chuckbrown

What was it and where do I find it?

Chris is as good as they come, which is why it was important that his perspective be posted. I was very glad he took the time to give his thoughts on this incident, although I would have preferred to have learned something new from him in a different context.

The local paper did a fairly good article on the event; the reporter definitely captured Dave's personality. Copyright 2006 Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. Lancaster New Era (Pennsylvania) November 6, 2006 Monday SECTION: A; Pg. 1 LENGTH: 1022 words HEADLINE: 12,000 jumps; E-town's Dave DeWolf turned 74 on Halloween. On Saturday "Handsome Dave" celebrated - with a milestone skydive at Donegal Springs Airport. BYLINE: Anya Litvak, New Era Staff Writer DATELINE: Lancaster, PA BODY: A half-dozen Handsome Dave fans cup their hands over their foreheads and squint at the sky over the Donegal Springs Airport. A white dot is falling toward them, but instead of running, they just point and stare. "There he is," someone shouts. The dot expands into an arc and a human silhouette hatches below it. That's Dave DeWolf, they explain, or Handsome Dave, as he is known to friends and Internet admirers. Saturday was DeWolf's 12,000th jump from the sky. That's a feat attained by only 30 people in the entire United States, according to the United States Parachute Association. DeWolf did it just four days after he turned 74. The arc sways in the sky for a minute as the figure below it spawns arms and legs, a black helmet, goggles, and a face. The Elizabethtown man floats to the ground, his descent so seamless, so casual it seems his feet are surrendering into a cloud of cotton candy. "Congratulations!" people in the crowd shout. Folks swarm around DeWolf showering him with handshakes and hugs. A kiss from his girlfriend, Trudy Wilkinson, widens his smile. A celebratory spice cake awaits DeWolf in the evening. After the jump, DeWolf drags his parachute back to the hangar - the headquarters of the Maytown Sport Parachute Club, which he helped found three decades ago. Even though he landed after DeWolf, fellow diver and cameraman Terry Ross is already inside, clicking through the video of the jump. On a TV screen, DeWolf glides through the air, belly to the ground, eyes to the sun, a smile splashed across his face. His friend Ken Plankenhorn zooms towards him. He grabs DeWolf by the padded stripes on his arms and spins with him. Ann Ross falls in and makes a triangle. Moments later, her husband, Terry Ross, joins the group. The camera on his head records how the wind distorts their faces and after a few seconds the four-way breaks free. DeWolf pulls his parachute and manages a quick thumbs up to Terry before he's whisked toward the sun. Rewind. And again. The hangar is abuzz with cheer. "So how does it feel?" someone asks. "You know, feels just like yesterday it was 11,999," DeWolf laughs. For 45 years, DeWolf has been teasing the sky with his moves. The first time, in 1962, he jumped out of a Huey helicopter on an Army base in Fort Knox, Ky. His second time was later that evening. Since then, DeWolf has averaged between 300 to 400 jumps per year. He jumps at the Maytown club weekends, and on summer Tuesdays and Thursdays, several times each day. He jumps in two-ways, four-ways, with as many as 38 other Skydivers Over Sixty (SOS), or alone. He jumps from propeller planes, jet liners, helicopters and hot air balloons. DeWolf jumps because "it keeps me out of trouble," he chuckles. Always the joker, DeWolf's legendary one-liners are traded on Internet message boards. (An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either.) In truth, DeWolf says, he jumps because he dreams of the sky when his feet are on the ground. Because the adrenaline knocks as intensely as the first time and the freedom up there is inexhaustible. To do it, "you have to be big, brave, strong, handsome and modest," DeWolf likes to say with a wink. It's only when DeWolf steps out of his skydiving garb that his age becomes visible. DeWolf's helmet leaves strands of gray hair fanned out in different directions on his head. A few cracked veins rest on his nose and his back hunches slightly when he noodles his thin frame out of the parachute suit. Kind, blue eyes smile through thick-rimmed glasses strapped to his head with a black rubber band. His jaw bone is strong and his chin still an imposing presence on his face. Minutes after his milestone jump, Handsome Dave is crouched on the floor, flattening his parachute with his belly. It's a 15-minute task and he performs it dutifully. Along with his longevity in the sport, DeWolf's parachute packing and maintenance skills have earned him the iconic status he enjoys in skydiving circles. DeWolf is a master rigger, certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to repair chutes and train other riggers. The military sends him students, as do countries from around the world. The retired Veterans Affairs pharmacist, who lives alone and has never married, patches parachutes on 25 sewing machines scattered throughout his garage and house. In the Maytown trailer, just as in DeWolf's home, pictures of human chains in the sky and newspaper clippings are thumbtacked to the walls. "I'm the good-looking one there," DeWolf says, pointing to a miniature T-shape in a web of three dozen divers. Thirty-five times he's had to use the reserve parachute when the main one didn't open. Once, neither chute worked and DeWolf plummeted to the ground, saved by a tree. Today, his chute is in top shape. He straps it on once more and marches outside for his second jump of the day. A small Cessna plane - or a box with a propeller - lifts him into the air, kicking up a plume of corn husks. This compulsive jumping, how does he explain it? "It's not for everybody," DeWolf concedes. "I'll tell you, when I tried brain surgery, I was messing it all up." All's quiet on the way up, except the buzz of the propeller. Silver duct tape sparkles along the door that will swing open for DeWolf once more today after this jump. The skydiving veteran locks his hands behind his head and leans back. His eyes are closed and his forehead slightly crinkled. He's thinking about a million normal things, he says. Below him, stripes of green and brown dance with the sun. "It's great being able to see the whole world scrambled," he says. At almost 10,000 feet, DeWolf snaps his goggles into place and slips on white gloves. The plane door swings open and deafening noise rushes into the cabin. "Have a good one!" the jumpers shout, pounding knuckles for luck. DeWolf steps onto a slab of metal outside the plane and grips the wing. The wind beckons him into the sky. A quick smile and one of his hands surrenders, then the other. His feet lift from the step and DeWolf falls away for the 12,001st time. If only for the next three minutes, he's flying. CONTACT US: [email protected] or 481-6020 LOAD-DATE: November 7, 2006

Couldn't describe it better. Oh, and Bryan is, indeed, the Man.

Chris Gay sent me an e-mail stating that his procedure to deal with this situation is to have the formation reduced to a 2 way (the pilot and the wrappee). His theory is that a 2 way will sink slower than a bigger formation, thus giving more time to deal with the situation. In addition, he feels that having fewer canopies in the formation produces less drag and lift, and can make it easier to get the bad canopy under control. He also pointed to another technique for possibly preventing what happened to Sonny & Ian, although he was also careful to note out that this technique carried greater risks. Specifically, he stated that on several occassions he has taken a double wrap of the lines with his legs to keep a wrapped jumper secured until they could either get the canopy under control or it was time to land. Obviously, you need to be sure you can get out of the double grip prior to landing.

Forget something? Gettin' old sucks, don't it.

I can say that you're overreacting, but I can't say your wife will be fine. Accidents happen in all facets of life. You can prepare for them, but you can never eliminate the possibility. Sorry, but that's just a fact of life. You should re-read the incident reports, very few people die in this sport "through no failure of their own." Errors in judgment are the overwhelming contributor to fatalities and injuries, whether it be an error in flying the parachute or an error in choosing the type of parachute to fly. There are a few instances of "doing everything right & still dying" but they are very rare.

If you're talking about the glide ratio features, just check out the owner's manual. You can download it from the Garmin website. It will tell you how to customize your navigation display to show all sorts of neat data. You do have to set your landing area as the destination in order for the glide ratio to destination function to work, though. If you're talking about the Jumpmaster program, good luck. There is a data input that I can't figure out (can't remember which one, but it will definitely alter your exit spot) & Garmin offers NO support for the program. Apparently, its a military program that they added as an afterthought. I rarely use the Legend skydiving, but will use it on cross countrys & night CRW jumps. I even have the carry case sewn onto a altimeter pillow.

For MBA's you don't. Also, its bad form to bestow a recognition on yourself. For example, as a lawyer, I don't put "Esq." behind my name, but I will use it behind the name of another lawyer I'm addressing.

Ah, another day at the office. Thanks for the b-day wishes.

Come over to Maytown after Nationals. We'll do some training jumps with you.

I think the term PS is part of the serial number for either all ZP or all F111 Lightnings. Whenever a Lightning goes up for sale, Dogs will run the serial number through PD to find out what type of canopy it is.

Not at all, but modern AADs have also been known to misfire. AADs were developed to get a canopy out if the jumper is unable to do so. My personal preference is that the risk of being unable to deploy a canopy in a CRW environment is not great enough to warrant the use of an AAD. Just my personal preference.

I'm with Remko. The risk of being rendered incapacitated prior to deployment is not great enough for me, personally, to use an AAD. Theoretically, there is a risk of a canopy collision that renders the jumper unconscious & the canopy unlandable, but, again, that risk isn't great enough for me, personally, to use one. In a canopy collision scenario there's a greater risk of a jumper being injured with no canopy damage, as well as major canopy damage with no harm to the jumper. In fact, I've been on the receiving end of both scenarios. Having said that, if someone wants to use an AAD in a CRW environment, that's their perogative; however, I've also been on the receiving end of an AAD misfire; an FXC on student gear, so it can happen.

Ever since Chico became a stewardess, those are becoming very hard to find. I have 2.

I've got a Tri 175 you can jump. That'll get you a taste of CRW. There's a beginner's camp in Florida at the end of August. Some of the best CRW jumpers in the world will be there instructing. Highly recommended. There's a thread in this forum.

For small training dives, don't worry about what type of container you have. You can use almost any type of container being made. A 190 will work in the Talon 2. Depending on your exit weight we might even be able to round up a canopy for you to jump. What canopy do you currently fly & at what exit weight?

Come over to Maytown some weekend & we'll introduce you to a whole new world. I'd also suggest going over to Wendy's world at http://crwdog.servebeer.com. Check out the CRW info section for some reading material. Also check out the really cool pictures and videos. Let me know beforehand if you want to jump.

That's actually how I started doing CRW. Having said that, however, this was when most newer jumpers (and most experienced jumpers too) were on lightly loaded canopies (and no microline). It won't replace going somewhere and doing CRW with an experienced jumper, but you can have some fun learning. Depending on where you are, you might even be able to convince someone to come to your DZ and run a beginner's camp. We did that on several occassions. A modest registration fee to cover demo canopies and the instructor's jumps/accommodations should do it. The value of attending a beginner's camp can't be stressed enough. Not only will you get great jumps with people who know what they're doing, but the safety seminar is a great way to think about all the variables that go into CRW.

Same same. All CRW, all the time. We miss ya, dude.

What, did MySpace.com shut down? Seriously, glad you could stop by.

I think a PC in tow problem is more an indication of 1) a ragged out PC, 2) too small a PC, or 3) too much tension on the closing pin. Rather than adding bridle length and getting into Triathlon-like retraction problems, try lengthing the closing loop if the pin is tight, or get a new and/or larger PC. I use a 30" ZP PC with large hole marquisette mesh. P.S. I actually shortened my bridle (with the standard routing) so that the PC gets pulled into the center ring. The only PC in tow problems I've ever had or seen were cured by one or another of the above-recommendations.

Plastic has recently posted a video of the Russian world champion team doing their thing on skydivingmovies.com. Check it out. Very impressive.

Hi Craig, There's lots of CRW over in Maytown, but that's a ways from Grove City. If you're up for a road trip, let me know. Chuck

I love this video and got tired of hunting for it at the back of the forum.