Guru312

I posted the following a day or so ago in the DB Cooper forum. Doing so was way off-topic so I thought I'd bring it here and ask your opinions. Quote from my post in DB Cooper: Some of you posting to this thread need to question your overall intent for being here. It may read as very strange to you non-jumpers but jumpers really are different from you. As odd is it may seem, during my 50+ years involved with the sport I personally have never seen a physical confrontation or heated argument between jumpers. Disagreements, of course; but nothing like I see here. Sure, lots of heated arguments in some other forums but nothing like in this DB thread. Long before this DB thread was started I've been wondering about what sets jumpers so apart from the non-jumpers. I've always noticed that jumpers treat each other with more "respect" but I really don't know why. Maybe I'm brainwashed, some how, but I really do think we see life, and live life, totally differently. I've thought this long before the Internet was created but interaction seen here underscores my premise: we really are different from whuffos. What do you think? I've never seen a physical confrontation on a drop zone. I have been to massive boogies, the Herd Boogie in Pennsylvania for many years, and saw thousands of people's gear laying out blankets or in the back of vans totally open and unprotected. I have heard of only one theft. My questions: What makes us so different than non-jumpers? Why do we get along so much better than the rest of society? Or...Am I totally wrong and we are just as nasty and vindictive as non-jumpers? Your thoughts? Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Robert... I don't want to continue being off-topic. My comments were not about DB. I'll PM you on this. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

You beat me to it, Matt. Some of you posting to this thread need to question your overall intent for being here. It may read as very strange to you non-jumpers but jumpers really are different from you. As odd is it may seem, during my 50+ years involved with the sport I personally have never seen a physical confrontation or heated argument between jumpers. Disagreements, of course; but nothing like I see here. Sure, lots of heated arguments in some other forums but nothing like in this DB thread. Long before this DB thread was started I've been wondering about what sets jumpers so apart from the non-jumpers. I've always noticed that jumpers treat each other with more "respect" but I really don't know why. Maybe I'm brainwashed, some how, but I really do think we see life, and live life, totally differently. I've thought this long before the Internet was created but interaction seen here underscores my premise: we really are different from whuffos.. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

As an East Coast jumper, Pope Valley was always at the top of my list of wanna visit DZs. I made it to my other, Z-hills, but never I got to Pope. Can you give me a short explanation as to why it closed and when? Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Let's be civil when we discuss this topic I'm bringing to the thread... You may see the name jeannie McCombs toward the top of the History and Trivia forum. A very famous and revered name in our sport. jeanne died in the 70s and I never had the pleasure of meeting her. I bring the above into this thread because I spent a few minutes reading about her. She was very well-known during the time I owned dropzones. I ended up reading something dear to all of your hearts. Here is what I found: "In 1981, I worked on the movie "Pursuit of D.B. Cooper." I doubled Treat Williams for the skydiving scene. I, and four other stunt doubles, jumped from a 727 over a town named "Groveland" just east of Yosemite, CA. We each made two jumps from the 727 from 8,000 feet. I have no doubt D.B. Cooper made it. Several of us "old timers" in the sport believe we know D.B. Cooper's true identity." You can read the thread here: http://www.ffcars.com/...kydiving-dc-9-a.html The beauty of the Internet. Don't stop reading after just the quote I'm providing read all of the material within the thread. ==== Note regarding an edit to the above: When I first posted this, the URL linking function gave me a 404 error. In the event that you have problems also here is the full URL without the DZ.com truncation that the URL function creates which you can copy/paste. If the link doesn't work from within the posting copy and paste the below URL into your browser. http://www.ffcars.com/forums/43-off-topic-discussions/208021-skydiving-dc-9-a.html Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

All of you writers, poets, screenwriters and associated wannabes plus you DB Cooper sleuths may find the following links interesting. I certainly did. The main article: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-tarantino-sues-gawker-for-leaked-screenplay-20140127,0,6298957.story#axzz2rnr5ltvy A link to a discussion thread for full-fledged geeks/nerds where I found a link to the article: http://news.slashdot.org/story/14/01/28/220217/quentin-tarantino-vs-gawker-when-is-linking-illegal-for-journalists Enjoy and be careful; litigation is expensive. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

