steve1

I don't have a lot of experience on this, but I did have two out last summer. My main was in front of the reserve and it flew well. I took the brakes off the front canopy and made minimal inputs on it. I ended up with a down wind landing, but did manage to miss a tree, a brush pile, and a fence. The landing was hard, but nothing a good PLF wouldn't handle. You can see this crash landing on last years Lost Prairie video. If you would like my autograph, call BR-549....Steve1

The newer hornets come with an oversized slider. There may be a reason for that. I have a hornet 170. Have made almost 300 jumps on it. When I first got it, it was nocking the hell out of me nearly every jump. I went to the chiropractor more than once with a messed up neck. My groin area, on one side, still hurts. And I have a permanently bent finger where I rammed it into my leg on opening. So, I started psycho packing. This helped a lot, but I still had the occaisional hard opening. I started rolling the nose quite a bit, while psycho-packing it, and pulling out the slider slightly to catch air more quickly. Now my openings are almost too snivelly. In fact I plan to use it for a camera canopy this summer, and my camera's plus helmet weigh too much. I now love this canopy. I know another Lady who had her Z-1 torn completely off her head when she tried out a new hornet. She swore she wouldn't jump one again. So, some of the hornets do open hard, if you don't pack them carefully. I've talked to some people who never have hard openings under their hornets. Maybe they are just good packers or possibly the opening problem may vary from canopy to canopy. I've often wondered about new canopies versus old canopies that are broken in. New canopies are usually harder to get packed up. Now that my canopy is getting older it now folds up easily. Another nice thing about the hornet is that the material is nice to work with compared to other low-po material....Steve1

Well said Nick. Some freefliers do kind of ruffle the feathers of some of us old time RW jumpers. I mean how dare they be so far from the norm, of us cool old farts. I know almost nothing about freeflying. A while back I went on a tracking dive with a bunch of free fliers at Lost Prairie. I mean this was a lot different than what I was used to. Everyone dressed and acted totally different, and I wasn't sure wheather or not to trust this bunch. But climbing to altitude there was that same feeling of comradery that I've always felt making an RW jump with friends. There was that unconditional feeling of acceptance even though I really didn't fit. What was more important was that we were all skydivers about to risk our lives together. Hell, they even accepted an old fuddy-dud like me. To them I was probably the freak on the load with my belled jump suit, and short hair-do. I mean there wasn't a piercing to be found anywhere on my old weathered over-weight body. But, I was still a brother skydiver. To tell you the truth, there was a feeling of exuberance, on that load, that I haven't felt in a while. Maybe that's the reason old farts like Pat Works are turning to freeflying. So, I guess it's never to late for an old dog to learn something new....Steve1

.Rule #1: do not pick up grips until you are in position. Rule #2: pick up grips simultaneously. Rule #3: do not move while on grips. reply] Thanks Dave, I should know this by now. I guess my stupidness is showing through....Steve1

After months and months of not jumping I finally got in the air again last weekend. I blew a lot of dust off. I came to the conclusion that I need to learn how to use my legs more when doing R.W. When coming in for several side body docks I was unsqare with the other person. I was able to get one grip easily, but was too far out for the other side body grip. I was wasting seconds trying to slide over and get that other grip. After hours of rethinking this, I'm just wondering if dropping a knee might be a handy trick to learn to swing your legs around to get the other grip. Or would just rotating my hips slightly be better? I need to learn how to fly my lower body.....Steve1

Montana has banned game farms entirely. In my mind this isn't hunting and a majority of the voters also feel that way. Possibly the government is overstepping it's bounds here, which may not be a good thing. But, I was one of the ones who voted against fenced in hunting in our state.....Steve1

I've had a couple of Falcons. One had been relined with spectra lines and opened pretty hard, most every jump. I still have a Falcon 235 that I sometimes jump. It's supposed to have over a 1,000 jumps on it. I guess it's about shot, but it still flares and lands okay, so I sometimes jump it in my second rig. It has dacron lines, but still opens too hard. I tried using it for a camera canopy, but my neck was taking a beating. I've since started psycho packing it and rolling the nose. This seems to be helping a lot. Most people don't roll the nose when they psycho pack, and this might help also. Now I don't have a lot of jumps on psycho packing a Falcon, but you might give it a try. My hornet was really spanking me terribly hard when I first got it new. Since I started psycho packing it and rolling the nose, the openings have been soft, and on heading. I've psycho packed it about 300 times. Some people say you shouldn't psycho-pack an f-111 canopy, but it seems to work fine...Steve1

