McGonigal

Made my first jump at Indiantown in Feb,1971. My jumpmaster was Carl Smith(Smitty) and made a 5 sec delay using a Para Comander. I think Pop flew the plane.

Does anyone know why they dont free pack any more like back in the 70s? I have not jumped since then, but I remember how reliable it was just coiling the line into the container and wraping a strap around the folded canopy/it worked great and I never saw or had a malfunction(or line twist), I never heard of one back then,whats up with that? Base jumpers pack that way, and they need reliability!

I can tell you that Para flite corp from cherry hill N.J invented and tested the first Ram Air(square) canopy and reefing system for deployment ,and Im sure they had to have something to do with the invention of the slider. Charlie Mack(Nitrochute) would know more about this because he worked at Ripcord Paracenter where they tested all that stuff. Im going to E- mail him and maybe he has more info about that.Quote

Hey Gene, Im just glad that Nitrochute ( I mean Charlie) didn't pack my reserve the way he spells!!Quote

Hey Skcratch, Your right, It really is a small world!! Like I said to another jumper, I never thought back then(32 years ago) that I would get the chance to communicate with someone I met years ago on some computer. Anyway I just remember you were soft spoken and was very nice to me, You were one of the first REAL California people I ever met and made me feel welcome at Elsinore that weekend! Thanks!!

I was hitchhiking around the country in 73 and stopped in Elsinore on labor day weekend, they were doing a 30 man record with captain Hook& sky pirates. I met this guy named Scratch there(Skrath Garrison) Anyway it was a real different experience for an East Coast jumper! I was impressed with west coast jumpers attitudes>

Thanks for the tip Sienfield! Ill check other DZs for what you said but Id really like to jump at Crosskeys because its so close to me and convient and the people are nice there. I guess Id better get my American Express card out if I want to start jumping again!! (what ever happened to 4 dollars to 7200') and a hop&pop for 3 bucks??

Well Roger, your very lucky that you have friends that will get you "back up" and running again in skydiving because this sport is real expensive now. I live near Cross Keys and considered starting again but they want you to start out like anybody else and also take the entire course! They dont really do AFF and Ill be damed if Im going to strap myself to somebody and jump tandam. Anyway good luck and I know youll be back in the saddle in no time.

Nice pictures Roger!! I never thought back then when I saw that wild formation that I would be talking on a computer 32 years later to one of the guys that was in it!!

Roger, getting back to that BIG Diamond at Z-Hills you were on, as usual, you were right about the 4 little diamonds tracking away at the end out of the big diamond. ( I said the big diamond tracked away and was wrong) Non the less, it was really cool for back then! By the way, did you ever meet Owen Quinn(he jumped off the world trade center) He was at that meet in 75 with a team called "The Spaced Rangers" from stormville New York?

Rogerram jet you really impress me with your memory from back then. I was wondering if you were on the 16 way Diamond I remember seeing and thought it was the coolest skydive I ever saw!!! It was 4 (4way diamonds) making up a big diamond and they seperated did a 360 hooked back up and tracked the big diamond!!! WOW I was Impressed. I think the photographer was trailing smoke/ totally wild. Were you in that???

Thanks for the info Howard. You obously go back aways like me. I remember alot of the team names you mentioned and I met Jerry Bird there too, he was hot shit back then. Im also sorry about the 2 people that went in 40 minutes apart that Rogeram jet mentioned. I was packing my chute when that happened. Lou Jecker from Michagan had some type of new velcro capewells that screwed up and the girl cut away and never pulled her reserve, but the meet went on!

Does anybody remember a 10 man star team at Z-Hills in 1975 called "Captain Croch and the Queer Buckaneers? Who were these people anyway? How about some of the other names of teams?

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Im sorry, I thought you said he had a hand held pilot chute in his hand,he used a conventional ripcord (do you remember what that was???)