steve1

I feel like I need to improve my tracking ability. In the past I haven't been dearching much. I've found in some recent attempts that if I go immediately into the proper track position I experience some buffeting and even some instability. I mean it feels totally different from the way I've tracked in the past, and I wonder if I'm dearching a little too much. lately I've been moving more slowly into the proper track postion and not dearching much, and I seem to be having better luck. I'm also making sure that I lock my knees now, since I jump with booties and there is a tendency not to lock them out. Anyone have any suggestion for pulling off a good track? This is such an important skill in RW, that I want to get better at it. Thanks, Steve1

I was just wondering what happened to Ted Mayfield. (Is that the same Ted you mentioned?) I remember watching a special on national TV about him after several people went in at his DZ in Oregon. I jumped a few times at his DZ in the early 70's. Ted seemed like a great guy. I also recall a pilot named "Elevator" who flew for Ted and he looked like he was 16 (back then). There was also a bearded, long haired guy at Ted's D.Z. who was named Jack. I made quite a few jumps with him out of a twin beech. He had big black stars all over his white jump suit. At any rate it would be interesting to get an update on these guys. Steve1

I've got an old Z-1 and I really need glasses or contacts to be a safe jumper. I took it to the optrician's and tried on a million different pair. Finally I found a pair that kind of wrapped around and did fit. The visor still pushes slightly on the corners of the frames, but nothing I can't live with. It's great being able to see again. A friend ordered a pair of sport RX goggles, that look like glasses. He wears these under his Z-1. I've heard lot's of good things about the Havoc helmets also. Steve1

I'm no expert, but I think the awareness you want will come in time. When you are relatively new at something, as intense as skydiving, there is a brain overload and it is very difficult to be totally aware of all the things that are happening so fast. The awareness you want will probably come to you, as you get more jumps and learn to relax. When I started riding broncs, (years ago) it was the same thing. In eight seconds time everything seemed a blurr and then it was over. Sometimes it was only a few seconds before I landed on my head. I couldn't recall much that had happened, not because I landed on my head, but because it all happened so fast and I was so psyched up. After a few years of this, things began to slow down considerably, and the awareness needed to make a good ride started to fall into place. In other words it was no longer such a brain overload. Steve1

The last day, of our stay in Arizona. we went to Coolage to make some jumps and eat some supper with Dave Mahoney. It was very dark, as we stood around the bonfire, listening to the coyotes yip, when this grizzled, old guy (who looked about 80) comes walking up to the fire. I asked him how he was doing, and he replied, "Anything I want." I while later we started talking about jumping and the question came around to how many he had made. He replied, "2,800, but the last 800 don't really count because they were on squares." About then someone asked who he was, and he said Bob Sinclair. Apparently he started jumping in 1945, and never quit. (He still jumps). He told us stories of jumping and filming the Rip Cord TV series. When asked if he'd ever been hurt, he told us that he had screws here, and a plate there, and a rod in his leg, and on and on. Later he took us into his bus to show us some old scrap books. You couldn't help but be inspired by this old guy with M shaped visor on his cap. With bright eyes he showed us page after page of news clippings of his life. One was of the time he jumped into the Rose Bowl game (with a 28 ft. round), without permission, and stole the show. Another was an article of a jump he made at an air show in Palmer, Alaska. Apparently the plan was for him to ride a bi-plane wing, while it made three loops. On the third loop he was to let loose and free-fall down before opening his chute. Everything worked according to plan, and his chute opened fine. About then the plane came around and looped through his lines, cutting all of them. He went to open his reserve, but it entangled with the cut lines. He fought with this almost to the ground before his reserve finally opened. Luckily he opened in a deep river gulch. If he hadn't he probably would have burned in. He didn't get canopy until about 50 feet, above the water, and below the D.Z. altitude. Luckily the water was only about waist deep, so he was able to gather up his chutes, wade out, and climb up to the D.Z. Another story was how he took Johny Carson up for a 60 second free-fall on his first jump. It sounds like that jump was the start of AFF. All I can say is "What a guy!"...................Steve1

Guns are a no-no in Meheeco. I'll bet you didn't know I can speak spanish. We may spend a day in Mexico, next week, while we're visiting Eloy. Steve1

