steve1

The grabber pilot chutes were just coming out, about the time I quit jumping for an extended period. They sure looked like the way to go. I used to have a lot of trouble with MA-1 pilot chutes, getting caught in my burble. This probably wouldn't be a problem on a hop and pop, but the springs on some MA-1's were really weak. I was glad to see someone finally invent a pilot chute with a long powerful spring (like the grabber). I knew people who packed two pilot chutes. I never thought that one would fill with air and reduce the effectiveness of the other. Thanks for telling me! I'm now putting together a para-commander rig, and was thinking of doing just that. I used to sit up on opening, and sometimes even elbow my back pack to get things coming off my back. A single MA-1 usually worked fine, but about the time you were a little low a hesitation would occur and scare the crap out of you. Another worry was having a hesitation with an MA-1, having it flop around, and then snag on a bungie (pack opening band). On the old 4-pin (B-12) back pack's this was a worry. I never saw it happen, but we were told they could snag a pilot chute.....

John, I know they have really gone up in price. I was thinking it was worth maybe $300. now. But as you said, maybe it's worth more. I love that pistol. It has a really light trigger on it. I once shot a duck out of the air with it. On another backpacking trip I shot the heads off of several grouse, for dinner. It's a real shooter. Buying guns is a good investment. I remember when you could buy a new Remington BDL rifle for $135, Now a similiar rifle might run $600.

. You are quite welcome. I know what you mean about the prices. I've been holding off ordering a new rear sight for the Remington 511-X bolt action .22 that my dad left me. It costs more than he paid for the rifle. ...................................................................... I was thinking the same thing. I paid almost $40. for the magazine. I bought the pistol for $20., from my Dad, when I was a kid. Of course he cut me a deal on it, but I doubt if it was worth much more than $40. even then. I've had some good luck picking up parts, such as sights at the occaisional gun show. I've got iron sights on nearly all my rifles, even though most of them have scopes. I like the idea of having iron sights as a back up. I have had a couple scopes go bad. I'd like to be able to take a scope off, if I break it, back in the back country. I hate the idea of having a useless rifle, because the scope is in need of repair.

Thanks, Belgian Draft! For years now, I've been searching for another magazine for my High Standard Model GB. I ordered one, just now, from Gun Parts Corp. I hate to lay out that much cash, just for a magazine, but I doubt if I'll find one any cheaper. Thanks, again.

I'm sure you're aware that healing is not always synonymous with symptoms going away. The traumatic effects may recede from immediate awareness but, unless the root causes are treated, the symptoms will very likely recur, often in times of stress. ........................................................................... Many mental health problems rarely go away entirely. A lot of people talk about closure, in their search for healing. I have a real problem with that. Seldom do problems just disappear. Much of the time a person can learn to manage their issues though. In PTSD there are many cues that can trigger past feelings of trauma. Recongizing those cues and then learning to control anxiety, fear, anger, etc. is a big part of therapy. No, the behaviors may not go away entirely, but if they become manageable, that is success. It's important to note that many people who show initial signs of PTSD do recover on their own, immediately following trauma. I made a low turn a couple years back I smashed into the ground with incredible force. I think a good PLF saved me that day. It was over a month before I was able to jump again. Those first jumps back were difficult. Maybe I didn't have full blown PTSD, but I did have a lot of symptoms. I was thinking about that accident over and over again. I was having trouble sleeping. There was a huge amount of anxiety as I worked my way back into the sport. Little by little it went away. Probably most people who experience trauma will show some signs of PTSD in the days or weeks following. If these signs persist, and cause problems in your life, it would be good to see a therapist. The problems may very well last years and years. For a long time the game plan in therapy was, if a person experienced trauma, it was important to get them into therapy, right away, so they could make a fast recovery. The research that I mentioned earlier states that therapy can interfere with natural recovery mechanisms. Whether or not that is true I don't know. I'd like to see more research. Most therapists base their treatment on their clinical experience plus the latest research. This is constantly changing as we learn new things. The treatment and medication that is the latest fad today will likely be outdated in the near future.

