RogerRamjet

Ok, here's mine. It's 1973 at Z-Hills. We haven't had a fatality since the mid 60's and someone goes in (I only knew him as Giggles, I don't remember or didn't know his real name). It is pretty stunning to me and I decide I need to "get back on the horse" and get on the next L-10E load (like a twin beech, holds 10 jumpers). It's maybe two hours after the incident and off we go down the runway in the Lockheed, rotate and start climbing. At about 100 ft, there is a very loud BANG and sand and paper and anything else not tied down is flying all over the cabin. I know we are too low to jump so I just hold on tight! After about a minute or two, the pilot yells back that we lost the emergency hatch above the pilots. The rest of the skydive was uneventful, but I can see the other jumpers faces like it was this morning.... I'll never forget it! ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Good link, thanks: http://www.myskyshop.com/catalog/information.php/info_id/14?osCsid=c0cca9310bca2dcc13abc3f68e98a421 Well, nearly. Anyone know the sq ft of the original Strato-Star? ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Thanks for responding. So, exit weight (not subtracting the weight of the main canopy)... And just sq ft, no adjustment for level of porosity of the material? ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

First, let me say I have not jumped in 24 years. When I was jumping, wing loading was not even mentioned as far as I can remember. I have been playing catch up lately and when reading in the forums, there is a lot of talk about what wing loading the person is/was at, etc. So.... to give me a frame of reference, I'd like to know roughly what my wing loading was "back in the day." I weighed 135lbs, Wonderhog weighed 23 lbs with Strato-Star and 26' Navy Conical reserve. Clothing probably no more than another 10 lbs. Can someone who knows the sq ft of the Strato-Star and how to make the calulation tell me what I loaded the canopy at? I'd also like to know how the calculation is done so I can determine other people's loading (and my own on other squares I jumped at the time). I know my loading had to be light as I could 1-foot standup the Strato-Star in anything more than 2 mph winds. Sorry if this has been covered before, but a search on "Calculate Wing Loading" turned up nothing useful. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

The system I sent you the link for has BOTH boots mounted to the same release, so if something releases, both boots go as a unit. If you somehow get a foot out of one of the boots, the system will still release from the ski (err board) in any direction except directly at the board, so your remaining foot should not be twisted off. You will be using a system designed specifically for water-skiing for another purpose, so I would urge extensive ground testing of release pressures for various angles of separation before testing in the air. These releases actually work best to the sides as that is the most common "get off" for a slalom water-skier. They will release straight up as well, but I believe it takes a bit more pressure. That may well work to your advantage if you are forseeing a spinning issue with you building g's away from the board (or whatever it is) as you could tune the release pressure to just above what you determine to be normal (non out of control spin mode). ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Good deal. I'm hoping the board or whatever it is has it's own deceleration device for after the cutaway? As for cutting the thing away intentionally, you may have to rig something to release the pin tension manually. Water-skiers using the system typically take their feet out of the boots leaving the system attached. Should be interesting.... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

That's pretty cool. I have three brothers all of whom jumped at least a few times. We never did it together though, just one of them and me. Would have been great to have all four of us involved at the same time

Link to Fogman Bindings: http://www.fogmanbindings.com/products.html ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Yeah ... especially the way that Americans speak it! I usually refer to it as "American" instead of "English" anymore... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I've known (and know) a few: Jeff Searles: 2000 jumps and pilot, owned Z-Hills in early to mid 70's. Bill Booth: Lots of jumps and lots of hours, still active. Bill Buchman: Lots of both and still active. Mike Patterson: Lots of both, status unknown. Louie Howell: Lots of both, status unknown. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Well, if it's a sky surf board thing, you might look at the water-ski hard boot systems in use today. They attach to the ski with a pin at each end and an adjustable spring loaded release (sort of a ball bearing on a spring thing). They can be set to release at various tensions. I think some snow ski boots attach in a similar way, but I am thinking of a dual boot setup and I've only seen that on water-ski setups. You might have to figure a way to keep it from releasing on deployment, but I think you mentioned you want to release it before deploying anyway. If you want to pursue something along that line, I can provide a link to get you started. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I wonder if we've met, you ever make it out to the Turkey meets at Z-Hills in the 70's? I was the loft rigger for two years in 73/74 and jumped there regularly until about 78 and on and off until 1980 when I quit. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

It's not a good feeling, being burned (chick or not). I was originally 4th on the Ten High team, but Hooper switched with me, so he was 4th and I was 9th. He said because I was fast which was good for my ego

Yeah, so??? If I put the years since I made my first jump, it would be 32 to your 31, so I'm thinking we're both Old-Timers, no? ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Oh, and we practiced out of the Lockheed L10E, about the same size door as the D18 Beach. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Z-Hills, now those were the BIG meets in the mid '70s. I believe it was 1975 or 76, I was on Hoopers 10 man (sorry ... way) team and the Deland 16 and 20 man (way) teams. I was 9th on Hoopers team and we took 4th with 105 teams. I was 16th and 20th respectively on the Deland Teams and we won both events with over 50 sixteen man teams and about 20 twenty man teams. I have two photos that Carl Boenish took of the 16 man winning team, a 16 man diamond and 16 man snowflake. I'll post them in the photo area one of these days (have to scan them, just have prints). ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