As stated many years ago, anyone can choose to leave this conversation at any time. That's easy for you to write, Boss, because you aren't addicted to DBcrack. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Holy crap, folks, after all these years Mr. Blevins and I agree on something!! Having a root canal is more fun than deciphering a post by our resident cop. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Jo gets the Nobel. GreyCop gets the Pulitzer. Any objections? 377 It is rather funny that only in Cooperville could one get a Nobel without knowing basic science and one could get a Pulitzer without knowing basic English grammar and syntax. Another *very* funny data point for the DB Cooper mystery is that the brilliant and enigmatic Snowmman claims this: "Bob Knoss is my father." See the proof here: Aug 28, 2008, 11:29 AM Post #4260 of 50238 or any posts by him from way back... Who woulda known?! Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

You should visit the DB Cooper forum in History and Trivia and ask the whuffos there how to do this stunt. They know vastly more about all facets of jumping than any of the folks who have responded to you here. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

I dunno...I ride a Harley more than I drive a car & I stop by the local biker bar from time to time ~ those people are a LOT more friendly! I love it when you agree with me. Our jumpers are much more friendly and respectful than the whuffos who have stumbled into this forum where they argue, ad infinitum, about things which they have no clue. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

You make no sense. 1. I asked for your proof that Cooper died. You offer none. Please enlighten us regarding how you know that he died. 2. How do you know he was not experienced or a rigger? I have my reasons for believing he was neither. 3. How is his inability to open the stairs any indication that he didn't have jump experience? I am an instructor, have almost a thousand jumps and 2500 hours as a commercial pilot and I would have no clue how to open the stairs. 4. What makes you think that if he had military jump experience that he would know the meaning of a white X? I spent 2.5 years in the 82nd Airborne Division and I never saw a parachute with a white X or any other colored X. 5. How could you possibly read my post and come to the conclusion that I think he had jump experience?! I suggest that you read it again. I don't expect you to address my questions. So why don't you simply explain to the world how you know that he died? Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Jo, I have a number of comments.... Over the years you and I have corresponded often via PM. I have given you advice regarding a number of issues to include your absurd copyright notice at the bottom of your posts. In fact, I gave you a step by step introduction into how to do it...properly. I suggest that you visit the USPTO website for guidance on how to handle the issue. You are VERY far off base with this recent rant. Your comment/REQUEST that anyone "NOT talk about you or address you" in postings is patently absurd, meaningless and makes you look stupid. Your 'preemptive' comments "to defend myself in the event" is totally ridiculous and out of place. You have neither the power nor the place to request that another poster not address your comments or mention you in postings. I can assure that I will continue to do so when I consider it appropriate. I can also assure you that I will do so in accordance with the rules of OUR "biker bar". As one of the very few posters on here who is older than you I think you need to step back and consider your purpose and continued participation in this thread. You appear to becoming less lucid and more unable to keep your thoughts and arguments lucid. Parachuting in one way or another has been a very large part of my life as it is or has been for many posters here. I think you should really step back and consider your purpose...and ours. When "old timers" such as Airtwardo, Amazon and myself step up to comment on what is going on here you can be assured there are many more silent ones not all pleased with the thread direction. Step back and then read the post you have written that I'm responding to now. Hopefully, you will realize that you are out of place and woefully over your head. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

