Duluth

Just reread my post and realized due to brain lock, it looks like I said that the Russian PC had the arrow...it was the Thunderbow. I always thought that a "Polish parachute" was one that opened on impact!

Just ran across this post and even though no one is still monitering it, thought I'd respond. Back in the day...PC's (para commander not pilot chute!) ruled and there were a number of knock off attempts. I jumped the origiinal long line PC's and the later versions where the lines were shortened (less oscilation) and most of the copy cats....Crossbow, Thunderbow, Russian PC. The Crossbow was a glorified cheapo; the Thunderbow was OK but less drive and slower turns than a PC; and I wouldn't rate the Russian as better than the PC but I do know that I only had 4 jumps on friend's rig and logged 4 dead centers with it. As I remember, regardless of color pattern you had, they all had an arrow in the front. We always told any student that jumped it, "just follow the arrow to hit the peas". Usually they'd walk away then suddenly turn around with a "ya but..." look on their face.

No pictures but how about a list of various rounds I've jumped: various cheapo mods..5TU, 7TU, Single T, Double L, 35' T-10 7TU, Hustler; reserve rides... 28' unmodified, 26' Navy, 26' lopo; "high performance" rounds..ParaCommander, Russian PC (4jumps/4DC's), Crossbow, Thunderbow and a Delta II (not a round but not a square either). There's no question that today's squares are superior but I got a lot of DC's with my PC and parked it into some tight target areas that you wouldn't be able to do with a square.

Just an FYI for any of you old St Croix jumpers who knew her, Beve Androsky Baker passed away a few days ago from complications from several strokes that she suffered. She and Charlie started and were the backbone of the Superior group. There's getting to be too many of us up in that great DZ in the sky. See Skydive Superior facebook for more info.

Just stumbled onto this thread and enjoyed the h*** out of all the "there I was" stories. As someone mentioned in one of the posts, if you weren't there in the early days, you just can't comprend what it was really like. Kind of how I can't believe some of the videos that I watch now days......base jumping a mountain then flying down slope through the valleys...DAMN. My first jump was in 1966 and last one in 1997 and ended with a little over 1100. There simply seemed to be a different mind set back then. It wasn't smart or safe but we would jump any rig, out of any thing with wings, in any conditions, into any target (think county bars with backyards just big enough to fit your para commander between the powerlines and trees)and walk away feeling happier than any human has a right to feel!!! My first demo was on my 20th jump into a race track using a double LL cheapo out of a C170 with the door off (damn it was cold on the climb out). As great as the jumps were, the people (characters) that were around were even better. I jumped out of a small club in Superior, WI. We got together a lot with fellows from other small clubs from Osceola and Eau Claire, WI .... the jumps were a blast and the after jump stories are MEMORABLE! One comment about gear. If you haven't cut away using shot and a halfs then going to a front mount reserve with no pilot chute, you haven't lived! The first time I had to chop a wildly spinning square using 3rings, I thought I had died and gone to heaven it was so slick. I don't know if this post will ever even get read but thanks for letting me write it. B6666, C5281, SCR 1399, FOB 303

Just stumbled onto this thread. I always wondered if anyone else ever had one of these @#$% things! That hydraulic opening retarding device was just that...retarded. You could set the tension at which it would release with a little set screw depending on the temps but it was always by guess and by golly as to what you got. It either snivelled for 1,000 feet or opened RIGHT NOW! Once opened though it was really an advancement for the day...mugh more forward speed than the para commanders that we were used to. Notice the sporty long lines on the attached photo. SCR 1399

Just read the post re: "dead fish in a coffin" stinking up your club house....Hey blame it on the thieving ways of the St Croix group. Knowing that our clubs (St Croix, Superior, and Eua Claire) liked to "borrow" things from other clubs, we (Superior) made up a double sided sign that nicely said, "Apollo Inn Home of the Superior Skydivers), filled it with fish guts, caulked all the seams and hung it outside (to keep it frozen) the front door of the Apollo during our winter jump meet. On the last day of the meet, the sign disappeared (as planned) and boy were we mad (and tried very hard not to laugh). One of the best GOTCHA's I've ever heard of!!

I can't remember if it was after the day of jumping or if it was because of being weathered out but alcohol might have been involved. For some reason we had been having pyramid competition (which team could build the fastest) and one team took it to the next logical (or so it seemed at the time) step. Observer not a participant

Why doesn't it suprise me that JQ's kid is a skydiver. I had the pleasure of knowing your dad when he was just a rigger rat hanging around the big kids (and making a few bucks by packing rigs). I jumped many of his pack jobs! Once he got old enough to jump, nothing could hold him back and he really became a respected jumper. Jim Mason

I just stumbled on to this forum....wow, what memories all these posts bring back! The first time I ever saw skydiving was at Osceola in the winter of 1965 and I started jumping in Superior the next summer. It was always a blast to get the Osceola, Eau Claire/Wissota, Bob Roach's group, and the Superior group together. There simply isn'tenough room on the whole Internet to tell all the possible stories of what happened when those groups got together in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Don't ever doubt any Ernie story you might hear...they are all true. My favorite Ernie story happen when I was sitting on the floor by the door as we were approaching the "open the door" point of the jump. He wanted to get just a little more altitude so he pulled the yoke back in his lap. The plane immediately stalled and started to snap into a spin. He recovered but I think the jump turned into 4 "one mans" as everybody's focus was shot to hell. If I could do all those times again....I WOULD!!