Jumpa

Just an old retired fed with a good pench and 30 years of jumping with the best darn people I ever met. Go for the job your working towards first. I have found skydivers to be the best professional workers in their chosen field. YOu will meet a box car full of whacked out people in your life time but it pays the bills and retiring with a health plan and a satisfying life yourself is A1. go for the real job and accept no less. but pack a few to pay for your jumps....smilin lins

I have a bit more time and my log book is packed away in Montana but here goes. Was jumping my Russian Para Comander at Sky Unlimited in Helena late 70 or so. This day had several prospect jumpers out to visit the D.Z. and see how it works. We jumped from the 182 and opend normal. The wind picked up just a bit and I was holding just fine concentrating on the pea gravel out front in a accuracy approach. The pea gravel mound was about 80 yards infront of the D.Z. trailer. A security chain link with barb wire on top fence was right next to the trailer. As I was comming down I began to back up just enough to cover that spooky distance between the two. At about 60 feet up I realized there was no getting away from that fence in my present decent. Solution to the problem was to bury one toggle and turn down wind and back again 180 degrees. Oh man was that intertaining. Those that know. A Russian PC turned on a dime and this one literally screwed me into the earth just on the other side of the security fence. Missed the fence but crushed my heel on a big old rock! I hit hard and infront of everyone. They were concerned and all watching me. I bravely stood up and smiled standing on almost one foot. They all laughed and went into the trailer. I gimped off to my truck located a short distance away. I got my rig off and in the back it went. I drove the 30 miles home with an excruciating pain. I told the emergency room doctor I did it jumping off a roof! Leg turned blue from heal to knee. Took me out for about 2 months. I put on a heck of a show that day. Thank god for motorcycle helmits and jump boots and bags of crushed ice and pain killers. Linsey

Ok one more and I will quit. Early 80 Missoula Skydivers would hop a twin Otter from the Smoke Jumper base to Orofino Idaho for a town fly in celebration. It was one of the few times we in Montana could get a large plane other than Cessnas. My jump cronie Mike Lynch and I got a load of about 6 people including this babealicouse stripper that had some how got on the load. No one really knew who was who but we jumped anyway. The spot was tight and out the door we went. We werent the best at R.W. work so Lynch and I are in the base with about one or two other people trying to form a simple star. Out of no where above came this Babe dong mach 9 in a max track! She came right through the middle of the circle just screaming speed. As Mike and I looked down at her she rolled over on her back to earth and was still just screaming speed away from us. To this day I can see her face as she rolled over and looked up! Mike and I still remember that she was way out of her experience and could have killed us both! We avoded her like the plauge. Big Hooter does not a jumper make! Ya for the Silvertip Skydivers

Mid 70s I was jumping at Sky Unlimited in Helena Montana run by Terry Scott. It was a great D.Z. with safty being number one at all times. I had graduated from a 28foot Navy to my Russian Paracomander with a Top Secrete harness. It was a great fun rig. On this jump the wind came up in flight. I opend and noticed I was moving backwards a bit. Ya a bit like across the airport past the terminal building and headed across ditches fields and looking at roof tops! Everyone else on the load had graduated to squares and at least landed on the airport. Nope not me! I was backing up so fast I could only look over my shoulder and pray. I saw the roofs coming and jagged a bit to the side befor I touched earth. This increased my down wind speed. The canopy came over up against a wood fence and helped it to colapse and stop befor it would have dragged me big time. I pealed myself off the ground and was finally able to get the P.C. in some sort of ball to carry. I limped a short distance to the street where I was picked up by a guy driving a sporty Porsh. I cramed inside this thing for a ride back to the D.Z. of over a mile. I orderd my first square the next weekend! I got a million of em.. Linsey

I was doing an intentional water jump into the Governors Cup Hydroplane Races at Canyon Ferry lake just outside of Helena Mt. Jumping a old t10 and belly reserve. Terry Scot and I did a two way and he pulled first with his square on a staged demo type deal. I waited about 5 seconds and pulled. NOt a thing happend. I kept waiting and nothing is happening. I looked down to see individual sage brush plants on the mountain side. Just as I was rolling over to pull the reserve the main came up and opend. I was about 3hundred feet up and not even in sight of the Lake! I had fallen behind a hill and the crowd could not see me at all. I turned and drifted over the steep hillside toward the lake. I remember the crowd gave a roar when they could see me! I wasnt going to make the lake. My only out was the center line of a highway with guard rails on both sides and steep rocks on the edges. I center punched the center line. Dressed in cutoffs a life preserver and old sweat shirt. Got some bruises and blood out of that one. Piolet chute spring was found to have come out of a torn seam of the piolet chute and may have snagged on the way out delaying opening. But ya... I missed the whole Lake and scarred hell out of me and everyone including Terry Scott who watched me fall away from him to no where. I can still see those sage brush plants.

oh cowboys we were. About 15 was the limit but the spotter had to be good or its an off DZ landing. Face directly into the wind and look over your shoulder to land. No hook turns to avoid ground problems or you pick up alot of speed and screw into the earth. Crushed heal to miss a chain link fence put me down long time. I still have purple spots on my hoof. Pick good days and enjoy the rides. Pack slowly and find a most georgouse girl for holding tension.... ya mon. Jumpa Montana

zucini and yellow sqash can be a hit on the bar b if you wrap peeled pieces in tinfoil, covered in real butter and brown sugar. Roll it up and toss it on.... 14 minutes and presto....now for a treat toss in a bonless felet of king Salmon.....now ya got a meal... Alaska Fat Boy trick

I am an old jumper from way back with far to many t shirts stached. I finally took them to a quilter and had the designs cut out and made into a king sized quilt. works for me and looks great on the old nest...never know ya could get lucky with this one.

My first time in here but am long term jumpa. Montana mostly.. I just was informed of one Linnea Larson of Livingston Montana killed in a traffic accident. Her family stated she was one of the first if not the first female skydiver in Montana. She would have jumped in Missoula Area. any of you oldster silvertips know? Smiles.....Jumpa.