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lucky508

New year’s jump stories

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I’ve heard a few stories about jumping into the new year. I’ve always wanted jump or fly a load that jumps into the new year. It’s kind of daunting to consider being sober (enough) to jump into the new year at midnight. I mean we’re talking about skydivers here. It’s hard enough to get a sunrise jump to go. Does anyone have a story or two about this?

Hope everyone has a safe and happy new year!

Lucky508

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Well, it's not much of a story; but our little 182 DZ had a New Year's midnite jump for years and if everyone decided to party instead, then we had a New Year's day jump.
Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

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Back in the early 70's we did one in Wisconsin. Let your imagination fill in temperature and ground cover. We decided to jump cheapo's in case of a cut away, we wouldn't lose our PC's. Spotting at night sucked. I landed out in some farm field. Picked up my stuff and slogging through the drifts toward the road. I heard someone else, grunting, groaning their way through the snow. Found him in the dark. Guy named George Mc Cormak. I asked him where his canopy was. He's dragging it behind him and its like a plow full of snow.
U only make 2 jumps: the first one for some weird reason and the last one that you lived through. The rest are just filler.
scr 316

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We did my first night jump at midnight into Oxford Mi.We jumped a U-206 no door . We flew over the DZ under clouds. When it was time to jump total overcast. As Robert {Marty} Martin would say about my stories they always said "We jumped anyway". We were supposed to call Lou Schroeder as soon as we landed, we didn't. He called the party. Tom Campau {Midwest Parachutes}answered the phone. Lou asked if everybody all 5 were OK. Tom said I suppose so. Lou said "What" Tom then said except for Dave. "wheres Dave" from Lou . Tom We never saw him after we left the plane . Lou "Go look for him " Tom " No its cold and dark outside. We will look for him in the morning when its light and warmer. Besides there are a lot of girls and beer here. Lou didn't know Dave was laughing right next to Tom. Lou still lets us jump for free. "If you guys are dumb enough to jump and I am dumb enough to fly its free".

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Hi Lucky,
Yup there have been a few. I posted a couple in Steve1's Scary stories thread. Did one from 12.5K New Years' '68 at Old Elsinore. Me, Frenchie Babineaux, Dale Moench, Gary Douris and Cho, Gus Norberg (pilot) flying Howard 418. I spotted, got out and hung strut. Don't know what was going on in the airplane but someone started yelling GO! GO! so I left, popped my Navy Mk IV, MOD 0 night flare and got a two way with Frenchie. We were waiting for the others to make the "Star" when I looked down past Frenchie's reserve and could see the front porch on that house across Corydon street from the airport. The reason why I could see the front porch and screen door on the front porch so well was the nice little light above the screen door that I could see so well!! Just happened to also see Frenchie's reserve mounted altimeter and the needle was going into the red, 'guessin' about 12 to 1500' HELL it could have been a Grand?? I yelled PULL! pushed Frenchie away and dumped!! Got open did a couple of turns and landed in the pitch black darkness!! Got up, there was frost on the ground and heard Frenchie yell,"Hey Deli, I broke my Leg!!" The spot was out in the field between the covered packing tables and "That House!" 'must have been pretty good, Douris got a night dead center on that pea pit by the packing tables. Finally got Frenchy carted off to the hospital and got all the gear policed up and made it to the Rumble Seat for a beer!! Happy New Year '68!!
The face of Old Elsinore has changed, all that's left of the Hanger is the slab, the house across the street is gone and so is the old Rumbleseat. But we did the dive. Oh Yeah, we weren't alowed to have any New Years Eve beer before the jump either!!!
SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

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Did one new years eve 1983-1984. Our DZ was at the edge of town. Under canopy heard pops and bangs coming from town, Realized it was the locals shooting there guns into the air at midnight. I freaked out and spiraled down as fast as I could. We all lived and had an excellent party that night.

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For some years in Idaho during the 1970s it was traditional for the Boise jumpers to go to Sun Valley/Hailey/Ketchum Idaho and jump over New Years. We had many, many adventures these times. This story is just one. Some years we jumped into a big field in front of a Holiday Inn. One New Year's day the manager asked if someone would jump into the swimming pool. We sort of figured we owed it to them, so I volunteered.

It was 1 January, 1975. The hotel was a five-story box, and the pool was right next to the building, surrounded by a small concrete apron and cyclone fence. The ground temperature was 15 degrees. Canopy: ParaCommander Mk 1, short lined 3 feet. I had 470 jumps, so I was a BIG GUN.

I jumped from about 4500 ft. Landed in the middle of the deep end, and didn't kill myself. Photos show approach and just after splashdown. Oh, and one of the enticements was a free bottle of any liquor they had. The big problem is I don't drink, not even then. The biggest mouth in my group said "Lemon Hart" which is a 151 proof rum of ill repute. So that is what I got.

Drove home with my soaked rig freezing in the back of the pickup truck. The rig, not me.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

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We were brilliant back in the 80's at Parkman. Decided we would do the last dive of '85 and the first dive of '86. NYE jumps were hop-n-pops b4 the festivities.

New Year's Day 1986. I don't think there were very many sober people in the Beech that morning. We had taken precautions. Ski masks, gloves, vaseline on any exposed skin etc... John Molleck's Beech 18 had a 4x8 piece of plywood that covered the cargo door. We jammed it up with a 2x4 but that still left a space of about 8" at the very top that was open. Long story short....-11 inside the plane at 12,500. Never did figure what wind chill was on the way down.

Later in my career people would give me a raft of shit about saying it was too cold to jump. They didn't really know cold.
Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

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Hi Divr!,
'Jerk my chain why don't ya' with that jpg of the Beech in Full Battle Dress!! TEN MAN and/or TEN WAY we did it!! 'Guess it got kinda chilly up there in Ohio during the "Cold Months!!" I remember looking at the OAT Gauge (Outside Air Temp) in the Old Beech at Old Elsinore at 13K one chilly Calif. Dec. Day. It was only -30*F at alt!!. I know you guys had to beat that one by a bunch!!
SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

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New Year’s Eve 1992 Jim Twordowski, Curly's son Dave Annis, I and 5 others did an 8 way from 15,000 feet. Debbie Web's husband was flying the Otter and with no oxygen we were all feeling epoxy waiting for the Ontario traffic controller to give us clearance to jump. We completed the 8 way and Jim lighted up the Elsinore Valley with his pyrotechnics show as only he can do and as we were landing I will never forget hearing the music blaring from a boom box James Brown's “I feel Good ". It was another one of those " There I was and thought I was going to die moment" for sure.
Tony Brogdon
D-12855

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tonybrogdon

New Year’s Eve 1992 Jim Twordowski, Curly's son Dave Annis, I and 5 others did an 8 way from 15,000 feet. Debbie Web's husband was flying the Otter and with no oxygen we were all feeling epoxy waiting for the Ontario traffic controller to give us clearance to jump. We completed the 8 way and Jim lighted up the Elsinore Valley with his pyrotechnics show as only he can do and as we were landing I will never forget hearing the music blaring from a boom box James Brown's “I feel Good ". It was another one of those " There I was and thought I was going to die moment" for sure.




I swear I could see the lights of L.A. at exit on that one! B|


Here's another memorable one~
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1997701#1997701










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

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