D-6723

Going to miss you Flip. Flip was in the second group of AFF Certified Instructors held at the Air Force Academy in the early 80s. D-Squared.

Arrived at Davis-Monthan AFB in October 1977 and made many jumps in Arizona. "The Gulch" was just closed about the time I got there and everybody had moved to Coolidge. I made currency jumps with Bobby V. At that time Giles Ploof managed the DZ and I will never forget the amazing cast of characters: Zing, Wierd Wayne (who would swoop the hanger, kick the windsock and land inside), Rick, Judy, Desert Heat (Tom,Dan, Irv et al), Denise, Slocum, Black Val... Oh the cargo door Beech...Hang Load (33 Zulu), and many more fond memories.

I was on the drop zone in Perris, CA when a young woman "went in" in the late 70's or very early 80's. It had been raining for several days and she hit the side of the sewage treatment treatment pond. Other than stunned and covered in mud she survived without ever having deployed a parachute. Did I say "mud"? Well mostly mud.

The Grenada Mississippi Airport is now being managed by a former Air Force Academy Parachute Team Staff/Instructor named David Dale. Know to most as D-2 (that is D squared), he is more than willing to support all aviation activities (including jumping).

That is some really distasteful use of scripture. By the way, the only officially commissioned examination of lost/stolen firearms entered into the NCIC database was from 2012 (a total of 190,342). Yeah one year and no mention of the total number in the database or how the data is maintained (such as kept for how long). Do the simple math and you will understand the absolute impossibility of removing firearms from the general (and law abiding) population. I would suggest you take high wingloaded canopies away from those who demonstrate unsafe handling.....no, take them away from everybody.

Oh....."Thunder". I remember this well. So many unrecovered things!

I will never forget his kicking the windsock while hook turning into the Coolidge hanger. Really impressive when he got it right (and yes he did miss on occasion). This was the late 70's and "Hang Load" on 33Z was the picture to have. Giles ran the DZ and Zing did his best to spot the C-54. Black Val, Slocum, Irv, Tom, Rick, Judy, and many other excellent people.

You are correct (not a coincidence). Nate was Bill Otley's Instructor and Bill was USPA President when Gary applied for his "D" License.

The very best Air Force Academy Spring Break Training Camp ever.......Doc Holmes, Lizard, Rudy, and Al Krueger. Fond memories brother....from D2.

Don't use a stowless bag! I was around when the original ram-air reserves were introduced. Bag strip was real then and sure is now. I recommend you find a four stow deployment bag for your main. As you demonstrated, the inertia of the canopy and lines can leave it in the container at high deployment airspeeds. While we used the pouch on the original free bags, the stows evolved to bungee or "O" rings. Only really good rubber bands should be used to stow suspension lines. Longer bights are preferred over small ones.