nebug

No Time For Sergeants The Forbidden Planet

In the future, instead of Red Bull, Fedex and UPS sponsors. Instead of swoop pond, 20 foot deep trench filled with packing peanuts and a bubble-pack top.

I just had to respond to this. This actually happened back in 1973. The C-180 was coming back from an event with jumpers on board without their gear on but in the airplane. The pilot during the flight became too incapacitated (read drunk) to land the airplane. One of the jumpers who had some time in J-3s and Luscombes (taildragger) landed the 180 without a problem even thought he had never flown a C-180 before. No one injured. I don't remember the names of anyone involved though and I'll deny everything.

IIRC The story of the Flying Tigers (AVG) related that Clare Chennault only got the P-40s they used was because the Brits rejected them as inadequate.

Frank Knapp was D-1809. Blue Skies July 25, 1971/ jump buddy/ Beaumont, Texas

Last year, after over 60 years of living, I decided to retake up the sport of my youth. My children were grown, my wife and I divorced 25 years ago, and I was responsible for the lives of no one. I contacted the local club DZ, took the first jump course, made 3 static lines to get used to the hand deploy pilot chute and 5 freefalls to get current. Last saturday, arriving at the DZ, I was invited on a hop-n-pop load. We climbed to 3500 feet, the door opened, and the cool greenness of the earth beckoned. As I was climbing out, my hand slipped on the strut, I fell, I flipped forward upside down (front loop) but when I came back around, stabilized, waited a couple, and then deployed my hackey thinking how cool this felt. My canopy flight was normal. I flew a pattern, 300 ft on final then did not touch the toggles until about 10 feet then flaired fully but with no wind the horizonal speed caused me to feel a pop in my left knee. I guessed I broke my leg. First time in 42 years being hurt. My surgeon is also a skydiver in the club and at the pre-surgery appointment today, he said I had shattered the tibea right below the knee joint and we had only one chance to save the knee and the leg but that jump had to be my last. The love of my life, my ex-wife, came into the office and began comforting me as I cried for losing the most fantastic sport (to me) in the world. I am sick, it is now 7 hours later, and I am still have difficulty coming to grips with that loss. I guess from here on I will just have to envy you. My time in the sport and especially my last jump was wonderful. Thank you. Regards, Old Toad

Seeing how my club dz uses 2-C182s and 2300' grass strip. I think the Quest Kodiak would be a perfect fit. Anything larger wouldn't be utilized with the jumper density in the area. STOL-rough field capability / PT-6 Power 750hp / decent climb rate / easy to fly / has a nice jump door already / the horiz stabilizer doesn't seem to be a hazard / 10 jumpers on one plane.

troll kinda post don cha think

I don't own a gun (My son owns enough for both of us) because I can't hit the sky with a gun and would probably just get myself hurt if I did. But I don't have a axe to grind with those who do, it's just not for me. The idea of having a CCP and a gun on a traffic stop just scares me. What is the etiquette in this situation to not just be blown away by a cop having a bad day? One man in my city has been dusted by the police for just reaching for his wallet the wrong way. I have a friend with a CCP and "carries" and he doesn't seemed concerned but I've never had the opportunity to ask him about that. Any cops out there know?

1973 - Belly reserve deployed in the door of C-180. Grabbed it rolled backwards screaming door - door - door!! Pilot popped left rudder, slammed jump door and down we went. To this day, second guess what I should of done ( perhaps rolled out the door?) but we all survived. Start of a hate relationship with belly reserves though I know the ones now can kill you too.

When I was young, broke, and stupid, my Alti-2 took a walk and I didn't have the dinero ($49) to replace. No problem, I'll just pull with everyone else. Didn't work so well, so I started using the ground as my reference. That worked a little better, because at 2000 feet, you notice a little ground rush. Now that I deploy at about 3500, it's a little harder to detect the nuances and visual clues, so I'm glad that I'm old, not broke, still stupid, but have a altimeter to help.

Ditto. We have had two dogs so far that were removed from abusive situations. Rocky's (cocker spaniel) former owner had dementia and the dog suffered from extreme neglect. So he was a little unstable mentally and easily frightened (esp. during thunderstorms) but had a happy remaining life, was gentle and a good companion for his last 6 years. Now we have Farley who was rescued from a very bad puppy mill with infections, malnutrition, and other problems. But he is now considered by all my family to be the best dog we have ever had. He is friendly to all, well mannered and very good around toddlers and small children. The only down-side if that is that he is deadly to cats, small rabbits, and birds that have the misfortune of being on the property. He is a schnauzer but we refer to his breed as a "pedigreed couch-snoozer". Wonderful pets that give more than they receive.

