skybill

Hi Red, 6 busted bones by 30?? All at once or one at a time?? Never mind the broke bones, it's your track record that will kill ya'!! No matter how slow the descent rate of your canopy is, it will drop you like a load of dirt outa' the back of a "No Class Dump Truck*" sometime!! Get on a platform about 4 feet off the turf and take a running leap to the ground below. can you make do with the landing?? There can be worse. And a lot softer but no guarantees. * Any old farts remember,"No Class Dump Truck??" SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

You Beech nuts had to wear Bell motorcycle helmets. We got away with hockey helmets and Frap hats with a few strategically placed pads of cardboard or shin guards. Phase II saw nothing like the carnage out of the Beeches. jon Hi Jon, Yup, traded in my hard hat for a blue Cooper that I jumped for several years and finally got a Fraphatte! Carnage? Beeches "and' 3's had their share! Maybe I survived all those years and my bones let me know too!! At least I can still tilt a glass of beer!! The early daze are told pretty good in the "Blast from the Past" section on the Air Trash website www.AirTrash.com the hist of r/w by Pat works it's a good read. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Jon!!, Yeah yer talkin' about "Phase II' Speed star outa DC-3's that came after the Beeches!! We learned!! We inovated! We Grew! From those beer barrel shaped style & accuracy rigs to Hank the Crank's flat pak pigs!! It took a while. Techniques!! Originally base and pin were 1 and 2 outa the plane then someone came up with the idea of dumpin' 4 floaters as a chunk, base and pin followed by 4 divers and everyone met in the middle. There for a weekend or two down at O-Die, Mack's Beech was down for maintenance and we did get some 3 Cessna formations and pulled off some good stars,...even faster than the Beech as we had 3 chunks of 4 people close together. WOW what fun. We got the star really high......then we looked around the star with this expression of...."Now What?" How about everybody let go ...and...try another formation?? "Sequential R/W!!" But don't tell the serious Speed Star freaks!! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi vi, "Speed Star!" eh? Time sure flyz when yer havin' fun!! Sparky, Stark et al will tell ya',"Ya' shoulda' Been there!!" The idea of a "Speed Star" back in the day was probably a misnomer! Hell, we were all learnin' and there were no cookbooks on how to do this stuff!!! From 12-5 to 3-5 (breakoff alt back then for round canopies)and more than once we had a 9 man with the 10th on wrists or various other senarios!! Seems like yesterday and now it's yesteryear!! Nevermind the 10 man just go for 8 so we can get a case of beer for the newby's "SCR!!" The extra 2 people are gravy!! 'Back in '99 I survived a carwreck when another driver hit my S-10 Chevy and turned it over with me inside!! Got a few scratches but the truck was totaled! Well the Emergency people and paramedics show up and check us out and this one guy just about wants to throw me on a stretcher and start an I-V and yelling,"Where are you hurt!!" I stop and in a moment of lucidity I say,"If I'm no more beat up than I would be after a day at the DZ doing 4 each, 10-MAN Speed Stars outa' a small door Beech 18, wearin' "guttergear!" I'm Fine buddy, just Fine!!!" Those of us who were there can attest. People doin' 10-MAN today ain't like it usta' be!!! Out at places like Elsinore and Scare-Us-Valley on a quiet calm night just listen to the light wind blowing and you will hear..... the ghosts of the Stars of yesteryear!!! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Van, 186'sq???? The Stratostar was 180'sq* and the Fryer was suppose to be smaller than that at 160'sq. the clincher was the negative aspect ratio,...more cord than span!! 'Also had a steep angle of incidence and forward C.G. * To be sure, I have a '76 model Black Rainbow Strat in the archives and can measure it if need be. ..Anybody got a set of the drawings??...As Gordo Foster usedta' say,..."Cartoons!!" SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Reg, One thing about flying model airplanes. "There isn't a model airplane crash that I was involved in that I havn't walked away from!!" Nuf said. Looking around the room, Skydiving gear in one corner, I'm at the desk, on the other side, my Sensoar and a bunch of rolled up model airplane plans. Have fun with the helo, tracking, trimming and balancing blades for starters!! From stick and tissue, dime store hand toss gliders, circle burners, R/C U-name it and on!! Ever since I was a kid and would watch my brother and his buds try to start his Olson .23 ignition engine !! circa 1947-48!! Late 70's-80's-90's ridge soaring the coast in So. Cal. Play on Gypsies, play on! Oh BTW, after night dives at the DZ (Perris), I'd scrounge the chem lites and tape them to my Wanderer and night fly with my upstart launcher. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Nick, The Stratostar!! Still got my "Black rainbow" star in the archives !! I think the strat was the first canopy to disc out at the nationals?? Never tried a fryer, I mean flyer. 