steve1

I think the big thing is don't get discouraged and learn from every jump. Developing a good strong arch is really important. You might want to practice on a bed, it's softer. Do it over and over until it is automatic...Strong arch and motionless legs. Then do it in the air. Try to focus on your legs when you let loose of the strut. Muscle memory from all you practice should kick in. Keeping your arms and legs symmetrical is vital if you don't want to start spinning. Don't give up....you'll get it!

............................................................... My oldest daughter made a tandem on her 18th birthday. She loved it! That was the same year I started back jumping again, so we were able to go up on the same plane load. The younger daughter isn't that hepped up to make a jump. I figure when she wants to make one, she'll ask. I don't want to force jumping onto her....

reply] Da Terminator just signed a bill outlawing lead ammo in California. Some whacko environmentalists convinced enough people that rare condors are eating loose bullets like candy, poisoning them. So throw out that hundred years of ballistic data that has been accumulated, and start all over again... ................................................................. Gee whiz! What's the world coming to! When did Swartzenegger start worrying about the environment? And how are lead bullets going to make any difference at all? I can see the reasoning behind banning lead shot for waterfowl, but not for anything else. Where's the evidence that this is even a problem. Or is this really a sneaky way to ban the sale of most ammo for rifles and pistols. Finding a manufacturer of factory ammo, with copper bullets, may be next to impossible. I know Barnes-x bullets can be reloaded in some calibers. Possibly they are sold in some factory cartridges, but they are probably really hard to find. I've never heard of copper bullets for pistol ammo. Are the police going to be subject to this same law when they buy ammo? I'll bet not.....

Damn, I didn't see my name anywhere. I quit jumping from about 76 to around 2000 so I missed out on some famous skydivers. I always thought of Jerry Bird as the king though. I've got a ton of respect for Bob Sinclair. And then there is Skratch Garrison. B.J. Worth was a friend I jumped with in the early 70's. He wasn't famous then. He since went on to do all kinds of famous stuff. So, he'd probably get my vote now....

.............................................................. There's no doubt better bear guns than this pistol. The nice thing about a pistol is that they are easier to pack around than a rifle or shotgun. In Alaska I often packed a 12 guage with slugs. Many times I was unarmed though because I just got tired of packing a shotgun around, everywhere I went. So, maybe a pistol might be handier for that scenario. I'd want at least a 44 magnum for that. I watched a video of a bowhunter dispatching a large grizzly with some kind of big bore automatic pistol. He stalked as close as he could to a grizzly with intentions of putting an arrow into it. Then the grizzly started walking directly at him. He shot it once in the head, with the pistol, and it dropped. Very impressive!

What impressed me was how accurately he was shooting it. I'd want one if I was in country that had a lot of Grizzly or Polar bears. I wonder what the noise level is like shooting one though. The one on TV looked like it had some sort of muzzle brake on it (if I recall). That could make them louder. My little 9mm about makes me deaf without ear plugs. What would this big boy be like?

Hell yes, you're still one of us! I took a twenty year lay off and started up again. I'll bet you can stiil fall stable with no trouible at all. With a little practice you'll be back doing RW again....You'll love all the new gear.

................................................... Clint, Thanks for trying to help me out of my retirement delima. I'm not sure if I would want Warren's job. Think of all the pressure and responsibility you would have. One day my lawn mower might quit, and then what would I do. Then there's all those damn sprinklers to worry about. And then if I cut the grass too short Hod and Tina might be pissed at me. I don't know if I could handle a high pressure job like that! Come to think of it Tina may already be pissed at me. Pulling low, several jumps in a row, might have been what did it. At any rate she had a real disappointed look in her eye last time I saw her. Hod didn't seem to mind though. I've given it a lot of thought, and what I think I'd really like to do....is to help manage the dancing girls at Shotgun Willy's in Laurel. I figure I could give the girls advice on how to look a little more sleezy in those cute little outfits they wear. Or I could show them how to swing around that pole a little faster without getting hurt. Or maybe I could show them how to do those undulating movements a little more appropriately. I'd also like to change the name from Shotgun Willy's to the Laurel Ballet Club. It just sounds a little more classy that way. What do you think???

.................................................................... Baker is a lot rougher and tougher than I could ever be! He's a foot taller and he's built like a brick outhouse...He's also an ex-marine who likes to scrap. I always wanted to be like all that, but it never happened. Maybe he could hire me to do some of his light work though.

I may be an immoral bastard, but I do have limits.....I think the lowest I ever stooped was when I pencil packed my reserve and got caught at Lost Prairie a couple years ago, after having a Cypress fire. I probably should have been escourted off the drop zone for all that. But hell, I've been "born again" since then, and I no longer do shit like that!.........

