oldfart

.45 ACP.More stopping power.Same reason cops switched to the 40 cal Glocks in my hometown.

I don't drink, but if I would to venture a guess alot has to do with beer's slogan.."Helping ugly people have sex since 1835".Smoking I'll never figure out.Holds no attraction for me.

Nice pics,Kel.My dad was in the Coast Guard back in WW 2, served on the USS Savage Destroyer Escort.He went into the CG after doing a hitch in the Army from 1936-40.When his Army hitch was up,he and his buddy were looking at the then experimental paratroop division and the recruiting officer told them to be back at 8 AM the next morning to sign up.That night he and his buddy got drunk,picked up a couple of hookers and forgot all about being paratroopers.Instead he joined the CG and spent DDay 4 years later in North Atlantic.Dangerous duty enough,but his chances were much better than the guys that jumped into Normandy that day. I always say that my sister and my own existence is due to alot of alcohol and 2 hookers that were in the right place at the right time.

On my first jump course way back in 1978,there was a slogan "one high at a time".I think that says it all.There's a time and a place for everything. I knew a few guys that jumped stoned back in the day.I only remember one incident where one of them lost track of altitude awareness and finally deployed his main at about 800 feet AGL. He was grounded for a few weeks.Sheer stupidity.Save the weed and the beer after the jumping.It's more enjoyable that way.No pressure.

Political how so?Could you elaborate?What about the rest of the military?

I tried scuba a few times and I liked it,but I stuck with skydiving only.It was just one more expensive high tech sport I couldn't afford.Six good numbers on the lotto and I will take up scuba again.

I'm sorry I wasn't explicit here,but for the record,for 35mm I like the Velvia stock too.I shot the motion picture version of that and shot a 200 foot roll in my old Arri 2 C.Pretty stuff. You guys that shoot motion picture film and I'm curious as to how many are still out there.Kodak or Fuji?I'm assuming that's if it's your choice and a DP isn't dictating the type of stock having to worry about intercutting with the rest of a movie. I know with most everyone shooting digital video and stills these days film is not as common as it was,but I'm sure there are still plenty of 16,s16 and 35 mm motion picture cameras whirring on helmets in freefall. Besides, those electronic shutters can't compete with film overcranking.

Last couple of movies I've seen that had pilots ejecting, the chutes used were squares.How long have the riggers been packing ram air canopies in ejection seats and what aircrafts are they being used in?Is this now standard?

Film shooters:What stock do you prefer shooting for freefall?I imagine alot depends on your project and if it's a movie you're working on the DP will advise, but in general what do you prefer and why?

An Army surplus T-10 with a T 7-A chest mount reserve.I bought a rig with a 5 cell parafoil and a 26 Navy conical reserve.The rig was a Condor with R-3 Capewells. I graduated to a PC when I changed DZ's on my 5th jump and got to jump my own rig by my 50th or so jump (in those days they wouldn't let you jump a square until you had at least 50 jumps). I made 3 reserve rides with that rig.I bought a Manta in 1984 with a Wonderhog,made about 3 jumps on it and then had a 15 year hiatus from the sport.

What I remember about the old days,late 70's early 80's were the memorable parties.Although I'm happy to see DZ's cater to a more family friendly atmosphere as my 2 kids have been with me in my more recent jumps,I'll always fondly remember the parties.

After he landed, he would unzip the front of his suit, and that little dog would hop out and run around excitedly in the grass. And then run over and pee on someone's rig,lol.

I still have a 16mm copy of "Wings".When I started jumping in 1978 I was working for Russell Film Labs in Jacksonville,Florida.At the time,affordable VCR's didn't exist and it was actually cheaper then to make a dupe 16mm print.Now if I could just resurrect one of my projectors...

I remember hearing the story when I started jumping at Palatka again.The story made it's way in the broadcasting and gay/bi community.A certain gay TV reporter reiterated the story to me and said that he was going to try skydiving until that happened to the DJ.

I know the story of wife vs. skydiving.I don't think my ex had a problem with skydiving,she just didn't want anything to take time and money away from her sorry ass.Trouble was I spent 12 years with her before we went separate ways.She was so self centered during sex she used to call out her own name(drum effect here for punch line).Glad to hear Chuck got his senses back. I had heard a few stories about Johann and BK, the two guys who were running Amelia last.I had heard the city of Fernindina Beach had some run ins with rowdy jumpers and outlaw jumps or naked beach jumps or something like that, but nothing confirmed.Both Johann and BK seemed like really nice guys and I hope whatever their personal problems were, they got it straightened out. Glad to hear Johnny Sumner is still jumping.I made a few jumps with him last in the early 80's in Keystone Heights (another DZ that went the way of the buffalo,not sure what happened there,haven't seen or heard anything from Joe Davis in about 15 years). I still see Tom Harvey every now and then,he pops up in odd places here and there.There's a character.Never forget when he flew observers in his plane and fake a heart attack not long after jumpers exited.He did it so well!Remember the little dog he used to jump with in his suit?

