steve1

I grew up hunting here in Montana. Most of my collection is rifles, from 22's up to 300 Win. Mag. I've got a couple 270s. (I really like that caliber for deer size critters and an occaisional elk.) I mostly bowhunt now, but will never get rid of my rifles. I have a couple shotguns for birds, and three pistols mostly for fun.......Steve1

I don't know what debauchery means, but it sounds like fun......Steve1

I love wood heat. There's nothing better on a cold day. Most fireplaces aren't too efficient though. Too much heat goes up the chimney unless you have a good insert. I have a wood stove, with a glass door. Spend an hour or so sitting in my easy chair in front of it each night. It's messy hauling in wood, but since I ripped out the carpet and put in tile it works great. Cutting wood isn't for everyone, but I enjoy going out and pretending I'm a logger again.....Steve1

Now that's a scary one!.....Steve1

I've always looked up to Dan Brodsky. I met him in person last year at Eloy. You'd think someone that famous wouldn't even have time to talk to us pee-ons, but he went out of his way to visit and even show us a few things pertaining to jumping. I admire his courage to return to jumping after losing so many friends in the plane crash at Perris, almost dieing himself, and then going on to reach the highest levels in our sport.....Steve1

I remember packing static line rigs when I had less than 20 jumps. I was even helping instruct a few things to the Newbies that were a hair newer than I was. My, how things have changed! (for the better, of course).....Steve1

I made one jump at Coulidge last February out of a King Air. Is this Mike Mullin's King Air? I'm not sure if that's the one. I've also jumped out of Nardi's King Air which is another fast jump ship.....Steve1

We used to take the guts out of 550 cord and use this string for brake cord on static line jumps. The very end of the static line was tied onto the pilot chute and then to each cone the static line was tied. There were usually four cones. All this seemed to break easily enough and I never saw a problem, but I'm sure it could happen.....Steve1

When I first got mine it was opening hard and fast. I now psycho-pack it, really roll the nose, quarter the slider carefully, and now get nice openings. If yours is taking too long to open, I'd say maybe don't roll the nose much. I think a slow opening Hornet is kind of unusual though.....Steve1

I only did four and then went to freefall.....Steve1

Quote Of course, I'm stupid, I dunno what Larrys' problem was. reply] Sounds like he was searching for attention. Lot's of people never got much when they were a kid. It's something that can stick with you, like glue all your life. Too bad he didn't get some therapy. Sounds like a cool guy....Steve1

Oh, I spend way too much time on here. A while back I was typing away, and giggling to myself at what I was reading, when I happened to glance behind me and see my superintendants ugly face sneering at me through my office window. So....I better get back to work, before it happens again....Steve1

Bill....I can certainly see your point. Over the years I have had several friends die jumping. Luckily I wasn't there when it happened. I've never seen a jumper go in. I've also joked about this very subject.... Maybe I wouldn't joke about it if I had seen a friend die. And I'd certainly be angry if anyone pissed in their crater.....Steve1

Quote Every once in a while I run into Dave Mahoney and give him a bad time about his old beater van with the bleached cow skull mounted on his front bumper. reply] I hope Coolidge isn't like that now. I made one jump there last winter, and I fell in love with the place. Dave Mahoney cooked us up some smoked ham and I also met some other cool old timers like Bob Sinclair around the camp fire that night. I've heard some old jumpers say that Dave Mahoney is kind of a legend. Can anyone tell us more about him? I spent quite a bit of time drinking beer with him at Eloy, but I don't know much about him......Steve1

I used to make some demo jumps in the old days. Anyone with more than a hundred jumps and a para-commander was usually invited. Well anyhow after a 25 year lay off I started jumping again. For some reason I figured I still knew it all. After all I used to go on all the big loads in the old days. A big load back then might have been a 12-way. Well anyhow I bought one of these new fangled square canopies, and I figured I'd start making demos again. Of course I didn't know what in the hell I was doing. So I told the school I worked for that I'd jump into the football field for everyone's delight. An old jump buddy that I jumped with 30 years earlier had an airplane and volunteered to fly. He'd been out of the sport a long time too and probably didn't know anymore than I did. The foot ball field was kind of down in a hole with tall cottonwood trees on the south with a hill and buildings on the east. And then the wind came up (from the south). Of course I didn't have a clue that the wind might collapse a canopy in this kind of situation. The wind was about 15 knots when we took off, and getting worse. I had a good spot. I left at about 6,000 and after opening I did enough spirals to make myself sick. Everything was going according to plan and I was putting on a good show for everyone. The kids were hooping and hollering and the folks I worked with were grinning, and then I hit this turbulence from the trees. Suddenly I have this sickening falling sensation as I am setting up to land. My canopy had collapsed. I didn't know you should pump your brakes, in fact I wasn't even sure what was happening. And then just as quickly it re-enflates and I come in for a landing on the football field. Some people say that you get smarter with age. After reading this story, we all know that isn't always the case......Steve1

