howardwhite

If you're interested in the psychology of people claiming what they're not in skydiving.... http://www.cyberis.net/~jouster/ Read the 100+ page report about Jim Campbell. Or just skim it -- you'll get the idea. HW (he'll probably sue me for $5 million again)

Forgot to add.... be sure you specify to whoever answers the phone that it's about 'copter jumps. She gets lots of calls about "please advertise with us" and tends not to take calls from unknowns. The list is currently only on her computer. HW

There is limited availability for the copter. If you want to get on the list, phone Paula at 1-800-SKYJUMP or [email protected]. There is talk of moving the copter from Sat-Sun to Fri-Sat. HW

Downtown Alexandria VA is really expensive. The building was a good buy when it was built but now taxes, parking, staff living expenses make it a liability to jumpers. The intention (I think still) is to include a parachuting museum in the building. Fredericksburg is not so far that staff can't do what they need to do in DC. I think it's a good move. Remember that until the late 70's, PCA/USPA was located on Cannery Row in Montery, CA, a great place to lobby for the sport. Sale of the Alexandria building should maybe more than pay for the Fredericksburg site. I've been to HQ several times in the past few years. People are crawling over each other. There are 20-something people there and they're there a lot. HW

Do a Google search on Gypsy Moths skydiving, and you'll find a lot. It appears Carl Boenish was involved, and as I said Jerry Rouillard was, too. http://www.drought.com/gypsy.htm will give you all or part of the text of the novel on which the movie was based. Don't remember who else we might know (of) was involved but I'm sure the DVD will have a lot of this. Not to spoil the story , but it's *&% * who goes in. HW

Well, contrarian that I am, I much prefer Craig Kilborn over Conan. HW

Nope, Biff's still there. His gig is inserting "colorful pushpins" into a map indicating the location of the CBS mailbag letter writer. He's been doing it around the country this summer -- Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, etc. HW

Ross is a dull jerk compared to Stephanie on Letterman. 'Course Leno is a dull jerk compared to Lettertman, too, HW

The ex-journalist in me feels the same way. Maybe there's a problem of balance with Roger's past, but the number of fatalities is worth a story. 'Course its a busy DZ with lots of jumps but can we compare with, say, Eloy or Perris? The AFF instructor fatality at CPI in Connecticut last month got far worse press. HW

There used to be a whuffo FAQ on the net which had many of these questions and others. I did a quick search but couldn't find it. But amazingly some of the "answers" showed up in news reports. Some answers I've heard to "if both fail..." include "you have 17 seconds to learn how to fly" and "roll up in a ball and aim for the DZ." HW

For those too young to remember, The Gypsy Months is a mostly really boring movie about skydivers who travel around the country jumping out of old airplanes at country fairs, etc. The jumping stuff at the beginning and end is neat, but there is a long, boring and improbable love story in between. The plot hinges on jumping "the cape," a batwing suit which seems to impair the ability to pull and therefore creates thrills. Director is John Frankenthaler, who just died. But the outtakes should be fun. There was a GM outtakes film years ago and it's probably part of the DVD. So I'll buy it. Jerry Rouillard, briefly honcho of USPA, was one of the jumpers. HW

Adam There are at least two common necklace pieces, at least in MA. One is a curved pin a little less than an inch long, with a loop at the top. These are used for closing main containers. The other is a straight thingy about three inches long, worn horizontally. It's a tool used for closing mains. Should be easy to find at your local parachute shop or from a rigger. You want I should get you one or the other? (You supply the necklace.) HW

The folks here are right. There's a press release dated Jan. 1 on the Airtec web site which says that the "silver sleeve" is no longer required on Cypres units in current (maintained) service. I'm gonna take mine off. HW

Mine still has it and the Cypres is current. Maybe my rigger is being extra cautious. Will check. HW

I heard the other day about a Cypres fire that happened in the Otter *mockup.* The explanation was that radios were in use. Your Cypres should have an RF shield, a plastic condom that goes over the unit you set. It's a pain in the butt because it makes the display harder to read under some circumstances, but make sure it's there.. HW

