jonstark
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Everything posted by jonstark
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At least Old Timer isn't as bad as Turtle-neck! I heard that one last year and it really struck a nerve. Yeah, go ahead and look in the mirror. Having made my first ones in 82 I don't mind being an old timer but I would more consider myself a survivor. Gawd! we knew so little and hung it out anyway... Bravado, nylon and guesswork. jon
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Can anyone figure what you Time of useful consciousness would be above 100,000 feet? -------------------------- I don't imagine it's much at all if anything. When I was in the chamber last the guy that volunteered to take his mask off at 41.0 went funky chicken in about 4 seconds. jon
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I had to take my 3 yr old to his "Mommy and me" class one night. They have a parent discussion period and that nights topic was safety. I told them how I had just taken him to the mall and he practiced on the escalator for a half hour. (Actually it was easy and inexpensive entertainment for him.) The moms about shat... The teacher looked at me like I belonged behind bars. You should see the looks my kids give me when I ask them if they'd jump off a bridge just because their friends said to. One drawback of them knowing I do. jon
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You know you're an old timer if... 32. You have "video" of yourself in Super 8. 33. You used to wear a Bell helmet. 34. You had two zippers to fail open. 35. You remember people actually looking up to watch a skydive in progress. 36. You had lots of black speckles on your left side from going front float. 37. You knew about Cardinal Puff. 38. You could spot exactly! 39. Getting out at 2500' doesn't make you nervous. 40. You belonged to a "club". 41. A disc was ten cents instead of five. 42. You've used double shots. 43. You tie-dyed a cheapo. 44. You gutted a cheapo. 45. You owned a cheapo. 46. You know B12, B4, etc aren't vitamins. 47. You know what pull, cover, pull means. 48. You bought whiskey for your rigger.
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Thanks for the chuckle Jeff, er I mean Billy.
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doi You win an autographed photograph of King Farouq.
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Especially after you heard him laugh! Heh Heh Heh, nah, more like Ah Ah Ah I miss the right coast. (sometimes) jon
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Sadder changes at the DZ; Nobody even looks up any more... Remember when you'd hear "PULL!" "PULL!" "whew". Now you don't even have to go looking for the guy that went in because he's in the landing area under a good canopy!
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It's raining everywhere isn't it?!! jon
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SKYDIVING Mag is good for wrapping mullet. jon
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Current is something you get out of a wall socket... Stay recent. jon
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QuoteWhen we used Hank's 52"... -------------------------- I useda 52 on my first building jump and the canopy was a small 5 cell Kestral. It sure handled weird but I was so pumped I just landed it and jumped into the getaway van... jon
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Peace... and may the incident and fatality lists gather much dust and remain very quiet. jon
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Got to... Life's too important to take seriously! jon
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Don't tell my friends that I swing both ways. I telemark and snowboard. Prefer the tele but the plank is the tool for thick crud once you learn to handle it. jon
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Go get a chalk bag and some shoes then just do it. Don't climb higher than you want to fall and make sure you can climb down what you can get up. At this stage downclimbing is an essential skill. You can get real strong in the gym but it ain't rock climbing. And by the way... Get to know a local orthopedic clinic along the way... trad Jon
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It's Retro BASE, and it's how everyone in my generation did it. I knew at least as much, and probably less, than you, when I made my first tower jump. ---------------------------------------------- That's how we did it and todays jumpers have the benefit of our experience to take advantage of. I don't have the fatality list memorized but wasn't one of the very early ones a wire strike? ------------------------------- I'm glad you are okay. NickD
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Great picture and the story is enough to make me want to stay out of the cold, thankyou very much. jon
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Good guy. Not at all the skygod.
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Flying aeroplanes versus jumping from them...
jonstark replied to LearningTOfly's topic in The Bonfire
I never thought that the money it takes to fly would be well spent. I would rather spend it at the DZ and did so for a long time. Jumping slowed down and I have a shorter leash now with two kids so I started rebuilding antique airplanes and flying them in the mountains and desert. I love both jumping and flying. They both are "lifestyle" sports. They must become a lifestyle for you to become proficient. Once fairly expert in either you can engage in them recreationally or as a carreer. However you wish. Either can be an avocation, carreer or a bottomless pit for your cash too. The choice is yours. jon -
You're so right about the shameless way we treat each other. I have recently made the acquaintance of two German Luftwaffe fighter pilots recently myself. One flew ME163 rockets against our bombers. He survived 7 flights in them and this is his proudest aviation accomplishment. The other flew ME109s and was an ace. Wonderful fellows the both of them. I treasure the chance to "shoot the breeze" with them. My biggest regret of my 30+ year aviation carreer is that I didn't appreciate the old timers more when there were more of them alive. It's been wonderful to pick their brains. Given teh right questions you should see these guys light up. It'll be a great loss to have them slip away. jon
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arvin, elsinore, oceanside, taft 1965-66
jonstark replied to ccinder's topic in Skydiving History & Trivia
QuoteLake Elsinore was where all the major Sky Gods jumped in the early 70's. ------------------ Begging your pardon but there was another coast back then and there were some major SkyGods from the Midwest. -
I wonder if they could have fathomed the idea of having 64K of memory at more than 1hz. They are going to look back at us and wonder too. Ain't it great?!?!?!?
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GOOD ONE MATE! I have been on long free hanging jugs before on the Captain and there ain't nothin that compares. I take that back... riding the haul bag or "pig" after it's been cut away from the wall so as to jug past the cleaner. (You big wall types might know;) Anyway, Good effort! The removal of your escape by cutting the rope added to the ballsiness of the job. Your heart must have been in your throat. jon