steve1

There's no doubt that year round school would improve test scores. Kids lose a lot with two to three months out of school...(all at once). Research has proven that. I've always enjoyed the long summer break. It's a time for not only kids, but also educators to rest up from the long school year. And who says summer is nothing but a waste. Many kids take trips with their parents, and do all types of other educational activities during the summer. But then again many kids do not come out of such a great home or enriched environment.... I've talked to teachers who have year round school. Many states have this already. Most teachers like it fine. They aren't really in school any longer than those who have the long summer break. They get weeks and weeks off during the school year. Extending the school year might help those students who have a poor home life. Many kids have a terrible home and school is a much better place. A longer school year would also result in a higher burn out rate for teachers. I don't think I could have lasted 26 years in education without a healthy summer break to recharge. If you work in a really tough school, 180 days of school per year, is enough... There is usually summer school at my school. I'm glad someone else teaches that. I don't want any part of it. My brain is fried after a long school year...

]Did you have a sheep as your logo . That would have been a great idea! I guess we were too slow to think of that.... I did have my SCR and SCS sewn on though. That was big doings back then....

In the mid 70's there was a lot of rumors concerning jumping with wings. One story was that, if your wings were too big, you could break both arms. Another story was that you might not be able to reach your rip-cord, with those "big ole" wings flapping. Those stories convinced most of us not to mess with death..... We had a four way team in about 75. We decided we were going to go to the Collegiate Nationals that year. That was when you didn't have to be good to go. We all bought farmer coveralls so we would match. Being from Montana this made sense to us. We figured it would be a great way to get attention! Those were the days when everyone was going to these huge jump suits for R.W. I'd try to jump with others, on a bigger load, in my nifty looking coveralls, and I was going low nearly every jump. This is back in the days when most of us had only one jump suit. So, I ended up sewing some mini wings, under my arms and in the crotch. It sounded great on paper, but I never could fly very well like that, (for R.W). That's the closest I've ever come to jumping a wing suit....

You don't sound like an idiot to me. When I started jumping it scared the crap out of me. I think my first five jumps were night jumps, because I had my eyes closed most of the time. But after each jump I had to make another one....

Bill Newmiester worked in Africa as a Mercenary, somewhere in Africa, during the late 70's. He was an Army S.F. soldier prior to that. He also worked as a smoke jumper, for almost thirty years, in Montana. Bill's been busted up so many times that he can no longer smokejump. Last I heard he was still working a lookout, during the summer months, in Western Montana. I'm sure the smokejumper base would know of his where abouts. He would be interesting to talk to or use as a source for a book....Bill was made of tough stuff....

I read in the Billings Gazette, that Arlyn Creek had died in Utah. I thought I knew most of the experienced skydivers in Montana, but I didn't know Arlyn. There were three pictures of him in the paper. One was with a huge bull elk he had shot. Another showed him in his cowboy hat. Another picture was of him hanging onto the outside of an airplane. There was also a poem about the freedom one experiences skydiving. It was a nice tribute to skydiving. His family said he spent his last days doing what he enjoyed most..."Skydiving". I never met Arlyn, but I wish I had....

I don't really roll it up, when I psycho pack. It's more a series of folds. It's simple to get the air out. I learned that method off of the inter-net, several years back. I had a new Hornet that was slamming the hell out of me nearly every opening. Part of the problem was that I was putting a 170 hornet into a 150 bag. It fits fine, if I psycho pack, but I can't do it neat enough using any other method. I'm not saying the psycho pack is better. I'm just saying that I can't pack it neat enough, with any other method....

Thanks for the PsychoPack! I was having slammer opennings. The psycho pack enabled me to get everything into too small of a bag neatly....I no longer have to go to the chiropractor to get my neck worked on....

Fred, I hope you and all the people at L.P. are doing well. Sorry for your loss!

What great pictures and memories! I was wondering if anyone has a picture of Jerry Bird's All Stars? Does anyone remember much about the history of that team?

It was colder than a well digger's ass in January! I love that kind of talk!

