steve1

............................ Gee whiz Ted, you're lucky to still be here! It would be really tough to continue jumping after a close one like that. There aren't many jumpers around who remember jumping at Deer Park. We went to a boogie there in about 74 or 75. We rented a DC-3 from the smoke-jumpers in Missoula. We were all geared up when we climbed on board. We were about half way there when somebody told B.J. Worth that he had better check his rig. He had a B-12 container and it did look kind of puny. Come to find out, someone had packed a tiny little cargo chute in their rather than his normal para-commander. This was supposed to be a big joke. To tell you the truth I had a hard time seeing the humor in it. I can't recall who the practical jokers were, but at least they were good hearted enough to tell him before he jumped it and gave him his old canopy back. So, anyhow he put his rig back together and we all had a good jump into the boogie At Deer Park. There were a ton of jumpers there from all over the country. Actually they were called jump meets back in those days. If anything the jumpers may have been a bit crazier back then. The risks were bigger and you had to be young and tough just to survive the sport. When it came time to party, most people didn't hold back. I'll bet Deer Park looks different today. The packing tables have probably all been torn down or rotted out by now.....Steve1

Quote[ *Formation skydiving* was just getting started in the mid-1970s in ST, AZ, CA, TX, KS, and IL … reply] ................................. I'm really enjoying this thread! There are truly some master story tellers at work here telling it like it really was. In about 1976 a lot of old friends moved from Montana down to Cassa Grande, Arizona to live and jump. Safety concerns were really loose back then. At any rate the term "Sport Death" was beginning to be heard. One of the most colorful members of our club, was Jeff Frangos, a former Vietnam helicopter jockey. At Casa Grande he drove a hearse for a vehicle, and people said that he was really into what jumpers called "Sport Death". Does anyone recall that term or know of it's origin?......Steve1

Sorry for your loss, Windsor!

What a great piece of writing! Thanks for sharing.....Steve1

But for those sort of people watching the microscope, nothing you do will be satisfactory. You're still cold blooded killers who should act like every one else and buy the meat the magically and humanely appears (yeah right) at the supermarket. So at a certain point, you gotta say, fuck it, and just do what is reasonable. reply] ....................................... Not everyone watching is an anti-hunter. Some are undecided, others may even be former hunters themselves. The bottom line is that most all of them can vote. Show them enough unethical crap, during hunting season, and you could very well lose your right to hunt. We lost the Buffalo hunt for many years, here in Montana, because the antis made a field day, over what a few slob hunters may have been doing. We're slowly getting that back. Showing the right kind of image when afield is vital if our sport is going to survive....Steve1

He is NOT and has never been a "Gun Writer" You can doubt it all you like, I am willing to demonstrate my abilities if you or anyone has the cash to provide me the opportunity to take the challenge of outhunting and outshooting Mr. Zumbo. ................................................... If he's not a gun writer then what is he? I've read one article after another, by him, relating to guns, ammo, and hunting. That makes him a gun writer in my book. Frankly I respect his opinion, even though he isn't a young "Pup" and more. As far as ethics go...as hunters and gun owners we have a lot of freedom here in the U.S. In Montana you can hunt with just about any kind of rifle during rifle season, even a 22 if that's what you want to hunt with. There is little government regulation, and I'd like to keep it that way. If we aren't doing the right thing as hunters, big brother is going to step in and change things with new laws and regulations. We've got enough of that in my opinion. So, like it or not, hunters and gun owners are under the public's microscope. People are watching what we do every hunting season. Possibly, I need to change some of my ideas on hunting with automatic rifles. But at present I just don't see how hunting with a so called assault rifle or 50 caliber sniper rifle will do anything to improve our image as hunters....Steve1

.................................... Jim Zumbo is one of the most respected gun writers and hunters in the world today. For the past 50 or more years he has ate and slept hunting. Along with writing he hunts for a living. To say you are a better hunter.....I seriously have my doubts....Steve1

So, you're saying you have problems with the cosmetics of the weapon, and not how the weapon is being used? ............................................. Like I said in my original post, I'm sure there are probably people who hunt with an automatic rifle with a big clip, who do hunt ethically. I realize slob hunters with bolt actions do exist, and I'm not condoning their behavior any more than I do a slob hunter who is ripping off multiple shots with a so called assault rifle while hunting. My feelings are that if you have 30 more rounds available at the touch of a finger, hunters will do just that....keep right on firing. I hear it every hunting season. With another rifle, (other than a semi-auto)you are more likely to hunt ethically, in my opinion. Someone mentioned that AR-15's only come with a small clip. The thing is, can't larger magazines be obtained very easily. Warped Skydiver mentioned his weapon is complete with a 30 round magazine. As far as cosmetics of a weapon, I have no fear of looking at a semi-auto, whether it is an M-16 or an automatic pistol, so don't try to put words in my mouth. To me hunting is all about responsibility and respect. When I hunt I respect the animal I kill. I respect the environment, and I even respect other hunters. Hunting with AR- 15 or AK cheapens what our sport is all about, in my opinion. Hunting is more than just an activity where someone can go out and kill something while playing Army.....Steve1

.............................. In my mind an AR-15 and M-16 are functionally the same. The AR came out first. With superficial modifications, it was named the M-16. The Airforce had several versions prior to the AR-15. Most all of them were very similiar. Aren't M-16's with the automatic sear removed legal. I assumed they were. I sure can't see why an AR-15 is legal and an M-16 isn't as long as neither is full auto. No, I haven't seen anyone ripping off multiple shots with an AR-15, an M-16, or an AK. I try to steer clear of hunters like that....But like I say I hear idiots firing like a machine gun nearly every Fall. The sound echoes a mile away.....Steve1

