steve1

......................................................... One of my big regrets was not getting my ACE patch. I was on the first and second one ever built, but never sent in for it. I did wear my SCR and SCS patches with pride though. I gave that jump suit to a friend, years ago, and never got it back. I wish I still had those patches. I'd sew them on my jump suit today. I got both the SCR and SCS a few days apart, back in about "73". We often rented a DC-3 or twin beech from the Missoula Smoke Jumpers, to make an attempt. I had around 70 jumps when I earned both of them. Being a skinny bastard I had a lot of chances to get my SCS. Those were the days of combat relative work. I can't even count all the formations we tried to build, that were taken out by inexperienced people. It was mostly fun, interrupted by moments of terror. Like going way too low, or trying to land a round in 25 knots of wind. But hey, that was all part of the game back then....Steve1

I haven't read all the replies to this, but I have to throw in my two cents. It never ceases to amaze me how stupid some school administrators are! The teachers could be fired for insubordination if they didn't go along with some idiot administrator's ideas, so I doubt if it was the teacher's fault. Such a bizarre plan would have to be approved first by the principal or superintendant. Many of these kids are not going to simply get over this. Many may suffer from Post Traumatic Stress years after. It would be easy to sue for a ton of money over this and win. There are good school administrators out there, but there's also some real morons. Let me illustrate another case in point. This past week, here in Montana, there was a woman principal who noticed some 7th grade boys in an area that was clearly off the school grounds. She immediately ran them all into her office, and proceeded to strip search each one of them, in her office. She even had them jump up and down, in their skivies, for her scrutiny. If that wasn't crazy enough, she physically touched them in places while searching for contraband. All that was found was one wood tick. Did I mention that their were also several windows in her office where other students and staff could look in while these 7th grade boys were jumping up and down in their underware. I know this all sounds like fantasy, but I read all this recently in our newspaper, so their must be at least some truth to it. It's still under investigation and this principal was sent home for a while. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I too work in a public school. Where do they get these idiots, who have a complete lack of common sense, and then make them the head cheese?.....Steve1

I doubt if using a machine gun from an airplane or helicopter will ever be legalized for sport hunting or control work. In fact a shotgun might be safer and more effective. Can you imagine how pissed off the general population would be to see some crazy flying overhead shooting a full automatic weapon out the door of an airplane. It's something that is never going to happen. The Fish Wildlife and Parks sometimes use helicopters and a shooter for control work. They use a shotgun though. It's a really expensive way to thin the coyote population. It was once legal, in Montana, to hunt coyotes from an airplane. Usually a Super Cub was used. You had to be careful not to shoot your own airplane while in the process of harvesting a coyote. I had a buddy that totaled a Cessna when they were shooting coyotes. He wasn't watching where he was flying (on uneven ground), and collided with the earth. He asked me to shoot for him a few days prior to the accident. And yes, it did sound like fun. I was a lot younger and dumber then.....Steve1

Maybe I can mess with those pictures and try to get them to come in a little clearer. My scanner is messed up. There is a round pilot chute in the center of it, but the picture is so crappy that I know it's hard to see.....

This is what the new "hot" gear looked like versus the old style (back in "75"). Is that a pop top reserve on the hot dog on the left?

I think this gal may be wearing a Jerry Bird reserve. Tell me if I'm wrong....

Thanks Jerry. You know a whole lot more than I do on this subject....Steve1

Was the stylemaster belly reserve the first rig to have the reserve ripcord mounted in the center of the belly wart rather than the right side, like all the military surplus crap We remember seeing pic's in parachutist of a center pull reserve handle with bent pins from at least one jumper pulling their reserve handle to the right side. Anyone know the story behind when the pins got bent? Hanging harness or . R.I.P. reply] ........................................................ If I remember right the cones on a center pull reserve would rotate left and right, so I'm not sure how those pins could have gotten bent by pulling it to the right. Even if you pulled straight out and away from your chest, the rip-cord pocket should have pulled the short ripcord in an upward direction. It's been so darn many years since I've seen a center pull that I'm having trouble visualizing things, but I don't think there would be any more trouble with bent pins than a side pull. About the mid 70's there was a cut away system that would pull your chest mount reserve ripcord for you. I think it was the Steven's cut-away system. On it the side pull ripcord was pulled straight up by a lanyard tied to the handle. It functioned okay because the pocket of the ripcord allowed the pins to be pulled to the side. At any rate, I'm trying to visualize all this in my mind, and I may be wrong on some of this. So correct me if I'm all wet on this. I never owned a center pull, but I packed some back in the day. And what a long time ago it was!...Steve1

