Usetawuz

That's a real loss. Blue skies, Ray.

AWESOME!!!! Thanks for all the work you put into this.

I'm sure there are a 'few', but I doubt many didn't
bother to apply for Gold Wings once they qualified. I don't doubt there are many qualified who don't bother with the subsequent levels. Kinda 'old hat' by then.

I'm not much of a collector either, and never bothered with FF beyond the 12-hour

Norm Heaton signed mine

I made my first 13 jumps in 1966. Didn't jump again until mid-1969 (Viet Nam kept getting in the way). Got my Gold Wings in '74, five years after "re-starting". GW# 763.

DW#243, 12FF#216, etc,

Just under seven-thousand USPA members have been awarded Gold Wings for having made 1000 skydives since Loy Brydon was awarded GW#1. I think that’s amazing! By any standard that’s 7000 impressive, individual accomplishments.

Maybe it’s true that, on average, it is now taking jumpers less time to reach the 1000 mark than it did in “earlier times”. I don’t know and I don’t think it matters. It still requires stepping out of an ‘aircraft-in-flight’ 1000 times, along with everything else each jump entails.

In my opinion that takes a lot of dedication and sacrifice! What do you think?


Got Gold Wings yet? What’s your GW#; when was it awarded? How long did it take you to reach that milestone? Any stumbling blocks along the way?

Add my thanks and appreciation.

Opening: Sorta like tying a 50 foot rope around you and jumping out of a 75 foot tree! But...it sure beat the hell out of 'nuttin' overhead"

Blue skies, Beezy. Fly free my friend.

You will be missed.

A very notable loss. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones. Peace.

You guys are top notch!

Me? I don't know yet.

I remember Laura Hood from Ft. Carson Colorado. In fact I trained her and put her out on her first jump. Have no idea what became of her. I believe she was from Tenn.

Fun times!

Fly free. Gods peace to family, friends and loved ones.

Sorry for your loss.

God's speed, Al. Fly free!

First of all that's "Golden Knight", not "Golden Night". Secondly - Why do you think that? The previous one wasn't and I don't think the one before that was either.

HW - It has been many, many years but I do think I remember the 'rolling hills' -three of them? - across the road from the DZ or airport.

Wow, cool. That's like striking gold.

Hi Jerry,

Now that you've jump started my memory cell (both of them) I do recall the "rest of the story"

Some place along the line HW points out the scene in "Green Berets". I hadn't made that connection.

I think Scotty said at times he was able to fly higher than the AC tail! Gonads!

I seem to recall some one, long ago, being intentionally towed behind a military aircraft - C123 or 130 - in flight. I think it was J. Scott Hamilton conducting some kind of experiment. Anyone remember the details?

Hi- Check out Skydiving History & Trivia. It'll bring back memories, I'm sure!

Blue Skies

Ooops, I see you've there, done that. Sorry.

Blue skies, Steve.

Yeah. 'Nam. 'Nuff said.

***
I began on Oct. 4, 1980 and I can relate. I even had a Pegasus at one time. As a side note, I happen to be a Black jumper and I often wonder if there are any other Black jumpers out there who have been at it as long as I have.
***

Chuck named a few. There are others, Some no longer jump, others don't jump much, but started well before you: Emmit Norris, Sonny Hill, Bob Brown and me.