This study did not state that no treatment is best for persistant PTSD that plagues a client months or years later. This research says that treatment can interfere with the natural recovery mechanisms immediately following trauma. There is research to back this up. Not much study has been done in this area. I'd be interested in seeing more. If you think about it, the human brain is capable, much of the time of healing itself, immediately following a traumatic event. Is the only avenue to hire a therapist. I think not. PTSD symptoms often do go away in the weeks and months following trauma I have also read a lot of research stating the opposite, that immediate treatment is best. So, which do we believe. Probably more research is needed.....

I watched a thermite grenade burn through an engine block once. It took seconds for it to burn through that much steel. Very impressive!

Like I said, If I have time to find this article I will. So long, Nerd Girl. Perhaps you can move on to another topic you know little or nothing about.....

You're not telling me anything that I don't already know. I mentioned one study that found that no treatment can produce results and you are acting like this is the end of the world. Frankly I don't have time to wade through all the PTSD studies relating to 9/11. I'm busy working with real people suffering from PTSD and potential suicide. I took a brief look recently, and yes, there are hundreds to look through. So, If you're saying I'm making things up, I don't give a rat's ass. If, I have time, I'll try to get this study to you. The other people I work with have read the same study. Perhaps they can help me find it again.....

. Ummm ... there are areas of disagreement w/r/t most effective treatment and methods; whether to treat or not, is not one of which I am aware. The assertion that there is "conflicting research" -- particularly in light of the lack of verifiable conflicting data -- is disengenous to put it diplomatically. VR/Marg[/reply ............................................................... In the course of working as a licensed therapist I look at all kinds of research in the course of a year. I don't keep all these articles to argue about on the internet. That doesn't mean that research doesn't exist. If I'm hearing you right, disengenous is another fancy way of saying bull shit. I wish you'd come right out and say what you really have to say rather than using fancy words. I don't see anything polite about that. If you really study pshychology you'll find that it is filled with conflicting theories and treatments. In many cases there is little research to support a form of treatment. Treating suicidal people is one example. Most therapists have their treatment strategies, but what are these really based on?...... It would be considered unethical to do clinical trials with groups of suicidal people. Can you imagine the law suits that would result from that. As a result, we know little about what works best in treating suicidal clients. Cognitive Behaioral Therapy is probably the most popular treatment when working with PTSD clients....

No, this is not the study I was referring to. There are litterally hundreds of studies relating to PTSD and the 9/11 disaster.

If you are so concerned about this study, possibly you could do some looking. Have you looked at much research. Surely it doesn't all agree. Aren't their conflicting studies out there. Frankly I've better things to do at the moment than jump through hoops to please you. If you don't believe this research, that is fine. It's out there if you care to look. What in hell does disengenuous mean? Are we having a contest to see who can use the most big words?

No, but this study was well documented. I've also seen research that states that quick treatment for PTSD is the answer. There is so much conflicting research out there, that it's hard to decide what the truth is. Was it Mark Twain who said, "There are lies, lies, and lies, and then there are statistics.".....

I listened to inspirational speaker once who was horribly burned by White Phosphorus. He was on a Navy gun boat in Vietnam. Their mission was to deliver some Navy Seals far upriver. They were ambushed by the enemy. He was in the process of throwing a W.P. grenade when a bullet hit it. It exploded either in his hand or very near it. Everyone thought he was dead, but he was aware of everything going on. I heard they loaded his corpse on a stretcher and his body burned right through the nylon material. He survived and went home to marry his high school sweat-heart. She married him even though he was missing an arm and looked like a monster. What an inspirational story!

New technology has changed weaponry a lot in the past 30 years. I remember when even a cluster bomb was classified. I'll bet Lou Diamond knows exactly what that picture shows. My guess would be some type of anti-personel cluster bomb, from an artillery shell. They didn't have anything like that in the 70's, but maybe they do now. I'm just guessing.

Why would it be banned? There are some rules to war, believe it or not. Full metal jacket ammo, rather than soft point for example. It seems kind of ridiculous, considering all the deadly weaponry available these days. White phosphorus was used all the time in Vietnam...

