Spooky52

Thanks, I'll look into that. Jim If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

Thanks, Chris. The name sounds vaguely familiar but the years have dimmed the memory somewhat. I really enjoyed my couple of years with the Fort Lee club and most of the Army guys were great. Thanks for posting that pic. I hadn't seen that patch since the 60's. Jim If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

CazmoDee: I was wondering where you got the Fort Lee SPC patch. I haven't seen one of those since I left the club in 1965. Fort Lee is where I started jumping in 1963. It was a great club with some really nice folks (and a few assholes). I was the only Air Force member most of the time. Jim Chandler D-4501 If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

Hi Terry: The why is that I still have my Top Secret and Stratostar and I like them. They have served me well and I'd like to continue using them. I have been studying the harness, however, and you may be correct. I'm not sure that it could even be done. RATS. Yeah, rigging is pretty much a thing of the past, especially Master Riggers, except for the manufacturers. Oh well. I don't know how many jumps I'll be making henceforth. Going to Elsinore is a pretty long drive for me and the cost of the AFF jumps that I have to make to get back to solo is prohibitive. I would probably have to make at least two at around $250 each. That's a lot of money for a retired old fart. :-) Thanks for the comment. Jim Quote If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

I am looking for a Master Rigger in Southern California to supervise/assist/do some modifications to my Altitude Shop Top Secret harness to bring it up to todays standards. I want to install the three ring system to replace the Capewells (though the Capewells are perfectly good for me) and add the throw out pilot chute and a RSL. I'm a Senior Rigger and mainly need someone to supervise my work. If you are a Master who is willing to take on this task, or know one you would recommend please contact me. Thanks. Jim Chandler D-4501 [email protected] If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

DeHaviland Beaver Dehaviland Otter CH21 (Banana) Cessna 172 Cessna 180 Cessna 182 Cessna 206 Cessna 207 Piper Cherokee DC-3 Aero Commander Lark (similar to a 172) C130 (Damned Navy Lt stole my film, the bastard) Super Twin Otter Twin Beech UH-1 Huey Bellanca I think that's it, without going back and digging through my logs. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

Well, you're going to have to go a bit to catch up to me, Steve. I just made my first jump in 32 years, at the age of 71, at Elsinore on Saturday. Hated like hell to have to do an AFF with two instructors but I'll live with it. It was great to get back into the air. I missed the handle and before I could give it another try the main side instructor had it out. The harness fit left a little to be desired. After opening the chest strap tried to take my head off and stayed up under my chin the whole way down. Misjudged the landing a bit. Started the flare at about 30 feet instead of the 10-12 they say and managed to somehow slam my big toe on my right foot. It was black by the time I got home and I'll probably lose the nail but who cares? Get out there and do it. The fun is still there. Jim Chandler D-4501 If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

That's really special! I hope when mine comes they can get such an image. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

Sounds to me as if he's had more than one stupid moment. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

If he accidentally shot himself in the side while "cleaning" a shotgun, he's too stupid to be a skydiver, and he certainly shouldn't be handling weapons. The first thing you do when preparing to clean a weapon is CLEAR it. In other words, make sure that there is no ammunition in the weapon, or even in the same room. He was screwing around and got shot. That's what he was doing. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

Perhaps I missed something here, but what did a missing RESERVE seal have to do with anything? The reserve was not even in the equation. The problem here is primarily with the jumper being under-qualified and doing something that he was not supposed to, and in fact had been told NOT to, do. It is obvious from the video that he was fixated on doing the selfie and disregarded his flight and canopy descent. Hopefully the case will be thrown out or at least won by the DZ. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