Normally I'm an advocate of most types of hunting, but this is so ridiculous that all I can say is "good"!. I don't see how anyone who respects wildlife or hunting could be in favor of hunting like this...Steve1

A special ed. student asked me the other day if I was any relation to Dwight Isenhower, because he thought I looked just like him. I know I'm getting older and uglier looking, but Dwight Isenhower??? (for Christ sakes!) Talk about depressing. There's another staff member at our school who's named Steve. I was talking to this guy in the hall, when a student came up to us, and asked if we were brothers because we both had the same "first" name. (and he was serious!) We have a lot of really bright kids in our school. I guess that doesn't say much for the teachers.....Steve1

I worked in the woods for a lot of years as a logger. I agree that logging done correctly isn't all that bad, but often times it isn't done correctly. The cheapest way to log is to put roads in all over the place. That way you don't have to skid the logs very far to load them on a truck. I hate seeing areas that are crisscrossed with roads. This can also pollute the streams with excess silt. In the old days roads were never very far apart when logging. Another way of making money logging is to cut any tree that is merchantable. That means cutting even the fence post sized timber. This usually isn't done on forest service land, but on private land you can usually log it anyway you want. Burlington Northern was given the right to almost every other section of land in Northern Idaho and it is often logged anyway they want. They were given this land to cut railroad ties, but they are now raping it for lumber. Often times when we are climbing to altitude in Western Montana we fly over ridge after ridge of logged over areas. Some of these areas are a national disgrace. There isn't many great timber sales left in the Missoula area. Many of these clear cuts and roads are hidden from the sight of most highways. Most of this logging was done over 30 years ago. Logging isn't usually done that way today. Things are a lot stricter now, particularly on Forest Service ground, but again not all logging takes place there. I think timber is a renewable resource. I just wish there were better ways to harvest it other than building a million new roads. I've fallen timber and skidded logs, on a lot of selective cuts, and this isn't all bad. On this type of timber sale some of the old trees may be left for seed trees. On other sales smaller trees below a certain diameter are left standing. In other places foresters go in ahead of time and mark the timber that needs to be cut. Road are also being put in farther apart than they once did in the old days. This means skidding the logs a lot further and increasing costs. Trees don't live forever. When they get really old they will eventually die. Why not harvest them before this happens. I like horse logging. This doesn't tear up near as much ground. But it is also very slow and not practical for steeper ground or for really long skids. I like helicopter logging, because you don't need as many roads. The drawback is that it is also very expensive, and not practical for small timber such as lodgepole. Technology may come up with some new ideas to eliminate much of the road building. Winching logs into the air by balloon has been experimented with. Of course cables would have to be connected to the balloon to keep the wind from blowing it away. Maybe this is a possibility, but right now it's not considered practical. Well I'd better quit for now. I really got off on a tangent.....Steve1

I know three old jump pilots from the old days who were also skydivers. All three of them still jump. Two quit flying almost entirely. One does a little of both, but probably flies more than he jumps....Steve1

There used to be some wild Canadians who had a ritual of sorts when our club put on it's jump meet (back in the 70's). This ritual took place late at night, but before the bar closed down. Many of these fellows showed up in kilts to party in. Then whenever everyone got drunk enough, a long line of naked people would form up in the rest room one behind the other. Then they would come skipping into the bar singing as they went. More than one would have burning toilet paper hanging out of his rear. It was called "The Dance of the "Flaming Asshole". This is an old ritual up here in the North Country. I mean it took a lot of creativity to think this up! Now I can't say that I have ever really seen this. I never was able to hold much liquor and usually retired early. But I know lot's of old sky divers who swear this is a true story. Any old jumpers out there ever seen or heard of this? I would imagine this is still practiced at Lost Prairie. But then again, from the sounds of things, this might be considered too tame for that place....Steve1

No, but my daughter is there now and she loves the place. Friendly people, beautiful beaches, and lot's to do. If there's skydiving there also, it must be paradise....Steve1

Ah!!! I think that you mean Porsche goggles! I guess I need some Spelling lessons!....Steve1