Trying to determine who would be likely to suffer from PTSD is an interesting topic. I once read that the best soldier might be someone with little or no imagination. Someone who could sit in a trench and not think about how today may be the day you will die. I don't know about that. It takes ingenuity, intelligence, and imagination to make a good soldier in my mind. There was an interesting study on PTSD following the 9/11 disaster. It had to do with recovery from PTSD. One group was given treatment by professionals, using the latest methods. Another group was given no treatment. Guess which group recovered the most quickly. It was the group with no treatment at all. How could that be? It might be that treatment can interfere with the natural recovery mechanism in the brain. It also says a lot for the natural recovery abilities of the brain. Most people will overcome the devastating affects of PTSD rather quickly on their own. I'm not saying that no treatment is best though. If the problems persist I truly believe that Psychological help can make a big difference. Choosing the right therapist is important though. There are conflicting ideas on the best way to treat PTSD. Recurrent thoughts, anxiety, depression, anger, low self esteem, hyper vigilance, and memory loss are some signs that might stem from PTSD. A sight, smell, sound, etc. can trigger feelings of being back in combat. My Dad came back to high school following WWII. He had a kid in his class who had been an army ranger. One day someone dropped his books in class. This poor sould dived under his desk. Another guy who had returned from a war was greatly affected. Whenever he went into a room he would sit in the back corner with his back to the wall, where he could see everything. Whenever someone walked by the door he was instantly alert. He was hyper vigilant, and these behaviors kept him alive in combat. It was nearly impossible for him to adapt to a safe environment again. Some people suffer so greatly that they feel hopeless and take their own life. There are a ton of returning soldiers who deserve the best treatment available for PTSD. Those who are faking symptoms to get a check should feel ashamed.....

They took they ranger's black beret and gave it to everyone. Yes, wearing a beret once meant something. The only people who wore berets, in the army, during the 70's, were Special Forces and Rangers. I do think the red beret for airborne was okay though. They earned it....

Thanks all, I bought a competition model P.C. a while back. I thought I was buying a MK-1. Then I found out that the competition model was more likely to malfunction due to the large hole in the back which can cause frontal closures. I also found out that they land quite a bit harder than the MK-1. This canopy and container were in remarkably good condition though. So, I was wondering what to do with it. I figured I could always make a para-sail out of it. I was reading through the para-commander hand book and got some good ideas. I had a rigger shorten the two tall turning slots and sew in a data panel to cover the big hole in back. It's still short lined. I hope it won't land much harder than a MK-1. Now all I need to do is get it in the air. I should have it at Lost Prairie this summer, if anyone wants to try it out. I did jump a para-commander a few years back. It had been about 35 years since I had jumped a P.C. I landed like a ton of bricks, (seeing as how I'm now a fat old bastard). My Frenchies enabled me to stand it up though. It was kind of fun showing all the young "Whippersnappers" how it was done.

Can I ask an off-subject question, concerning P.C.'s? I figure if there is this many old timers thinking about para-commanders I can get the right answere. What is the right length, to make your retainer line for your sleeve. I had a couple malfunctions back in the 70's because this line was too short. My sleeve and pilot chute ended up tangled in the back of my chute. Bill Booth said that some jumpers used retainer lines that were almost too long to avoid this type of malfunction. I'm putting together a new (0ld) para-commander rig and this line looks way too short. (maybe five feet). I think I'll put a new one on, a little longer than the sleeve. (maybe ten or twelve feet long.) Does that sound about right?.....

I recall watching a movie on D.B. Cooper's jump. Several people commented on how dangerous it would be to jump from a jet aircraft. Actually jumping from a jet may not be that different than other jumps. I made my very first jump from a C-141 jet in the army. It was probably comparable to the jet cooper jumped out of. In all I probably have around seven static line jumps out of a 141. We used the side doors. There was a wind deflector that allowed you to clear the door before hitting a blast of wind. If you had the right body position you were perfectly stable coming out of it. Openning shock wasn't bad either. We used t-10 canopies that are slightly para-bolic in shape. My old para-commander used to open really hard and fast though. More than once my face bounced off my chest mounted altimeter. I think anyone with any skydiving experience would know better than to pull right out the door of a jet. Most would wait a while till they slowed down and were perfectly stable, (if altitude allowed). Any gear that wasn't secured might fly off in that kind of wind. (Possibly even shoes). We used to jump old military gear in the early 70's, skydiving. I made probably 30 jumps on a 28 ft. round. I had two cut-aways on 24 ft. reserves. I never openned in a track. I imagine some of that gear might smack you good, if you did open in a track. I knew a few people who went to terminal before opening their undiapered reserves. Most said it was awful. I've talked to a couple who said the openning shock wasn't bad though. So, that's my limited knowlege on jumping rounds. I don't think an experienced skydiver would have much trouble tail gaiting out of the back of an airliner. Landing may have been the tough part. Jumping old gear, in the old days usually meant wearing boots, (French jump boots were best). If you were really young and tough, you could try tennis shoes. You also needed an open field. The Columbia Gorge sounds like a death trap to me....

