Guru312

I wear a gold lightning bolt on a piece of 550 cord core line around my neck. Most people would have a gold charm such as mine--it was actually rather expensive--on an expensive gold chain. I enjoy knowing that cord holding the bolt came from a canopy I jumped often. The lightning bolt has symbolic significance as a weapon of Indra and, generally, symbolizes considerable power from the sky. In reading the above, I realize I didn't help at all to answer your question. And the symbolism of the bolt and the cord is really significant only to me. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

It isn't always that simple! I nearly lost my Commercial license and I did *everything* correctly and by the book. Many years ago, maybe 1973, I was asked to fly a demo jump where the jumper, Pat Mulhern, was jumping into Veteran's Stadium in Philadelphia for the season opener with a ceremonial game ball. [For the current World Series Champion Phillies.] I reviewed all the FAA paperwork submitted by the jumper; I spoke with the local GADO and I was satisfied that he did everything correctly. A few weeks before the planned "real thing" we did a practice run and the jumper did a standup landing near 2nd base. There were only Phillies public relations people, and maybe a lawyer or two, around to watch and maybe a few dozen stadium employees. A flawless jump. We were concerned initially but quite satisfied with the way things went. At the day of the real jump I was flying jumpers for the operation at Pelicanland in central Maryland. On my way north from Pelicanland I contacted Philly approach letting them know I was inbound to the airport for the stadium jump. The controllers--approach, tower and ground--all made good natured comments and jokes about what was going to happen. [The real jump was maybe the 2nd or 3rd demo jump in the nation into a stadium full of 45,000 people.] I picked up the jumper at the General Aviation terminal and got clearance to taxi. On the way, airline pilots made jokes as we taxied out. The stadium was less than 2 miles from the airport and all approaches and departures were held while we did a WDI drop and again when I turned on jump run at about 8000. The winds were much stronger than on trial jump. The stadium was shaped like a huge bowl with very high walls and lights around the full circumference. The wind interacting with stadium and lights created a very weird current with the flags around the stadium pretty much all indicating a totally different wind direction. Because of the winds, Pat couldn't get a handle on his best approach and decided to do the prudent and safe thing: he landed in the parking lot without damage to cars or himself. About two weeks after the jump I got a very scary official letter from the FAA saying they were contemplating taking legal action against me for a number of FAR violations with the most obvious being "jumping over an open air assembly of persons". I wrote a four page letter of explanation--a much enhanced version of this post--and pointed out that FAA personnel were well aware of the jump from even before I landed to pick up the jumper. Essentially, I asked why was I given permission from the tower and approach if what I was doing was a violation. After essentially implicating FAA personnel in my flight and potentially embarassing the FAA with the facts of the jump I received a letter with two or three sentences saying, essentially, "...we are not going to pursue this issue." My point: This was far from a "bandit jump". All the paperwork was in order; all the Ts were crossed and all the Is dotted and I still came very close to loss of my ticket. The saving grace, I found out months later, were comments from the controllers and the tower personnel that I had done everything correctly. And that Pat had NOT jumped over the stadium he was almost a mile away because of the very strong winds. It isn't going to be YOUR ass on the line if you do something stupid like jumping nude into your girlfriend's back yard or into a local football game: It's going to be the pilot's license. Learn FARs. Follow the BSRs. And if you are determined to doing something really, really stupid tell the inspectors you were so drunk you can't remember the N-number on the plane and the pilot's name and face are a blur. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

So you're saying you have DNA sequence in you that did not come from either of your parents? You see where this is going, don't you? :p Ah...in your "current family tree"??!! Ever since finding out that there seems to be this genetic connection with thrill seeking I've read dozens of articles because I find the subject so fascinating. [And, because of my fascination, I started this thread.] So, FlyingJ, please tell us what you mean by your "family tree" post. The only thing I can think of is that you are adopted...or part alien. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