I did find a use for those big black ones though. I broke my windshield out of my pickup one Spring logging, and I had to wait a couple weeks for a new windshield. It was my only vehicle at the time. So a lot of folks saw me flying down the highway at top Speed without a windshield. My hair was longer then and blowing in the breeze. And of course I had my big black goggles on. I also had my arm in a cast that I had broke rodeoing. People would slow down and crane their necks for a second look. Only in Montana do you see things like that.....Steve1

I recall Kroop goggles were first being used in our club in about 75 or so. Portias were two small pieces of bubble plastic. They were connected by a rivet in the middle and they would swivel open to fit over your nose. They also had a small piece of elastic to hold them on your head. They worked great and nearly everyone used them in the early 70's. I tried the big black rubber goggles (that some golden knights used back then) but my eyes watered like crazy in those, and I went back to portias. I later started using the kroop goggles....Steve1

When I started up jumping again, I was getting ready to jump, and asked some club members if anyone had a pair of portia's that I could borrow. Everyone looked dumbfounded, and couldn't figure out what I was talking about. Then one old timer heard what I said, and cracked up laughing. I guess they quit using them about 30 years ago. I wonder if they are still made....Steve1

John, The turkey pictures were taken along the Missouri River in North East Montana. The jumping here is crappy, but the hunting is fair. I don't have any pictures handy of Pam wearing anything skimpy, but I do have a picture of her with another one of her victims....Steve1

The deep fryer is working okay. Had a heck of a time getting it hot enough though. I had four gobblers in the freezer from last Spring also, so I've been busy fixing all of them. I've tried baking them in the oven and even smoking them, and they all seemed too dry. I don't know how much grease they soak up by frying them, but they definitely do taste better that way. Gotta go check my bird. God I wish I was jumping. I'm heading up to Canada next weekend to do just that. Haven't jumped since last September. Isn't that pathetic. Snowing some here again today...Steve1

I do not!! I'm always no less than the FAR prescribed minimum!! Ever fly over the peaks East of Eagle River, when you're climbing to altitude? I went sheep hunting back in there, in "69". Beautiful damn country. That was when Eagle River was just a wide spot in the road. Nothing like it is now. I often think of that area. I've got to get back up to Alaska....Steve1

Jeane, If you have a really tight choke you can get nearly all the shot into the head and neck area. Biting into a BB is no fun though. That reminds me, I've got to go check the turkey that is now cooking out in my shop. They've been coming out a little too well done, but still pretty tasty....Steve1

We only went one weekend. Both times was in the evening. This probably isn't the best time to call. Everytime we called they'd slowly move off without responding. It was close to dark, when I tried calling mine. He wandered away around a small hill with some hens. When they went out of sight I ran around the hill the other way. We met up on the far side of the hill. I got a quick running shot, but got him. My wife's turkey was out in a field. I called, but again they moved off kind of angling toward a fence. We moved ahead of them and waited for them to come walking down the fence line. When they were next to us, my wife couldn't see their heads above the tall grass. She was sitting against a tree. She slowly got up into a kneeling position and cut loose with her 12 guage. I'd rather call them in, but when they won't respond, we usually figure out which way they are moving and head them off. I guess some hunters don't feel this is sporting, but it works well. Anyhow, I'm putting my turkey fryer together tonight. I've never prepared them this way. I've heard it's the only way to fix wild turkey....Steve1

It's been snowing off and on for two days here in Montana. I need to move someplace warm like Alaska. You're right Wasilla is a really neat place. I worked in Palmer after graduating from High School in "69". I should have stayed up there. Back then they used to jump in Anchorage. I can't make it to your Boogie this year, but maybe next....Steve1

Just wondering if anyone has had any luck turkey hunting. My wife and I got lucky and shot two gobblers this Spring. I haven't been able to jump much lately, so I've been doing the next best thing. These pictures are of my wife and her bird. I hope to deep fry them tomorrow....Steve1

I ran across another old jump picture from 1970. This was just prior to our first jump. This isn't a real aircraft door. What do you think of that jump helmet. We called them steel pots back then. The guy standing behind me ended up with a severe concussion on jump three, when the wind came up. A better helmet may have prevented that. Do they still take this jump picture at Jump School?....Steve1