We used to use a blank suppressor on M-16's, for training purposes in the Army. Some times they worked okay...sometimes not worth a darn. We were told that the 9mm UZI was one of the best sub machine guns ever designed. Can't say as I ever fired one though....

............................................................. I always wondered what a terminal opening on a belly reserve would be like? Openning a low mounted reserve would have been particularly brutal. I'm glad I never experienced that. My back is already pretty crooked! Bending a stiffener or top pin was easy to do when exiting a little doored beech....

Howard, The guy in your first picture had picture perfect form (except for maybe not covering his capewells). But then again, noone I knew in the early 70's was trained to do that. I went over on my side, after cutting away two different mallies, with my shot and a halfs. And no, I didn't cover the capewells either time. My 24 ft. belly reserve openned fine. Being young and dumb, and really tough was a prerequisite for skydiving back in the day.

[reply So ....In my opinion it is politics and lack of training. I still know old time Forest Service folks that think squares are dangerous and rounds are safer. ................................................................ It's too bad we don't have some experienced smoke jumpers giving their input on this. As I skydiver, we jump in big open areas, on flat surfaces. Ram air canopies work great for that. I'm still wondering how a ram air would do on a timber jump. We were jumping at a boogie a while back in Hamilton, Montana. After take off in Seattle's caravan we flew up one of the canyons in the Selway Wilderness Area. I was sitting next to Mark Wright. He said, "This reminds me of making a fire jump." I looked out the door and all I could see was timber, rocks, and cliffs. I kept wondering where in the hell could you land without getting hurt bad! This kind of country is standard fair for Smoke Jumpers. I've been jumping for a long time and have made a fair number of jumps skydiving, and in the Army, but yet I have never made a tree landing. Nor have I landed on a rocky, steep, hillside with downfall timber up to my neck. Even the most experienced Smoke Jumpers may have less than 100 jumps. But I sure listen when they talk, because I've never been in their boots on a fire jump. Some of them would rather land in timber than a rocky hillside. I wonder how a ram air would do if you bumped a tree that is over a hundred feet tall. Would it leave you falling or spinning to the ground? In the early 70's I jumped with Frank Sanders. He took me up on my first three way. I've been hooked on skydiving ever since. Frank was also a smoke jumper rigger who was in charge of canopy development for the Smoke Jumper Center (in Missoula). One of the canopies he experimented with, was the Thunder Bow canopy. That was a hot new canopy back in 73'. Frank had a ton of skydiving experience. For whatever reason they did stick with the round canopy though. I wish I knew more about the reasoning behind this. Poor Frank was later killed in a plane crash. Too bad he's not still around. He would have been a good source of info.....

.................................................................. You guys really have some great ideas. Now all I need to do is figure out how to get enough money to get to Hawaii and buy a tent.....

.......................................................... Oh hell, I get wore out just packing my own rig. I may not be tough enough to be a packer. Swamping out the bunk house at Perris doesn't sound like much fun either. Did I mention that I'm kind of a lazy old bastard? I was thinking maybe I could become a star in the adult film industry, down there in California....but then I might have to lose 40 pounds or so.... All that sounds like way too much work! And now that I'm mostly bald, they may not want me either. So, maybe that job at Walmart wouldn't be so bad after all....

........................................................... Yep, It's probably too late for that. I was thinking I could get the wife a good job and retire in style....

I've got to decide whether or not to retire in a couple of years. I'm just wondering how I can support my skydive habit. My salary will be cut in half and then I'll have to buy health insurance on top of that. So, I'm wondering how to continue on jumping. A second income will probably be needed. The thought of getting an extra job, handing out carts at Walmart, scares the hell out of me. A friend of mine suggested that I get a tandem rating, and move to Las Vegas in the winter. That sure has me thinking. It would beat handing out carts. If I only did it in the winter, maybe I wouldn't get burned out on it. I'm just wondering if anybody wants to be strapped to some aging old fart for a jump. I'd like to specialize in tandems with young good looking babes.....But that is probably out. Photographing tandems would be another idea. Learning all the ins and outs of skydive photography is no quick matter, nor inexpensive. So, maybe a tandem rating would make more sense. Anyone have any suggestions?....

I started jumping in 73'. Everyone started on static line. Most everyone started on a 28' round. If you were a bigger person, there was a T-10 available. It was recommended that you had around 50 jumps before jumping a para-commander. It was considered hot gear for that time period. My, how things have changed! I didn't know of any clubs "back then" who put first jump students out on a PC, but it sure could have happened....

I think I would want a big round if I were landing in trees much of the time. It just seems a safer route to go. There would be more material to hang you up, and it wouldn't collapse like a square. I've known a lot of smokejumpers over the years. Most all of them, who have jumped for many seasons here in Montana, have been hurt bad. I still skydive with a two of them. Mark Wright was on Smoke jump status for almost 30 years. He was medivacked out at least once. He was skydiving last year with a big scar on his belly where they had cut some cancer out of him. Some of these guys are tough old birds. Bill Newmiester smokejumped for almost that long. He too was medivacked out at least once. He is ex Special Forces. Rand is a young guy from Hawaii, who surfs all winter. He too is rough and tough....