I can't make comment regarding any state but New Jersey so you'll have to do your own research for where you jump if you really want to know. I can assure you that New Jersey regulates drop zone dimensions, layout, distances from structures, objects, location of water over a certain depth and width and many, many other issues. They even require drop zones to have "necessary mockups" of the plane being used. If you have trouble getting to sleep at night, check these out instead of Ambien or six beers: http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/about/rules/pdf/chapter55.pdf Aviation Activity License: http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/airwater/aviation/documents/DA-1042_001.pdf Full chapter dealing with licensing of all aviation related activities...all 65 pages! This regulation covers all aviation activity not just jumping. http://www.nj.gov/transportation/about/rules/pdf/chapter54.pdf When I started my first DZ in New Jersey I had to get the FAA to change the landing pattern on two runways. What a pain in the ass! It is not legal to jump anywhere in New Jersey without an "Aviation Activity License". See the second link above for that. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

ding ding. We have a winner! He won't be a winner if he does this in New Jersey. New Jersey has some of the strictest aviation rules of anywhere but California...so I've been told. My point: FAR 105 isn't the only regs you may have to deal with. Of course, as someone mentioned up thread, making a "bandit jump" doesn't exactly follow the rules. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Oh, but it does! Google "D4DR" and you will see. Read the article I wrote in the OP, above, click on some of the links I provided at the end of it. When I was told that there was a genetic connection to thrill seeking I thought the psychologist who told me was joking. She wasn't. For what it's worth, DZ.com used to be owned by a company called "D4DR Media". Or something like that. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

What has always fascinated me is why jumpers are the way we are. What could possibly motivate someone to jump out of an airplane? Tens of millions of people are afraid to even get into an airplane. Their numbers exceed ours by quite a bit. Until a few years ago I never realized what we do has a genetic connection of sorts. The really interesting thing to consider is what evolutionary advantage thrill-seeking could possibly have. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Recent research seems to indicate that people loving novelty and new experiences have brains wired differently than those other folks. As skydivers we certainly seem to fall into that group...no pun intended. Here is a link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20081201/sc_livescience/somebrainsarewiredforchange;_ylt=AkkVqFN2UP5pqUZuf_D4xUus0NUE Most of the folks hanging on DZ.com and the two sister sites for rock climbing and BASE jumping probably have this wiring. I wrote an article about the D4DR gene which seems to play a part in our perspectives on life. Novelty and thrill seeking seem to be very similar. I included links to some of the websites I used for research. If you haven't seen it, you can here: http://www.aicommand.com/D4DR.htm Recent posts here to this forum indicate that lots of us are pushing the envelope of novelty. Maybe night 20-man, tandem RW competition from 727s will be next. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

I've built 3 or 4 over the years. Take measurements of your plane and make a sketch. I used pressure treated 2x4s for the verticals which were put in holes dug with a post hole digger. You don't need anything fancy...no bulkhead or ceiling or door that opens. The floor plan is most important: make it to scale. You'll need a wing strut and step and wheel. This is important! First time jumpers need to practice getting out and standing on the 'step-wheel'. If you've never used a handsaw, hammer and such it maybe best to find someone who has. An issue will be protruding nails/screws which can snag gear and skin. DO NOT have any wood with splinters. Use duct tape to cover splintered areas. As mentioned: Don't forget the beer. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Wow, I get to respond with the most often asked question: "Can you breath in freefall?" Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

...you brought your girlfriend to the DZ to hold tension. ...you wore coveralls to make a jump rather than to work under your car. ...you pulled a sleeve over your canopy before putting it into the container. ...you were thrilled to see someone in freefall. ...you were glad to have whuffos on the DZ because they chased sleeves, went for coffee and brought back dropped ripcords. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Holy shit, an old timer like me who loves the smell of nylon! I thought it was just me. Skydiving was my life for 30+ years either as a DZO or a jump pilot. I think what influenced me most from skydiving is the long, long friendships that I have with guys/gals I taught to jump or who jumped from my plane. I hang around DZ.com because The Herd is no longer having boogies and I simply can not seem to relate to those in the non-jumping world. There seems to be something more 'true' or 'honest' or 'open' about jumpers. A no pretense and no bullshit perspective that seems to be missing in the non-jumping world. Thanks, Bill, for reminding me how much I love the smell of nylon...in the morning or at night using it for my bed on the floor of my Cessna. I'd guess there are a few ladies out there who have a similar enjoyment for that smell. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