Ever see a picture of Grandma and Grandpa sitting with their ten kids behind them. And then there are six or eight offspring behind them. And then maybe some great grandchildren too in the picture. There are people litterally everywhere in that picture and they are all from the same family, and they are all grinning, (as if they are proud of what great reproducers they are). Many people are beginning to look at a picture like that and ask "why"! It's about time that people are beginning to wake up to what a huge problem this is. That brings up the question what can we do, or what should we do about this. Most politicians don't want to touch this issue with a ten-foot pole, because it would be unpopular to even suggest that people start limiting the size of their families. Then there is a powerful religious perspective that says we need to over-populate the earth. After all it is God's will. And we can solve problems like shrinking natural resources, by just praying. And how do you fight that. I'd like to think that man is smarter than a common animal that often over-populates it's habitat. I'm not sure what the answer is. I don't want a government like China's telling me what to do. I'd like to see the government do something though. They are really good at doing too little, too late. Our current illegal immigration problem is a fine example of that. I know some of these words will ruffle some people's feathers, but I'd like to hear your opinion.....Steve1

I really like my Hornet 170. You wouldn't believe what I paid for it. If I remember right it was something like $300. for a new, well constucted, canopy, from South Africa. That was about four years back. It has the big slider, but I was still getting some slammer openings (at first). Possibly due to poor packing methods. I started Psycho-packing, and this helped me keep everything neat (going into the bag). My openings now are on the fairly slow side. I kind of wish I had bought another one at that price Some people say they are cheaply made, but I don't think so. Mine is holding together well.....Steve1

I'm all for eating meat I'm talking about people who go out simple to shoot animals because they think it's fun....yes, some of them might eat it afterwards, but that's irelivant really, they killed it for the fun part killing for fun is for numptys ..................................................... There's a whole lot more to hunting than just going out to kill something for fun. I've killed enough game over the years, that to tell you the truth I no longer enjoy pulling the trigger on a game animal. But I still hunt because there's more to it than that. I like hiking in with a pack on my back, or even riding back into a wilderness area with horses and then camping, hunting, and fishing. It doesn't really matter anymore if I get something or not. I just like being a part of nature. Usually I take my family along. If we get some meat for the freezer, that is a plus. My wife and daughters do most of the shooting these days. Like it or not, being a hunter is something that is bred into humans. We have been hunters for thousands of years and in my opinion, there is nothing more natural than hunting. If the only reason I hunted was to kill something I'd get a job in a butcher shop. The thought of that sickens me. Sure this is the 21st century. I could hire someone else to kill my meat for me. It just makes more sense to me, to do it myself, by hunting....Steve1

Hell, I always liked Huck Square Jaw and his Freckless son. In fact they're my favorite hunting buddies, and good ole boys in my book.

reply] That is why even being outraged i wasn´t going to initially respond to this post, because it is not my problem how other people raises their kids. However teenagers are not considered responsible enough to do a whole lot of things, like driving, drinking, having consensual sex, signing contracts, etc. I don´t see handling guns as something less serious than the other things they are not allowed to do. If i was going to teach my kids to shoot i would wait until their hormons settle down and i can easily assess how well prepared they are to handle that responsability. In the meantime an "If you see a gun do not touch it and call an adult" should be enough. ....................................................................... I started teaching my kids about guns long before their hormones became an issue. Hunting, fishing, shooting, and camping are things that we do as a family. I think it's these sorts of activities have enabled my kids to turn out normal while living in a crazy world. Guns were always around when I was a kid, and I was taught gun safety, even before I was in school. I started my kids at around 6 shooting a b-b gun. When they showed me they could handle that safely, we went to 22's. Respect for firearms and their danger was drilled into their heads from day 1. I'm not saying everyone has to do this with their kids. It might be good though. There are so many guns around. I think kids should know how to handle them safely. It's something that can save lives. There's nothing wrong with telling a youngster to leave a firearm lay, if found. (If no adult is around) I wonder if many children will do that though....Many kids would would pick it up, even after being warned not to. They might be curious and start aiming it at themselves or a friend. Some other kid might pick it up while another runs for help. One way I keep my kids safe, is by teaching them to treat every gun as if it is loaded, and always point it in a safe direction.....Steve1

