tonybrogdon

You are right Jim- D-22 . I get returns on his email from time to time. I saw him last month at Elsinore and he thanked me for copying him in on emails.
His latest phone number I have was (909) 698-5058.
If you get the chance give him a call. I am sure he would be happy to hear from you.

Tony

Thanks

He was truly special and that car brings back a lot of good memories along with his wall of fame in his trailer.

Thanks again for the pictures

Hi Jim,

An orginal member of the Army Golden Knights is Jerry Bourquin D-25. He's 70, still jumping and an S&NTA in the Elsionre area. His e-mail is [email protected] . He was one of the first to bring a Paracommander to the US from France. He would be the best one to get accurate history of the GoldenKnights

My first rig was a T-10 military style round. My second rig was a Mark 5 Paracommander. It seemed to me that it rose up slightly if you pulled on the rear risers just before landing. My 50 plus jumps on it were some of softess landings in 20 years of skydiving.

Thanks for your post and update on Smitty. He was a legend and true pioneer of our sport. I met him the day of my first jump in Hutchinson at Sky Sports in September 1977. As I mentioned in my orginal post , I got to also know his son, Jerry quite well and feel fortunate to have known Smitty and call him a friend.

Thanks again.

Hi Jim;

No, the one I was describing was in Enseneda, Mexico. It was our first event after reopening Elsinore. The one at Murretta Hot Springs was fun one though.

Tony

In twenty years of skydiving, the scarest thing I witnessed was on a demo I organized in downtown Enseneda, Mexico. I was on the first load of 50 skydivers because I was the only one who actually knew where the DZ was. In the attached picture the target was on the bottom right, a x'd circle in a parking lot across from the Corona Hotel. ( Its another story why I was the only one who knew where the spot as ). We flew 2 DC-3's and a single Twin Otter directly from Lake Elsinore crossing the border directly to Enseneda. Without my knowledge, a Mexican skydiver from Enseneda had managed to board one of the DC-3's in Lake Elsinore. He was on the last pass of the last airplane. Everyone on the ground was celebrating what an historical moment it was when all eyes became focused on the Mexican skydiver who had twisted his legstrap and wasn't able to pull out his pilot chute. Anyone there who witnessed this would tell you we could see him strugling for his pilot chute literally to the last second when he went for his reserve, which we found out later he had packed with mutiple line twist. When it came out 200 feet from the ground in a stall position he impacted on the roof of a car on the parking lot, slid down the hood and was standing up in front of the car as I arrived expecting to see a lot of blood. I ask him was he okay, he brushed me aside and said, " I'm okay, I have done this before?"
Then he walked over and began repacking his reserve on the dirt parking lot. A Mexican two star Air Force General who witnessed the event, not knowing it was one of his own, was very upset at me. The next day as we were preparing to leave, he requested to see me for an explanation. Every demo after that, I was required by the authorities, to prove that every skydiver had a "D" license.

Thanks for the reply on Smitty. He used to say a lot that everytime he jumped it was a World Record of the time between the first and current jump. He made his first jump in 1922.

I made 60 jumps on my MarkV PC back in 1979 at the Pettersburg DZ in Virginia. I sold it in 1980 when I bought my first square a Stratus Star five cell. My PC had soft landings compared to my previous canopy, a T-10 where we did PLF's to land and it never hinted of a malfunction.

Hi Mike

I didn't know you had a part in "that's incredible" TV program.

I live in Fresno now. Came through Perris DZ a couple of weeks ago though on a San Diego trip. Hope to catchup with you before long

Blue skies!

Had the prelidge of meeting Roch Charmet in Perris in 1979. He jumped chewing on a flower as a personal trademark.
He was a unique skydiver.

You are right no slider. They were orginally designed for a sleave not a bag with a spring loaded pilot chute and front mounted reserve.

Hey Mike, I believe his name was Jimmy Davis. Him and Dar Robinson were the show's resident skydiving stunt men. He sold me a handbury rig in 1980 with a Comet 228 in Elsinore. He was former national accuracy champion.

Hey Jim

Skydiving provides some of the best memories and friends than any other sport.

Thanks for your post.

I am very greatful I got to know Smitty, first the day when I made my first jump in Hutchinson, Kansas in 1977 and then later sending him an airline ticket to come out to come to Perris, December 15th, 1985, to do the tandem. He stayed with me along with his son, Jerry for three days before returning to Withita.
He was a remarkable human being.

Sorry about the mixup, you are right it was Visions not Mirrage Image. They were a credit to the sport.

Thanks for the correction

The reason I believed the stiching wouldn't have worked was because, shortly after the rig " the Green Star Express " was banned at DZ's because of some many reserve risers came loose on reserve deployment. Fortunately I didn't have to find out if it worked or not.

Hi Mike:

My got my paracommander from Charlie Brown ( he later joined the Golden Knights) in 1978. It was in a bag which it wasn't designed for, in piggyback which it wasn't designed for and the rig was a Green Star Express. The absolute stupidest thing I ever did was take up to 7500 in Dublin , Virginia a make a test jump in it, not knowing til later if it hadn't worked that chances were that my reserve wouldn't have worked either. It's truly amazing I that I survived to be a young 60 years old.

How's Brooks doing? Tell I said hi.

Blue skies!

Back in the late 70's you were required to have 100 jumps under a round canopy before you were allowed to jump a square. I had 50 jumps under a 10 with front mounted reserve and 50 under a Paracommander. my paracommander landed extremely soft if you pulled back on the back risers just before landing

hit the wrong key that was 1979 ...

I saw Chet Poland in Deland, New Years day, 1919.
He had a van and sold jewlery. I believe he jumped into his 90's simular to Smitty.

Nice pictures Jim.

Sorry about the name - It was Jimmy Davis not Jimmy Smith. Jimmy Davis and Dar Robinson were the professional stunt men that were in charge of all the skydiving stunts done on the TV show "That's Incredible".

Jim, found these pictures of Smitty, hope they are readable. They are black and white. One has Smittys own words on it. His son Jerry, whom i became good friends with once told me that he grew up with his mother telling him that his dad was crazy.

Hope you enjoy the PICS

Tony

Thanks Jim for the PICS of Smitty.

Blue Skies!