I've only had three reserve deployments. One was at Holtville, CA when a stick (where it came from I haven't a clue) locked the sleeve on my PC. Being low by the time I figured out it wasn't going to open I just pulled the side handled wart and watched the reserve pilot chute go up and, fortunately, bounce off the extended sleeve and canopy. I remember thinking, "Oh shit" as it went up. The reserve opened and the remainder of the ride was uneventful with the locked sleeve tucked securely between my legs. Still had both ripcords when I reached the ground. The second was an uncommanded piggy back deployment at near terminal. I was test jumping a piggy back for George Morar and apparently the ripcord was a bit short. As I went into a head down to catch the other two jumpers I suddenly felt pain in my neck and the sky started to go black. After things settled down, I noticed that the reserve canopy was inside out. Other than that there were no problems. Boy was I sore for a couple of days. A near terminal deployment of an unsleeved piggyback when you're not expecting it is NOT fun. The third was at Antioch. I was testing Ralph Jones Cloud after he did something to it (don't remember what). Hop and pop from 5k and the bag came out and started spinning me around. I cut the malfunction away and after getting stable hung out the piggy back reserve. I was a bit concerned as the wind was pushing me toward the housing north (?) of the airport but all worked out well. I managed to get to the ground before I got to the houses. I guess the handsful of lines I grabbed and pulled helped steer somewhat and helped loose some altitude. I don't recall ever losing a ripcord, even in my student days at Fort Lee Sport Parachute Club. I think that they drilled it into our heads enough that my auto-response was to get an iron grip on the things on opening. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

Getting down is relatively easy, just put the tow vehicle in reverse and back up at the speed necessary to reduce tension on the tow line. When tension is reduced the PC will descend. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

Kuai43, it sounds as if you are talking about the U.S. government. :-) If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

Yep, they're two shots with the covers removed. Not really a good idea. I don't think I EVER had a student who was so whiny. Good grief that woman was annoying. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

The first time I did the parasailing bit was in about 1969. It was very windy at Holtville (near El Centro, CA) so I, or one of the group, came up with the idea to try it. We took a bunch of tubular nylon we had (probably "borrowed" from the Navy) and made a "Y" connected at the risers of my new PC and tied it to someone's El Camino. Several of us tried it and nobody got hurt. It was fun and only once or twice did we have any butt puckering incidents. Those were the days. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

I remember the Meridith Bros. 206 and 182 also. I managed to wreck BOTH of them at Antioch one day. Norm wanted to make a jump so I flew him in the 182 and taxiing back in up the hill to the office, I failed to notice that someone had parked the 206 NOSE IN. The left wing of the 182 hit the fin and rudder on the 206 and bent it sideways. Perry was NOT happy, nor was I. Had the 206 been parked tail in there would have been no problem. I remember Pope Valley fondly also. I did the classroom portion of my "D" there (a long time ago). If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

Nice job, Jim. Now I can see how the thing worked. Thanks. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

Very interesting. Thank you. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

I'd like to see a photo or two of the device installed. I think I have the idea but I've never seen one in real life. Nice photos. They helped with the mental picture that goes with your description. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

Never did get to jump the Caribou but I did manage to get in a couple of unauthorized jumps from a C-130 back in 1983. :-) Probably just as much fun. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

I remember those days. Started jumping in 1963 at Ft. Lee, VA. First jump from a Beaver, second jump from an Otter. Always wanted to jump the Caribou but they sent them all to Vietnam before I got up to the required number of jumps. Fort Lee SPC was a great bunch. I was the only Air Force guy there. The best part was the jumps never cost us anything. Even got my first rig free. I think it was a reserve when you reached 15 seconds and a back when you reached 30. Paid one of the Army riggers about $15-20 to do a 7 TU. Doesn't sound like much now but for an Airman 3rd Class it was. Good times. Thanks. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

I had the same problem a couple of months ago. I wanted to do a "come back" dive to celebrate my 70th birthday but, as you said, the BS was too deep. All the DZ's around here wanted me to do the AFF as if I had never made a jump and they wanted me to use their equipment, even though mine is still in perfectly fine condition. I have a friend locally who has a plane and is willing to do it, as soon as he finishes the rebuild on his engine. Kinda reminds me of Roger Miller's "Uncle Harvey's Plane". If you haven't heard it, look it up. It's funny. Jim Chandler D-4501 If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

Actually, the war started in 1939. The U.S. didn't enter it until after Dec 7, 1941, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Our official entry into WWII in Europe came a little later. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

Fort Lee, VA (got my start there), Holtville, CA (ran the operation there) and Antioch, CA (Perry Stevens' place, now a housing development and high school). Ft. Lee was the Quartermaster Corps' training facility. It was narrow and long and completely surrounded by 100'+ pine trees (became intimately familiar with them a couple of times). The Holtville operation was just an abandoned WWII airfield that I and the others who founded the Imperial Valley SPC used. I finagled a brand new Aero Commander Lark to use and flew quite a few loads. Looked at the area on GoogleEarth a while back and there are not even any signs of the old sheds we used to pack in. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!