flyboy6554

Isn't there a small dz near the old Clark AFB in Angeles City??

Skip....were you one of the stunt "doubles" in Gypsy Moths?????

Skip, I hate you bastards for doing this when I'm not around!!!!!......have fun!!!

do some research, you might be able to buy some low cost health ins that would cover you for a catastrophic accident.....wouldn't cover measly little doc visits but just the big bad stuff; could give you some piece of mind, and you wouldn't have to rely on the kindness of strangers to help you if something bad happened......my two cents

I was also at the service for Dennis in McPherson the other day and would like to add something I heard on a sports report recently: "Often we don't take the time to praise or thank certain people in our lives before it's too late." This is probably true for many of us in regard to Dennis......in my over 30 years in skydiving, I have met many peope who truly stood out in some way; either as a jumper, organizer, competitor, rigger, pilot, coach, instructor etc.....but rarely have I met anyone who could do all that and do it REALLY WELL, and be a super nice guy to boot!!! Dennis touched so many people's lives in so many ways it is probably impossible to enumerate.....and there are probably a million kindnesses he bestowed on people that will never be known....truly he was one of the true quiet legends of this sport.. I would like to publicly thank Chuck Powell, long time Wichita skydiver and pilot for organizing the Quiet Birdmen flyby at Dennis' funeral and for organizing the post funeral demonstration fun jumps at McPherson airport......I would also like to thank Garan Broadway, another long time Wichita area jumper, pilot and former dzo for providing the jump aircraft that made it possible. Funerals are no fun but I have to say the comraderie I experienced during the last few days fueled by the presence of many skydivers and former skydivers from the midwest made me once again realize how unique skydiving is and what an impact it has had on my life and obviously the lives of most of us. Thanks to all of you for taking the time to show up, share your memories of Dennis and participate in a truly superb sendoff to this legendary skydiver. Blue Skies forever............

ache all the time after jumping......ibuprofen is my pal........

Hondo is now a professional tuba player!

I like your new avatar, Stratostar!!!

This is great!!!! Go get em, Stratostar!!!!

Excellent posts, Stratostar......I STRONGLY support anyone pursuing legitimate access to federally funded airports and I have personally experienced some of the institutional reluctance of several similar airports who either didn't want a skydiving operation OR kicked one off the airport once they obtained their multimillion dollar grant for a new runway or runway extension. The federal laws governing this situation are quite clear......and I believe the ONLY agency that can determine whether or not an airport is "safe" or "appropriate" for skydiving is the FAA.....not the usual gang of good old boys who frequently serve on the various airport boards/city councils etc and who are often reluctant to grant permission. I think the only reason that we don't have more access to federally funded municipal airports is the reluctance of potential new dz owners to pursue the lengthy and often frustrating legal procedures that wiould most likely end up with a favorable ruling in some appropriate state or federal court. It just takes a lot of time and is potentially very expensive, especially if there are other locations that are "easier" or on the surface more receptive to the idea. Ultimately, though, who cares if the airport sponsors don't want a dz or are hostile to the idea?? If we follow the law and we are right, then we are right!!! Let them be hostile.Discrimination against skydiving is as intolerable to me as discrimination against African Americans. This was a huge issue in the 1960s that eventually required specific legislation that most of us now accept as simply common sense.....but at one time in our society, it had to FORCED on some people through LEGISLATION! Some municipal airports, once deemed acceptable by the FAA, may have to just accept the fact that by accepting federal funds (OUR tax dollars at work) that they incurred the obligation to let us use it and jump there. END OF STORY.!....and if they don't like it then they need to figure out a way to turn those millions of dollars back to the government so they can run their exclusive private airport. I think we, as collective skydivers, need to be much more active in supporting any potential new dz that is involved in an access issue at any federally funded municipal airport......this is an issue that will not go away and we need to become much more involved in the political process, to include contacting the appropriate state and federal representatives with our concerns. Most skydivers are not interested in doing this, but the long term survival of our sport is dependent upon it. Might all sound like a soap box to you, but after 30 years in the sport , this has been the most constant and nagging irritation to me.

