steve1

I just priced a Hornet 170. They're something like $575. (new and in custom colors). Freight to the U.S. is another $70. WHAT A DEAL! I might not have to rob a liquor store after all. I'm sorry to think of buying from the competition, Lisa. But.......

How does a Hornet compare to a Saber? At the current prices for Hornets I am seriously thinking of ordering one. Are the opennings any softer than a Saber. I've heard that some Saber opennings can be quite severe, even when packed properly. Also I'm wondering what size to order. I have about 120 square jumps on a Falcon 195, and about 300 round jumps from years ago (if they count). I know this is a very relative question to ask and I know that I should demo one first, but I think I'll just order one and work into it later if it is too hot for me now. My container would be about maxed out (size wise) with a 170. I hope I didn't ask too many dumb questions. I really appreciate your help. Thanks, Steve

I was wondering if the 40% off sale is still in effect for new Triathalon canopies. I tried to contact Lisa late in the day, but I missed her. This kind of discount has got me thinking. If a mortgage my house and sell my car, and rob a local liquor store, I think I can just about swing it.

Clay, I've spent a lot of time in that area. I think I answered your post earlier about Superior. There used to be a lot of elk up that way. I've heard there are now a bunch of wolves up Nine-Mile. I've never heard of a wolf attack as was mentioned in the earlier post. In fact I heard there has never been a documented account of this happening. I've always wondered why. Under the right conditions you'd think it could happen. If you get a chance you should come down the Bitterroot and jump at Stevensville. It's a small drop zone but lot's of good people there. It's probably the most beautiful place you can imagine to jump. The Bitterroot Selway Wilderness is on the west with some peaks that go over 9,000 ft. The D.Z. is around 3500 ft. so landings can be a little different than at Sea level. Just ask for Hod Sanders. He owns the place and has over 6,000 jumps. He was on a few world championship teams with B.J. Worth and was on the Navy Parachute team. I still own a log house and 17 acres a few miles from there.

Actually a round isn't that bad to land under the right conditions. I've made a lot of standup landings under a standard T-10. It does really piss off some ranking people sometimes (to do a standup) because you're trained to always do a PLF. Don't get me wrong. If you are jumping a round, knowing how to do a PLF is very important. If the wind comes up you can really be slammed into the ground hard and being able to do a PLF is what saves you. You also need a good helmet. Especially if you are backing up. The old steel pots, we used in the olden days in the army, left a lot to be desired. A buddy of mine has over a 1,000 jumps on a 28ft. round. When sport jumping,back in the 70's, everyone wore French jump boots. The air cushions and ankle support really helped.

Getting back to mountain lion meat. I heard it is as good as the best pork roast you can find. A friend of mine's wife says it is her most favorite meat. I've never tried it. Most people in the olden days would throw it out, but from what I hear it is quality meat. I've tried bear cooked a variety of ways and even made into salomy, but I've never cared for it. Tastes real greasy and wild to me, but some people like it. maybe there's a good recipe for it out there. Where abouts in Montana is your house, Clay? I grew up in the Missoula area. Mostly south of Missoula down the Bitterroot. Many of my old friends still chase cats with hounds. In all the years I've hunted Montana I've only seen one Mountain Lion. He was sitting on top of a deer a friend of mine had wounded. He ran off and we missed a couple of shots at him running. Then the deer got up and we had to finish it off. I was a lot younger then. I usually don't shoot now unless I'm sure of my shot. This probably sounds like a war story, but it really happened that way. For me I'd stick with slugs over buckshot. I have carried OO buckshot in my shotgun, for bear protection in Alaska and Canada, but I think slugs will penetrate much deeper than buckshot. Penetration is very important on a big bear that has heavy bone and muscle to go through. Police use buckshot a lot. Seldom does a perpetrator go down and stay down when hit with it. At least that is what the research says that I read. I also read that even slugs may not penetrate enough on a big bear because they don't have enough powder behind such a heavy slug. A lot of people in bear country, up North, use 338's or similiar magnums. My 12 guage has about a 20 inch barrel on it. It goes across the border into Canada without any troubles at the check points. I guess there are a lot of opinions on the best gun for bear protection.