reply] I am outraged but unlike some republicans I will try neither to tell others how to live nor how to educate their offspring. Leaving aside the fact that i am against gun proliferation i see a great risk in teaching a kid how to shoot. Kids make mistakes, and more often that not very stupid things. Parents have to make sure that those bad decisions will not haunt the kid for the rest of his life. If Tonto, John Rich or you think that your kids will not make a bad decision regarding your weapons, then good for you. Either you are 100% sure of your kid´s good decisions or you are taking a risk. I personally wouldn´t do it, even if it is only because my kids would have my genes and i know how prone i was to do stupid things. ............................................................ Yes, there is a risk. But I don't see how this is any more dangerous than so many other things that are taught to kids. I want my kids to experience life, yet be safe as possible at the same time. I'm not going to raise them in a bubble. I think if you learned more about guns you too could see this isn't all that dangerous if safety procedures are followed....Steve1

....................................................... I always dreamed of hunting Africa. Cape Buffalo, Lion, and other critters that could be dangerous. I imagine all that is changing now. Montana isn't what it once was either. There's more and more fee hunting, fewer places to go, and too many hunters. That's one of the reasons I skydive more and hunt less these days. My daughters grew up eating wild meat. It's hard to beat, if it's prepared right....Steve1

I taught both my daughters to shoot with a 17 cal. pellet gun. I sawed the stock down short, so it fit them better. On winter days, when it was below zero outside, we'd shoot inside the house (with BB's). I stuffed a box full of old magazines, and we took turns shooting into that. Great fun! A few years later I had them hunting with me. The oldest one wants to go after elk this Fall. Both have taken numerous deer, antelope, and turkeys....Steve1

I was kind of hoping for a better strain of Bird Flu... .................................................................... I was at a staff meeting in our school, a while back. The subject was what to do with a student who had aides in our school. This was a "what if" scenario. Then someone got up on a soapbox and started off on how millions would die soon if we don't find a cure. And then with tears in her eyes, she said we have to do something now!.....About then I made the comment, that maybe that wasn't all bad. Maybe planet earth would be better off with millions less people. Anyhow that comment went over about as well as someone farting in church. I really think the problem is overpopulation. Sure we can all do things to cut back, but again that's not the real problem. It may have an effect, but overpopulation is what is going to eventually do us in. Disease, starvation, and war is probably going to bring our population way down. If that doesn't do it global warming will. I think this will happen sooner than later. It certainly won't be millions of years. How's that for a happy thought! I hate being so damn pessimistic, but that's how things look to me. Please tell me that I'm all wrong here!....Steve1

How long of a barrel is on your 22/45? I've always preferred a little longer barrel. It may not be quite as handy, but I think they are easier to shoot accurately than the short barrelled model. I have a 22 high-standard that looks very similiar to this. I've had it since I was a kid. They are very fun to shoot and I've shot everything from gophers to grouse to ducks with it. Right now I'm looking for a small 9 shot 22 revolver in a dull stainless finish. I had my eye on the old Smith and Wesson Kit gun, but they are really hard to find these days, and expensive. I may settle for a Taurus....Steve1

Quote. Things like the molar strap and the use of clamps make me more worried than in the old days and that 'worry' is what keeps me on my toes [/reply .......................................................................... That's a good point. I can't think of many tools or methods in the old days that would cause problems. There was a tool to keep your lines straight, but I don't think any rigger could leave that in your pack job. There was a rod for holding your pilot chute against the kicker plate, but that too would be almost impossible to leave in if it was long and had some flagging on it. I really don't know much about packing back type reserves. The more reserves that I see packed today, it does kind of scare me. It would seem really easy to forget a clamp or molar strap. When I went through training, I don't think I was even taught to count my damn tools. Reserves then were a different animal than today. There also seemed to be a lot more riggers around back in the 70's. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because the training today is more involved, expensive, and time consuming than back in the olden days. I'm sure most riggers today are better trained than most of us were back then....Steve1

