steve1

I agree! Everytime we take part in a dangerous sport, death or a crippling injury could happen. To me it's well worth the risk in terms of what I'm getting out of skydiving. But at the same time trading all those good times for a broken back doesn't seem like a good trade to me. Most of us think it'll never happen to me and continue to jump. Particularly when a person is young there is a feeling of infallability. If I knew for sure that a serious injury or death was coming my way I wouldn't do that sport. I doubt if most of us would. Yet, there may be a few with a death wish who might. I once worked as a timber faller in the woods. One by one I saw my friends being killed or crippled for life. After ten years, of falling timber, I could see the writing on the wall, that death or serious injury was likely headed my way. So, I got out of that profession. I figured I had pushed my luck enough. I guess If I was smart I never would have started skydiving again. I still feel the benefits outweigh the risk, or I wouldn't still be jumping. Besides, when you get to be an old fart you have to die of something. It might as well be doing something you love rather than laying in a bed suffering. Just some perverse thoughts from an old skydiver....Steve1

Interesting question!...I think the only one who could answer that one would be someone who's been there. I'd bet they'd say no, though." But, on the other hand when I was a lot younger and dumber I recall saying that I love skydiving so much that if I get killed tomorrow it would have been all worth it. I don't know if that statement shows my mental state at the time or if I truly was stupid. When I look back at my life I realize there are lot's of great things in life beside skydiving. My wife and kids for example mean much more to me than any sport I've done. That's one thing I would have missed out on if I had burned in back in the 70's. I know a cowboy who was once one of the best bull riders and bareback riders in the world. Now he's an old man in a wheel chair. He had a bull step on his back at a rodeo and he's paralyzed from the waist down. If you asked him if it had all been worth it I'll bet he'd say "hell no!"....Steve1

Now, that is a scary story....Steve1

That's a good point. I do recall a skydiver or two trying to land a P.C. with toggles, but that would be a good way to break a wrist. Doing a chin up on the back risers would be safer in that respect....Steve1

I read in a skydiving magazine, a while back, that many old skydivers used to pull down on the rear risers at the exact instant that they hit the ground, thus lifting themselves up to lessen impact. I wonder who dreamed that up? I don't think anyone did it that way, but maybe some jumpers did. I doubt if it would help much. Everyone I knew pulled the back risers down a few seconds before hitting the ground. A flare may not be the right name, but it did slow down your forward speed for a softer landing. In the 70's I was a pretty scrawny guy and had no trouble standing up a P.C. I even had a couple one foot standups when the wind was just right on a Mark 1. I hadn't jumped a para-commander in over 25 years. A friend had one at a boogie a couple summers ago. So naturally I had to try it. Even though I'm now a fat old man I still stood it up. Kind of like riding a bike....Steve1

The good ole days, of skydiving, for me were about 71 to 76. A lot of the jumpers in our club still had B-12 harness and containers then. Those who could afford new gear usually had quick ejector hardware on both chest and leg straps. (I don't recall seeing a thread thru, but there may have been). I really liked quick ejector hardware, and never had any trouble with them, but have since heard that they may not have been too safe. Things were really changing fast (gear wise) about 76 so I have no doubt thread thru chest straps may have come out in the latter 70's. That was the year that I quit the sport for a very long time....Steve1

In my first year back (to jumping) after a 25 year lay off I had two mis-routed chest straps. The rig I bought had a piece of velcro on the chest strap. It seems like I was usually in a hurry to rig up and I'd just thread it through temporarily (wrong) and fasten it down on this piece of velcro with intention of threading it through right after doing up my leg straps. And then I'd forget about it. Once I was sitting student in a Cessna, when an older jumper spotted it (threaded thru wrong, and only held in place by the velcro). Several jumps later I did the same thing, and spotted it myself. I since, cut off the piece of velcro, so I can't do this anymore. They say if you ever forget to do a chest strap up once, you'll never forget again....Not me, it took two times. I kind of miss the old days where you buckled it up and forgot about it. I don't recall anyone ever forgetting to buckle up a chest strap in the 70's....I'm paranoid now, and with good reason. Falling out of my harness doesn't sound like any fun at all...Steve1

Good for you! Hang in there. It's never too late to start, and it will pay off in the end. It took me like 15 years to get through school, because I was really short on cash, but I'm glad I did it. The job I have now sure beats the hell out of falling timber for a living (which I did prior). I now have a cushie job as a school counselor. Being an X juvenile-delinquent, seems to help in this profession....Steve1

Thanks Pat, I feel much better now...I need to give freeflying another try. I get so absorbed with RW that maybe another discipline would be a good change to keep my interest up. Blue skies....Steve1

