chuckakers

Hey everyone, I have been contacted by a retired jumper who needs help finding some folks who can verify he made a few jumps at Fort Hood in 1960. His name is Jim Burke and he jumped there in October and November of 1960. Without divulging any personal stuff (VA related), Jim needs to contact the folks whose signatures appear on the attached documents as evidence that he jumped there. He contacted me since I am the USPA Gulf Region Director and Fort Hood is in my region. I'm asking for help from our seasoned skydiving community in hopes of identifying these folks. Step one is to see if anyone can make out the signatures and ID the jumpers. I believe the name on the Fort Hood Skydivers Club membership card is DJ or DG Ashcroft, who was the club Secretary. The name on Jim's logbook may be Don Morrow or possible Marrow. These folks obvious could have jumped anywhere before and after their time at Fort Hood, so I'm hoping someone will know them regardless of geography. Sleuth time, please! Thank you!! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

That's what I was thinking. The new fabric still has to pass the TSO. One may be stronger than the other but that doesn't mean the weaker one isn't sufficient for the job. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Cool, thanks. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Out of curiosity, what's your knowledge source on that statement? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

+1 on the Voodoo Curv. Because all the options you probably want are included in the base price. No add-on skyrocketing additions like SS hardware... it's already there! And a Curv fits better than any other rig I've tried. +1 I have jumped Rigging Innovations products for 30+ years and the Curv is by far the most comfortable rig I have ever jumped. The Bio Curve and Bio Yoke make it fit like no other rig. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Totally agree. Working with a dealer that knows the products well and understands how the manufacturer wants measurements taken are the keys to getting a suit that delivers what you are looking for. This is especially true for FS suits with booties, as getting the dimensions right is critical to the suit doing the job. As for your question about powerful booties, I like Tony Suits "Airspeed" mega bootie made with ballistic nylon. The have as much surface area possible and the ballistic nylon really grabs air like no other fabric. They are also available in a "vented" configuration for extra grab. Be advised that the more powerful the bootie the more difficult they are to fly. Consider that when choosing. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I'm not sure where the $30 figure came from. USPA membership is $65 for new members and $55 for renewing members. Still a bargain when you consider all the things USPA does behind the scenes to keep our costs down and our jumpers up. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Look on ebay. Some of the stuff I see on there is ancient. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Listen to TK, kid. He's seen it all. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I don't know of any FAR or USPA BSR that address' intentional cutaways. I done several TSO that require you to cutaway and I always wore a separate harness and reaserve. But even in the test standards (PIA-135) wearing a second reserve is not mentioned. Could you post where you saw this? Thanks I learn something new everyday. I was told early in my skydiving career that a third auxiliary parachute was required for intentional cutaways, but after being unable to find anything in the regs I asked Jump Crouch, Director of Safety & Training at HQ for his input. He also did some homework to be sure he gave me the right answer and confirmed that there is nothing in writing that requires it. Sooooo....chop away! It can probably be argued either way. A reserve is defined as "an approved parachute worn for emergency use to be activated only upon failure of the main parachute or in any other emergency where use of the main parachute is impractical or use of the main parachute would increase risk." If you're intending to use your reserve, then you might need another one to satisfy that definition for 105.43 ("No person may conduct a parachute operation using a single-harness, dual-parachute system... unless that system has at least one main parachute, one approved reserve parachute..."). Where did you get that quote? If it's FAA documentation that changes the entire argument. 105.3 Definitions As read that I don't see that this could go either way. The FAR states "Reserve parachute means an approved parachute worn for emergency use to be activated only upon failure of the main parachute or in any other emergency where use of the main parachute is impractical or use of the main parachute would increase risk." Seems pretty clear to me that if a jumper plans to use the reserve after an intentional cutaway (meaning it then becomes the "main") they are required to have another auxiliary parachute that is only intended as a true reserve. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I don't know of any FAR or USPA BSR that address' intentional cutaways. I done several TSO that require you to cutaway and I always wore a separate harness and reaserve. But even in the test standards (PIA-135) wearing a second reserve is not mentioned. Could you post where you saw this? Thanks I learn something new everyday. I was told early in my skydiving career that a third auxiliary parachute was required for intentional cutaways, but after being unable to find anything in the regs I asked Jump Crouch, Director of Safety & Training at HQ for his input. He also did some homework to be sure he gave me the right answer and confirmed that there is nothing in writing that requires it. Sooooo....chop away! It can probably be argued either way. A reserve is defined as "an approved parachute worn for emergency use to be activated only upon failure of the main parachute or in any other emergency where use of the main parachute is impractical or use of the main parachute would increase risk." If you're intending to use your reserve, then you might need another one to satisfy that definition for 105.43 ("No person may conduct a parachute operation using a single-harness, dual-parachute system... unless that system has at least one main parachute, one approved reserve parachute..."). Where did you get that quote? If it's FAA documentation that changes the entire argument. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I don't know of any FAR or USPA BSR that address' intentional cutaways. I done several TSO that require you to cutaway and I always wore a separate harness and reaserve. But even in the test standards (PIA-135) wearing a second reserve is not mentioned. Could you post where you saw this? Thanks I learn something new everyday. I was told early in my skydiving career that a third auxiliary parachute was required for intentional cutaways, but after being unable to find anything in the regs I asked Jump Crouch, Director of Safety & Training at HQ for his input. He also did some homework to be sure he gave me the right answer and confirmed that there is nothing in writing that requires it. Sooooo....chop away! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I don't know of any FAR or USPA BSR that address' intentional cutaways. I done several TSO that require you to cutaway and I always wore a separate harness and reaserve. But even in the test standards (PIA-135) wearing a second reserve is not mentioned. Could you post where you saw this? Thanks Now that you mention it, I don't recall ever seeing anything covering it specifically either. My understanding has always been that if a jumper intends to use the reserve parachute it then not considered an *auxiliary* parachute as required by FAR's and a second reserve is then require, but you make a good point. I will shoot a message to USPA HQ and see if this is actually covered. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Your profile doesn't say where you are from. In the US there are restrictions on who can do intentional cutaways and how they must be done. 1. USPA Basic Safety Requirements require a jumper to hold at least a C license to make an intentional cutaway. 2. FAA regulations require a third parachute (reserve) that is a attached to a TSO'd rig to be worn for intentional cutaway jumps. 3. Some reserve canopy manufacturers have limits on jumping reserves as mains before the reserve is no longer a TSO'd reserve. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Just taking a stab at it : Every STC is a separate piece of approval. This some require bailout rigs to be worn (like 182), while others may not (like the Caravan). yep Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

