mjosparky

N/A

Jack Alderson was my Skipper in 1966/67 while I was part of Project SHAD. See attachment. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

The cockpit opening in a Pitts is really small. It was not designed with a skydiving rig in mind. There is a good chance you did it while getting in the seat or while leaving the plane. Flat pressure from the seat back is not likely to bend the pin. But striking the rim of the cockpit would do it. As for being informed, the pilot probably knows less about your rig than you do about his airplane. Take responsibility for your own safety. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

Good post Jarrett. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

Like I said before. "Base canopies are not just one idea but a collection of different ideas brought together for a specific purpose. From what I have heard they work quite well for what they were designed." Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

I am retied from jumping and have not been to a boogie in years. If you ever find your self in So. Cal let me know and I will buy you a cold one. As for the stories, some of them are better left in the past. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

Crash, My goal in posting, well in most cases, is to get jumpers to think about what they are doing and take steps that will allow them to continue doing it. I don’t want you or any other jumper to quit having fun but to realize you can have fun and live to tell the stories. I have got more stories than I care to remember and am still here to tell them. That is because some old gray beards showed me how to have fun and still survive.

Everyone has to make a living in some manner. Selling old style F-111 7 cells to base jumpers in one-way of doing just that. Base canopies are not just one idea but a collection of different ideas brought together for a specific purpose. From what I have heard they work quite well for what they were designed.

I try to specialize in slow. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

Yes it is. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

I had a StratoCloud in 1978 that was "vented" on the bottom skin. It worked a lot like cross porting which first appeared in the early 80’. Many of the early 7 cells were “vented”. Some one once said, “There are no new ideas just new applications”. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

They were all posts I made before you stated jumping. An old jumper once told me "Skydiving is a thinking man's sport, you stop thinking and you will die". Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

Hank did invent the "tail pocket". He put the first one on my canopy after I have a line entanglement on a free packed main. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

Ain't life a bitch. t's dead and all the assholes are still going. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

John, Stupidity is killing society as we know it. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

I was just going through some old PM’s. I ran across several for Tonto. Damn I miss his balanced thoughtful posts. I miss the way he had of PM’ing me and showing the error of my ways without hurting my feelings. And I miss him. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

Here, Here. Well said Rich. The Belize Bandit has spoken. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

Yes Jeanne you are extream. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

Tim, I don’t remember you doing a lot of “stupid shit”. Unless you count that 1200 foot opening on the balloon jump. And you thought I forgot.

Thank you Squeak, lets meet for drinks and dinner. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

The jumpers I mentioned were true "Skygods" not Wanabees. I would like to go back to the old definition of “Skygod”. It was someone who really knew his shit. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

Betsy my love, I am crushed that I did not make the short list. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

Below are 4 reposts that I think would be good for us all to give some thought to. #1 There are 2 things that you must do on each skydive in order to survive. One is to deploy a land able canopy and two is the land that canopy safely. It does not matter how many points you turned or how long your swoop was. If you do not perform these 2 tasks it is safe to say you will not survive. #2 Rob Harris, Dave Wilds, Tom Piras, Roger Nelson……..They were Gods, World Champions, Icons. They had natural talent, incredible skills and were hugely current………And yet the ground offered them no concession for their level of skill or experience. There are few, now or in the future, who will reach their level in this game we play. Never for a moment become so arrogant as to believe you are the one that has what it takes to avoid their fate. #3 If one person has come up to you and suggested that “what you are doing is not smart”, “You need to slow down”, “You are not ready for that” or any of the well used warning phrases that is your first wake up call. If you heed this warning and modify your behavior there is a chance you will last past the tourist period. (5 - 10 years) If two or more people have approached you and voiced one of those “phrases” and you responded with, “I can handle it”, “I learn faster than most”, “I know what I am doing”, or any of the other well used “stay out of my business” phrases, you have a good chance of not making your tourist period. #4 “Wake up to the fact that when you step out of an airplane you are effectively dead until YOU do something to change that fact. If you depend on your audible, your RSL, your AAD or your Mother’s Rosary Beads there may come a time when they fail you. If at this time you have put your faith in them and not in yourself this is the time that you just may die doing something you love.” Stay safe, Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

An old one. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

Fixed it for you Rob. Sparky My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals