DocMallard

It took me a while! I remember jump 42. I distinctly noticed I wasn't trying to figure out an honorable way to chicken out on the ride up! A little bit of fear can be your friend, hang on to it! It pushes complacency away!

I purchased the Cookie Fuel helmet due to problems with I was very disappointed in my Bonehead Echo helmet. It had poor padding, and has a flat forehead cut that bit my head very painfully. It seemed design for a more simian type of head! The Fuel has none of these shortcomings. It looks great, has lots of padding inside, and fits very well. I was very satisfied with this helmet. The only shortcoming, is that the bottom of the helmet is somewhat tight on the outside of my jaws. This was quickly gotten used to. It is NOT anywhere near as bad as the pain caused by the Bonehead

Ted was a long time friend of mine. The only DZ owner I ever met, who smiled all the time. The world is a less friendly place now.

11 April 1987 I did my first camera jump on number 56! Walt Roy, and I, were the only regulars flying camera at Lodi at that time. Taking a camera up was NOT done lightly with any kind of flippant attitude! Now: "People are snagging go pros, and doing dangerous things. What do we do??" "I dunno, lets make another rule…" Despite the new 200 jump rule, the attitude is still wrong! You just have 200 jump plus people snagging cameras! Gluing a Gopro to one's helmet doesn't make them a cameraman!

I love this canopy a lot. Yesterday, while packing it, I read the warning label closely. I was shocked to find "Made In Honduras" on it. I imagined the awesome crew at PD lovingly constructing my canopy. I was aghast to discover it was built in a third world sweatshop! Makes me wonder now!

I started jumping in the early 1980’s. When I switched from the T-10/static line progression to AFF, the rigs I jumped were Racers. Eventually I got my own gear, a Talon like my friends had. I jumped a few years, and then life intervened. I had to put my jumping, and flying on hold to pursue a dream. Two decades later, I finally got to the point where the skies started calling my name again. My initial challenge was losing enough weight to jump. As I started losing weight, getting a rig came to mind. I looked at the gear on the market. Oh how everything has changed! No more Velcro. The pilotchute has moved from the easily accessible leg-strap, to the bottom of the container. When I looked at the current Talon models, it wasn’t anything like what I jumped in the day. The one rig that seemed familiar to me was the Racer. I called Jumpshack, and started asking questions. Nancy did more than simply explain the product. She spent lots of time helping me learn where the sport had gone. What was new, and what was the same. She patiently helped me with a lot of very technical questions that I had. The features I wanted in my gear began to take shape. Well, the DZ I returned to the sky at used clunky, tent pack like, Student Vectors. I was stuck with these as rental gear, until my finances were in order to procure a new rig. They really were stiff and hard to move around in. I finally got my order in, and some weeks later, my new Racer Classic arrived. I jumped it the next day. It was quite a change from the stiff, box-like Vector! The fit was perfect, and I had much improved mobility around the aircraft. This is a very comfortable rig! The rig is very well made. The magnetic riser covers work exactly as advertised. The rig is completely “Free Fly Friendly.” The main bridle routing is designed to prevent the pin from snagging the bridle, and causing a pilot chute in tow malfunction. The reserve pins are well protected from any external forces. While there was a minor mix-up with the lines I ordered, I am very, very satisfied with my new rig. The bottom line is that if I had the money, I would order another Racer tomorrow!

I first met Sherry at the old Antioch Parachute Center. I was a novice jumper at the time. She ran the manifest at this very fun place to jump. Now she runs her own business making fantastic jumpsuits. There were no “Off The Shelf” designs that were what I was looking for, but it didn’t matter. She made just what I needed at a very reasonable price. When the suit arrived, it was better than I thought possible. It is very robustly constructed. Every place a jumper will wear out a suit, is well reinforced. The suit looks great, and is quite comfortable to wear. It is everything my old “Flite Suit” never was! I am planning to order my camera suit from her as soon as I am ready to return to my camera work.

Here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203909892730460&set=a.10203851502870750.1073741831.1315772503&type=3&theater

I still have my Golden Eagle Patch. Number 166. I suspect probably one of the last one's. A jumper needed to be kissed by two other Golden Eagles on the same dive. My honors were done by Jill Scheidel, and Joanne Duchene on Jump number 37!

After being away from the sport for 20+ years, I took the AFF course. Everything was top rate. The class was skillfully, and competently taught. I paid the extra money for a cameraman to record this. Before loading up, I asked him, begged him several times to NOT add music. "Just the wind…" He looked at me like I was crazy. Well guess what? I get home and review the video. The loud, obnoxious, "Porn Flick" music blares away. This was my only letdown. When I called to inquire about this, I was told that the raw video is gone. (Hello Lois Lerner…) This person doesn't understand the rule of business that states "The customer is ALWAYS right!" Now, can I figure out how to remove the music track without removing the wind? Four stars where a solid five would have been easily given.

I miss my Raven!

Never jumped through clouds....Only "Industrial Haze." -Doc