flyboy6554

I do psycho pack religiously!!

I whacked myself pretty hard today after a solo tracking jump.....thought I had given myself plenty of time to slow down and even de arch a bit to further slow, but had an almost instant canopy at pull...not a rushed pack job and no indications of line dump or anything wrong with the canopy, pretty sure it was high speed at deployment.....so my question is: how long does it take to fully slow down after a full on high performance track?? Thanks in advance for all comments.......

here's mine!!!

Nice blast handle on that rig.......yikes!!!!! (if you were a big fan of the old blast handle don't bother to tell me how great it was, how many times you used it etc etc etc,, believe me, I've heard it all many many times.....)

Guys, I had a used Fusion 150 I jumped for a season and a half and although I loved the way it flew and landed the openings were a consistent horrifying spiraling downward right hand spin....scared the heck out of me and tried everything to fix it....had multiple riggers check it out etc.....etc......almost had to chop it twice and finally sent it back to George Galloway hoping he could fix it....he just replaced it with a brand new Nitron......which I absolutely love!! So good luck with the Fusion....if you can make it work it is a really nice flying canopy, but I just don't know what to say about the openings.

OK....anybody know if Troy Loney is still alive and kicking?? I'd like to thank him as I rode my 24 flat reserve 6 times from 1975-1983......this was during my round parachute era....sleeve problems till I switched to a bag.....he didn't build the reserve but he did make the reserve container.

Thanks Jerry......thought I would elicit more responses here, but guess it WAS a long time ago. I bought that harness in 1975; it may predate your info.

Thank you for your service, even if it's 40 years late!!!!

OK, here's one for all you history and trivia sleuths.. In the 1970's I was routinely taking my belly reserve up to a rigger in the Denver area to do the 60 day repacks (before one of my buddies in C-Springs got their rigger ticket). At the time I was jumping an old military B4 main harness; this rigger was making his own harness at the time that was kind of a stylemaster knock-off and I had him build a custom harness and container for me that I used for many years until the back mounted reserves finally won out. For the life of me I don't remember his name and just wonder if anyone has ever heard of him or if this rings a bell....I did a little cursory investigation via the internet but nobody seems to know or remember anything. Anybody got a clue as to who this might have been?? Or what eventually happened to him? Thanks in advance for any info.

Was jumping a Fusion 150 for two seasons.....go ahead and ask.

Exactly......couldn't agree more.

I only made a couple of WS jumps in my career (so far) but Jeff's instruction on my first at Z hills several years ago was invaluable....he seemed like a really nice kid, too; so sorry to see this happen to him.....

Good post and Semper Fi.....good luck in your next career and hope to jump with you someday...... Dave Ternes USMC F4 pilot VMFA-235, 1979-1983 D-12846

I'll bet the pilot you refer to was Leo Saurman (not sure of the exact spelling of his last name) but he lived out in Maize on that airport for a long time and flew jumpers....he was a Korea era Marine fighter pilot....think he's in a nursing home now somewhere in the Wichita Ks area.

Good luck...I was a member and jumped there from Jul 76-Jan 77 while I was going to TBS.....lots of good memories!!

Jerry Bird should be on the list. One of the truly great RW organizers, instructors, coaches etc of his time and era. And a great guy to boot!!

We had a nice remembrance weekend for Skip in Wichita this past weekend. Chuck Powell had organized two Cessna 182s to provide lift at Stearman Field in Benton, KS (site of some of the original Gypsy Moth footage) but we were weathered out. Did have a great showing of local jumpers and Skip's family at the Stearman Grill Saturday night, and on Sunday we finally got enough ceiling for a couple of hop n pops. Been just a year but we still miss you Skip.

Curly was a great guy and a big help to me during my early days as a brand new AFF JM/I. Spent a lot of time talking to him late in the evening over a beer about techniques, how to teach, etc. He was really kind of a legend in the area. Rest in Peace and Blue Skies.

Is it just me or does it seem we're off to a bad start for 2012 in terms of injuries and fatalities.....seems like a bunch since the last week in March. Maybe we need another safety day??

I used to jump at Mac Mcgraw's small dz in Riverview Fla in the 1970's when I ws a young pup....he was a great mentor and friend.....he died within the past couple of years in a helicopter accident.

I love my Fusion 150 (loaded about 1.35) Very nice semi elliptical canopy, great performance without being scary. Brand new it is very slippery and somewhat challenging to pack....I psycho pack it, works great and much easier to bag it. I have very soft openings that tend to be off heading. My fusion is an older model, DOM 2006 and it had about 30 jumps on it when I bought it from a friend no longer in the sport, so I have the older style HMA lines, kind of tan colored. If you are buying new, I would also look at the Aerodyne Pilot.

Why did they refuse to pack it? Was there something wrong with it? Did they inspect it or did they just turn you down based on age alone? The reason I ask is arbitrary time limits make no sense. Why is 20 years the magic number, why not 15 or why not 25? Either one would make just as much sense. Synthetic materials used in reserve construction last a very long time if properly stored and taken care of. I have no problem with riggers setting their own standards and sticking to that, they have every right to do so. Personally I will no longer pack 5 cell reserves even if they pass inspection. But that is not because of reliability but because of performance. Most folks these days don't know how to land a 5 cell and might get hurt landing. For the same reason I would not pack a newer model micro-raven 120 for someone who is going to heavily over load it. It would be much safer to jump a lightly loaded 23 year old Rascal 202. I have refused to pack reserves less than 20 years old and have packed many that were over 20 years old but that is because I go by condition and not by age. It is either air worthy or it is not. It does not turn into a pumpkin on it's 20th birthday. Many PD reserves that are in great shape are reaching the 20 year mark. It seems silly to ground a perfectly good reserve for no reason other than the DOM. IMNSHO I was told "I choose not to pack reserve parachutes that are 20 years old."

only as a car cover.....I had an old Rascal 202 that I had never used but still had in an old container....DOM 1989. Two different riggers I knew and trusted refused to repack it for me....so end of discussion. That's what I pay them for, their skills AND their judgment.

Not sure about your two control lines, but I've been psycho packing for a few months with an older Fusion 150 that is pretty slippery still. I had the same problems you are having with the brand new canopy and could never control it enough to do a normal propack, but with the psycho method I have no problem getting the air out and rolling it into the bag. Also, I've had very nice soft openings, too. For best results, after I fold over the two sides of the tail, I kneel on the canopy around mid-point and roll the canopy down towards my knees, then move my knees to the grommet area and continue rolling, thereby keeping pressure on the bottom of the canopy at all times till its rolled up. Hope this helps some.

Skip was truly one of the great ones in the sport......a great guy to jump with, a classic history going back to the days of round canopies and chest reserves, a willingness to try and learn new discipliines, and an infectious enthusiasm for everyone, especially novices and beginners. You could hardly jump with a more fun loving guy than Skip. Skip had a heart of solid gold and a willingness to share it with everyone. He's performed a million acts of kindness that we don't even know about. There was a huge turnout this past weekend for Skip's funeral in Wichita.....lots of skydivers from the past several decades, some of whom don't even jump anymore. We'll never forget you, Skip. Rest in peace.