"Are you smarter than a 3rd grader?" I wonder what our friends from other countries score would be in comparison to U.S. citizens?

Sorry But Yep, the Lutz strikes again.

Boy, you guys sure know how to take the ball and run with it. I do one stupid thing, lose a shoe, and get back 28 reply posts with jump stories, pictures, and video to boot (pun). I can sure feel the love

I was 240 lbs when I started jumping with a T-10 in '69. Six months later I was 180 lbs (Tired of making dents in the planet). I have about 25 jumps on the same T-10 (it was old and we packed outside then) during this period and remember the landings as brutal. I got a little lighter then jumped a C-9 for a while. From '70 I have about 250 jumps on a PC Mk1 which I loved. I last jumped that PC 10 times in Aug, '79 at 200 lbs. Most of the landings were standups and I never did the flare thing on landings. A PC has never hurt me but the T-10 has. My PC started out standard but I shorted the lines about 36" right after I got it because it reduced the amount of oscillation after turns. I agree with the age thing. I'm 62 y/o and wouldn't jump it now (except maybe a water jump and I would do the spot) even for nostalgia reasons. Regarding suspended weight considerations, I think I would be more concerned with opening stress on an old canopy with unknown history than area loading. My experience with these canopies and opinion.

EDWARD BUTLER - An airplane barnstormer in the 1930`s and Veteran Stunt Parachute jumper. Was also a tester of airplane safety devices. Had over 1600 jumps as of 1934. Worked for Glenn L. Martin in 1933 and during WWII. He is noted for working out of Curtis-Wright Airport,Baltimore and Washington-Hoover Airport,D.C.. His last job was Parachute Tester for SWITLIK Parachute Co. He was killed March 10-1944 in the crash of an open-cockpit Pitcairn aircraft after developing engine trouble.

The fatality that I referred to previous post did not happen @LSPC: D.B. was an Omaha Skydivers Member. The accident happened after Omaha Skydivers went defunct(1975?). Jim Saunders started a commercial DZ up at Tekameh, NE. where that accident occurred I believe late 70s. Jim's operation lasted to early 80s. I did jump with Shorty a few times when LSPC was jumping at the old Arrow Airport in Lincoln and Omaha Skydivers was still at Wahoo, Ne. I don't recall Elmo so he must have come after me. Shorty was one tough dude, a really nice guy, a great rigger, but didn't put up with much nonsense. It would be nice to have MORE like him around today. Regards,

I too am a mediocre skydiver. If all the mediocre jumpers here on dz.com would vote, it would be a shoe-in. The skygods can vote for this couple too if they want. They certainly seem deserving. They're going to get married anyway. The only question is: who pays for the wedding?

Got to be Wendy (wmw999). There's an old saying "___don't just speak to hear their lips flap." I think of that saying whenever I read her posts. She's a very positive influence on this forum.

blank too early to think

I don't know about item 1 BUT Absolutely Item 2- The DB Cooper thread is a joke!!!!

Entry from first logbook May, 1971: Paracommander MK1 Red Baron with 40" off the lines (B12 container) and 24' ripstock belly reserve with a pilot chute! The PC MK1 cost $270.00 and $25.00 for the reserve. I put about 200 jumps on that rig and rode that reserve twice. My ex-wife is a teacher and after the divorce, she de-mil'ed the PC with a pair of scissors, took it to school so the kids could play parachute games with it. I don't remember how the reserve ended it's life.

December 1, 1969 - the number was ---------27 Two years later was in Pleiku, Republic of Vietnam (not having a very good time, though - mix up at the tourist bureau probably).

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/21/us/21flood.html I believe this may be what the OP is talking about. I live 19 miles downstream (OMAHA). N.P.P.D. (the owner) seems to have a handle on the situation for the moment but you would need a dinghy to get to work at the nuc plant for the next month or two. The plant is in cold shutdown down and will remain so until all the water goes away. Just posted this to help. I have no opinion about it or plans.