Deuce, You gotta quit smoking that stuff. What if they drug test you! Steve1

The first I jumped was an unmodified t-10 in the army. When I started sport jumping I had a 28 ft. (7 T-U). The first rig I owned was a solid red, Mark 1 Para-commander. I also bought a new Navy Blue Super-Pro harness and container. My reserve was Pioneer chest mount with a 24 ft. inside. I wish I still had that rig. Steve1

Steve, is it really possible to do "one rep"? Now that I think about it, probably not. It's just weight lifter lingo. Everyone I know say's it that way. Steve1

It's a lift that power lifters train for. It involves lifting the bar off the floor and then locking your shoulders back in a complete upright position. It's a grueling exercise, yet fun, because you can pile on a lot of plates. Steve1

Dave, you handle a lot more weight than I'm able to. I haven't dead lifted in years. I miss doing that lift a lot, but I'm not sure if my lower back could still take it. I did 405 for one rep once in the dead lift and I felt like my back was going to break. I almost never do single reps any more though. (Too easy to get hurt.) I do get down to four or five reps at times though, and usually do around eight. Steve1

Yesterday was my back and bicep day. I've got to do legs today. That's what keeps us old farts going. Steve1

I have three of those in the safe I thought as long as a police department gave me a demo letter that I would order a dealer sample for myself

You know I didn't go to either ceremony, for my undergrad or graduate degrees. I figured it was just more money out of my own pocket that could be spent better someplace else. Now I feel like I missed out on something meaningful. If I had it to do over again, I'd go. I remember when B.J. Worth graduated from our University. He jumped into the ceremony wearing his cap and gown. Steve1

I say, go for it! I've been known to be attracted to many guys that are folically challenged. reply] I like the sound of that....... The next time someone calls me a bald headed bastard, I'll just have to tell them (in a prudish voice), "No, I'm just a good looking, folically challenged individual." Steve1

This might be a good weapon, if you spend a lot of time in Grizzly country. I don't trust pepper spray. It might be big and heavy, yet it would still be handier than carrying a rifle everywhere. Steve1

Your hair reseeds all by itself? I would like to see that! Is that like a Chia Pet kind of thing? Oh yeigh, I reseed it on a regular basis, but nothing seems to be coming up. That's why I have to have a can of black spray paint or shoe polish next to my bathroom mirror. Some times I just say the hell with it and go al natural. I've heard some women even prefer the Yule Brenner look. I was just wondering though if anyone had any ideas for keeping the glare down. There is this terrible glossy finish up there that you just don't want to look at on a sunshiny day....... Steve1

I'm sorry akaGQ. This was meant to be a serious post and I turned it into a kind of joke. I don't think the world is ready for my kind of humor. (Even though I have a ball writing it.) Steve1

1. Real smart! 2. Kinda chunky. 3. Reseeding hair. 4. Not young. 5. Crooked teeth Does anyone want a date? Some folks say I'm real cute in a homely kind of way......Steve1

Yesmm. I had a cousin once named Ellie May. Our marriage didn't last long though. I'm married to a different kin-folk right now. But at any rate I hope to see you there........ P.S. I was gonna bring my old hound dog with me too. They do allow dogs in the bunk house don't they? I never could teach that dog how to go outside and he has this nasty habbit of marking his territory all over inside of some buildings.....And then he likes to bark at anything that moves, sometimes for hours at a time, and he does kind of chew the furniture up a bit, but other than that he's a good old dog, and I'm sure everyone will just love him. That reminds me I need to give him another bath. The dang fool thing rolled in something dead again......Steve1

