear. It all worked out fine and didnt cost much. They gave me the coached jumps for just the price of my jump and gear rental was $20 per jump.

Still jumping. 45 years in the sport.

377

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[SCS292 1]

Good luck on the comeback jump Spooky. They seem to take jumping out of a plane serious now. It was fun when we just did it without mommy looking over our shoulders and saying no. Sign of the times I guess. When we were kids mom threw us out the door and said don't come back in till dinner time. She didn't really care what we were up to as long as we were outside. I love "A Different World" by Bucky Covington. Great lyrics.

[airtwardo 6]

http://youtu.be/HJWEvP9gtww

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[gunpaq 1]

Welcome back.

www.geronimoskydiving.com

[faulknerwn 36]

That's an awesome song!!!!

[drjump 0]

Cheapo's or rags were called that because they were military surplus canopies and cost much less money than a brand new PC or Pap.

[wmw999 2,121]

One of our local former long-time jumpers (and notorious low puller) decided to make a comeback jump after about 30 years. Did the AFF thing, and they modified it somewhat.

When they got to the part about pulling, they told him to track off and pull by 5500.

He said he asked them "are you serious????" Apparently they made it very clear indeed that they were serious.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[3mpire 0]

goldmine!!