Runaway

Excellent point ! One MUST look closer and deeper into the structural integrity of the aging fleet. The era of greasing the bearings and changing oil evry 100 hours has long since passed. It's not the hours accumulated that should dictate what/wnen we perform maintenance in regards to jump aircraft, but rather the CYCLES ........ {starts, take offs and landings} which are considerable in comparison to the averaqge recreational aircraft. after 50 years of use, stress in the gearbox area, horizontal stab , and main wingspars attachpoints, etc. bear conciderable watching. We used to spend a couple of weekdays EVERY week looking at all of the fleet to be ready for the weekend. It's amazing what you can find that happens over the course of just one busy weekend to a 182 flying just 9 hours ( up to 20 cyckes or more) Now that the fleet is much older, the things that you find are of a whole different nature. Still safe. but in need of a little closer attention. Most of you jumpers know who you are flying with and know what kind of people they are and have a pretty good Idea what shape their equipment is in. If you don't feel comnfortable, go with your gut ,,,,,,,,, it's kept you alive so far ..............

Sure does ! But Uncle Sugar taught me all kinds of nasty tricks to help satisfy my thirst for vengance, as well as the patience to sit idle till the right moment. Now, if I just had some videos to watch while I wait ....... Any of you old Aero Country folks remember Fred from Commerce Tx. ? Or Rocky? Or Levi? I lost touch with a lot of those folks after we moved to Gainesville ............ Lost my ass there putting together the DC-4 deal when the feds grounded the 4 the day before the boogie.

I'm looking for copies of some videoes fromback in the day. Mine were all destroyed in a freak accident. (ex got the house in the divorce, and before I could get back from the "skirmish in the sand" to gather my beloingings, she burned everything) These videoes were made in in part at aero-country airport, or by peoiple that jumped there regularly. WALLY GUBBINS , JUMP, THE BRIEFCASE, ETC. I track down Forrest McBride about onceevery 10 years or so, and he says kimmee has all thatstuff put away somewhere and will make me copies, but I reckon i'll die of old age before I'll see them. anyone have any copies, I'd be glad to pay for them. Thanks [email protected]