Isn't war grand! Man alive, I would have hated to make that call (dropping atomic weapons on innocent civilians?). Each bomb killed like 50,000 people outright. Then there was the radiation that left thousands to die a slow lingering death. What I have trouble understanding is how thousands of Americans could be cheering in the streets after doing such a terrible act. But who am I to judge. I wasn't alive back then. I never saw my sons sent off to a war never to return. This trajedy probably meant the end of the war, so I can see how this could be good news indeed! Most Americans never saw the horror that fell on those two cities. It's interesting to hear people say that they don't like communism because of their belief that "The End Justifies the Means". Yet we did exactly that, when we dropped those bombs. So, "Did we do the right thing?"......My head says yes, but my guts say no......

Just like any other profession, if you look long and hard enough you will find perverts. Most teachers become educators with the idea of helping kids, and I have a ton of respect for most of them. Many teachers are falsely acused by students. I'd like to see the statistics on that one. Many have even lost their career over a false accusation. If you are a male teacher you'd better not touch a kid ever. There are times when a student needs a hug, but you'd better not do that if you are a male. You should also make every effort not to be alone with a student. Being a school counselor I talk with students individually, privately in my office. The possibility of a false accusation is always there. If you are accused your career may be over because there is always that doubt that you could be guilty. I've driven some suicidal students to the hospital in the past. I no longer do that. It's just too risky. And yes, there are some sexually deviant people who do work in some schools. I know of two teachers who were fired for having a ton of porn on their computers. One of them had recently been nominated for teacher of the year. I've known a couple teachers who were released from their jobs for having affairs with high school girls....So, it does happen. I'm surprised that John Stossel hasn't jumped on this. He's always looking for some kind of sensationalism.

Gary (Hod) Sanders was a member of Mirror Image back then. He sometimes talks about that jump into the Olympics. He lives in Missoula, Montana. I'd bet he'd enjoy discussing old times, if anyone wants to contact him. He also owns Skydive Montana....

...................................................................... I agree with this. One reason schools today are so crazy, is because of the huge numbers of kids who are acting out their anger the wrong way. Some kids have never had limits imposed on them, and they come to school thinking they are entitled to do whatever, whenever they want. And even these kids are filled with anger and hate for not getting what they needed growing up. Many kids have giant problems with authority. The adult authority figures in their life have abused, neglected, and abandoned them before they started school. They trust noone. They come to school suffering from PTSD and Complex Trauma Disorder. Is it any wonder public schools are such a battleground. And how do you fix all this. A visit to the school counselor isn't enough to help much if they are returning home to a crazy home each night. Many will require therapy by a skilled therapist for years after. It's really hard to fix damaged kids. Alternative schools help many kids, but that takes money. Politicians often spend this money on other programs. I think part of the solution would be to teach parenting programs throughout school. Perhaps the next generation of parents could do a better job of raising their kids. Usually dysfunction is handed from one generation to the next. Kids are a lot like the people who raised them. Parenting education could be a proactive step in the right direction. Right now schools teachingt so many different things, that there is not enough time to cram in all into the school day.....

reply] Theorize all you want. The US has a higher per-capita incidence of school shootings than other western nations. The US has a higher number of guns per capita than other western nations. Coincidence? I think not. ........................................................................ So, in other words you are saying that access to guns is the entire problem??? Isn't there a lot more to it than that....I agree our country is a violent place, but are we so short sighted to blame it all on guns. I think the big problem is the way many kids are being raised in America. Many have no idea what a normal family is. Many are being raised by a TV set and violent video games. Mom and Dad are off someplace working or just doing their own thing. Many kids don't have a Mom or Dad. I think America should be ashamed of the way many kids are being raised. Without an adult care giver that gives a rip, most kids turn out angry indeed. Violence may become a way of life. I think the problem is worsening and not getting better. And I really don't thing there is a quick fix for any of this. Our society has evolved into a crazy place indeed. The family is often being pulled apart from several different directions. Many children are being left to raise themselves. Many are filled with hate, and anger because of this. Despite all the pressures in our rat race society, many parents are still able to hold their families together and do a good job of raising their kids. But I often think they are the minority not the majority. America is presently building prisons faster than they are schools. We have more prisoners than any other country in the world. Is the real problem just access to guns. Talk to a prisoner some day, and ask them what kind of a home they came out of. In most cases their childhood was dysfunctional at best. Why aren't more politicians addressing what is really wrong with this country, rather than just blaming everything on guns?