Dennis, were you jumping when dinosaurs and pterodactyls roamed the earth??!!

Good of you to thank everyone that helped you along the way, Chris. A class act. Most of us don't do that, or sometimes we do it too late for some to hear. Like others have said, the sky will always be there.

For many years I've stayed at the Best Western in Z-hills (now called the Magnuson). this time of the year it is about 65/night for jumpers.....not cheap, but probably the best deal in town except for the REAL dumpy little Mom and Pop places. Very clean, WIFI and free continental breakfast in the am. I recommend it. Call in advance, though, as they sometimes fill up this time of year.

Happy Birthday and Semper Fi Bros Dave Ternes VMFA-235 1st Mar Bgde 1979-1984

And Semper Fi to all who have served. Blue ones......

Hey Chuck.....Smitty's old rig would probably be an IMPROVEMENT over your current rig!! NYUK NYUK NYUK!! good to see you on the board!! blue skies

Hope you avoided landing in the prison in your pic!!

"Take a walk on the wild side!!"

She is absolutely adorable!! Congrats.

Did two of them in Okinawa in 1988, actually on one of the out lying islands off Okinawa. One out of a cessna 172 and the other out of a cessna 152. Landed on a Japanese muni airport and don't think anyone even saw me. A GREAT day and beautiful jumps right in the middle of the south China sea.

Your instructor may have been Bob Clark....I jumped at that dz in Littleton on occasion from 1974-76. Bob Clark was the owner, I think. I was a renegade from the USAF Academy and had about 50 jumps when I showed up there...jumped the same gear you had and later bought a standard military rig and chest reserve with 28' main and 24'reserve and made almost 500 jumps ON THAT RIG!! Landings were NOT pretty at that altitude on a 28' round, but I only weighed 155 lbs at that time. I had shot and a half capewells and used them to cutaway malfunctioned mains at least 4 times. Always worked like a champ!

I REALLY thought this nonsense was finally over, but guess I WAS WRONG!! Good to see the spies are already out taking snapshots of the new dz! Jumper410, why don't you contact the NSA and see if they can reposition one of their national reconaissance satellites over Harrisonville, MO so you can maintain round the clock surveillance of the new dz and then publish the pics here on a weekly basis? Some of us have jobs and lives and can't make it out there every weekend, but we would appreciate the frequent updates on the facilities that you have such an interest in. I made four fabulous jumps out there this past weekend and had a blast with everybody. Blue Skies!!

I've visited the north coast of the DR several times and always stayed in Sosua, small town there on the beach. Never heard of any dz there or anywhere else in the country. I do a lot of scuba diving while I'm there. Most of the country is what we would call impoverished...not sure a dz would have much interest. Good luck!

Happy to say that "OB and three Daves" won the 4 way competition on Sunday. Proud to say I was part of the action. Our team also won the "Miss Congeniality" award and an invitation to try out for slots on Arizona Airspeed for the next season. Blue Skies!!

Another rumor floating around is that Martin Myrtle visited Mike Jernigan in the hospital after his landing mishap and told him that "there isn't room in this town for two Cessna DZ's!" Then he made him an offer he "couldn't refuse", while he unhooked his morphine drip and replaced it with lemon-lime juice, AND then threatened to remove his breathing tube and stick it up his sphincter!!!! Mike was resisting the brutality and threats until the sphincter thing, and that is when he caved and agreed to sell everything at Kingman and take up bowling instead. So there you have it...the whole truth!! By the way, the best way to fix all this is to buy Doc McLaughlin another Cessna 182 and let HIM come out and fly it for us in Wichita!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!! God, I crack myself up! By the way....how are the Kansas City DZO's going to run a boogie at MRVS while they are busy manning the picket lines and organizing the protesters in Harrisonville on 1 April??