patmoore

Very sorry to hear the news. I hadn't seen Larry since 1976. We're getting to the age where these kinds of announcements come too frequently. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

It was fifty years ago today..... We were living at Westover AFB in western Massachusetts. A few weeks earlier I had turned 16 and dad asked what I wanted for my birthday. I didn't have anything in mind so he asked if I'd like to jump out of an airplane. Skydiving was a relatively new sport and Orange, MA was one of the few places to try the sport. my instructor and jumpmaster that day was none other than Lew Sanborn. Lew's signature had faded from the First Jump Certificate so I contacted Lew a couple of years ago and he graciously encouraged me to send it to him to sign it again. See attached image. Lew is a class act! December 2, 1962 was the introduction to a sport that pretty much took over my life for the next fourteen years. 2000+ jumps later I hung it up with no regrets. I never made the US Team but was the Florida Parachute Council Overall champ for three straight years. Ironically yesterday I drove from skiing at Okemo Mountain in Vermont to a party in Sterling, MA and drove right by the Orange Airport. In late October, I had the good fortune to meet World Freefall record holder Felix Baumgartner in NYC. Turns out we both took up jumping at 16. In my case that was seven years before he was born! DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Wow Jerry. Lot of recognizable names, including my ex two lines below my signature. Thanks for sharing that. Glad you stuck with the sport! DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

And another photo from Monday. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

This morning my "child" bride and I visited the Today Show where Al Roker wished her a Happy Birthday for her 60th. Later I got a huge thrill when I got to spend some time with a guy who's made a bit of news lately. He and I both took up the sport at age 16. In my case that was seven years before he was born. Check out this picture. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Just wanted to make sure you knew that Gene Paul Thacker passed away this morning. I first met him in the 1960s. He contributed greatly to the sport over the years. I had a chance to reconnect with him at Bill Ottley's memorial service a few years back. Rest in Peace Gene Paul. You've earned it. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

You are correct. The PC is backwards. Note the caption says "Oops!" I think I took that shot at an accuracy meet in Gainesville, FL in the early 70s but not positive. Here's another link to the album. See if you can spot a very young Bill Booth in this photo. If I ever retire, I'll scan more slides and update the album. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Sadly Mac was killed in a helicopter mishap a couple of years ago. When did you jump at Riverview? I made a lot of jumps there from 74-76. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Always wondered what happened to Florida Council jumpers Tom and Pat Schapanski, Doug and Ida Prevatt, Sandy and Shep Sheppard, and Jim Salisbury. Timeline: late 60s to 1976 DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Hi Woody, My ex Connie and I competed at a few meets at Barnwell back then. Pat Moore DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Tough call. I'd have to say Bob Branch, Paul Poppenhager, Roy Johnson, and Bill Ottley. A special shout out goes to Lew Sanborn who trained and jumpmastered me on my first jump 49 years ago today. (See attachment) DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

The most recent copy I have would be from 1976. Too early for what you're looking for. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Speaking of Parachutist Magazines I probably have about fifty issues from the sixties and early seventies along with issues of Sky Diver, DZ USA and Spotter. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Ironically it was at Woodbine that I made my last jump in 1976. We had just moved north from Florida. We made a trip to Ridgley where I had made a few jumps in the past but the place was packed and it seemed like you needed to know someone to get on the manifest. We gave up and headed home. The next day we drove to Woodbine and I made a single jump - not sure why I didn't make more. We planned on returning the following weekend but got an invitation to go rock climbing in West Virginia. We stuck with rock climbing for a couple of years. Hanging up jumping wasn't a conscious decision - it just happened. In the years since, I've devoted my leisure time to golf, unicycling, ski racing and snowboard racing. I've enjoyed some success at the latter two. Other pursuits are pencil sketching and photography. Sky Diving was a very important time of my life. I don't have any desire to jump again but I'll hang on to the memories forever. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Bill was the editor of the Literary Digest when he was a student at Yale. He knew William F. Buckley very well and was even featured in a chapter of one of Buckley's books. A highlight each Christmas was the arrival of Bill's annual card with him doing something in his Santa Claus suit. The theme ranged from wingwalking, spelunking, parasailing, to base jumping. Bill was one of a kind. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

In the late sixties I was a starving airman stationed at MacDill. Pop's meet at Indiantown was a favorite trip every year but I couldn't afford to make as many jumps as I would like. Bill Ottley would pay me $2 a rig to pack for him. About the same time at Zephyrhills Paul Healy would occasionally give me $2 to pack his rig as well. I'd augment my jumping funds by selling blood at Tampa General Hospital. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

I became "Pope Patrick the Minor" (see attached image) in August 1967 - two months before my 21st birthday. Officiating was Golden Knight Joe Pelter who sadly lost his life four years later in the C-47 crash that killed fourteen members of the team. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Unrelated but one of my favorite photos nonetheless. A passenger window was missing over the wing and the photographer leaned out to get this shot of me exiting the DC-3 at Zephyrhills sometime around 1973. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

I have a collection of issues of Parachutist, Skydiver, Spotter, and DZ USA from the mid sixties to the mid seventies. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

See attached photos taken at Indiantown. First is of Bill Burr (in white) and myself. Second is Ed Dorey who died in a plane crash. There's also a shot of Pop's Howard. When is this site going to allow us to embed photos??? DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Fun to see this thread revived. I met my first wife at the New Years meet in '68. We were married 11 months later. The next New Year's she became the first woman to jump a square. As i recall Donna Humansky jumped one later that day and broke her leg. I was a destitute young airman stationed at MacDill AFB when I first competed there in '67. Pop let me sleep in the cab of tractor trailer that was wintered there. I think the truck's owner was Lou Bell. I have great memories of Indiantown and the Seminole Inn. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Orange and White C-9 with 5 TU cut reinforced with masking tape. B4 container and harness. 24' Twill reserve. Cost $35 DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Thread jack alert but I can't resist. Reminds me of a story Jimmy Godwin told me. Way back in the early days he noticed that Doc Gaffney had a stop watch and asked why, Doc responded that he used it to tell him when to pull. Jimmy (who had several jumps at that time exclaimed, "You can see in free fall?" Apparently he closed his eyes upon exit and groped for his ripcord. He said he then went home and welded two heavy pieces of angle iron in front of his helmet and mounted a stop watch where he could see it. Unfortunately the watch was inclined about 45 degrees off vertical to the right. The first time he jumped with it he said he kept angling his head to view it straight and got into a flat spin. I don't know if he was serious or just pulling my leg but that's too wild a story to make up. I've never forgotten it. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Sorry I wasn't able to join you guys. You must have swapped some great stories! DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

Skiing and snowboarding have pretty much taken over my life. I even got my fifteen minutes of fame in a 2008 issue of Ski Racing Magazine. DZGone.com B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152. If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!