The fine folks who own these airplanes have done this for some time -- Fridays and sometimes Mondays. It's full altitude, obviously money-losing but intended to attract new customers and thank old ones. Plus tandems will make up some of the difference. At Orange, Ohio and Buffalo the a/c will be Otters, at Providence a Caravan. Been there, done that. HW

I hope this url survives translation: http://www.lowellsun.com/Stories/0,1413,105%257E4746%257E721056,00.html?search=filter If not, it's a Lowell (MA) Sun article about a blind, diabetic woman celebrating her 50th birthday with a tandem at Pepperell, MA. Certainly not the first blind tandem but got lots of favorable news (including Boston TV). Chip Steele, the TM, guided her hand to the ripcord, and she pulled. He plans to use this in future tandems -- "I had a blind woman pull...you can too." HW

Chris If you're going to get a dog, remember it won't be a DZ dog, 'cuz you're only going to be at the DZ on weekends (probably). DZ dogs are there 24/7, know where not to poop, and don't chase their owners to the plane. I once chased a big black Lab onto the runway and grabbed him as he was trying to follow the Otter; his boss (the pilot) had accustomed him to follow him down the runway in his pickup, and the Otter was just a big pickup. Yours might need to stay on a leash (as does Bob Clancy's dog, mostly.) HW

Well, if as your profile says, you're from Rowe, MA, and you plan to jump at Jumptown Orange, and you are not a complete jerk, you could be in luck. Bob Clancy is S&TA, AFF/I/Tandem/I/SL/I at Orange. He is also principal of the Rowe Elementary School. He and Lisa and baby Sean, as well as Dalmation mutt Emma. live on a 40-acre farm in Rowe. Ask him about Rowe dogs. Plan for his Labor Day pig roast, which should include a keg of Guiness. For others, Rowe, MA is ..very.. rural by Mass. standards. The local nuke plant is being dismantled. HW

If you see one on eBay, make sure it has a sleeve or POD (same function as bag). You will (as you but not others know) need a container big enough to hold it (probably bigger than your current main and reserve combined.) And you'll need canopy releases (Capewells); I don't know of anyone jumping one with three-rings. There are at least three people in Massachusetts who jump a PC occasionally (once or twice a year). A fourth retired because no one would pack his antique reserve. Speaking of eBay, did you see someone trying to sell a kicker plate for $7.50? We have one being used at the DZ as a keychain (so you can't but the key in your pocket.) HW

Hi, Adam Saw your name on the board at J-Town today, and hope the wind came down enough for you to make a second jump. I made my first jump at Orange before most of those who post here were born, but that also applies to most of the people I've jumped with lately. Orange was the first commercial skydiving center in the US, and host to the 1962 world meet and 1965 nationals. That big sandy bowl in the middle of the runways used to have a "lip" where spectators could watch accuracy landings. Orange closed in the early 80's, but reopened in the mid-90's. The current crew is mostly refugees from the Mass. Sport Parachute Club at Turners Falls, 20 miles down the road. When the clubhouse collapsed, we moved to Orange. For visitors to Massachusetts, it's only open Fri-Sun and holidays. It's a club, and folks have real lives. Jerry Bird and Nancy LaRiviere are organizing/teaching this weekend. http://www.jumptown.com HW

Dunno about jumpers, but I know pilots who have been penalized. Save your pilots, they have licenses to lose. As to "based on silk parachutes.." I think I'm right in saying that when the cycle was increased from 60 to 120 days, an exception was made (and still exists) for silk and "pongee" canopies. Not to say it shouldn't be raised to 180 days. HW

I'm writing this on a Titanium G4 with 500 mHZ, and it's fine for all the graphic arts stuff. The other thing to know is that Adobe has really deep "educational" discounts for Photoshop, Illustrator, GoLive and InDesign. If video is involved, Apple will sell Final Cut Pro for about a third of the retail. Quark, a fucked company, is not so enlightened. HW

About a zillion years ago, my uncle was president of a company that made, among other things, coffee makers. They got a call from a customer who complained it didn't make coffee. They talked her through the process and found out she wasn't putting water in the pot. Why? Because the label said "Do not put in water." It was changed to "Do not immerse in water." HW

Negative. Got a few thousand jumps, and was at Pepperell that day. But I've jumped at P/B and know Robbie and Muppet, among others. HW