jimmytavino

QuoteNow that's what I call a good eye! And I thought I was the only one left on earth who remembers 10 Spot and The Largest Formation! You're absolutely correct. I got all the footage from those two videos and an early Norm Kent film called The Freak Brother Convention, which is where the rest of the footage came from. Its old footage for sure, but that's how I remember Roger. I jumped with him out of DC-3's at Quincy in the late 1980's. I'm glad to hear that folks are watching the video and remembering Roger*** Remember it???? sure.. sure.... absolutely!! I watch it more often than you might think.... "Roger calling the Mayor ( or else some other high level official) on the phone...with his feet up on the desk..hahaha... Like the Logo where the toe, is pointing out the boogie location... . The Shot Gun Start.... The Speech,,,,,,before a big way,,, "This is for Carl,,,,My best Friend"... and " OK THat's It!!!... GO to your AIRPLANES"........ and the best skydiving footage EVER,, set to Van Halen's ..."JUMP!!!!!" Video credit to Bob Franzese... DC3's are near and dear to me,,,as well.....When the 100 way's were happening,,, I sent Roger a 3 x 5 snapshot of about 30 of my fellow local skydivers...posing in front of a DC-3. ( "the BIRD Machine,", actually) I wrote him a note which basically said,,,, " since we can't be THERE for these attampts,,, but because we share your love and dedication and we SO have the DESIRE to be there with you,,,, please take our best wishes,, our spirit,, and our good vibes,, along with you...as you accomplish this challenge...... About 2 months AFTER the record,,,,,, I received a letter in the mail from Roger... The photo was in there,, and it was a bit wrinkled, and faded... His letter said,,, " thanks alot,,,Jim,,, I took this picture with me,,, In My Jumpsuit Pocket,, on every attempt" including the record... So indeed you and your pals WERE all with us on the 100 way..

way back,,, what seems like 20 years ago,,,I ordered and received a couple of videos from F B Productions,,,,,,"The Largest Formation" and "Ten Spot"....... I got them because I had heard about Roger and Carl,, since the mid 70's..... Brothers,,,, who were bound by blood, bound by love, bound by amazing vision,,, and bound by the ability and energy to create REALITY from their Imaginations......Body Pilot... by Carl Nelson.. has been a part of my jumping library since it was first published....It sits on a shelf in my home alongside The Art Of Freefall RW,,, United We Fall,,,, and Russ Gunby's Sport Parachuting... These were the days before mass media touched skydiving,,, before videography made everyone a "star",,, and when the written word was the main source of information for newbies.... " Hey Let's take, those Freak Brothers" became a psychological mantra for all jumpers who aspired to "fly with the big boys"..... and was incentive to work on our skills,, to achieve that end... Some of the scenes from this touching tribute,,,,have come from those old tapes,,, and through them.... the spirit of love, cooperation, brotherhood and sisterhood have been demonstrated as never before....... God has blessed the skydiving community with this Man and with His Family..... and ALL brothers and sisters of our community rightfully mourn the tragic loss....... yet more importantly,,,, rightfully Celebrate the wonder, the generosity, the forward thinking attitude and the amazing influence that this Man has had on the lives of so many skydivers worldwide.... Godspeed Roger Nelson............Heaven has just issued a 10 minute call,,,, for the everlasting,, non ending skydive........ Now that the Captain,,, has gotten on the manifest........... thank you for this video clip.......... jmy

They are both listed,, because I am proud of Both of them

.... to get back to the question........ I am an anyone else.....

.... Hahaha I prefer the sky as well!!! I am 49... (in 3 weeks, I'm 50 ) ,, have been jumping for 31 years,,,, over 62 % of my lifetime..!!! I have, however averaged under 100 jumps / year.. though, what with work and family responsibilities,,, ( all well worth the time away from the dropzone.....)..I was never in a plane until the day of my 1st jump,,, and I had almost 200 jumps before I ever landed in a plane,,,,,.....I feel decades younger than I am...and have had a positive outlook on life since I was a child.....an attitude which has been enhanced by the entire culture,,, of Skydiving........ skydive softly skydive often skydive with friends.....

... pretty sad .. I would say... and this from a so called "affluent " community.....From the video.. it looked like gang violence,, without the stabbings, and gunplay.......I was rather disgusted when I saw an interview clip,,, with the H.S. Principal.... who basically shrugged his shoulders,, and excused,,, "Well it wasn't done ON school property" ( the guy probably takes in 300 Grand a year ,,, reducing the possibility of hiring more TEACHERS,,)....How Lame...... What really bugged me,,, though was that with all the "spectators" who were there,,, very few seemed to recognize that many lines had been crossed, and it looked like No one stepped forward to intervene,, or break it up,, or to protect those gilrs who were on the ground, and taking all sorts of abuse........I Guarantee,,, if I was there,, and knew ANYone who was a victim ,, I would have been in the middle of it,,, pointing out the Idiocy of their actions, to the perpetrators, and protecting some of the victims...regardless of consequences..... But I am from the "old school" ,, where people respect one another,, and where people are not so easily influenced by the crap that they see on Television and in the movies and on video game screens,,,....Oh well the world is basically crazy,,,, and that is one of the reasons why I seek the refuge of the drop zone. and of blue skies.....

....Absolutely,, some friends I know get VERY detailed in their log books.. One woman is an ARTIST.... and she draws these unbelievable pictures and sketches from various parts of each jump... the larger logbooks offered her the space to create such an entry... she adds color and text and people clamor to have a chance to sign off one of her jumps....