In my mind, this thread and the "Packing" thread have some overlapping similarities. IMO, most people don't take up jumping, or continue beyond a tandem, because they can't deal with the very stark reality of taking responsibility for their own life. They can avoid thinking about doing so in most areas of life but not jumping. I would love to see statistics on the yearly total number of people who do a tandem but never do AFF or a S/L first jump course. I can't relate to none jumpers; I don't want to try to relate to them; they don't get it: the non-jumper doesn't get the "packing your own parachute" metaphor as a way of living life. Then again, maybe it's as simple as their lack of the D4DR genetic connection. We gravitate toward those who are like us. [Yes, it is intended.] Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

From my very first jump and almost every jump there after. Learning to pack was a requirement before jumping at the club where I learned. To me, packing one's own parachute has existential meaning. Since I also am a rigger and pack my own reserve it becomes doubly so. I know it's very old school to think this way in our society of pass the buck and blame others for one's difficulties but "packing your own parachute" is what skydiving...and life... is all about. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

I haven't been a DZO since about 1974 but I flew jumpers at various DZs for many years. EVERYONE involved in jumping is a potential target for litigation. I never had a death at my DZs but I had two deaths in two separate circumstances where I owned and was piloting the plane they jumped from. I expected to be sued but when the deaths and full circumstances were investigated I was absolved of any culpability. All contract pilots, aircraft owners, fuel companies, pilots or mechanics have been and will be sued in most death-related accidents. I heard some horror stories over the years. I'm glad I'm not involved anymore. I rather like the 18 year old, age of legal majority issue, It will cause my daughter to realize that she is making the decision herself,.. and not her mom or I. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Considering how many curious whuffos have been treated in a number of recent threads...and the DB Cooper thread...it doesn't surprise me. The DB Cooper thread, as inane and stupid that much of it is, has attracted well over 100,000 views in two separately started threads. I don't mind answering the same really stupid questions that I've been asked for 50 years if it means more people in the sport. AFF, Tandem or S/L what's the real difference if they help a DZO make a payment or add some value to their operation. I incorporated a five minute marketing pitch into the process of handing First Jump Certificates to my students where I asked them to sell jumping every time they could. Every little bit of positive interplay helps the sport. It's unfortunate that many people seem to be purchasing a "SkyGod" T-shirt before they have 50 jumps. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Do yourself a favor. If and when you go to West Tn. don't talk alot. OK...I have to jump in here for two reasons. First, my younger daughter will be 16 in March. We live in New Jersey. NJ law permits jumping by a 16 year old with parental permission. I was a DZO here way back in the early 70s. I granted dozens of "kids" permission to jump with proof, and presence, of their parental permission. Over the last two weeks I've discussed my daughter jumping with folks at Cross Keys and have been told Rebecca must wait until she is eighteen. She was here a short while ago, before I read this thread, and commented about how disappointed she is that she can't jump for her birthday. If anyone has their act together well enough she's that kid. But...she's going to have to wait. Given our litigious society and my experiences as a DZO I wouldn't expect anyone to allow a person younger than legal majority to jump. Second, I have to step up and defend our precocious visitor, korbin. He doesn't write the way many teenagers write, that's for sure. BUT...as a child who had to endure much animosity and harassment simply because of my inquiring nature and my ability to put together a decent sentence, I can fully relate to him and the collective abuse which has been heaped upon him by you folks. The kid is smart, inquiring and able to hold his own. At least you aren't denigrating and harassing him because he's a whuffo... such as the abuse whuffos take in the DB Cooper thread. Hang in there, korbin, if they keep giving you a hard time Xerox your Mensa card and post it here. Maybe then they'll understand. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

