chuteless

I had a Stevens rig that had a velcro chest strap and it came apart every jump. I had no problem with that, and axctually liked to have the strap opened when flying canopy.

I agree with Twardowski....the cameras have got smaller, but the chutes ( In my opinion ) have changed and not for the better. I prefer the Para-Commander and some of those slower forward speed canopies. I think jumpers should be made to jump a few rounds and then they would know what jumping is about.... The Containers and harness have gone from good to terrible. The ripcord to the throw out pilot chute is really dumb. The step in leg straps is the most stupid change, and certainly not for betterment in the sport. The quick ejector leg straps were much more convenient and easier to get into, and get out of once a person has landed. However, as C has said, it must be frustrtaion with all this new stuff, and the constant bombarment of initials to make jumpers sound like they are talking in a hidden code. I suggest that if this banter is done by students, they should seek out a good and competant instructor and get the lowdown on what all those initials mean.

I have had quite a few jumps where I got ground rush at about 19000 ft. I have also had many when I got ground rush at 200 ft. I guess my usual altitude was somewhere in between. Bill Cole D-41 Canada

Maybe someone's feelings may get hurt, but this constant banter about a thousand things that only have initials ( like CTR, orr BNC, or AOD, or ....aw shucks, you get my meaning ) its awonder that anyone gets to jump because he/she has to spend an hour just figuring out what all those initials mean. My goodness, , how this sport has changed in the past 50 years., and I dont say for the better.

I am amazed at the number of posts these days that are about someone wanting to do something extra to save his/her life. If you can't live with the dangers of the sport, take up table tennis. There are inherent dangers in the sport..,..live or die with them, but stop griping about how can I do something ( usually unrealistic ) to make sure I dont die. Stop the worry and enjoy skydiving or get into something else .

I never wore goggles until I laid off from jumping for a couple of years, and when I started jumping again, my eyes almost came out of their sockets. I wear them now, because the muscles around my eyes are weak. Otherwise, I would never wear them.

The thing you can use the most....the best ally you can have in doing high speed ( or any speed) procedures, is DON'T PANIC...take your time, and remember you still have lots of room to perform that which is necessary to stay alive. Not panicing is the best thing you can do as you take control of the situation.

After being involved in skydiving for about 2 years, I got a baby hawk from a nest, and was nicely grooming it to become part of a skydiving demo. It flew to me, and was such a beautiful bird, it sure would have brought more demos of my team, with a hawk flying to us on the ground, so the spectators could see up close. One day, some jerk decided that I shouldnt have the hawk, and he went to my home when I and my family were away, and he kicked the wire mesh cage in, letting the hawk out. I should have know he wouldnt go too far because I was his meal ticket, but I never found him. A neighbour later told me that the Ministry of Lands and Forests came and got him from a tree about 4 or 5 houses down the street from mine. How I wish I had kept him, he was so beautiful....almost solid black, witha rust colored tail. I do think I know who let him out....a brother, now deceased, although I would have a hard time proving it. Bill Cole D-41 Canada

Here's wishing all skydivers all over the world a very Merry Christmas,.................. and the very best for 2013, Stay safe, and enjoy the blue skies to the fullest. Bill Cole D-41 Canada aka chuteless 2 and 3

I jumped wearing a business suit several times. I wore shoes that just slipped on, NO LACES, and when I pulled the ripcord, I had to place one foot on top of the other to hold my shoes on my feet. It worked, and no problems in any way. Bill Cole D-41 Canada

NO.....I cannot recall any Harold...except for my brother. Both jumps I described were done in Ohio, and the two guys who passed the cat in freefall and then sent it into eternal freefall, were drowned on the Lake Erie Jump, Aug 27th 1962.

Unlimited flight Eternal Freefall Forever Tracking By Bill Cole D-41 Canada Those skydivers Who Stepped Off The Earth ___________________________________________ Have you ever stood under the midnight sky And seen silver streaks fly though the dark? In the wisdom of man they are most often called Thing like metorites, comets or sparks. But the truth has been secret since time first began In this world that we now call our own, And its time to reveal what those silver streaks are, It is time for the truth to be known. In the world before this one there were people like us And in time they had learned how to fly, They too dove from aircraft and into freefall And like us, they had owned all the sky. But this wouldn't suffice in fulfilling their dreams So they plotted since the day of their birth, And eventually found everlasting freefall As they stepped off the edge of the earth. So dark was the void, and no packing required And they learned there was no need to spot, Although it was cold, speed and friction was there And their fast bodies really got hot. Each skydiver flew just as he wanted to And his dropzone in space was its girth, Now flying forever we see silver streaks From those skydivers who stepped off the earth. The next time you stand neath a dark starry sky Lift your eyes to behold up above, And you''ll see old time skydivers as they dive past the moon And perform in the sport that they love, Twas a dangerous risk, but the risk brings the gain Like we've sought since the day of our birth, They're eternally tracking, just fast silver streaks Those skydivers who stepped off the earth. So don't let men fool you with science and such They don't know how a skydiver dreams, They can't know the thrill of flying the sky And their knowledge is small so it seems, The old time skydivers that live out in space Took the risk of that dangerous flight, They will ever be tracking, and lighting the sky With the silvery streaks of the night, Bill Cole

For the idea of unlimited flight, read the poem The Skydivers Who Stepped Off The Earth posted on DZ.com by Bill Cole I dont know enough about this computer stuff, or I would click on it and send it to you Sorry

I know several; guys ( now deceased) who jumped with a cat back int 60s. It was okay I guess, untuil the cat scratched one of them in FF and the cat scratched him. I dont know if he tried to get it again, but he didnt and the cat screeched in. Knowing the guys in this episode, I doubt they held a funeral for it. They also jumped with a monkey, and they intended for it to decend to earth using a pilot chute. The monkey climbed up over the top of the pilot chute, and tumbled. every time he would be under the chute, he was okay, but he insisted on climbing onto the top of the PC and he paid the price for it. If you think something never happened, you can be sure it did.

Back in 1962, my training for my first jump was watching a few other guys doing their thing. I didnt seee anything I couldnt do, or that I might have had a problem with, so I ask Dennis ( My jumpmaster later) if I could make a jump.. He gave me a pair of mechaincs coveralls, and a helmet, and aftera quick picture for posterity, I was on my way into the blue. Lots of leeway back in those days.

I have jumped in 100% cloud cover a few times as well. We would pss over where we thought the DZ was and the pilot would gun the engtie and then throttle back a few times. someone on the radio would tell the pilot that we were directly over the DZ and we would bail. We always managed to land on the air port. The B25 aircraft that the guys jumped from into Lake Erie was 16 miles north of the airport. The Radar operator had a blip over the field, but it was a Cessna 180 and he thought it was the B 25. The second pass brought the B 25 over the field and the Cessna 180 had landed by that time. The two guys jumped from the B 25 on its second drop, and they landed on the airport, wondering where all the other jumpers were. The pilot had given them a free jump for doing an air show, and he had chicken dinners awaiting for each man in the hangar.

I was about the same age as many of those guys. I just turned 80 in October 2012, so they would all have been getting on too.

Most of the guys got out of their gear. Norm Allard had put his altimaster ( altimeter) on his wrist, over the wrist bands of his 2 jumpsuits, and he got out of his gear, then got his jumpsuits off, but they were pinned to his wrist, and that is how they found him. The last guy found, was my good friend Joe Malarik, who originated from Pittsburgh, Penna. There weren't many boats on the lake due to the high winds, waves three feet high, and dark clouds, but one boat drove right around Al Omstead and they got a close up look at him, , and then drove away. It was supposed that boater was either smuggling or out with someone elses wife and didnt need the publicity.

It usually comes from not arching your body until you pull, which causes you to slowly turn, winding up the lines as they deploy. I careless grab at the pilot chute would also allow the same thing. REMEDY: Concentrate on getting the pilot chute and staying stable, not turning as you reach for it. Be aware of your body, watch to see if you are beginning a turn as you reach.

Thats a good photo of the conical, Peter. I have never once jumped a square reserve, although I have had a round reserve out about 10 times...well, actually 9 times, because I once cutaway my reserve and opened my para-commander. There is nothing like a round as it inflates above you like a giant flower....what a pretty sight. Bill Cole D-41 Canada

Pat: That is how I felt about skydiving / filming, /trying new things,/ etc etc, since the day I made my first jump over 50 yrs ago. My first camera jump was on my 19th jump, and my first movie camera jump was # 22. No one else in Canada was doing it, so I had a clear field to do, or at least try something new. Unfortunately, I gave much of my filming and still photography away, but there is still enough to remind me of the days of close calls, filming at night , and so on, to let anyone interested that I at one time, owned the sky, and my finger prints are on a few clouds . Thanks for the reminder, it is well put, and I hope newbies can get something from it. regards Bill Cole D-41 canada,

Well, it doesn't count for much unless you are throwing atomic bombs around. Then close is as good as it gets.

I once accepted a dare to jump blindfolded when jumping in Ohio. I left the aircraft at 7500 ft, and Larry Hartman was to hook up with me, and I would count 5 seconds after he let me go, and open my Para-commander. The plan was that someone would talk me in on the 3 ft bull horn used for students, but the horn broke about the time we exited the aircraft, and could not be used. To make things worse, Larrry overshot and I never did know how high I was when I opened. I flew around, still complely blindfolded, and finally I hollered, " Where am I ". No answer, so I hollered again, and about two seconds after that, I hit the ground. I had swung right down beside a mega group of high voltage lines, and landed in the ditch beside the road about 1/2 a kilometer east of the DZ . I peeled off the blindfold, and Larry came in his car racing down the road. He was very apologetic, and we had a good laugh at how close it came to being a disaster...but close doesn't really count for much. It was an unusual jump to say the least, and I never got fried on all those wires. Bill Cole D-41 Canada

I was referring to jumpers who had lots of jumps, and then go to a DZ and are asked to meet their requirements and do some circus act to impress the DZ owner before the guy can jump.

The demands for staying " current " is a joke. Skydiving is like riding a bike, once you've done it repeatedly from 12,500 ft or so, you don't forget how. Its a way the DZ owners can take your currency and put it in their pockets.