Pat, Welcome to the forums! I was wondering if you remember me. I know you probably jump with hundreds of really good jumpers each year, but to remember me think back to someone who might need a lot of work.... About three or four years ago I was traveling through Oregon and ended up at Mollala. There was a Free Fly Festival going on and I couldn't find anyone to do RW with when I noticed this group of jumpers gathered around you (learning how to Free Fly). Relative Work is about the only thing I've ever done, but I figured..."What the heck if that old guy can do it, maybe I can too. At any rate I made three or four jumps with you trying to do everything from head down to a sit, and I just kept getting worse and worse. My best jump of these...I probably resembled a spastic trying to imitate a helicopter. I was still trying to get over the embarassment of all this when, a few weeks later, you wrote an article in Sky Diving Magazine discussing the boogie. In the article you said that all your students did great except for this one "Village Idiot". Please tell me that this wasn't me! I've developed quite a complex over this since....Steve1

I went through jump school in the Spring of 1970, after doing basic and infantry training at Ft. Polk. I felt like I had died and had gone to heaven when I arrived at Benning. The accomodations there were a lot nicer than Polk...Ft. Bragg was even nicer yet. The P.T. part didn't wasn't too tough. We ran about three or four miles at a slow pace each day. I think it was 7 or 8 pull ups. Nothing too difficult. I had some trouble on the 34 ft. tower, though. My elbows weren't tight into my sides and my hands weren't quite in the right place. So, I went out of that thing about a thousand times. I was actually bloody behind both ears from riser slap. That was back in the old days when everyone wore steel pots. Maybe the new kevlar helmets will offer more protection from that sort of thing. Learn to do a good PLF. I sprained the hell out of my ankle on the first jump. My knees weren't tight together, like I was trained to do, and twisted it bad. I didn't want to be recycled so I made four more on it before going on sick call. In jump week you'll go on a short run every morning, and the Black Hats will look for anyone limping. That's why I got in the middle of the formation and tried not to limp when the Black Hats were watching. Actually you'll get plenty of practice on PLF's, and it was my own fault I got hurt. I recall another time before jump school when we were in a big tent receiving some training from an instructor who had jump wings on. This was down in Tiger Land at Ft. Polk. Most of the instructors there were fresh back from "Nam" and most of them had kind of a wild look in their eye. One of our group of trainees, said that many of us were "airborne" because we were going to jump school soon. I guess he was trying to build up some Brownie points with our instructor since he was "airborne" too. About then the sargent barked back, "Boy"...You aren't airborne until you've made five jumps, out of an aircraft, while in "FRIGHT"! We all got a good chuckle out of this. Actually, I loved jump school. It was the first school that I graduated from where I felt like I had really accomplished something and reinforced the idea that someday I wanted to be a skydiver......Steve1

Our club had a para-plane back in the early 70's. It was awesome to watch it landed correctly. It was the first square canopy I ever saw. I jumped it once. I was so worried about it malfunctioning that I didn't even notice the opening shock. That canopy malfunctioned about once out of every ten jumps. Maybe we were packing it wrong. I heard that Wally Benton broke his back demoing a para-plane into a football stadium (in Boise, Idaho) in the early 70's. I enjoy jumping an old PC these days, just for fun. I don't think I'll jump a para-plane again.....I just don't have a hankering to do that. But I'll never forget watching Randy Mosley racing in to do a perfect standup under one, back in the good ole days....Steve1

I quit in about 1976 and started up again about five years ago. It's great to be back. One of the old Montana jumpers I jumped with in the 70's was Greg Nardi. As far as I know he still owns the DZ in Titusville. Look him up, and I'll bet he'll get you jumping again.....Steve1

I waited till I was 30. Married a good looking Brunette who owned her own house and had a 280 Z. I'm not sure what she saw in me. I was pretty much a rodeo bum and logger at the time. Her family was real worried, and they all had disgusted looks on their faces everytime I came courting in my old pickup truck. It might have been that wild look in my eye that swung her over. Hell, I even had all my hair and teeth back then. But then again, that was so long ago, I can't remember much.....Steve1

Just think how cool many of us might still be if we hadn't met that beautiful chick who took control of our life from that point on. What was I thinking with when I made that faitful decision to get hitched? It sure wasn't my head. Somehow, after 25 years of married life it just doesn't look that great anymore. And don't tell anyone....(Neither does my wife!) Anyhow, thanks for another great story, Airtwardo.....Steve1

Heh heh - that would be a good thing to ask one of those same docs when they're giving a prostate exam up someone's wazoo: "Why would you want to go and do that for a living?" Oh, I agree! My ex-doctor seemed to be enjoying that part of his job way to much..... That's one of the worst parts about getting old is having to get your damn prostate checked on a regular basis....Yuck! Who'd take a job like that?....Steve1