We jumped a 206 without doors in Montana. Sometimes we'd all try to huddle under a blanket. The guy squatting next to the door had it the worst. The wind was hitting him full force all the way to altitude. Man, were we glad to see an honest to god jump door installed. Our pilot (Walt Mercer) was like 80 years old. We figured if an old guy like him could take it....us young bucks could too....

Thanks for the info! I've never heard of the one at Ft. Cambell. I think there was a jump school also in Vietnam for training South Vietnamese soldiers. I remember seeing S.F. soldiers with foreign jump wings during the early 70's....

I only did four static line jumps before my first freefall. That was back in 73. Everything was perfect on those four jumps, so I was given the green light for free-fall. All my early jumps were on 28 ft. 7 T-U's. I think the twenty or so jumps that I made in the army airborne helped a lot, even though it was mostly all different. It did give a guy confidence. I've talked to a few old army jumpers who went through jump school at Ft. Bragg. That's a part of history that many have forgotten.... Can anyone give more info. on that Army jump school? What year was jump school changed to Benning?

I was never brave enough to shoot accuracy down wind. I do remember making some wild turns and missing the peas completely, crashing and burning.... Accuracy just wasn't any fun. I decided I wasn't tough enough for that game....So, I went back to RW. The golden knights made accuracy look easy....

I used to stand up my PC at least half of the time. I only weighed about 140 lbs. back then. Some of the landings in the video did look brutal. Normally a para-commander doesn't land that hard....

Being a Golden Knight has got to be the best job in the Army. I always looked up to them. I still remember a Golden Knight landing his P.C. in front of our bleachers on our first day of jump school, at Benning. That was in the spring of 1971. That H-34 helicopter brought back a lot of memories too. I had a lot of static line jumps out of one.... That black tandem master, in the second video, looked familiar. Wasn't he at Lost Prairie about five years back....

Yeah but you do not have steel cables attached to it yet No, I usually just put a hat on it. It helps keep the glare down....

I thought he was talking about my head....It's smooth and round on top....

Show up. You know you want to. You know you'll have fun. Even if you don't jump. Oh, I'd have to jump if I did show up. I have a para-commander I want to air out too. We'll see. My daughter's wedding is the end of July...

The last time I was in Hot Springs was over 25 years ago. I won some money at that rodeo. Haven't been back since....

I have a ton of respect for anyone who is able to stop drinking after struggling with alcoholism. Most of my relatives are alcoholics. Our garbage can was filled with whiskey bottles when I grew up. My brother drank himself to death. My other brothers are far into the depths of alcoholism. They all use denial to cover up the problem and continue on drinking. None of them have been able to stop. I feel the real problem, in my family is depression. Most of it was caused by trauma in a dysfunctional family. They chose to drink rather than take something like an anti-depressant. Alcohol ruined family relationships and created huge problems in their life. I could have become an alcoholic too. It was hard. I chose the anti-depressant route. I've tried to go off of it, but I realize I need it. I'll probably be on it all of my life. I'm willing to do that, because it enables me to feel normal. Zoloft enables me to better concentrate. I feel that I am a safer skydiver when I am taking it. But not all anti-depressents are the same. I tried Welbruton for a time, and it definitely wasn't for me. My memory, concentration, and anxiety were problems. I'd never consider doing something dangerous with a drug like that in my system.... I feel that this needs to be monitored by a Dr. and the FAA. An anti-depressant can make a person a safer skydiver, in my opinion. I'm glad the FAA is taking a second look at this. But I wonder why the FAA is so down on anti-depressants, yet they turn a blind eye to people who have been drunk all night, and then jump or fly the next morning?....

N.D.fallrate, Is this Craig? I'm thinking seriously of showing up! But I haven't jumped in two years. I know that's disgraceful! I hate showing up at L.P. that far out of practice. I did get my reserve repacked last summer. It seems like the older I get the busier I am. I need to start setting priorities and get back in the air. My daughter is getting married in July. If I can find a way....I hope to make Lost Prairie...

Welcome back Jeff! You'll do fine. You never forget how to fall stable. You might need to relax more and just feel the air....

You might check on a flight to Missoula. A lot of jumpers are coming from that direction. You should be able to catch a ride with somebody....