RogerRamjet 0 #1 May 1, 2003 Hi all, I'm not as old as some, but older than most... Jumping carreer: 1973-1980 Jumps: 1000 Primary DZ: Z-Hills Ratings: There weren't any for relative work back then. Claims to fame: Well, I'm not really famous, but 1) Senior rigger at Z-Hills from 73-75 (working for Master Rigger Jeff Searles/Owner) 2) 16th in first ever 16 man diamond (Deland) 3) 19th in first ever 20 man papillon (Z-Hills) 4) Worked for Bill Booth building the first 100 or so rigs before he was anybody. 5) Freakbrother #271 Happened on this site by accident, but I'm really enjoying the forums. Roger "Ramjet" Clark ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #2 May 1, 2003 Welcome to the forums! She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RogerRamjet 0 #3 May 1, 2003 Hi Andrea, I'm living in South Florida now (West Palm Beach). My primary sport is competitive water-skiing, haven't jumped since about 1980. I have been out to Pahookee just to see what has changed and I had heard Roger Nelson (A friend of mine from the 70's) might be there that weekend, but no show for him at least. Yes, a lot has changed since I was active. There seem to be about as many fatalities a year, but now most are under open canapies. I sure couldn't swoop like these new canapies under my StratoStar, but I probably would have to have worked a little harder to kill myself too! Automatic openers are much more prevalent now (good thing) and it's nice to see that virtually everyone uses some form of both the hand-deploy pilot chute and the three-ring release systems that came out of Booth's shop while I worked there. I've always felt those are the two most important contributions to the sport after the parachute itself. Licensing is also now required as far as I can see and that concept just wasn't around when I was jumping. Rules for advancement back then were mostly on a drop-zone by drop-zone basis. I agree with the current system though, it's much more consistent and safer than anything we had then. Of course most people are jumping from much more capable aircraft now too. I was lucky to be at Z-Hills where we had a 182, a 180, a C-47 (DC-3), and a L10E Lockheed (held 10 jumpers, similar to a "twin Beach." I see posts here from Roger Nelson and Bill Booth and I'm sure there are others that I knew and will run across here as well. Roger ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #4 May 2, 2003 Welcome back!!! Get out and jump. My Dad's an "Old" skydiver. Did his last one in 1965. Haven't been able to convince him to come back but he certainly enjoyed watching me jump. He was rather shocked to see people walking to the plane in shorts and "Tevas." Hope to see you in the sky!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RogerRamjet 0 #5 May 2, 2003 Thanks for the invite Clay, don't think I'll be up Cleveland way anytime to soon though. When I left Bill Booth's shop in Miami, I went to work for Bill Buchman building his rigs. We took a Lockheed L29 Loadstar (29 jumpers) up to Aurora IL. for the summer and jumped at Hinkley. I was the first person to jump there with a StratoStar and all the locals were amazed at my 1 foot landings and the speed of the canapy. We took the plane over to Stergus (sp) MI for some East Coast record attempts where we set a new East Coast record of 32 (round star). We also jumped another spot in Michigan, but I can't remember the town (Maybe Roger Nelson will read this and remember). We went down to the Richmond Boogie that summer and also down to Southbend Indiana. Southbend had the worst air of anyplace I ever jumped. I packed no less than 15 reserves on Saturday and 13 on sunday and had some of the wierdest openings on my StratoStar ever! I made a few jumps at Hagerstown MD, Woodbine MD (where I was 8th in their first ever 8 man star), and a few jumps up at Rainbow WI. That about sums up were I've jumped. If I made one in Ohio, I don't remember it. As for making another jump now, I wouldn't know what's required. I have no rating as there were none for RW or general jumping back then (just ratings for style as I recall). I did have a Senior riggers license and was a rated Jump Master. If I were to make another, it might be on my birthday (May 21st) when I will be 50. I will be active on this forum as I try to find out what happened to some of my friends from the old days... Roger ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nightjumps 1 #6 May 2, 2003 Hi Roger... I got in the sport in 1981 and stopped around 1990 (Desert Storm, then grad school, then work) and didn't come back till 1999. THings had changed significantly in just those 9 years I was gone. On a separate note... I'd like to invite you to the SkyFest Boogie at Skydive Dallas in July this year. This is a memorial boogie for Jerry Schrimsher organized by his sons and SD. It is a tribute to those "older" skydivers that have helped so many newbies attain their SCR's, SCS's, etc. Last year, we helped 33 newbies achieve their SCR awards. The award ceremony (fireworks, about 30 cases of beer was poured on them,etc.) was one of the largest that Bill Newell had ever heard about. This year, Bill Newelll (SCR Administrator) will be attending. The SCR's now have their own website www.scr-awards.com Stay in touch and if you can make it, that would be a wonderful thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sarge 0 #7 May 2, 2003 Hi how are ya? Welcome!-- I'm done with the personally meaningful and philosophical sigs!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RogerRamjet 0 #8 May 12, 2003 "We took a Lockheed L29 Loadstar (29 jumpers) up to Aurora IL." Sorry, that should have been Lockheed L-18 Loadstar... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