A 357 is pretty small to use against a Grizzly. There was a game warden here in Montana who did kill a grizzly with one though. He was unloading a Grizzly out of a live trap after transporting it a long ways. The whole trap ended up falling out of the back of the truck. The game warden fell off the top into the lap of the angry bear. He whipped out his trusty 357 and emptied it into the bear at point blank range killing the bear. When I was in Alaska most people carried 44 magnums and shotguns with slugs for bear protection. A friend of mine says you really don't need to worry about outrunning a grizzly. All you need to do is outrun the guy you are with!

It's about 20 below out tonight, here in Montana. Makes me wonder why I'm here. Summer is coming though. Only a few more months of misery.

Jesse and Clay, I've never jumped a c-5. Sounds awesome. I'm not familiar with the C-17. Technology is changing things at a rapid rate. I was just wondering if the military is still jumping t-10s. When I first started that was what we were using, with two shot capewells, and reserves with no pilot chute. Later we started jumping mains that had some modification for a little bit of forward speed. When I was at Perris, over Christmas, I talked with a British Para-trooper. He said they made practice jumps all the time from around 600 ft. I wonder if he was pulling my leg. I know combat jumps may be down to around 500 ft., but I've never heard of jumping that low on a practice jump. In the olden days we never left an aircraft below 1200 ft. This guy was saying that with a new type of chute that they are using it is fairly safe to jump this low. I'm just wondering what type of chute this is. The guy seemed honest and he was a good skydiver. Does this sound right to you guys?

Wild Blue, Sorry for the mistake. I did mean that his reserve collapsed rather than his main. I probably should buy a malfunction video. I didn't realize that a down plane on your main would create such speeds toward the ground. Wouldn't a fully inflated reserve slow you down, if you had two canopies out. Sorry for the dumb questions. Most of my 400 jumps are on rounds in the olden days. Thanks for the info. Steve

I tried the Wolmari pack for a while. I know the theory behind this pack job is to help prevent line over malfunctions by the way it folds up. It does really fold up nicely and goes into the bag well. The only problem that I seemed to be having with this was very hard openings. I finally went back to my old methods of pro-packing and the openings seemed much better. I'm just wondering if anyone else has noticed a difference in severity of openings using this method. I was jumping a 195 Falcon. Thanks Steve,

I used to have a riggers certificate to pack chest reserves back in the olden days. I would like to get this renewed so that I can pack square reserves. Somebody told me that I would have to pack 20 of these reserves under a riggers supervision and then take a test under a master rigger. I'm just wondering about the test. Would I be packing a reserve only? Would any sewing, etc. be involved? What would constitute a failing score on the reserve repack? I would probably get this renewed so that I could work on my own gear. Thanks, Steve

Thanks for all the great input on this guys. I was also wondering what would be a minimum altitude to cut away from a downplane. I was on a load last summer at Lost Prairie where 8 or 10 people went low and a couple of cypresses fired. One guy finally cut away his main a couple hundred feet above the ground. For some reason his main then collapsed and he really messed up his back. The ambulance hauled him in to town. So I don't think cutting away at 200 feet would be good. How about 500? I suppose at any altitude something could happen. Thanks, Steve

Jesse and Clay, Have either of you two ever jumped out of a C-5? I heard that the 82nd was doing this back in the 70's. This is one big aircraft. It makes a 141 look tiny. I wonder about the feasibility of this though. Is there a practical use for this type of operation? It would probably take a dozen passes to get everyone out on most drop zones. I suppose if a long line of troops were needed, on line over a long area, this might be a good aircraft. I imagine some very heavy equipment could also be dropped quickly.

Started in the army (at 19), Started sport jumping a couple years later, Sport jumped for about 4 years and army jumped for six. Quit for 23 years. Started up again, sport jumping, about 2 1/2 years ago. I'm still a spry old duffer and very handsome! .......... For all you good looking young ladies out there, who might want my phone number.......I'm already taken. Sorry!