This may not be very popular of me to give my opinion on this, but to tell you the truth it ticks me off to see someone hunting with a M-16 or AK-47. Often times these are the same people who are blazing away with multiple rounds and wounding game. I just can't see the need for a semi-auto (with a big clip) for big game. I was taught to make the first shot count or not shoot. Every fall I hear dipshits banging away at game with a semi-autos, firing as fast as they canpull the trigger, and about all they are accomplishing is giving all hunters a bad name. Not to mention all the game they are wounding in the process. If you want to own a semi-auto assault rifle, that is fine but leave them home come hunting season. Noone needs that quick of a follow up shot. As far as recoil goes.... buy a 243 and put a recoil pad on it if you are sensitive to it. My daughters shot that rifle accurately when they were 10. Another factor to consider is the fact that semi-quto is probably going to jam in really cold weather. You don't see many people packing them for that reason alone, here in Montana. I don't mean to say that all people who hunt with assault rifles are idiots. I'm sure there are hunters who hunt with them, who are careful with their shots and seldom need a follow up shot. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I see someone hunting with one. I'd be willing to bet that is all that Zumbo is saying. I was unable to download his article on my computer, so I can't say for sure. Again I support you right to own one, but I'm not very tickled to see anyone afield with one.....Steve1

.................. I too had a stopwatch in my dashboard back in the 70's. To tell you the truth I never did look at that thing even once. I turned it on a couple times when leaving the plane, but relied entirely on my altimeter and looking at the ground. I'm not sure why I even bought it.....Steve1

Tell us another one, Pat!....

.......................... I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one with two altimeters. I have a hard time reading the chest mount altimeter with a full face helmet, but if I turn my head a little I can still see it okay. I like being able to read it while tracking. And other jumpers might read it too, if they are across from me. I bought that old alti-II back in about 1973. I used it on a metal dash board on my belly reserve for several years. It still works great.....Steve1

This story was way back when, and really doesn't have a point, but I thought I'd share it anyway. Back in about 1974, we had an army field problem. It involved flying from Ft. Bragg down to Southern Texas in a C-130 Black Bird, and making a night jump with equipment. Melvin was on my A-team and he was scared to death when it came time to jump...most every jump. But no matter how scared he got he always jumped. So, you had to hand it to ole Melvin...(he had balls). Since I was also a bad ass skydiver, I thought I'd have some fun with ole Melvin. One day I went up to Mel and told him about this dream I kept having over and over again....We were jumping and this one guy kept falling and falling, and wham! The guy smacks into the ground. So, in this dream, I run over there and turn the guy over....."And, and, it's you, Melvin!" "I wonder if it means anything!" Well, at this point, Melvin starts getting all shaky, and I did my best to keep a straight face. Finally after a couple days of this, one of the other guys on our team came up to me and told me to nock it off. He was worried about old Melvin, because he was getting more and more scared as we got closer to jump time. I ended up jumpmastering that load. It was blacker than black that night, and decided to jump first (rather than last) to show everyone that jumping was fun, not scary. I never did see the ground on that jump, and road my equipment right into the ground. One guy was hurt, and had to be helicoptered out, but we all lived to jump another day....including Melvin. Yes, I do have a sick sense of humor!....Steve1

......................................................... I was just wondering if the military still has the safety wire on the newer static line hooks. It was a real pain to have to insert this wire each time you hooked up, and probably an even bigger pain to pull it out of each static line after jumping. I remember jumpmastering a stick of jumpers when another jumpmaster noticed that one soldier didn't have his wire inserted in the old slide and button hook and I got chewed out for it, because I missed it. To tell you the truth I considered the wire as being kind of a trivial safety thing that probably wasn't even needed, and I didn't spend much time even checking for it.....Steve1

What's the difference between and MC-1 Bravo versus the Charlie model. I remember jumping MC-1's back in the 70's without anti-inversion netting. Man I'm getting old....Steve1

Back in the 70's I had no intention of ever getting a license. I could get on about any demo without one then. When I traveled some place I might just show somebody my log books and then jump. Sometimes I didn't even have my log books, and I could still bullshit my way on a load. That's all changed now. It seems everywhere you go, you have to have a USPA membership and some type of license to jump. Even doing demos at my home DZ a D license is required. So, I had to break down and get one....Steve1

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Too bad more kids don't have a great Dad like you! Keep up the good work....Steve1

You make a lot of sense, Skratch....I think your explanation is a big reason why the numbers of skydivers have started dropping. Don't you miss the old days, when all you had to do was look for something round and get in. Life was simpler then, and maybe a whole lot more fun. Thanks for the insight.....Steve1

Hang it up Steve.... The Liberals eat their own young!!! We've made jokes about it for years. The thing is, that I'm not a liberal. At least I've never thought of myself as being one. I'm more of a conservative who's fed up with our present leadership.....Steve1

............................................. Isn't it a wonder, we've all lived this long!.....If it wasn't for people doing stupid shit, life wouldn't be any fun....Steve1

I listened to Obama speak a few days ago, and I'll tell you it was listening to a breath of fresh air. I know that many politicians are good at "Talking the talk", and then not following through, but I like most of what this guy has to say. I'm just wondering if he can get the the parties nomination over Hillary. What do you think?....Steve1

I've often fantasized about climbing up some peak, here in Montana, and ground launching and then landing in the valley thousands of feet below. I'm glad people on here are trying to discourage knuckleheads like me from trying such a thing. After looking into this more I'm beginning to realize I might not survive such an adventure. Thanks for the imput....Steve1

Aren't those two great stories! I still crack up when reading them. They both bring back a ton of memories.....Steve1