lodestar

Found this while cleaning out a closet. Not sure who made them, may have been me ?

Met Eddie on a trip up to Niagara, his workshop was humming with activity and Eddie was hopping around like a grasshopper doing this and that. He was, at the time, one of the few if not the only one producing gear for the Canadians....my being a rigger and having almost non stop reserve packing while I toured Canada, I appreciated the fact that he was a forerunner in Canadian equipment and obviously an innovator of gear and techniques....nice man...

a few of us out there still remember that.....however, I should tell you the rest of the story....seems like what you heard was true, but only part of it....the other part....3-5 cases of cold beer at the end of day for those supporters of the legend....you might check and see what the guys at your dz prefer for brand....or if they have any alternate requests instead of beer.....

Give me a call....i'll fly it!

Nice bit of film.....gotta smile at the un modified rounds they were jumping and some slightly modded ones as well One jumper was pulling on the ( I think) back risers for some reason.... Thanks Jerry....what fun !

I flew that 182 for Bill, small strip near Baldwin Fl. 0ne runway and you were required to contact a tower at an AFB to get permission and then tell them when the jumpers were on the ground Pia but we were making jumps

A sad day for sure, we'll miss you Bill..........Rest in Peace.....blue skies forever... Tuna

Channel 276, direct tv, docu on Cooper....airing now....no doubt there will be more showings...

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Hm8DW7CF7dQ Some very interesting stuff on openings, the NASA video featured is a 100 foot chute used with two others for the shuttle boosters....

Hey Amazon, just wanted to let you know.....it's so nice to hear those canopies mentioned now and again...having been around when they were the only thing available to jumpers and being a rigger I've worked on many of those rigs, mains and reserves...even had one of the first Pappillions in Zhills, got it for my GF back in the day....but it just brings back a bunch of memories of good times... Thanks... tuna

Here's a few from the old Zhills crew. Grimsley Rumpson Lurch Foggy Tuna Moriarity Partner Peanuts Goose Joe Dog Eagle I Need some help my mind just fogged up......

Great Shot Howard....I can remember back in the day at Zhills we ran the 182, 196, lodestar and a 3 in formation to get the numbers....where were those Twin Otters when we needed them....?

Good take on it Krip, it seems like the same thing is happening to the motorcycle industry and scuba diving as well.... I agree with your opinion, those of us who are still around from those years are fortunate to have been where we were and when. It's just not the same. Now it's more of a financial issue with gear now costing in the thousands instead of hundreds.....

I can relate one second hand to ya.... Jim Bohr, an old buddy, and a friend were driving along a back road in Illinois headed to an airport to jump, Somewhere along the way, they spot this seven/eight foot tall budding pot plant growing next to a fence line and not too far from a farmhouse. According to Jim, they screeched to a halt, jumped out, grabbed the plant and stuffed it in the back seat and took off. After half an hour or so they see flashing red lights in the rear view and a cop eventually overtakes them, stops them and arrests them. Seems the local Sheriff had planted the damn thing next to his house to entice such an act and catch the perps who got it. Seems like his wife called her hubby and gave em a description of the car and they ended up arrested, fined, spent a night in jail and were released the next day. Don't know if he ever went back for the trial....

Any idea if it will be shown again? Meantime I'll look further on the MC and see if they are airing it again.....