RogerRamjet

Some of us got our FB# before there were hats... you must be very very proud. No (well a little), very very jealous... and a bit sad that I never made a convention. FB's 1 and 2 were friends and I still think about them both from time to time. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Some of us got our FB# before there were hats... That would be back when ya still logged your jumps with charcoal on the cave walls right Yeah, the only reason we went to paper was 'cause of how hard it was to hual those caves around ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Some of us got our FB# before there were hats... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I see the 144 and the 81 in here. Anyone know the progression of diamond records and when they were? I was 16th in the first 16 in 1974. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Well, THAT explains it! Thanks! Well... he's getting what he pays for ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Hi, I am the database admin for the SCR stuff. As Keith said, Bill and at least one other person are transcribing paper records into xls form and sending them to me for import as they can get it done. He is aware of the holes, but has limited time and the process is a manual one. I'll start an awards thread here on the next large import and post to that thread each time I get a new import. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Wow, that sounds about right on the inflation time too. I jumped with a guy at Z-Hills named Billy Reevis that made a 24' round direct bag static line jump from the old skyway bridge in St. Petersburg (FL). That bridge was 155' at the crown of the highway where he jumped from. The canopy just barely got full inflation when he went into Tampa Bay... BTW, no pre-testing first He just knew it would open in less than 150 feet. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Hi Jim, These stories make me shiver also. I knew Carl pretty well having jumped with him and Roger in both Hinkley and Z-Hills. You may well wonder about his last thoughts, but I wondered more about Roger's on that particular jump... Pat, That story "gets" to me everytime I read it. Arvel, Hey, I'm in Pat's book. Look in chapter 5 and scroll down to: Pre-Stars? "Hey Man, You're Late..." Hmmm, three people in this thread that have jumped with both Roger and Carl Nelson. How the hell did we survive! ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Look at this link for a shot of me from "back then." Flip through the shots there for some other interesting views. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/gallery/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Personal_Galleries/RogerRamjet/Blast_from_the_Past&image=RogTraciGreg-2.jpg&img=&tt= ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I remember Rick. I've been emailing back and forth with Hoop, I'll mention this thread to him. I believe I'll be seeing him in September when I go over to England for vacation (He lives in London). I am about to make my first jump after a 27 year layoff myself , how was that? ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Damn. Now I find out that I'm even older than YOU. Damn. July 1st, 1973, I was at Tampa's Dino's bar on S. Dale Mabry pissed off because all the 18's were in there starting trouble and fights and stupid shit 'cause they couldn't handle their liquor. It was such a peaceful place before that night. First jump, 1977, Z-hills. Static line, T-10, belly reserve. Puckered my butt up TIGHT I tell you. 1977, hell I was still jumping at Z-Hills on and off in 77, even putting out the occasional static line student. Have we met (you old fart you )? Wait a minute, I just looked up SCS 8170 to find your last name and the record shows you got your SCS on 9/10/2004, something doesn't add up here... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

20. I started going to to Z-Hills with my older brother when I was 19 in 1973. He started jumping but the legal age in Florida at the time was 21, so I had to watch for a few months until the State changed the legal age to 18. Made my first jump on July 1st, 1973, the day the legal age changed. My parents weren't too happy, but I sure was! Make sure you post back here with your experience of that jump! ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Z-Hills has it on their calendar. http://www.skydivecity.com/html/calendar/index.html Scroll to the bottom... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Oh, Jake-Jake has made the trip? I'll check with him this week or this weekend. We're actually coming from closer than Fayetteville, but not by much. Plus, I tend to drive like I'm always about to miss "piles of free money" night at each intended destination. I'm excited to think we might be making it to this event!