I just remembered a guy named Chuck. He was walking in from a far corner of the airport once with his T-10 student canopy, and encountered a diamondback rattlesnake, which bit him on top of his foot. He was in the hospital for a week, and the doctors almost had to amputate. But he saved his foot. I was there that day.I believe that was on my first jump which was 10/7/78.I jumped sporadically over the years.My profession as a TV news shooter as well as a marriage and 2 kids kept me grounded for much of that time but I did manage to log 164 jumps. I made a few jumps with Chuch in the early 80's in Palatka.He was about 16 when that rattlesnake bit him. Very sorry to hear about Vance.He jumpmastered me on some of my first freefalls. Johnnie Sumner...I bought his old 5 cell parafoil and logged about 135 jumps on it.Then I bought a rig from Henry Best in 1984,made a few jumps and took a long hiatus from the sport.I understand Henry Best is no longer with us and died a few years ago in a canopy relative work accident several years ago. Good to hear from you guys again.

OMG!! I think you were in the plane with me on my first jump making, I believe your 8th or 9th something like that.There was a cute girl who exited before me, Dan Steeger was jumpmaster. This is Marty Hamrick, I'm still in Jax.I knew Bill Smith,Mad Dog Mcguire,Gordon Hardage (he's still in the family funeral business.I saw him last when he helped with my dad's funeral a few years ago),Steve Hall,Art Barchie and Janice Oliva.Been a long time since I saw that crowd.Please send me Smitty's email addy.He still jump? Yeah a DZ briefly opened at Amelia in 1999.Didn't last long.I made about 4 jumps there in '78 and another 4 in '99.Then I went there to jump again and the DZ was gone.Got current again at Palatka,but had to get out again for health and finance reasons.Planning to jump again when my income tax refund comes in.Just wanted to know what happened there.Whatever happened to Dan Steeger?

This doesn't count as a skydiving story either but it reminded me of something.My dad joined the Army in 1936 and served 4 years.When his hitch was almost up in 1940,he and his buddy were watching the 101 st Airborne train at Fort Benning.He and his buddy talked to the recruiting officer who told them to be back in the morning to sign up.They both wanted to reenlist but weren't sure what branch they wanted. Both my dad and his buddy ended up getting roaring drunk that evening and picked up a couple of hookers.They forgot all about the 101 Airborne,instead my dad opted for the Coast Guard and spent D Day skirting the North Atlantic on the Destroyer Escort USS Savage.This was hazardous enough duty as had he had gone and joined the paratroopers,he probably would not have survived.My sister 's and my own existence are due in part to alot of alcohol and some hookers who happened to be in the right place at the right time.

The best answer to that question was given to a TV news crew who covered a one legged jumper's first sport jump(he had had several military jumps back in "Nam days and had lost a leg due to a hand grenade).He had experienced a malfunction and cutaway and landed under his reserve.The reporter asked the "What would you have done if the reserve had not opened?"question. He answered,"Well if I had pulled my reserve and it hadn't opened,I would've reached down here between my legs and pulled this (his Mr.Happy of course)one last time".

Made my first jump in '78 on an Army surplus T-10.I'll have to check that one out.

Yes.There was a fictionalized Hollywood version and I think it was called,the Pursuit of DB Cooper or something like that.Late 70's early 80's I think.All I remember is a nice tail exit from a 727.Military surplus gear.

Terminal Velocity....I love Nastasia Kinski!Still hot!Charlie Sheen is a great smartass as always,flying penis great line. Dropzone...entertaining but wish Hollywood would dump the no rig,fall out after someone with a 10 second or more lead,catch them and bring them down under one chute gag.Gets old and even the whuffos are catching on. Cutaway...a little lame as a movie but more realistic on the skydiving,not as many silly gags. Moonraker..hilarious "Jaws" bounce scene. The Right Stuff has a really nice ejection seat scene with a nice freefall by Joe Svec.Understand he went in doing it.Anyone know what happened? Point Blank..Nice freefall stuff,but you can't talk in freefall! Gypsy Moths..Awesome nostalgia film.Great stuff from the late great Carl Boenish. Surely Hollywood can come up with a better gag to replace the no rig,catch em before they bounce routine.It's old now.Anyone care to come up with something to replace it?How about a chase scene under canopies with guns?

I made my first jump at Amelia Island in NE Florida (about 45 minutes from Jax) back in 1978 and probably what hooked me on the sport was the view.Never seen a view that pretty in NE Florida again.I jumped AI again in 1999 after leaving the sport for 15 years.Then the DZ shut down.I got several different stories.Anyone know the real skinny on the place?

Didn't get the stomach churning but I got the tingle on the top of the head around the hairline and watched my helmet,which was in my lap rise about a foot.That was in a 182 back in the 80's.