beenthere

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Jump Profile

  • License
    D
  • License Number
    5729
  • Number of Jumps
    6000
  • Years in Sport
    30

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  1. I’ve seen at least 3 or 4 different rings jumps. I was on a 20 way over PopeValley in 1980 and recently saw a 25 way that looked really nice. Maybe it was one of those.
  2. The other side from those log entries.
  3. Rick, you're recollection is pretty close. I found my logbook from that time frame. Unfortunately I was using a felt tip pen, and my logbooks were in a flood. I can still make out that I made a jump on Dec 31 1972 and Jan 1 1973 at Cleveland. New Years eve party with Texas jumpers must have been a fun time. Sounds like you went on to have some interesting times. I wouldn't be able to sum up my last 40 years in a paragraph, but after living on both coasts, I have been back in Ks for the last 13 years, married for 12 now. Jim
  4. hey Rick, I only had 60 jumps the first trip to Texas by the time of the 20 ways in Cado Mills was almost to 300. I am behind Ron Cox in the photo. At sometime back then I went on a road trip to Elsinore with Phil Mayfield and Gregg Hackett too (?). Almost grounded on our first jump there for a low opening. Gregg and Phil were a couple of my heroes back then, but really enjoyed being around all of those guys you identified in the photo. David Arrington was on my first two jumps in Valley Mills. Thanks for the music playing compliments, I think there is just something that happens being at the right place/time and energy that people can perform beyond their ability. I have experienced that a few times musically and on some team jumps, time kind of slows down and things just happen. I wanted to be able to play blues/rag and only play every now and then anymore. No perfect moments lately. Jim
  5. I think you have described me just about exactly as I was back then. Maybe just 6'1". When I read your first post it started to bring back some memory of those times. Thanks for sparking a 40 something year ago moment in time and for the compliment. There were so many trips to Texas in those days lots of jumping partying and fun times and probably that one time on a piano.
  6. I found this photo, not sure from what event. Herb Connely is in it too. He was Matt's partner at Sky High Skydivers where I started. These jumps were 20 man star attempts. What did the guy look like who was playing that night?
  7. During those years different groups of us came down from Desoto, Herrington and Edgerton Ks., which was a bit before Hutchinson. I started at Desoto, taught by Matt and jumped at Waco, V-Mills and Cleveland DZ's with Jim Baker, Brit Alley, Ernie Johnson, Scotty Goding, Harry Shill, Rick Bridges, Ken Knable, Dale Boyer and probably a few others. That night and the piano playing brings back some vague memories... is that any help? SCS301
  8. I believe that on the back row far left is Roland Hilficker.
  9. Even being on the load, it's hard to recognize everyone. I did just notice that we are lined up in our color groups. The back row from left to right are the blue ring, (French and Ponce) our 6 from the black ring, (Mirror Image) and the red ring (Coors) on the right. On their knees are the yellow ring (Golden Knights) on the left side and the green "jalapeno's" on the right, that included Guy Manos, Mike Michigan and Mike Truffer.
  10. I'm not sure when Steve died, it must have been at least 20 years ago, maybe someone knows. He did help save many of our lives that day of our loadstall.
  11. I remember you, our paths probably crossed a few times. I was in Florida for a while w/Mirror Image etc. Jim Captain
  12. It seemed like we were in a dive for a really long time, but I think the plane recovered at nearly 12,000. Jumprun was just over 15,000. Randy Kempf and Steve Graas (RIP) were in the cockpit. One of them told us that it took the strength of them both to pull the plane out of the dive.
  13. (Quote) When sequential RW (now formation skydiving) was just getting started in the mid 1970s it started in ST, AZ, CA, TX, KS, IL western USA. Jumpsuits were small. Most skydivers wore boots. Belly reserves and ripcords were the norm. Of course, good intelligent, cool skydivers never got caught dead. We believed that until Jim Heydorn bounced with a double total. I quess we all have different versions of what happened when. It was January 4th 1975. Jim Heydorn had a streamering PC that he tried to deploy his reserve past. Both canopies entangled. I tracked away in the opposite direction, and when I landed I remember someone coming up to me saying..."hey somebody on your load just went in" many thoughts ran through my mind, since I was jumping with some of my closest skydiving friends. It was a very sad day. You can find the complete stiry in your book United We Fall on page 274. "A freind goes in" by Matt Farmer. Will attach a couple photos from the jump. Jim Captain
  14. I was at that meet also. A member of Clear-Eye Homegrown. We built a 10-Man Donut Flake for one of our "rounds". The 310 was flown by George White, rumored to be a DEA agent I thought, but he was just there visiting his girlfriend Debby Z. That's the way I remember it. We had just stepped out of a van and were gearing up when he buzzed the field. He may have saved my life, because we probably shouldn't have been about to jump.