I have read that it is good to know how to stop a downplane, when you have two canopies out. Can anyone elaborate on this further? What downplane scenario would you want to cut away from? Thanks Steve,

I was wondering what are some possible case scenarios for using your knife when skydiving. If you have a line over type malfunction would be one. If someone was being towed behind the aircraft would be two. I know almost nothing about crew type jumps and I am sure these people are more aware of what could happen than I am. In other words when should you start cutting on someone elses lines and canopy or even your own. Also what is the best type of hook knife to pack? I have seen some crew jumpers who pack a very large one such as the Jack (the ripper type). I wonder if the little cheap ones are worth having. Also where do you pack yours? I would appreciate your input. Thanks Steve,

Clay, I remember working with some Air Force people back in the olden days who wore a Black Beret. We had a field problem down in Southern New Mexico with them. We flew down from Bragg in a C-130 and made a night jump in. I think it was called a black bird or something. At any rate it had a terrain following guidance system on board. So for the last 50 miles or so we were supposedly flying below radar. We could feel it going up and down as it followed the terrain going in. When we got over the drop zone the green light went on. This early day GPS was all new back then. We used to use lights (at night) or panels (during the day) to mark the DZ. These could be hard to see when you were jumpmastering a 141 because of the wind deflector they used on that aircraft. It was hard to see around. But anyway the green light went on and we all left the 130. This was one of those jumps when I never did see the ground because it was so dark. It's no fun riding your rucksack in. One of the people on our A-team needed to be medivacked out with a hurt back. The next morning we met up with the airforce people that I mentioned earlier. They seemed very hard-core and well trained. They showed us how to set up some type of box, usually on top of a hill. This was usually within about a half mile of a target. Jets would then home in on this and fly a track and a distance to a target. We also got resupplied once by a jet that jettisoned it's fuel tanks on it's wings. They had small drogue chutes on them which slowed them down some. It was a fun exercise that involved a lot of aggressors including Seals and Marine Recon. Does this sound like any of the stuff you used to do? I hope I'm remembering all this stuff right. It's not easy when you have CRS disease.

Jesse, It's good to know that we have such good people in the army today. You should be commended on the job you are doing. I think things have improved greatly over the past 20 years since I was in. Leadership back then was not always as good. I understand now, if you are passed over for promotion you can be forced out. This may be a good thing. Only quality people will remain in leadership roles. I'll bet your men have a lot of respect for you.

The chute I am using now is almost too large for the container. Maybe this might make a difference. I don't really shove the bridal up too far. Just a few inches so it stays put. A couple more inches and it can wrap around the closing flap. Thanks, Steve

Thanks Rigger-Rob. I'll get a rigger to look at this. Steve

Clay, I know what you mean. I never went to Vietnam, but a lot of my friends and people that I trained with did. A lot of them never came back. Many of the veteran's who did come back spent a lot of time being fed up and angry at our government. One of the best sky divers that I once knew was Jeff Frangos. I think he is still jumping out there someplace. He was in Arizona. At any rate he was a helicopter pilot in Nam and had seen a lot of action. I heard that he once threw a bottle into a television set after listening to some blow hard politician talk about why we needed to stay in Vietnam. I knew another guy who wouldn't take his hat off when they played the national anthem, before he got on his bronc or bull at rodeos. He too was a combat veteran of Vietnam. Many people weren't very patriotic during that time period, and with good reason. I don't know of many people out there who want to become cannon-fodder without a good enough reason. You were in a lot longer than I was and can probably see things more clearly than I can. When you get to be an old fart like myself it's kind of fun to reminess about the good old days, even those days that may not have really been that good.

Clay, Relax! I respect your opinion. I know there are other branches of the service that wear the beret. I meant to say in the olden days, in the army, that was how it was. I know there are idiots in the military as well as some really good people who believe in what they're doing. I'd like to jump with you some day. Steve

Maybe my container is different than yours. Mine is an older container that has been converted to BOC. At any rate the bottom closing flap has a very rigid squared off corner. If I shove the bridle line too far up under the right closing flap it can slide over this rigid corner. This is kind of hard to explain without drawing a picture or showing you in person. The place I'm talking about is after you shove the pilot chute in the pocket, you then stow the bridle up under. Shove it too far and it can wrap around the rigid corner flap. My Vector is not like this. I know the new Talons are different also. Thanks for your input. Steve

I just recently purchased a Talon 2. The first time I packed it up I shoved the bridal way up and around this flap. Fortunately I tested it out before jumping it. I'm sure I would have had a pilot chute in tow. As hard as I yanked on it, the line remained wrapped around this stiff bottom flap. I wonder how many malfunctions are caused by this each year. My other rig has nothing under there that will cause a similiar problem. I wonder if this problem is exclusive to talon containers. Every time I pack I have to use great care to avoid this problem. I don't dare shove the bridal up there too deep. Steve