We always referred to those last few jumpers on "large star" jumps as flyers, not divers. You have succumbed to "Big Way" for "Large Star" also That is probably to do with PC more than anything. When we did speed stars, they were called 10-man, not 10 way. (Circa 1973-80) ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Yours must have been the only one (well, unless you had the slider on it). Mine got me used to quick openings; now almost anything else is a snivel. Wendy W. You're right about that. Most people who jumped them where I jumped thought they were well named as they would occasionally see stars on opening. I only jumped one once and it certainly opened quickly and firmly for me! ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

My 9th static line (ok, I was a rotten student) in 1973. I exit and execute my best dummy ripcord pull yet and.... nothing, I just keep falling. I have 8 previous static line jumps now and I know when the T-10 opens and it hasn't. I throw the dummy ripcord away, reach for and grab the reserve handle on my chest mount (no pilot chute, you just throw it out) and the main opens.... In the plane, my jumpmaster is freaking out as the piece of type-8 webbing with the D-Ring used to connect the static line to in the C-182 had finally worn through and the whole thing had followed me out of the plane! Since he saw me going for the reserve, he cleared me for my 1st (2nd ?) freefall right then. Z-Hills also amended their static line procedures to hold a byte of the static line and deploy the main without stressing the connection in the plane. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

If you don't mind Sid, I'd like to echo some of your thoughts here. Bill Buchman has been dropping jumpers since the early 70's. He is the ONLY pilot I felt safe jumping from a Loadstar with. I always considered him the safest pilot around which makes this an even more bizarre incident in my mind. My heart goes out to Gus's loved ones and to Bill. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Dead Ants Everyone retires to the bar at the end of the day. At some point, someone yells "Dead Ants" and everyone has to drop to the floor with their arms and legs sticking up in the air (well, you know, like a dead ant). The last one to the floor buys the next round and gets to do the next yell.... Caution, injuries have been known to happen while engaging in this "game." ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Compared to the numerous cases of shot and a half hangups, I would risk the cover snagging. Shot and a half's scared me with those little hook thingies that had to compress on the pull of the cable. The One-Shot release removed those all together. Personally, I never thought the 3-Ring gave much over the One-Shots (except for a cleaner harness in terms of snag potential), so I never changed mine out. I'm sure if I'd built one more rig I would have, but more because it was becoming the standard than any functional enhancement (I have two intentionals on shot and a halfs and one on 3-ring, so I have some basis for comparison). I never liked the velcro peel and pull handle thing, but Bill could find no other way to ensure a safe non-release system since there is no tension on the 3-Ring until you're under something. I had left Bill's shop before he completed the final design of the 3-Ring system, but he had already ruled out any "normal" handle, even the light PVC stuff we were using for the other handles because of the "not under tension" issue (a very smart man indeed). ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Clicky for a look at a very faded crossbow logo as it appeared on the early systems. Clicky Again to see the reserve ripcord "blast" handle (26ftconical, does this look like the original, or was it replaced before I got it?) Note the yellow lanyard that connected to the left risers. The other end attached to the reserve ripcord housing, which was snapped onto the reserve container (Clicky). When the main was cut away, the housing pulled away, snatching our the pins ... FAST! The conical reserve deployed within about 75 feet. Also note the nylon plug in the reserve ripcord housing. It was intended to keep pea gravel from getting into the housing and jamming the ripcord. These were originally in both ends of the main ripcord housing, too, but most were later removed. There's also a pic of the One Shot releases, if you aren't too tired to Click again. The piece of white suspension cord shown in the last two pics was connected at the other end to the reserve container ... just in case it didn't want to open for some reason. This is one of the first of the famous "Jesus Strings" (aka "Oh SH**! Strings) ever installed. I used One-Shot's for almost all my jumps. I installed a set on my B12 system at about 100 jumps and put a set on my Wonderhog as well. Had my only cutaway with them and they worked perfectly. They were the most missunderstood piece of hardware around IMO. People seemed to think all you had to do was breath hard and they would release when of course you had to pull them all the way to nearly 180 degrees to release the risers. I simple bent the main spring (spring steel really) a little more than factory to make it a firm pull. There were maybe 6 or 7 people I knew jumping them and I never heard of a cover opening accidentally even to the half (cocked) position. I'd still jump one-shot's without any worries (at least for RW). ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I had both One-Shot's and a Blast Handle (T-Handle) on my B4 container. When I built my first Wonderhog, I used One-Shot's on that also, though the reserve handle was orange PVC. I'd jump that Wonderhog without hesitation right now if I still had it (Strato-Star main, 26' Navy Con reserve). My only reserve ride was on the Wonderhog, One-Shot's and plastic reserve ripcord (before we changed all the rigs to metal reserve ripcords). ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I was out of jumping for a long time before I ever saw a wind tunnel. The guys running it gave me extra time for being a skydiver and I have to say I had a lot of trouble staying level (if you mean staying over the center of the wind stream) myself. I never had to just fall straight down when I jumped, I was always approaching and docking or whatever. I'm sure I could learn to do it, but it was harder than actually jumping for me. To add perspective, almost all my 1000 jumps were relative work. I was in one east coast record (35 round star) and two world records (16th in first 16 man diamond and 19th in first 20 man papillon), so I believe I could fly ok.... My advice would be to attempt the "make it good" re-ride as mentioned earlier or try another tunnel, or just go jump from a plane (the sky has a pretty big sweet spot). Edited to add: In the 70's, formations were called 10 man, 16 man, etc., no disrepect meant, just substitute way for man.... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519