We still celebrate SCR's here in Texas and always make sure our recipients know and respect its history. RIP Jim Dann Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Not sure where you are but in the US your best resource is the exclusive US distributor, Unfeathered. unfeathered.com. I dealt with them for years as a Parasport dealer and they were awesome. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Disagree. Even big ways consisting of very very good RW skydivers fall more slowly as they grow, and some formation designs (many zippers, densely packed) fall slower than others (open design, with lots of holes). If your "theory" were correct, formation design would be irrelevant. It isn't. I agree with John. My guess is that it's along John's thought of "interference drag". Think of the difference in the drag created by a single, somewhat aerodynamic person vs a large body (made up of multiple individuals) that is extremely flat with small holes in it as the wind sees it. Also consider the burble, which may be the biggest factor. If I'm getting this right, aerodynamic engineers pay as much or more attention to reducing burble drag behind a moving body as they do on splitting the wind efficiently in the front. It would be interesting to see what the burble above a big-way looks like relative to a single jumper or small group. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Grab a newbie. Make a jump. Give pointers along the way and a positive critique afterward. Repeat. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Try a Neox from Parasport Italia. It has a volume control. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I'm using that one! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I've been jumping in the US for 31 years and follow incidents pretty closely. I have never heard of this incident. As everyone knows, docu-dramas are notorious for fabricating facts for the sake of creating a sensational story. Could certainly be the case here. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I've always preferred this type of approach. When I was teaching I always told my students to "act like a big ol' fat guy" by sticking their entire belly and crotch forward rather that arching with their back (often equals chest). Also, stop "trying" to arch. We tend to use our arms and hands a lot in everyday life and that ends up getting transferred unconsciously to freefall. Often jumpers aren't actually trying to arch in their chests - they are trying to pull their arms back and elbows up to the point where they arch across the chest to get that done. Don't use your arms to arch. Just put them in the correct position and do the rest with your pelvis. Relax and think "fat belly". Repeat. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Just curious, was this a skydiving plane and if so who sued? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX