chuteless

The best years of jumping were from 1962 to 1982. So many changes, and much of what was learned by trail and error. The thing that made it the best years for me, was the constant hate from CSPA towards anything I did. The more I did, the more they hated me. The more they hated me, the more I did. The Descenders Parateam and I, had the full and total support of the Ministry of Transport, ( Canada's version of the FAA ) and I had the world by the tail. I had sponsors of many kinds, but the main one was Toyota, a new vehicle every 3 months, all lettered up from 1972 to 1984 .. I had a watch company " BULOVA" , sports clothing manufacturer, and Gillette Trac II , and others. It was an exciting time to be jumping, because the general public had not even been aware that skydiving existed, until I came along and opened low at demos, and did other things that others wouldn't do. I did many HALO jumps, and everything I did made the news, but so did CSPA's sniping at me. It sure was the best. I think my 1st chuteless jump ( in 1969 ) started the ball rolling and it just kept getting better from there. I had a skydivers dream, made my living at my variety of jumping, and never looked back

Consider yourself too old the day after the flowers begin to arrive at the funeral home. Bill Cole

I have cracked my pelvis twice on separate jumps, and never stopped jumping. I have also broken two vertebrae on separate jumps, and never stopped . \

It is a very sad thing to announce that we lost a great jumper and a great man in yesterday's death of Ken Weichec , Grafton DZ in Ohio. Ken was 75 yrs old. He handed me the chute on my second chuteless jump on July 20th 1972. He will be greatly missed. Bill Cole

I jumped in the Montreal area in the 1960s and the 1970s. Mostly doing skydiving TV commercials, but some fun jumps as well, up at the Gatineau area. Bill Cole D-41

My most serious congratulations to Alan Eustace, for his new record. I envy him, but when I was his age, there wasn't much possibility of getting anything that would go that high.I had to settle for a Cessna 210 turbo and got out at 44 feet short of 7 miles. Best wishes for a continuance for Alan's space exploration, and may he have many more high or low jumps and most of all, safe jumps. Bill Cole D-41 aka chuteless numbers 2 and 3 .

I am trying to contact Libby as per your data that you posted. I will let you know how I make out. Thabnks so much to all. Bill Cole D-41

I am trying to contact an Aussie Gal, named Libby Lyver, who was running a DZ in New Zealand until about 3 years ago. If anyone in the Australian skydive community knows where she now is jumping in Australia, and can send me a PM, I would like to contact her. I 'll be 82 yrs old next week, and dont know how much longer I will be around, so the sooner the better. Much thanks to anyone who can give me an email contact for her. Bill Cole D-41 Canada, aka chuteless #2 and #3.

I made my living at skydiving, which also got me into hot air balloons for corporate sponsors. I made money at both, but I was willing to take risks that others would not take. I was on the air show circuit as well, and I had many corporate sponsors. They all helped. I did HALO jumps plus other stunts that others would not do. It got me lots of press coverage, and television interviews. I do not think a person could do those things in today's world. Since 9/11, the air shows have got fewer, and there is so much skydiving, ( and fatalities) that the " sport" is lost to the general public. It is over exposed to the public's view. My type of jumping was not over exposed in the 1960s 1970s and 1980s, and I was able to bring the sport ( or my activities within the sport) to the public's view. If I hadnt done so, skydiving would not be recognized as much as it now is.I suggest that if you try to do skydiving as your only means of financial support, you will not be able to make a living at it. Keep your electrical trade, and try skydiving as a means of money slowly, and see how it works for you. If you go the route I took, you will have hard time, especially if you are living in the USA and have to bow to USPA's rules and regulations. I felt that the rules were made to be bent or outright broken, and that got me into the public view even more. I didnt really lose anything by not belonging to CSPA who suspended me for life ( twice). As a matter of fact, CSPA's attitude was a great help to me getting publicity. I took the air shows right out of the backyards of CSPA member clubs, which they didnt like, but it all helped me. Good luck . Bill Cole D-41, aka chuteless #2 and #3

Take a big box of matches into freefall and light the candles on the cake during your delay.

If the gear was manufactured in the USA, you wouldnt have to pay anything to take it back there. If made in Canada, you would likely get taxed, but I doubt it would b4e much.

I packed according to the manual for the first few jumps, and after that I would speed pack the Para-Commander. Simply put, you drive a tire iron into the ground, and get a bit of tension from someone on the container/harness, and the just flake the canopy as fast as you can, as though you were checking something out. Drop the whole thing onto the ground and pull the sleeve over it. Its rather bulky, but squeeze the air out as you pile the whole thing on the backpack, close it up, put the pins in a go for a jump. A good speed pack can be done in 6 minutes, and it gives a very fast, hard positive opening. You can take it as low as you want to, and it opens with a thunderclap . The best chute ever made, and the most fun to use for a low demo. Scares the hell out of all onlookers.

You are totally wrong. The increase in speed would blow the canopy apart. It is a good thing Felix didnt pull high. At past the speed of sound, he wouldn't have had a chute ( except for the reserve. I have travelled at high speed from 7 miles up, and I would hate to have to use either chute at anything over 20,000 ft. That is when you get ground rush, and a chute wouldnt open in one piece at that high. I have been to 43,000 in a chamber, but they didnt have any way to simulate an opening shock at that altitude, but the did simulate the freefall , rapid descent.When jumping at Quito Ecuador, we went to 17,500 feet to get a 30 second delay, so with the land at 9500 ASL, we would be pulling at another 2000 ft above that. No noticeable difference than jumping in Ontario.

I am not sure which decades you refer to. I jumped when I was in my 20s, my 30s,my 40s,my 50s,my 60s,my 70s, AND MY 80S, WHICH WOULD BE 7 DECADES, BUT HAVING STARTED IN 1962, i JUMPED IN THE 1960S, 1970S,1980S,1990S,2000, 2005 TO 2010, TO 2013 TAKE YOUR PICK, Bill Cole D-41 Canada , aka chuteless #2 and #3.

I have jumped rounds from 1962 to 1972, and beyond. I like the Para Commander, which if you speed packed it, you could open as low as you wanted to. openings at 200 feet to 500 feet were great, especially if someone on the ground was below you...they usually thought you weren't going to open at all. I loved the rounds for a reserve. belly mounted, they were nice to see go up and blossom before your eyes. Made for a great demo. That was a great canopy, better than any square. Ive had many rounds of various makes, but the P.C. was the best. BILL COLE D-41 Canada