JerryBaumchen

Sparky, I was on the TSO committee when this req'ment came into being and I also could not figure out just how anyone was going to meet this req'ment. I was having breakfast with Elek Puskas during this time and asked him how they intended to meet this req'ment. He said that they would put the req'd info on a tag attached to the ripcord. My ripcords are TSO'd under 23b (that's another long, interesting story) and I put the info onto a tag, attach tag to the ripcord & tell owner to save the tag. A lot of great/crazy ideas come up during the development of any new standards (I've also served on many standard committees where I used to work; same type of problems). Making them work in the real world is the hard part. Now that you have some time on your hands, why not get on the TSO committee; you would have fun and get terribly frustrated (I know this)?

Stato, Make sure you get some photos and publish them. Jerry

From personal experience (next month will be the 40th anniversary of my becoming a rigger): 1. Never think you know everything; in fact, accept that you know little. 2. Never do any work for free. You are a professional and should be paid for your services. My best wishes to you.

The VERY first PC Packing Manuals had lots of photos on how to do it; I know, I owned PC Ser #363. The only problem was the photos did NOT tell you what to do with the d@&m louver panels (the thrust slots, I think we called them). Also, with a longer bridle, Pioneer actually got a TSO for the original Mark I PC. Just a little trivia for those who need to know.

Was that the guy who killed that music group and young kid in Rozzo's Beech? I don't remember his name but the crash was no surprise to me. He used to really 'cowboy' and airplane around.

Hi Hook, Good post; should be very informative for a number of people. I do have a question: When you say, "Using what a TSO rig. . . . .the strength of the harness" just what is your concern? Do you have another idea? I think (please don't make me look it up) that the latest TSO C23d requires that the load be actually measured during the Strength testing. That is one way to gather the data. Back in the 70's when I was doing TSO testing I wrote to Bill Jolly of Pioneer that I did not think that a C-9 canopy (using the weight/speed chart in NAS 804) would actually generate the 5,000 lb load. He wrote back and agreed but did not offer any additional thoughts. Interstingly, I understand (since he actually told me) that Troy Loney did not do the Strength tests for the original Centaurus by doing drop tests. He convinced the feds that he could actually get the 5,000 lb load(s) by using a test machine. They agreed and that is what he did. I do NOT know what his exact test procedure was. Just more information for those who want to know.

Snyder passed the baton with Charlie Hilliard. He went on to become a World Champion in airplane aerobatics, owned a big Ford dealership in Ft. Worth and got killed in a crazy taxiing accident.

Sparky, How about contacting me off the board? I want to talk to you about this 2-stow bag of yours. Call me on 503-481-4714; before 11:00 PM and not before 9:00 AM. Thanks

Sparky, I have my doubts that Aerodyne will provide this info. But give it a go; all that can happen is they will fail to respond (as they seem to do with my requests). If you do get the info, how about contacting me; I'd like a copy, just for info and education.

Damn Sparky, Now you made go get my old drawings out. I have a number of sets of drawings for the 3-ring systems dated Nov '97 from RWS. For the Type 8 Standard type on Pages 5, 6 & 7 are a number of dimensions, some with tolerances and some without. I think if you were to contact RWS they might provide you with this set of drawings (or even an updated set). Hope that this helps. G A (Jerry) Baumchen

Not trying to give you a bad time; but is this rumor or fact? If it is really factual, can you name the DZ as this is a first in my knowledge (at least here in the good old USofA). If factual, I would wonder WHY? Thanks.

No lessons needed; they were Portia goggles and the ONLY guy I knew who could use them (and liked them) was Jim Lowe. They kept digging into my eye socket so went with the vented one that PI sold; they worked great. Porsche Design is an whole nother thing. $$$$$$$$$

Singular, not plural. But you get the prize. If you are ever in the Portland, OR area stop by and ask for it.

Strato, If all goes well I will be having lunch with the owner this week; will shoot some digital pix and send to you. Stay tuned, film at 11:00.

At flyinghigh.com.

I have only met Lew once & that was at a Para-Pioneers thing in Tucson 2 1/2 yrs ago. If he mentioned my name, it is the early stages of Alzheimers for him. Especially since it is such an easy name to pronounce. Anyone know what it means in German?

Photo #3 shows him with a blast handle reserve ripcord rather than the original Lollypop handle. I'm not sure when Cameron got his X-Bo rig; I don't think he got one immediately upon the introduction. I also do not remember just when they changed from the Lollypop handle to the blast handle. Anyone else out there remember? Thanks for the photos.

In the summer of '65 I met Istel. He said then that Lew got D-1 and he D-2 because Lew was doing a lot of competing in those days and Istel was not. A mutual decision. So possibly not a coin flip. Someone might ask Lew.

Ms BD, Do you know how to contact Bob? I met him at the 1st Pops World Meet in '90 in Australia and about a year or so later at his place in Hemet. I'd like to get in touch with him again.

"The thought of a high speed opening on a diaperless 24 ft round . . . " For me, its the memory of such a 'feat.' I am absolutely positive it left boot prints on the back of my helmet. The body bend point is the horizontal backstrap of the B4 harness. Be thankful that we have progressed.

It was always bound along the long side.

First, you do need to know just how the canopies were built. Both had lines at the top (due to the pulled-down apex you could not hook a tension strap to the apex [think of a typical round canopy here], and I forget what we called them [whoops, just came to me, they were called Crown Lines]. Anyway, on the Pioneer sleeve these lines were left all stretched out above the canopy in the sleeve, just laying thre in the upper part of the sleeve. On the X-Bo they stowed these lines (just like you stow your suspension lines today) in rubber bands. I think that this stowing of the crown lines is what slowed the openings just enough to make the openings nice and soft. So for today's quiz; what is a sleeve?

That was great. You really took me back in time. For the '64 US Team, Brydon modified his harness to a split-saddle because he wanted one. In the photos taken back then you can see it, a sage green split-saddle that I am very sure he did himself at Ft. Bragg. I bought a ParaCommander in the fall of '64 and the openings were damned hard. About six months later I put a X-Bo sleeve on it and the pain went away. You guys really changed the skydiving world back then. I believe that the piggyback was the most significant change to sport gear in the history of the sport. And it was a dramatic change.

Ahha, I believe that the mystery is beginning to unravel.

Not to rain on your parade but it is spelled Canarozzo. I knew him 'back in the day' when he jumped up in Spokane. About 6-7 yrs ago I was in Vegas for a convention and had an afternoon to kill. I knew Tom was there somewhere, there were two Dz's in the yellow pages. So I headed out to the closet one, walked into the office area and asked if anyone had ever heard of him. The young girl said he's in the next room. It was his last day of ownership of the DZ. He was trying to figure out which of the tandem rigs he should keep (apparently the sale left him with one of them). He asked me which one and I gave him my $0.02 worth. I think he also was involved in putting on rock concerts. I think that he also was one of the original Flying Elvii. One of the true wild & crazies.