dzswoop717

High--- Just got back from a zoning meeting for an exemption use for a private airport I am buying. Zoning was passed in my favor. Low--- realizing that I am going from a relatively debt free life, back into debt.

In 1983 I was working at the Nationals in Muskogee and some how got a day off. A couple of us drove over to Talequah to make a few jumps. While we were there we had a guy flying us in a Cessna who had no legs. He controled the rudder peddles with some sort of rods. He was an excellent pilot. Later in the day they put him in a special harness that had a basket like shape made out of webbing to hold his legless torsoe. He went up and made a jump using a jumbo Para Comander and damn near got a dead center when he landed. I think I got him to sign my logbook but does anyone remember this guy's name?

Seeing Wanda and Joe at the beginning of the video brought back wonderful memories from my childhood life on the DZ. What a bunch of colorful people they all are. Thanks for posting, you started my day off with tears and smiles. Many of them I was honored to call Friend.

all of em'.

Just taking the time to type all that, to some one you don't know, and the answer that you gave, tells me you are on the path to 4 way success. Stay grounded and don't get a big head and you will go far. For the OP. It is not worth risking your life for something you are not passionate about. If you don't feel "IT" in the next few jumps, find a new hobby. Skydiving isn't for everyone. You gave it a try, even earned a license, something so few of the populous has done. No shame in quitting something that just doesn't turn you on.

Seems like you are getting more dating resumes than advice. Drop zone . com dating service!!!!

I chased the dream from age 16 to age 40 and loved almost every minute of it. Now at age 52 and a 12 year lapse in my ratings, but a 12 year climb in my income, I don't miss living the skydiving dream one bit. I am now making up for lost time to secure my retirement, something I don't see offered in the skydiving world. Keep your job. Get all your ratings and instruct part time for a year or two. If you still have the passion after that I say go for it. Right now you are only seeing the good part of being a full time skydiver. Give it a couple of years of part time instructing and you might see things differently. Good luck with what ever you choose.

You're living the dream and have an excellent retirement plan. I had been around and in the skydiving business my entire life until 2002 when I started a new business where I actually make money. Now I can afford to skydive , but I don't have the time. I plan to jump more next year, I have been saying that for the last several years. Guys like you are my heroes. Retired Military service people deserve what you earned, now it is your turn to enjoy life. Good for you!

Thank you for your service. My skydiving history is similar to yours. I'm 52, First jump 1978 age 16, Got every rating, jumping was my entire life. Burned out in 2002, let all my ratings lapse, and now only jump for the pure relaxation it provides me. I'm lucky to make 25 jumps a year now. How do you keep from burning out? My hat is off to you! Congratulations.

When are you coming to PA for some jump refresher?

To answer your question about the 182 engines. The 182's we use for skydiving are mostly the older models that came from the factory with a Continental o470 230hp engine. These are the 182's that on average take 20 minutes to get to 10,000ft. There are several different engine upgrade mods for the 182 airframe. I won't get into every name and how they achieve the hp but there are mods to increase hp to 260, 275, 285, and 300. There is also a blower available that can be added to a stock 182 that allows the engine to maintain it's hp to a much higher altitude thus increasing it's climb performance without increasing the cubic inches of the engine. If you add wing extensions and other stol mods you can get a 182 to climb at super otter speeds. If you are paying for the mods you can easily end up with over $100,000.00 invested in an old 182.

Attempted to do some work to my gravel drive way with an old backhoe that I have owned for years, I have only used it for snow removal prior to this attempt, never ran the backhoe bucket before. I have gained a new respect for equipment operators. I now have a mess that I will need a professional to come in and fix. Installed the wings on an experimental plane that my brother and I are building. Went for a sunset flight in my crusty, but trusty, old Cessna 180. pure stress relief, beautiful sunset here in PA yesterday.

I got Todd Cudski back in the air last summer. He lives here in PA. I will be needing another A&P if this deal goes through. PM me.