I guess I need to slow down on my reading, and not be so quick to judgment. A closed head injury from a bomb is far different than PTSD. Brain scans are a new form of technology that truly are changing what we know about the brain. Severe PTSD also changes how the brain is physically wired. Problems with memory are common. Bran scans can show some of this. It may be possible some day to look at a brain scan and even diagnose exactly what is wrong. I truly think the brain is probably the most complicated organ in our body. I had a professor in college who had a doctorate in psychology. She said it was kind of like being a witch doctor, because we still don't know that much about the human brain. The field of psychiatry is only about fifty years old. It wasn't too many years ago when people were putting the liver of a fresh killed lamb, on the head of a mentally disturbed person to draw out the poison. We've come a long way since then, but we still have a great deal more to learn.

I agree that brain is an organ and that it can be damaged, but the twenty dollar question is....how exactly has the brain been damaged and where exactly did the damage come from. Most Clinical Psychologists have a least eight years of college. Much of what they do is trying to determine an exact diagnosis. Some times it all boils down to guess work. The diagnosis often changes from doctor to doctor. Is that what winning a service medal is all about. Find the right doctor, and you win that medal. When I was about to be drafted, we had a fellow that went with us to take our physical for the draft. Back then they would take most anyone with a heart beat. This guy had a note from a Psychologist that said he was unfit for military duty because he was more or less a section eight type of guy. He had money and had found a way out. That note was his ticket home, and he didn't have to serve. We all knew it was B.S. The rest of us had no choice. Many of us knew we were going to Vietnam, probably in the infantry. I wonder if I could get a Doctor to write me a note for the Congressional Medal of Honor. It makes about as much sense as a note for a Purple Heart.

I'd say no. I have profound respect for veterans who have served. PTSD is often a result of too much combat. I think there is no disgrace in admitting you have PTSD. One problem though is in diagnosing PTSD. It isn't too hard to fake symptoms to get a government check. Many soldiers have done just that. Diagnosing mental illness is not an exact science. It's not like you have a broken arm and you go to the Dr. to find out why it hurts. Most mental health professionals have trouble diagnosing exactly what is wrong with a client, or they often aren't sure what is causing the problem. The human brain is a very complicated thing that we still don't know that much about. Then complicate all that with those people who are faking simptoms to get a government check or even a medal. I think it would be pure foolishness to give an honored medal such as the purple heart, for mental illness. There are a ton of people who had mental illness before they even enlisted in the service. This includes PTSD from a troubled home. After their service in wartime, many say the war did this to me. Often it simply isn't the case. The purple heart is an award that deserves respect. It shouldn't be handed out to those who are unworthy. If a person has PTSD resulting from trauma in war, in service to their country, they are deserving of a lot, including people's respect. I don't think that includes a purple heart though. There's just too much room for fakery....

No, I don't know these areas at all. I drive the Columbia Gorge every year. I'd sure hate to make a night jump there. I just wonder how some of the money ended up in a sand bar if Cooper didn't land in the river. I suppose he could have stashed it there, and ran, I think there is a much greater chance he died in that river and some of the cash floated downstream. Rivers change course all the time, and it would be natural for the money to end up covered in sand. I'm sure you all know the details of this night, a lot better than I do. So, take my thoughts with a grain of salt if it doesn't add up..... I think if Cooper landed on land, and died there, someone would have found something. Hunters, hikers, and sight see'ers are everywhere these days. The country around the Columbia Gorge is forbidding country, but even the more remote places have people hiking through. I think Cooper was swallowed up by water somewhere. That would explain why none of the money was ever spent, and why Cooper was never found. But, that other hi-jacker who was caught in Utah and later shot to death, has me wondering. Could he have been Cooper? So, that's my two cents worth.