Spooky52

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Everything posted by Spooky52

  1. PM sent. I haven't had any fun with it since 1983 but the itch is getting stronger on a daily basis. I just have to find the extra bucks for the re-learn class and find the time, with all the other crap I have going on. Thanks for the offer of the manual. Jim If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  2. Well, Lisa, my address is ......... :-) If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  3. Got any numbers, BigMark? That is probably about the same driving distance from Apple Valley. Elsinore would be another choice but I haven't been there since '73 so I don't know much about their operation. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  4. The last time I flew it (1983) I was about the same weight and had two really nice stand-ups. I have only had a couple of landings that hurt and those were because I did something stupid too close to the ground. The last one ended up with me in surgery and in the hospital for nine days and in a cast for a while. That was a low altitude, fifty feet or less, stall over asphalt at the Oakland Army Terminal in 1979. Don't want to do that again. It still hurts at times. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  5. Yeah, I'm the kinda guy that wouldn't ask anyone else to do something that I wouldn't do. I feel like if somebody gets hurt testing my stuff I'm responsible for their care. If I get hurt it's my own fault. Besides, nothing is better than first person critique of a piece of equipment. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  6. Thanks, Jerry. I appreciate it. I've had a few rough openings but never anything like that, not even when I had a piggy back reserve come off accidentally while in a dive. That darkened the skies for a few seconds but there were no injuries. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  7. Could someone fill me in on what happened to Mike? I knew him when I was jumping at Yolo and Antioch. Nice guy. They don't make many like him. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  8. Wow, you're right, Jerry. I didn't even notice them. After a few jumps I took mine to Perry Steven's loft one day when I was working toward my Senior rigger ticket and took the ropes and rings off and added a pilot chute controlled slider that I built. I really like it. The first jump on it was a little unnerving though. It seemed like it took forever to open but it sure is nice for when I was carrying a camera, which was quite often. That nice, dragged out opening took all the stress off of my neck. I just ran the pilot chute bridle through one of the holes, left I think, and made the line just long enough so that the PC sat on top of the canopy when open. Made my own deployment bag to fit from material of the same colors, black and gold. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  9. Thanks, Quagmirian. That gave me more than enough information. That ad had to be for the later 'Star because mine came with those God awful ropes and rings. I changed it to a pilot chute controlled slider for nice easy openings when carrying a camera. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  10. No, Jerry, I just thought it would be nice to have a copy of the manual if I can find one. At least knowing that it is approx. 180 sq ft let's me know that if I should get a wild hair and decide to pack it up and go fling myself out of an airplane again, it'll carry my big ass (195 lb +/-). I've been getting the urge again and the only thing that is holding me back is the amount of cash I'd have to lay out for the "re-training" class at Perris. Maybe I can just talk someone here at Apple Valley into letting me jump their aircraft. :-) If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  11. Does anyone have a copy of the Stratostar Owners Manual that you could copy and send me? I'll happily pay for copying and postage. I can't find mine anymore, if I ever had it. Bought the canopy from George Morar at Yolo, way back when and just don't remember having it. Failing that, perhaps someone could tell me the square footage of the canopy. Any assistance will be appreciated. Thanks, Jim Chandler, D4501 If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  12. I don't believe that night balloon flights are legal. No lights and all that. There is probably some way you could get a waiver from the FAA for it though. Mojave Desert would be a great place to do it. Not much out here. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  13. Except for the yellow jumpsuit, that could be mine. I bought a black and gold PC while I was in Vietnam. Couldn't wait to get home to try it out. It was waiting for me when I got here. Loved that canopy. I believe I sold it to Lorenzo Lizarraga in El Centro when I got out of the Air Force and headed back to Virginia (needed money more than a parachute). If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  14. He stayed in the flat, stable position the whole way. The speed he achieved was due to the thin air at altitude. I would have loved to try that. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  15. Damn! Some people will do ANYTHING for a free skydive. :-) Nice freefall RW with those two. Rather a quick exit too. When the pilot hit that release, they were GONE! Looks like something we would have done when I was at Parachute Test and Development in El Centro, CA in '68-'70. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  16. The C-130 isn't that much different. It has wings and engines pretty much like all the rest of them. Biggest difference is you go off the ramp instead of out the door. Just dive head first off the ramp and extend your arms out ahead of you and fold your legs up over your back. That will help keep you pretty stable. Once you've settled down, assume a normal position. That procedure served me well on my two 130 jumps. Have fun. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  17. Problem with that is the water would evaporate here before they got to exit altitude! :-) If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  18. Very interesting reading. Thanks, Pat. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  19. Just curious, when were you stationed at M.I.? I was a Federal Cop there in 1977 and jumped Yolo for a while until George pissed us off and we took the Travis club to Antioch. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  20. Were you on those jumps or are you just pointing out that they actually happened? Just wondering. I was in-country during that time but I was on the AC-47 (Puff, the Magic Dragon) at Bien Hoa, thus the screen name. Jim If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  21. Actually, the nearest In and Out is about ten miles from me in Victorville. I DO, however, have a Sonic Drive-In less than two miles away and on the way to just about everything. Plus they have cute carhops. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  22. Well, I came back here from Texas in 1985, courtesy of Uncle Sam, and it was O.K. for a while, but the taxes and idiot Liberals in Sacramento have gotten so bad. I like to shoot, especially handguns and those assholes are trying everything they can to take that right away from me. There are currently 47 anti-gun bills in the Legislature, not one of which will save even one life or make the streets safer for us. Why, because the criminal element won't abide by them anyway. I'm just sick of their nonsense. Every time you turn around they are also trying to raise some tax or other. I would gladly go back to Texas or Arizona. Californicate has become the home of the Liberal idiot and it shows. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  23. thanks, Madjohn. Hopefully this won't be necessary for some time to come. I just like to plan ahead. I'll keep that in mind. Currently Elsinore is probably the closest to where I live but hopefully I can get out of this crap hole state (California for those who don't know) before I croak. I appreciate the information from those who have replied. Thank you all. If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  24. Thanks, skyjumpenfool, that's exactly what I want. Jim If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!
  25. Thank you to all who responded. Now I will be able to put instructions down on paper so that my partner will know what to do. She has never been around skydiving and wouldn't have a clue about what to do. Be safe all. Jim If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!