'Did put a couple of jumps on Bobby Gray's "Paramount" (basically a flyer copy) but only in 10 to 15+ mph winds!! Compared to todays' flying postage stamps the fryer is "Huge!!" at 160 sq ft!! I remember Geno Johnson (this was back a few cases of beer ago) the only canopy he could scrounge was an old fryer that would drill him into the Scare-us hardpan! He would front riser it with great vigor then at the last second he'd flare like there was no tomorrow and pound the ground so hard I thought he'd set off the San Andreas!! (It's only a few miles away you know!!) Wonder of wonders, he came into some cash and got one of Furry's canopys before his knees and ankles gave out. Geno? What ever happened to Geno?? But that's another story?? SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Howard, 'Many testamonies!! 'Ya may remember the photo of Dean Westguard landing one. The Photo showed him right before "impact!!" .....a cloud of Elsinore dust and a High, Hi-Ho-Silver!!! Funny how the Flyer is the only square chute that I know of that got the nick-name,"The Nylon Hammer!!" Red Beard "gave" me one and I couldn't give it away, Matt McKillowatt was by one night and after a few beers I gave it to him for some base jumps!! Finally!! I got rid of it!! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi monkey and all else, Pie rules? Did you say,"Pie Rules??" There really are no rules! Just "Jungle Rules!" so beware!! As I have stated before,"Anybody can pie anybody for anything or nothing at all!!" As for the gear on thing, quite a while back, I was walking back to the packing area at Perris and noticed Jan Burton and somebody else "trying" to get the pie off Gloria Dorosko's nice brand new (less than a couple of jumps on it) silver, black and red Vector!!! The pie was ment for Dan Pollasche, he saw it comming, ducked, the pie went over his head and the rig got it!! Glory was one pissed off lady!! So be careful out there boys and girls!! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Happy B'Day Jim!! and Many more Blue Skyz to ya'!!!! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Yeah here its just the dirty little secret... of "you gotta pop her in the mouth to keep her in line" crew. I think that is sanctioned in the Bible for good Jews and Christians men. Hi Amazingracie', As Rusty Warren (an she's a girl by the way) usedta' say,"MEN!!! Do you beat your wife????,Why, Hell every time!!!" Too bad Rusty never got into Skydivin'. (Back in da' daze of round chutes and downwind accuracy!!) 'Would love ta' have heard her version of "Cardinal Puff!!" SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi w c, It's tough. My wife Peggy just got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in july. 'Went thru the first round of chemo and had to have a stint put in one of her pluged up bile ducts!! 'Go for the ct scan read and start round 2 of chemo this thurs. Hope and pray for a good report (shrunk tumors!). Don't know what else to say. 'Ya have to fight it!! Seems like nobody is safe from cancer...nobody! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi crystal, Best of Prayers, Vibes and wishes to Bill!! ...And...Blue Skyz! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Natty, The worst?? 'Has to be the "Dariush" in Isfahan iran '76. The room was OK, no roaches or anything like that but no matter how much we bitched at the management, even though they had lots and lots of "ICE" they never served us "COLD BEER!!!"....Until... They finally got the message when we quit buying their beer and brought down our coolers from our rooms that our wives chilled down while we were at work. They got pissed becaused we upended them, told em' you want us to buy beer, make sure it's "COLD!!" We got "Cold Beer" after that!! 'From back in the daze of the Grumman F-14 Iran Project. PS the beer was local, Shams and Midejadeah mostly Shams. Carbination was lacking, kinda remminded ya' of low key home brew, but it had a kick!! "Do your part to save the Earth, It's the only Planet with "BEER!!!!" PS Unless anyone can prove otherwise, the largest Relative Work Freefall Formation ever done in Iran is a 4-way done by myself, my wife(at that time) Chris, Lee Sewell and Paul Ross. 02JULY76. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Dennis, The're all kinds out there!! One man Helicopters, air cushion devices and "jet paks!!" One thing for sure, they can all kill ya' faster than a skydive!! my favorite was the Benson B7-M "Gyrocopter." Got a late 50's Model Airplane mag with a bunch of those in it!! good fun!! Then along came "Ultralight aircraft!!" Just remember that the last thing that goes thru yer mind in an "ultra light aircraft crash" is "The Engine!!" SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Sky, Got my "Radio Flyer" actually got a couple. Several years ago my neighbor had a red in his back yard going to hell in a flat hat!! He was moving and I asked for the wagon as he was going to dump it. Got rid of most of the corrosion in the bucket, shot it with some rustoleum and red primer and wala!! A few months ago I saw a "Town and country" version with the wood frame and rails at a yard sale. Got it for $20 and fixed it up for $5 and some elbow grease. Saw the new ones at a local store, the tincan versions are $100 and the Town and Country versions are $150!!!!!! "AND" they are now made in CHINA!! If ya' have one in the yard, at Grandma's house or the garage, grab it and fix it up!! Out here in East NC they make great "Beach Rigs" ya' put yer cooler, tackle box and Fishing poles on it and go out on the fishing pier! Most cool!! My haunt is the "Jolly Roger Pier"

Hi p-f, Congrats. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Ry, An oldie but goodie,"Flesh Gordon!!" Especially if you can find the "X" rated version. The crew that did it even found an old cotton harness seat pack chute for "Flesh" to jump out of that old Ford Tri-motor. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi A-z, #49, Cuckoo's nest by Kesey got the ax but The Electric Koolaid Acid Test by Tom Wolf made the cut?? What gives? Acid Test is all about Kesey!! If ya' read one ya' gotta' read the other!! 'Sure puts it all in perspective. As Kesey dedicates Cuckoo's Nest to his friend from the Menlo Park Vets' Hospital Vik Lovel of whom he says," He told me Dragons did not exist than led me to their lairs." Read on. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi jb, When it comes to coffee I have only 2 words to say,"Navy" and "New Orleans!!" I'm from the New Orleans area and a cup of Cafe Du Monde coffee and a rack of begnets (ben-yea's) top the list. Don't worry about the hole in any paper cup with a plastic lid, get a good travel mug and that settles it. The other word is "Navy" hooooooboy back in the day did we ever drink some coffee!! I think I commented before that the better part of the Defence Dept. budget for the Indo-Chinese war was for the "COFFEE!!!!" Got that. 'Ya know yer an "old salt" when 'ya can walk up the hanger deck on the USS Princeton LPH-5, the ship rolling 20degrees starboard to port and back, never mind the pitch,

Hi reg., Anything that comes out of Ach-med-N-a-dinnerjacket's is a feeble attempt at gross humour. Back in "Vaudeville" daze when a comic on stage was a flop people in the audiance would yell,"Get The HOOK!!" A stage hand had this long poll with a large bent hook on the end that he used to snag the geek around the neck and pull him off stage

Hi t-s, Eat, eat, eat,.....doesn't anyone like to screw anymore???? SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Bill, 'Ya got me by a few, 'just turned 65 this year. ''Know what ya mean 'bout that "gettin old" thing. Best wishes on your gettin fixed up. We'll keep you in our prayers. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

HiArvie, Jumpin a PC eh?? Too much fun. Yup, the short line trip suppose to make em' handle better for accuracy.....just don't miss the pit!! 'Put 500 plus a couple of jumps on various config. PC's but once I got my Stratostar, rounds got relegated to reserve duty. 'Last jump on a PC was 04JULY76 at the Grumman-Bell Heli 4th of July gig in Isfahan Iran!! I still think that me, my ex-wife Chris, Lee Sewell and Paul Ross hold the Iranian RW record, a 4-way!! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Ken, Who are the "Loonies??," Wayne or the hoplophobic bureaucratic brethren who administrate rules and regulations that are held over our heads?? Got Guns?? Molon Labe!!!! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out