What great pictures. The tone and color fit the mood of what I remember it to be in the beginning when we didn't know how to fly. I spent lots of time trying to see someone...let alone to touch them or to hold on. Thanks for the memory. Maybe we need an anthology of pictures "Before We Learned to Fly" Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Way back in the early '70s, if I could find my logbook from the time I would know exactly, probably '71 or '72, I attended an Instructor Certification Course at PelicanLand in Ridgely, MD. I was good friends with Jim McIntyre, then chief instructor for the DZ, and also a candidate for the I rating. We sat together for all the classwork. Before the formality of the course started, Jim leaned over to me and said, "Bernie, see that guy back there sitting next to so and so...do you recognize him?" I said, "Well, he does look kind of familiar. Who is it?" Jim replied, "That's Scott Newman, Paul's son." He then went on to tell me a Paul Newman story which I'll retell for you... Scott jumped at Pelicanland quite a bit in his early years. One day, totally unannounced, Paul shows up to watch Scott jump. The place was packed with people, as usual, but there were more people than normally because some woman, a beautiful model-type, was there for the FJC with an entourage of photographers and make-up people. Jim told me that she was a runner up to Miss America or some such beauty award. There were photographers all over to take pictures of her. Jim said that most of the pictures the photographers took either were of Paul Newman or of him in any pictures they took of the woman. After a while she got pretty pissed, and showed it, because Paul was upstaging most of what she did...simply by his presence. At the end of the day, Jim took the First Jump Certificate, which he would have normally sign and given to his students, over to Paul and said, "Mr. Newman, would you be kind enough to sign this FJC certificate for Miss WhatsHerName?" Paul said he would and signed his name on the certificate. Jim then took the certificate to the woman and told her, "I got Mr. Newman to sign your certificate for you." She replied, "I don't want a certificate signed by that bastard. He's been upstaging me all day by getting into all my pictures!" So, now, in 2008, after his death, some egotistical woman can't show people her FJC certificate with his name on it. Hey, Jim, in the unlikely event that you read DZ.com...send me an email. I'd love to catch up on the last 30+ years! Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

See how I attached my strobe the night I set the world record for parachuting night pukes: The Duke of Puke Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

That would be great to see. I knew Mike. When MEPA meets were all the rage years ago I enjoyed talking with him. Very smart guy as was his buddy the multi-lingual commodity broker...whose name escapes my senior's brain. I'll gladly pay for a DVD and shipping costs to have that if doing so wouldn't be too huge a burden on you. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

I was most intrigued by the pictures and the history of PI at Lakewood. I started a DZ about 100 miles south of PI in 1969 and knew most of the people he mentions. He has some pictures of old 28' cheapo configurations that I had never seen. He put quite a bit of work into the site bu I caught a number of errors also. He hasn't updated any part for years. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

I was poking around the edges and corners of the Internet and found a page with lots of interesting photos and stories of jumping in 'Nam. Here is the page with the most pictures but not from 'Nam: http://60sjumper.skydiveworld.com/littleton.htm This is the main page. http://60sjumper.skydiveworld.com/ My apologies if this has been posted prior. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Damn, I didn't think *you* would ever ask! Read the link in my sig.... Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Many years ago, very early '70s, I flew a demo jump for a guy who jumped into the old Veteran's Stadium in Philadelphia for the opening day of the Phillies season. We flew a practice run a week or so before and things went great. He landed on second base. For the real thing, with 50,000 people in the stadium, he couldn't deal with swirling winds around the top and chose to land in the parking lot. Worst of all, a 'big wig' from the FAA was in the stadium and I almost lost my license over the issue. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper