jimjumper

At Cal City we occasionaly jumped with a few military test jumpers from China Lake. I still have a business card from a guy that told me he once test jumped and landed an 18 ft round! Now thats test jumping!

There are 2 Schools at Perris. 1 accepts Skyride, 1 doesn't.

I researched a waiver from USPA and was tentatively approved. It was for a 13 year old with cancer and it was for "Make A wish' foundation. Unfortunately he went downhill while working out the details of the jump and died before it happended.

Last time I was at the San Diego Air and Space museum they had a static (and dated) 4-way suspended from the ceiling.

Those tensile strength machines are really tough to pack into my rigging kit!

Thanks Jan! Will forward.

I had SOS systems on both my rigs for years. They are easy and work well. The only reason I switched was I started doing AFF and teaching a conventional system and using another, plus doing tandems with another system didn't seem like a good idea. They can be a pain finding a rigger who knows how they work. I actually had a new rigger in New Jersey that wanted to cut the handle up and try to re-install the conventional system! There are still jumpers that use SOS systems (Al Krueger for one) and for experienced jumpers they work as well if not better than the current 2 handle system.

Does anyone the date that M. Anderson Jenkins (Godflicker) sp? drowned at Elsinore? I was asked and had to guess around 80-81? Anybody know?

I saw a blast handle as late as '97 on a wonderhog rig. It was being jumped by a retired Navy Seal who had thousands of jumps on it. The freeflyers thought it was cool and wanted to know where to get one!

I've jumped Strong's for over 10 years and have always been happy with them. They are reliable and land well. I am always leery when the latest and greatest comes along!

When I retired in '97 we were still jumping CH-46's and CH-53's in Okinawa. Since we were MWR sponsored the military provided aircraft for the Okinawa Sport Parachute Club.

I am full time instructor for Jim Wallace and we do not require tunnel time prior to level 4. We evaluate the student on an individual basis and recommend accordingly. Since 5 minutes of tunnel time is cheaper than repeating a level 4 we use it as an option for borderline students. We have had excellent results with this system.

Untwisting the steering lines works to prevent tension knots. We are trying to find out why the lines are twisting to begin with. We are careful to stow the toggles immediately after landing and are still untwisting the steering lines after 3-4 jumps. Most of our canopies are new or just re-lined. We believe that the way the lines are manufactured (weave and tension) cause the lines to twist as they are stretched and then relax after opening. Any canopy designers out there have any ideas?

They also have the old "Daisy Cow" shirts. They were nice enough to give me their display shirt at the PIA convention. Good people!

I guess I'm lucky! I've taken both my parents on tandems. I also take my nieces and nephews as high school graduation presents. I'm waiting for the next generation to get old enough so I can take them!

It wasn't Al or Bud Kruger because the spelling is different on the suit. (I.E. Kruger vs Krueger). Also Al still has one arm. The suits were excellent for idiots like myself trying to get stable on short delays during static line training. Just step off the step, arch, and instant stability!!

Try a scuba shop! My 2 biggest and best bags (and cheapest) came from one.

It makes no difference! The individual needs to execute the procedures the way they were taught. Trying to make conscious decisions during times of extreme stress usually results in the same reactions they performed the last time they exercised and practiced. We learned from back in the late seventies and early eighties that transitions from main deployment locations and changing reserve procedures was a major fatality cause. (Remeber the phrase "The deceased jumping borrowed gear?)". I have had training in 4 different cutaway systems: (capewells, R-3's, SOS, and Tandem) and have used 3 out of the 4. Not to mention 4 different main deployment locations. Use what you were taught and practice until you can do it in your sleep.

Yes, I would fail them and yes I would give them additional instruction. I failed the student that downwinded his landing on the runway! Not good on his check dive!!

There is a picture in the orginal "Skydivers Handbook" by Dan Poynter. I don't have a scanner but I'm sure one of the old-timers on this site can find it and send it.

We teach our students that they need to have a controllable, landable parachute by the time they get to their decision altitude. That includes being able to flair the canopy for landing. I have had 4 instances of broken control lines. One resulted in a spinning malfuntion on opening that I cut away, 2 I landed using rear risers, and the most recent I cut away. I personally won't land anymore using rear risers when I have a perfectly good canopy on my back (that I packed myself by the way). Why get busted up trying to land a disabled canopy just to save a few dollars in gear and repack costs.

I just saw the first episode of "Burn Notice". At the beginning of the show the hero escapes from some country and the footage shows Jan Aarvicks DC-3 taking off with the guy going to Florida. Got lots of jumps out of that airplane including my 1000th with most of the old Wuest way crew.

Contrary to popular opinion some instructors actually have a life besides the dropzone!! I live an hour away but if there is an appointment on the book we make it a point have someone available. I have had students hours late, not show (even with a deposit), or expect me to sit for hours because the "sunset load is so pretty". For me to be at the DZ at 8:00 I get up at 5:00 so I can feed all the animals at my ranch and leave by 7:00. Sometimes during the summer I don't get home till after 8:00 and then I spend another hour helping my wife feed. I eat dinner and get back up at 5;00 for the next day!!If you don't make an appointment I won't know your coming and you will have to wait or go home. Instructors get paid per jump and if we don't know your coming we will attend to the same life details that you take care of on your days off.

The BIC was was originally formatted to incorporate basic jump instructional training for people wanting to get into tandem instruction. Most tandem manufactuers were requiring a jumpmaster rating of some kind for a tandem rating. USPA came up with the BIC so that people wouldn't have to get a rating they weren't going to use just to do tandems. When I went through the the BIC (1997) I was actually assigned by the course evaluator to teach the proper way to do backloops as part of my teaching evaluation!! I asked why I would ever teach a tandem student how to do a backloop and was told that I might want to get another rating later and should be able to teach any subject as an instructor. When I went for my AFF rating 5 years later I certainly did a refresher on teaching backloops!!

I am probably posting in the wrong forum but I will anyway. Yesterday Jim Wallace did his 19,000 jump. He has certainly taught his share of people to skydive and in true fashion his 19k jump was a tandem. Outstanding!!