chuteless

crazy??? It really doesnt matter how low I opened as long as my feet were above the ground....If my chute wasnt fully opened when my feet hit the ground, I wouldnt give it a second thought.

having given this question some thought, its hard to pick one jump, but if I had to, I guess it would be dumping out of a biplane at airshows. A friend had a Stampe biplane and would be at the end of the runway while everyone was looking at something going on overhead. I would climb into the front cockpit, and he' take off and hold about 2 miles away. When it was our turn to go onstage, we would fly in, and "our" announcer would make like we were a transient aircraft, screaming" get that plane out of here...theres an airshow going on". He would apologize to the crowd for this dumb pilot, and watch as our plane looped. Still the announcer would be getting madder by the second, and two more loops, and on the third, I would fall out of the plane and waggle my arms and legs like a wuffo. The announcer would scream " Oh My Gosh, the pilot has fallen out, and the plane would dip and swoop down behind some trees off to the side. I would crank open my paracommander at 150- 250 feet with a loud thunderclap. We scared the blazes out of everyone. Then the announcer would say who was flying the plane and who had jumped. Its the greatest adrenalin rush ever. One jumper said he would do the jump, and when he found out what thety wanted, he told them only for $5000 up front. My fee was $200.00 it sure was one of the more fun jumps. Bill Cole D-41

When DBC jumped with all that money, I was quite often at the DZ at Parkman Ohio. One day I walked into the clubhouse, and a group of jumpers were talking about me being DBCooper. One held up a drawing left there by the FBI, and he put the drawing beside my face and said " Yep, that him alright" I took the drawing and turned it upside down and said," I dont look anything like him" They were sure I was the man........????????? and only me and God knows. I fully expected an FBI agent to come to see for himself, but that never happened....whew

I have jumped with two of my brothers, I have dropped 1 daughter, 1 son at age 12, my sister, my second wife, another son, and one of my brothers was Canadian champion for 2 years. Man, what a ride its been for me. BILL COLE

every time I buy a new pair of shoes.....I know he's real.LOL

I've had hundreds of #1 skydives. Its hard to know which one to pick. Probably the ones that upset the directors of CSPA the most LOL

I made my living at jumping for a lot of years, but am now living on Canada pension, and its only a little more than $1000. per month. With rent, phone, car insurance, gas, food, there just isnt any left for jumps anymore. I love talking to all you fly people though....you can still make it interesting for me. thanks BILL COLE D-41

shortly after that night in question, a reporter wrote a story for publication titled " How I Would Hijack An Airliner For $200,000.00, and Get Away With It" by Bill cole as told to ----------. He presented it to several publishers....not one would touch it. He took photos of me at an American Airlines ticket counter, with a parachute on my back and holding a ticket, and another photo buying flight insurance. He took a photo in which I wore duplicate clothing ( at least I think it was duplicate) wearingsunglasses, a narrow tie, balding front of head....exactly like the FBI drawing. Anyhow,...I'm 6'-2" and the same build etc as Mr. C. He who laughs last.....probably has the money LOL LOL

when interviewed in Kalispell Montana (Evel Knievel's home state) for a television station, I told them that if Evel could only jump over his own mouth, he'd set a world record. LOL

I might just have enough left to buy the beer.....even though I dont drink the stuff. I still have the taste of that damn river in my mouth.

yes......i did!!!

take a piece of saran wrap and stretch it across his toiletseat. If he pees into the bowl, it will bounce all over. If he sits down, he wont even feel the Saran wrap...until he has done his business....and thats messy for him Bill Cole D-41

this was used when I started jumping in 1962. The other posts explain the reasoning behind the term and I can recall in the early 1960s we said all those who werent jumping at the DZ had to wuffos....and most of them would ask the same stupid questions....wuffo you do that? wuffo you jump out of airplanes? etc etc etc

I must confess that my thoughts on opening altitude originated using round canopies. I dont trust too many quares to open as fast as a round, my several para-sleds proved that....almost always a long opening, but I wouldnt dream of opening at 4000 or 5000 for anything....even if I was jumping an umbrella.

300 feet is okay with me....now your back to 3000? I like the first post best.

I used to jump wings in Florida and at Baldwin Ontario back in the 60s. I always opened at 2000...I really dont see why anyone has to open at 5000....thats exit altitude

71 on October 31st....but feel like I am maybe 41

Stearman: One thing I would like to know. Do you listen to loud music with a headset, especially the kind you inbed deep into your ears and they have to be taken out when you talk to someone. / This can certainly give you hearing problems which would be added to when jumping. My son is making himself deaf with such a device, and wont listen to anyone. I told him, in about 5 more years of that stupidity, he wont be able to hear anything...no phone calls, no music, just deafening silence. Telling him to change his method is like flogging a dead horse....it will not get up and walk. I've told him, make it a bit easier by wearing a headset that can rest on the temples and transmit the sound through the bone to the ear drums. You can still carry a conversation that way as people speaking can by pass the headset on the temple and talk to his ears. He still wont listen. This could be part of your problem.....just a thought. I wish you well Bill Cole D-41

both cost the same....and both can kill

good idea Wendy. makes good sense

the previous reply from "FAST" is the best advice. I spent a long time studying the ear for my application to the Canadian Space program years ago, and there are simply to many things to consider here. Make sure the Doctor specializes in the ear. Good luck, and if you can't hear me....I'll wave .

a second look at that picture tells me it may not be a Delta II, but the canopy seems to be the same. The giveaway was the absence of the OSI on the left side rear. Its missing. I think the other photo shows the OSI very clearly, and that for sure is the Delta II. dumb me....not seeing that at first glance. I agree too, that the openings were nice, and it would forgive a bad spot.

I wouldnt advise anyone to jump with a ruptured ear drum....but if you feel you have to, make it a hop and pop at 3000 ft .

that IS a Delta II Parawing. I had several, but most of the ones I had were given to me by Irvin Parachutres of Ft Erie, Ontario. I bought one from the USA and it was a fabulous chute. I only had 1 malfubction with it, and finally gave it away for one jump. I even included a reserve in the deal. I used my USA Delta II on the hiugh altitude record jump. I'm kinda sorry I still dont have it. Bill Cole.. .

I had the opportunity to wrestle a 450 pound Bengal tiger at a Sportmen's Show. 12000 people were cheering for either the cat or me....never figured out which. I didnt know what to do to get the cat started, so I pulled his tail...hard. In a flash, he was on his hind legs and his front paws were on my shoulders. we rolled around for a bit, and I looked at his 2 inch teeth which were about to go through my left hand. There was a trickle of blood showing ( not from his gums) and I pulled my hand out of his mouth, causing a tear in the skin. I have always declared myself the winner....but the cat aint here to contradict me. He sure was a pretty animal.