Glad your cat's okay. My daughter has a cat that she raised from a kitten. Anyhow her cat has been gone all this week. We didn't have a clue what happened to it. Then today I found it walking across our school playground. The thing is that the school, I work at, is about 35 miles away from where we live. All I can figure is that last week, it must have hitched a ride somehow on my car all that way. My wife once drove several blocks at high speed with the cat on top of her car. I doubt if it could have gone that far though on top. It's been cold lately, and it must have climbed up in near the motor looking for warmth. There isn't much room under there though. There are about a million dogs in this town (where I work) also, and you just don't see cats out walking around, because they are eaten by dogs. So somehow our cat survived a 35 mile ride on the outside of a car, then a week in dogville. At any rate he's now safe and sound and back to his old tricks, like killing most of the local song bird population, and shedding fur all over the house. My wife was secretly hoping that he had gotten a hairball and disappeared that way. That leads me right into another cat story. (I have a million of em). At any rate last summer, this same cat, disappeared for a couple days. He was hanging out at our neighbor's house. Our neighbor is a nice guy and recongized the cat as being my daughter's. So the guy picks up the cat and gives him a big hug. About then our cat latches onto his nose. So anyhow my wife answers the door, and here's this big grumpy looking guy with blood dripping off his nose. Luckily he didn't decide to sue us. It had been a couple years since our cat had had a rabbies shot, and we weren't so sure that he didn't have it, (since most skunks in our area are supposedly rabid). And then there are the times when our cat will suddenly come running out of the bushes and grab onto my wifes bare legs, just for fun. Of course my wife cuts loose with this blood curdling scream, that echoes clear across town, every time this happens. I don't know what the deal is with this old tom cat. He just never was the same after we got him de-neutered. I guess I don't blame him. That's about all we have to do for fun, here in Montana in the winter, is to tell cat stories. In the summer we poor up a big batch of concrete and all sit around and watch it harden up. Other times we all go down to the local stop light and wait for it to change...... Steve1

There will be at least five of us there from Montana. Actually we'll be there the 22nd and leave the 29th. We'll look for you there. You'll be able to recongize us. Most of us wear farmer coveralls instead of them there new fangled jump suits. Some people say that I look like an older version of Jethro Bodine....... I'm real current also. (haven't jumped since October) Steve1

Sounds like some good reading. Another good book (I felt) is called "On killing". I don't recall the author. Most of it pertains to killing on a battlefield, yet it is also required reading for some police depts. and was written by a clinical psychologist who was also a soldier. At any rate it talks about how difficult it is for a normal person to kill another person. Soldiers in combat, often could not even fire their weapon or if they did fire, they would miss. Many were able to overcome this by thinking of the enemy as an inferior being who deserved to be killed. Many soldiers thought of the enemy as a Jap, Krout, Gook, Towel Head, etc. By lowering their status to this level it was easier to blow them away. The book also said that there are some people who are natural psycho-paths and took to killing much easier than others. Many of these were found in the more elite units. Such as S.F., Rangers, Seals, Snipers, etc. This kind of bothered me because I went through S.F. training, years ago, and most of the people I knew seemed pretty normal. Although there were a few I wondered about. I remember one guy who said he was reuping for Vietnam and going S.F., because it was the only way, as he put, that he could kill legally and he liked it. I remember another ex-marine who was going S.F. and volunteering for Vietnam for a 2nd tour. He told me once how he shot an old Vietnamese women in the head with a 45 at point blank range. In other words he murdered her. Supposedly she was calling in fire on his Marine infantry unit. At any rate, I figured both these guys would fit into the psycho-path category. I've read other books though, where many soldiers were able to kill the enemy by thinking this act was helping to keep their buddies alive. Many of them also felt a lot of guilt upon returning home alive, when many of their buddies didn't. I suppose it would be an extremely difficult job to do and probably difficult to understand if you haven't been in their shoes. (Which I haven't). Most of them suffered from at least some symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress. Steve1

Wait till you come to North East Montana in February. It sometimes gets down to -70 F. with the chill factor. If you head 1,000 miles south of here you "MIGHT" find a place that jumps this time of year. And it's too flat here even to ski. I'm counting the days til I head to Arizona, "next Saturday". I got to get out of here! Steve1

I think there may be a tendency to downplay the dangers in our sport. When I was much younger everyone was saying that skydiving was safer than waterskiing because supposedly someone came up with statistics that could prove this point. The thing is, I know quite a few people who water ski yet none of them (I know) have died at it. I don't know all that many skydivers. Yet over the years I've known five people personally who were killed jumping. (And I was out of the sport for about 25 years.) But at any rate, I have a hard time thinking of skydiving as being safe. Have you ever known anyone who was refused life insurance because he waterskis? If you are a pilot or skydiver you may have problems in this area. Actually an insurance company would be one place to check for valid statistics. I would hope they base their policies and premiums on this kind of evidence. Often times private pilots have told me how crazy I am to jump. Most of them are taken back when I tell them I don't think jumping is much more dangerous than what they do. But I don't have any hard evidence for this either. I just know a lot of private pilots who have crashed and died. It would be interesting to look at some valid statistics that compare the fatalities in various sports. Steve1