I think Bullet Bob may hail from Boise. He could be retired and jumping elsewhere now. Last I saw of him he had a homemade toe protector taped to his shoe. I think he jumped with this all last summer to protect his bad toe on landing. So, if you see someone hobbling to get on a load with a big chunk of metal taped to their foot, it's probably him. He had a white jump suit and white Z-1. Which was exactly the colors I had. People would get us mixed up. On one load someone chewed me out for messing up. We finally figured out it was that damn Bullet Bob, who screwed up. On another load, we watched the video of a jump in which I looked really crappy. Of course it wasn't really my fault! (I can explain that one!). At any rate someone said come on Bullet Bob, you can do better that that, (as they watched the video). So, I said, Damn it Bullet Bob get in there. The thing was Bullet Bob wasn't even on that load.....Steve1

I've told this story before. I'm running out of stories, so I'll tell it again. In the early 70's I packed chest pack reserves. To tell you the truth I'm glad I no longer have that responsibility. I still have a ton of respect for most riggers willing to do that job. I'd like to say that I've never made a mistake rigging or that I'm a member of the super race and that I always do everything perfect. I can remember one mistake I made back then, that still haunts me. I assembled a new chest pack reserve and I forgot the cross connector. This would not have been fatal unless one of the butterfly snaps came unhooked from the D-ring, (which does happen!). It would be like releasing one side of you canopy on openning. The next day, while doing some deep thinking, I got to thinking about cross connectors, and wondering if I had put one on, because I could not remember doing that. I immediately drove out to our hangar and took this reserve apart. Sure enough....no cross connector. Noone had jumped this reserve yet, but it made me hate myself for being so careless. Did I tell anybody.....Hell No! I didn't want anyone else to know what a worthless, no good, careless bastard-rigger I was. If I did still pack reserves, you can bet I'd be using some type of reminder system to help me check and double check again. Every time I packed a reserve there after, this was on my mind.....Steve1

.............................................................. "Yep" I heard that story in about "73". It scared the crap out of me then, and I often think of it when I pack today. I had another friend burn in when he hooked a pack opening band over his reserve handle in about "73". There was no gear check and he simply forgot about it. He had purposely hooked it up that way so he wouldn't snag his handle on anything, (while in the trunk of his car). After all, he didn't want to spend another five bucks on a reserve pack job. After he cut away his malfunction he couldn't open his reserve (with the bungie over the handle). He fought it all the way to the ground. Another case of being absent minded, killing someone.....Steve1

I have tinnitus most all the time. I must be getting used to it, but it doesn't bother me much now. I think the worst damage I ever did to my ears was in S.F. heavy weapons training. One day I forgot my ear plugs. I didn't want to get kicked out for being a forgetful bastard, so I said I had my plugs. My ears were ringing for days after that. Then I messed them up further working in a sawmill and the woods. None wore hearing protection back then. Then I had severe congestion a while back, and that made them really ring. Then there was all those years hunting without hearing protection. Yes, my hearing is shot! So, I'm now in the market for some hearing aides. Anyone have any suggestions.....Huh!....What did you say?!....Steve1

Looks scary. I was always afraid of doing something like that when I was packing reserves. You'd think the rigger in question would tie a long piece of flagging onto that clamp, to help remind him. Years ago there was a guy who tied something around all his lines at the skirt (of his round canopy). He did this every time he packed. One day he forgot to remove it and of course had a streamer. Apparently he also had trouble getting his reserve out, and he burned in....Steve1

I've done this a bunch of times with elementary kids. Show them some gear, draw some pictures describing things like tracking, arching, etc. Then show a good movie showing skydivers doing their thing. I usually show the movie "Airspeed". Leave plenty of time for questions, and 40 minutes will be gone before you know it. Even the biggest behavior problem kids will tune into your discussion....Steve1