Airborne soldiers routinely jump out of the side doors of jets. But there is a wind deflector that goes out in front of the door to deflect the wind. Otherwise it would be next to impossible to clear the door without getting all banged up. It's great fun to fall below the deflector and enter the prop blast. But I doubt if most of these jets are going over 200 mph. We used to jump c-141's a lot. In fact I made my first jump out of one. I've heard C-5A's and other jets are jumped by para-troops today.....Steve1

I'm not sure if I know him biblically or not. I did read about Saint Sebazz in the bible.....But Sebazz1 is still alive, living in California, and a legend here in Montana. People still talk about the time he was at Lost Prairie. In fact he's my roll model.....Steve1

I jumped with a couple guys who were pilots in Nam. One flew a bird dog plane and the other flew a helicopter. Yes, both are more than a little bit nutso. The one who flew the bird dog admits he is probably suffering from PTS even though it's been over 30 years since Vietnam. He's pretty high up in the fire dept. and flies a Leer Jet for some rich guy on the side. The other Vietnam Pilot, who flew a helicopter, went to Casa Grande in the 70's. He drove a hearse and called skydiving Sport Death. Last I heard he had a helicopter flying job of some sort for a civilian agency.......Steve1

We used these for sport jumping in the 70's. I had two cut-aways on a 24 ft. round back then. Stood up one and sprained both ankles on the 2nd. Never had a malfunction in the army. I did do a backloop (with full equipment) through my risers once. Must have been a real poor exit. Put a good twist in things, but it landed fine.....Steve1

I'm still a believer in getting an education. I think there's more to consider than just the amount of income. I used to work as a timber faller in the woods and probably made as much then as I do now, almost. But there were lot's of days when you were freezing your rear off, sometimes up to your waist in snow, and it is one of the most dangerous jobs anywhere. I could tell lot's of scary stories of dead and injured friends, but I won't go there now. So anyhow whenever I get depressed about my current job, I just think about logging in the winter time and I don't feel so bad. You can't buy a sawing job now, because there isn't much logging going on. I also worked as a plumber's and pipe-fitter's apprentice. The money was good, but again the working conditions weren't that great. Many of these guys have no families because they are booming all over the country in search of work. There's lot's of great jobs out there, if you have the "right" college degree. There may be competition to get some of these jobs but, it isn't all doom and gloom for a college graduate. If you plan things out right, I still think it can pay off well by going to college. Just pick the right major. I know the expense of college today is rediculous. I have two daughters in college now, and I'm hoping things pay off for them. I have a couple college degrees and make four or five times what my wife does who doesn't have a degree. But then again my sister in law (who's never been to college) sells real estate and makes four or five times what I do. It's not a perfect world out there.....Steve1

Airtwardo's story reminded me of another one when I was in Jump School at Ft. Benning. Some of the Black Hat's (instructors) back then were sometimes kinda sadistic. I have vivid memories of the 34 ft. tower, probably because I went out of it so many times until I finally could do it right. I always had an elbow out too far or my hands weren't placed just right, and they'd send me back up to do it again. I had the risers slap me so many times behind the ears that they were both bloody. (really).....and I guess I was lucky I wasn't recycled. Some said it was scarier than jumping. Some said they made it exactly 34 feet because that was the scariest height of all, and there was nothing below it but hard packed dirt. You jump out of it as many times as I did and it was not really that scary, but the first few times were kind of tough. Well anyhow one of the first jumps out of it there was this guy ahead of me who forgot to hook up one side of his risers. The black hat up there was screaming at us the whole time and he finally shouted "stand in the door" and this kid, ahead of me, did as he was told and took up a good exit position. I'm sure his heart was going pitter-pat because I know mine was. Then the black hat showed him the riser's that were unhooked on one side and then shoved him out the door. The other side was hooked up though, and he ended up bouncing down the trolley cock eyed. I'll bet he remembered to hook things up right the next time. And we all lived happily ever after.....Steve1

I had a few friends who quit college because it interfered with their skydiving. Most of them are more successful than I am. One of them was a three time World Champion and he owns a drop zone. If I'd only known. I quit skydiving because it was interfering with college....Steve1

Good point. Balance is the key. As much as I love our sport, there's other things that are more important......Steve1

This is the first I've heard of the superman flare....I'll have to give it a try. Do you de-arch with this or just lay flat? Would this work very well with dive loops?.....So far I don't use them because I've got in the habit sometimes of putting my arms out in front and I hate having that restriction of movement.....Steve1

I know the feeling. I lost it once and quit jumping many years ago. Now I'm back, and doing my best not to lose it again....Steve1