Excellent! Mine was in 1974, about jump number 350. Lineover on C9 cheapo. One-Shots with a Wonderhog. 26' Navy Conical, standup landing. I had done two intentional cutaways prior. Changed to squares and never had another mal. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I must bow to your much lower D # and say "You are right." Actually, I spent the sixties riding my bike and playing football and baseball. I didn't reach the teen years until the next decade. The seventies were a lot of fun too. The 70s were great to me mostly because that's when I discovered skydiving. "Years in sport" When I first signed up to dropzone.com, I put in 8 since my active jumping was from 73 to 80. However, I kept getting responses to my posts like "how could you have been in the first 16 way diamond if you've only been jumping since 1999?" After a couple of dozen of those, I changed it. I haven't been active all that time, but once a skydiver, always a skydiver Besides, I'm going active again this weekend, just a short 27 year layoff... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Can you clarify this? Are you saying it wasn't just a plastic handle, but a plastic 'cable'? Not some sort of suspension line material for the 'cable'? Some early rigs did have cutaway cables that were not like the yellow Lolon stuff that nearly everyone uses now. Back in the early '90s I recall coming across an old unused rig with what seemed to be white (I think) cutaway cables. I tried to see the metal cable inside but the 'cables' were pure solid flexible plastic. Bizzare, I thought. Is that related to what you were writing about? Or is my memory off? Yes, I mean the cables themselves were plastic. The "handle" was just a short piece of orange PVC tubing. The ripcord itself was a long piece of extruded nylon rod which was impregnated with molybdenum disulfide. This allowed for an incredibly flexible and strong "plastic" rod. We got a report one day of a person going in at Casa Grande and a broken ripcord was blamed. Bill changed the system over to a regular housing and metal cable with pins right then and there. It seems that later it was determined that the original plastic ripcord was lost and they replaced it with a traditional metal one. Unfortunately, they did not use a metal housing and just ran the metal cable through the same fabric tube we used for the plastic ripcord. The replacement ripcord was frayed and resulted in a no pull due to snagging in the fabric tunnel. As for the cutaway cables, Bill will have to speak to that. I left his shop when he was experimenting with the 3-ring system, but he did not release it for production until much later. The only cutaway cables I saw at the time were plastic coated cable (yellow if I remember correctly). I do not know if they would even resemble the current cables... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Congratulations (belated it seems). If anyone reading this thread wants to know more about the awards, Bill Newell maintains a site at: http://www.scr-awards.com/index.html There are some holes in the database, but he and some helpers are keying the data into spreadsheets which are eventually sent to me to insert into the database engine. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Really? I was curious about that myself and expored their site a bit, but could not find a place to look up members. Is it something that only DZs have access to? Or you could just call the on the phone. It is a magical device that allows you to get exact answers to questions that aren't listed on web sites Well, your handle certainly fits you... I assume you meant USPA, couldn't really tell since you failed to create a readable sentence. If they had a toll free number, I would have already done that. On a positive note, I received a PM from someone who looked it up and I'm ready to fly, so case closed. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Yes. Group Member DZs have access as do S&TAs. Since it contains personal information, its kind of nice that the general membership doesn't have the information. Thanks! I certainly agree that the general public should not have access to it! That should cover my membership verification; now just have to get past that little 27 year layoff obstacle... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Really? I was curious about that myself and expored their site a bit, but could not find a place to look up members. Is it something that only DZs have access to? ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Just wondering if you remember how long it took to get your membership card after sending the money. I joined (couldn't re-join since records don't go back that far [last jump in 1980) about three weeks ago so I can make some jumps in Deland at the end of the month. It would be nice to receive the card before I get there... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Geeze, this thread is almost an exact duplicate of one from just a few months ago. If that guy wasn't already dead, I'd think it was the same poster... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I raced water skiis all thru the 70s.....marathons mostly. I cant say I liked the people much. They were a bunch of "look how much stuff I've got" snobs. During the same time I raced moto-x and enduro. Its funny....my 21 year old daughter who rides has never even heard of Bultaco motorcycles hahaha. Anyway.....the dirt riders that I knew then were just exactly like the skydivers....injury and mentality wise...that I met when I started skydiving in 1980. I found my niche when I found skydiving and have never looked back. Yeah, I'd have to agree about water-ski racing, they are a different breed than us (traditional slalom/trick/jump), present company excluded of course... I am just a slalom skier myself. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I'd say I felt much the same way when pretty much my life was skydiving. I started in 1973 and jumped heavily (for the time) making 500 jumps my first two years. I also experienced the things you did in terms of leaving cars unlocked, things in the loft, etc. I eventually drifted out of the sport in 1980 and discovered that there are other hobbies/sports with much the same brotherhood feel. Currently, I'm a competative water-skier and have to say that the social interaction is very much like skydiving was. Things left at the lake on Saturday are still there on Sunday. Can't leave the cars unlocked though as too many outsiders have access. I was also involved with a couple of Radio Controlled Airplane clubs and it was much the same. I guess I'm saying there are other activities with some of the same kinds of people involved. There are not that many though as I have been involved in a few other sports where I had to watch my back and my stuff all the time (to remain nameless as to not offend anyone). Went to a couple of skydiving boogies the last couple of years to hook up with some old friends and will be making a few jumps at the end of the month, have to see how the "feel" is now when I'm there. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519