You whuffos really make me laugh. What "proof" do you have that he died? The jump would not be difficult nor would it be dangerous. As I've written previously, thousands of jumpers could pull it off. On the other hand, a non-jumper, as this guy most likely was, would have great difficulty with the money bag and attaching it to himself. Even an experienced jumper would have trouble with tying the bag to his body/harness. I'm a rigger and I would have had an impossible task tying that money bag to myself without an extra pair of hands to support the bag while tying. My "proof" that he lost the money bag either on exit or on opening is the presence of the money find. Occam's razor, folks. Something that you whuffos disregard on a regular basis with your ignorant speculation. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Be is as it may, it's still infuriating to listen to someone spew garbage on unsuspecting public. Internet is a wonderful thing, but it gives people a false sense of expertise :) Yes, agreed. Such postings gives the general public a skewed view of the jumping community. I haven't been actively involved in running a DZ for over 20 years but when I was a DZO and then as a jump pilot I constantly did everything I could to enlighten the non-jumpers I met to what our sport is all about. [MOST people think we are crazy, you know. I took it upon myself to say, "Yeah, maybe I am crazy but I am not stupid."] I've spent way too much time in the DB Cooper thread attempting to put the sport in a favorable light. (I guess it's the businessman/entrepreneur in me that does that.) I have no clue how many people read that thread but most are now non-jumpers. Still, many more people read that than just about anything else here on DZ.com Drivel such as the Sparky's troll is spewing---and the tone of those postings---hurts the business of jumping out of airplanes. We don't need the bickering like that which exists in the DB thread nor do we need jerks like Sparky's troll. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Because of the constant bickering and other BS in this thread, I admit to not following as closely as I have in the past and maybe I missed the speculations regarding the "why" of the redactions. 377...what do you think is the reason? Anyone else? I find this "redaction issue" one of the more fascinating parts of the DB puzzle. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Well, dang, Sparky, those posts are nothing compared to the nonsense happening in the DB Cooper thread! Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Well, this is something I hadn't realized: redactions?! Can anyone speculate as to a reason for doing so and at whose direction? Seriously, why would that be done and who would do it? Very interesting. Is such a thing common practice or only in CooperVille? Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

If you think skydiving is like golf or surfing you are not doing it correctly. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

+100 Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

No problem?! Are you nuts? You are the problem! Why are you posting this "stuff" to the DropZone.com D B Cooper forum? Really. Why? You are doing nothing but perpetuating the total bullshit you whuffos have brought into "our forum". I stop by and read your drivel every few days but this is *really* getting out of hand. Your collective off-topic comments and bickering are bad enough but all of these pictures you have posted? What is *that* all about? Stay on topic or stay the fuck out of here. AIRBORNE! All the way. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Every time I see a post of yours on our forum I am in total disbelief that you have written a book. The concept seems incongruous. Instead of making lists of people who can actually write a cogent sentence why don't you buy yourself a dictionary and a copy of "Elements of Style" by Strunk and White as a Christmas present to yourself...and to us? Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

A very interesting subject. Over the years, many years ago, actually, I had the pleasure of being a presenter and evaluator at ICCs and J/M courses. The time period was very early 1970s so I'm seriously behind on terminology in today's ICC/JM world. In addition to being an evaluator, I was a pilot for these courses. I think for 3 or 4 over the years. On one of the first I listened to a J/M candidate give total BS suggestions and comments to another candidate who was the "student". Just for giggles I climbed to 5500 on jump run. The J/M candidate put his "student" out without realizing the altitude. After the student jumped I yelled at him, "Do you always put your static line students out at 5500?" Oddly, I was always able to get at least one person per ICC/J/M class to put a student out at a 5500 or so. Not exactly a prank as per the subject but in a sense it was. Certainly a learning experience for the person I pulled the prank on. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

Sometime in the late '60s when I opened my first DZ I had a grey haired old guy come up to me and say, "I'd like to make a few jumps here." This all happened a long time ago...and my memory isn't quite what it used to be, but this is what I remember.... I asked him if he had ever jumped and he said he made a few at various drop zones. I asked if he had a log book and he said it was in his car with his boots and jumpsuit. I told him get his gear on and bring his log book over to the PLF platform. When he came over to me I noticed military jump wings on his chest and an 82nd Airborne patch on his right shoulder. I did a total double take and my mouth dropped when I saw three stars on his wings. I motioned toward the wings and I said, "Where did you buy these wings?" Fire shot out of his eyes and I thought he was going to deck me. He leaned into my face and said, "I earned them jumping into Holland, Normandy and North Africa. That's why my shoulder patch is on my right shoulder but you probably wouldn't know about that sort of thing." I told him that actually I did know about that sort of thing because I had spent 2.5 years in the 82nd Airborne myself. I told him that my command sergeant major had four combat stars so I knew about such things. I told him there aren't many guys with 3 or 4 combat jumps. He said, "...far as I know there are less than a hundred of us still around." The guy's name was Walt Santman and we became very good friends over the years. I ended up teaching two of his sons to jump. It was a very sad day about 20 years ago when he went to that DZ in the sky. He was one of the finest human beings that I ever met. Tough as nails on the outside but a real, genuine and sensitive guy on the inside. I miss him. Guru312 I am not DB Cooper

The kids! The kids!! Who let the kids in here?! Guru312 I am not DB Cooper