I am in the process of buying a lost drop zone. It is a private runway, hangar and house in south central PA, North of the town of East Berlin. The York Skydivers jumped there from 1966 until the mid Seventies. I will not be operating a commercial DZ but, I may occasionally jump there when I have the time. The last hurdle to jump is a zoning approval for my aircraft and auto restoration business to operate in the hangar. Hopefully everything will be approved and we will close on the property at the end of October. It has been a life long dream to live and work at my own airfield. It is now up to the zoning board. Some of the pioneers who jumped there include Joe Smith, Dave Dewolf, Mike Shultz, Wanda Cooper, Jack Demme, Lyle Goodin, and countless others. Many who made there first jump there are still active in the sport, The Selway brothers, Skip Eckert, Ted Barnes, Dave Demme, and Bill Martin just to name a few.

It sounds like a place called Asteroid owned by Gene Mike Bland. I went there for a meet in the mid eighties. There was a yellow Porter there, I think it was Jimmy Godwin's, we had 11 jumpers on board and it sucked. Miserable ride to altitude. I remember it was out in the country but I can't remember much about the runway.

vpjr. Any good news? How about an update.

Watch out, you will be called out for giving "BAD ADVICE" by Chuck. Us old timers don't understand this new fangled zp parachute stuff. My first square canopy in 1980 was a very used Unit 1 and my second square canopy was a brand spankin' new unit II. I loved those canopies but, wouldn't want to jump one today. Last 3000+ jumps have been on Stilettos. 400-500 ft openings.

I assumed that her rigger would contact the manufacturer. The first step for a rigger when confronted with a problem canopy is to contact the manufacturer. No rigger in his right mind would modify equipment just because the low experienced owner wants it done. Again, I never said for her or any other inexperienced jumper to modify their equipment. If it came out that way, I apologize.

I agree with you to contact the manufacturer but, I never suggested that she start cutting holes in her slider or to experiment on her own. I said she could go to her rigger, who could modify or replace the slider. Dave DeWolf recently modified a slider for my buddy on his lightly loaded zp canopy that had started to snivel increasingly longer because of the canopies total number of jumps being high. A small hot knifed hole shaved 300 ft off the opening. On highly loaded canopies, I can definitely see your point.

Does your dz do anything to promote good vibes with the neighbors? Maytown Sport Parachute Club sends their neighbors a fruit basket at Christmas. What other ways do DZ's reach out to their neighboring land owners to keep the peace?

First off I am old school, but the way the canopy opens is still the same. I have a few reasons why I personally don't like slow opening canopies for low time jumpers, here is just one. You will eventually find yourself pulling below your normal opening altitude for one reason or another. It could be because someone is above you at pull time, because your pc is dislodged and you have trouble locating it, hard pull of pc because it is bound up in the spandex, The 4 way you were on was going so well that you lost track of altitude, and on and on and on. there are dozens of reasons why you will end up throwing your pilotchute well below your normal opening altitude, but still above your emergency altitude. Now let's say you throw out at 2300', still above your hard deck to go to your reserve, and you experience a 900' snivel and let's say that at the end of the snivel you have a break release and the canopy twists up , now what altitude are you at (1400' or less) you will need to make a decision quickly because you are already below your normal emergency procedure hard deck. The long snivel contributed to you being that low. I just feel that a low time jumper should always keep the cards stacked in their favor to survive in this sport.

I like to introduce people to aviation and the $100 hamburger trip is always a nice introduction. I don't have the time to go as often as I would like. It is just a fun way to take some friends or business associates out for lunch. It is an adventure to them. Sometimes it opens up there eyes to the possibilities of them becoming pilots.

If you only have 64 jumps, I don't think a canopy that takes 900 ft to open is the best choice for you. Ask a rigger if there is any way to modify the slider to speed up the openings. Your rigger can hot knife a hole in your slider to allow air to flow through it causing less drag on the slider, thus the slider will come down easier, speeding up the opening. The slider can also be replaced with a smaller one.

I always thought Raeford NC would be my retirement place. 15 years to go.

There is currently no stc to install a roll up laxan door on a P206. The modification will need to be field approved.