I had one ambulance ride, unconscious and broken up some, from a bronc at a rodeo. Made a few more trips to the hospital for other rodeo injuries to myself and friends. A few more trips for logging injuries to myself and others. Made a couple more trips for skydiving injuries. The EMT's are usually great. They're just there doing there job. I recall arguing with one once because he wanted me to go to the hospital after being hurt at a rodeo, and I kept explaining I didn't have any insurance and wasn't going. At another rodeo a friend broke his neck and he had to argue with everyone how he wasn't getting in the "damn" back of the ambulance, and rode up front like he was in a cab to the hospital. (Probably not too smart.) I suspect EMT's get tired of this after a while. Once you're in the hospital I've heard more than a few comments about how you must be "nuts". Or, "Why would you do that?". Usually this is by nurses and a few doctors working on you. I've never let it bother me much. Too bad for them if they don't understand what's really fun in life.....Steve1

I'm a firm believer in using enough gun. In hunting situations I hate to see anything get away wounded or suffer because of using too small of a weapon. On the other hand many people are way over-gunned for the situation. Many people buy magnum type rifles and can't shoot them accurately because of the recoil and noise. I know Dirty Harry was a great movie, but I don't think a 44 magnum would be the best choice for his line of work. But if you can shoot one well, who am I to judge. Myself, I like my measley little 9mm. I can shoot it accurately and then be back on target quickly for a second shot if needed. I think it would blow a nasty hole if the right bullet is loaded. It might not penetrate windshields and doors as well as a 45 though. If I shot a pistol a lot though, I might go to a 45....Steve1

Actually I was riding in the back of a 2 1/2 ton truck when the accident happened. We were on the way to pick up some other Army jumpers who were jumping from a c-130 into a wheat field in Utah.. Our truck signaled to make a left turn when we noticed this pickup camper coming at us at a high rate of speed. Then he pulls over to pass just as we start to turn. This was really scary because a lieutenant and I were riding in the back watching all this happen in slow motion. We knew we were probably going to die, and we both hit the deck. Then there was this big boom and our truck lurched back onto the highway. The entire front left wheel was torn off the truck. Man were we lucky. We jumped out of the back and noticed the pickup truck smoking out in the middle of a field. Then this old man gets out holding his chest where the steering wheel hit him. Then an old lady gets out and starts screaming....My Grandkids....There's kids in theb ack of the camper! So I open the back door, and everything is helter-skelter. Crap was laying everywhere. And then here's these two little faces looking up at me. Luckily neither was hurt bad. Now how's that for a scary story?.....Steve1

Don't tell anyone, but I have used the "Chute" word quite a bit.....I've often said "chute up", or then my "chute" openned. I'm not sure where I picked it up. Maybe it's an old military term.....Steve1

I quit once for 25 years due to burn-out. I quit after about 300 jumps. When I came back it was kind of like being reborn. Things were great. After about another 450 jumps, and five years, I'm starting to feel a lot less enthusiasm about jumping. I've been doing other sports, taking a long break due to winter, and I hope to get the bug back come Spring. About all I've ever done is RW. Maybe I need to buy a birdman suit or go freeflying.....Steve1

I've seen some of your belly mount pictures and they look great. Maybe this is what I need. I've had so much neck trouble that I have a lot of trouble jumping a conventional camera helmet, with a couple cameras on it. Then again my hard opening canopy doesn't help any. Maybe you should patent some of that and market it. I'm interested.....Steve1

If someone was "smart" they'd put all these stories together and sell them as a book. Most all skydivers would buy it, and maybe even a lot of "Woofos". Just a thought. I'd do it but I can't spell, and it sounds like work. But remember if any one does this, I get a cut for all the great stories I contributed. (I figure they ought to be worth at least 25 cents each.) Airtwardo should get the biggest share of the profit because his stories are the most entertaining of all. Bill Booth has a couple of great ones. And then there's all those other wonderful stories. It would be a shame to have all this history just disappear. Maybe this could be a job for Kallend. He's a lot smarter than most of us, and he's kind of a history buff already. But don't forget we all want our cut!....Steve1

So long, Alex. I hope you get help soon!.....Steve1

So Alex....Tell us what your race and heritage is. It seems to me that you're a White person mocking Black people. You might do well to stay in your own country. That kind of thinking doesn't do well over here. It's too bad that this thread has eroded to point that your only argument is insulting me. You still haven't answered the question: "Why do you feel so threatened by Black people?"....Steve1