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Here it is. Sweet plane, climbs well, has Wright 1820-86 engines from a Grumman HU 16 Albatross. Shown at WFFC 2005. I made almost every load flown by the DC 3, just loved the plane, but the spots.... well, lets say that it was hard to believe that they had a GPS, but they did. One load I was on landed miles!!! from the WFFC DZ. Exited over scattered clouds. Finally Air Boss Dean flew with them and showed them how to fly a jump run. They seemed to improve after that. Oh, and that plane was the loudest (by far) of the six DC 3s I have flown on. Ear plugs mandatory. 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

I have bought EVERY accessory that L&B has ever made. Their customer service is A+++++++++ (actually PERFECT) and their products are great. The non linear face on the Altitrack is a very useful feature. It doesnt require wraparound conversion to figure out your altitude if you are above 12K. It also spreads out the low altitude portion to give you good angular resolution where you need it most. They use a solid state pressure sensor, a microprocessor and a digital stepper motor to do this. The back lighting is nice, not overly bright. The hand mounting works well, although I prefer a wrist mount. The jump logging features are awesome, everything the Pro track does and more. I like to have an accurate altimeter from TO to landing and here is the one shortcoming in the current version of the product. For about the first 500 ft after TO it stays on zero then jumps up to the right reading and is fine after that. Maybe L&B will fix this in a new software version. When you consider all the work that went into the product. the amazing number of useful features and the relatively small skydiving market, it is a good value at $299. I think it is out of kindness towards the Cypres mfr that L&B does not make AADs. Clearly they have the software and most of the hardware to do it already. The Altitrack is a great device which is useful, fun and very accurate. Buy one, you will not regret it. I love knowing that if something goes wrong, even after warranty expiration, L&B will treat me right and keep me happy, just as they have always done. They truly deserve my business and set the gold standard for taking care of customers.

I still have a five dollar jump ticket from POPE VALLEY PARACHUTE RANCH. Sure miss that DZ. 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

WFFC www.freefall.com Look at the plane list from over the years, amazing variety. Connie, B 17, B 24, Ford Tri Motor, Martin 404 etc. Last year we had an ATL 98 Carvair, looked a lot like a 747 with four radials. In fact I heard a spectator telling his kid that it WAS a very early model of the 747. 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

UPDATE MARCH 09 9 minutes to 18K for $28. The King Air 200 is a rocket ship, seriously. Nice folks, spectacular views, hazard free landing area. Lots of tandems, but with the plane making such quick turnarounds you will get to jump. First time I ever had my reserve packing card checked at SMB. New boss! Even checked to see if my USPA membership was current. Thankfully, it all was cool. Reserve was still in date by a few days, whew! UPDATE OCT 07 Still a great DZ. I can be absent for a long time but the staff remembers my name and treats me really well. I have to laugh at SMB's website pitch for the scenic aerial tour included with tandems at "no extra charge". You better look really quick because that Nardi's King Kong King Air will have you on jump run in less than seven minutes. I hear the new King Air 200 is even a faster climber. The incredible climb abilty of the new plane should cut down wait times for tandems, a source of frequent SMB blog grumbling on Yelp and other sites. SMB ought to consider some new ways to deal with impatient tandem jumpers, maybe let them roam in town subject to a 30 minute cell call to show up at the DZ. Up jumpers know that waiting to load is just sometimes part of the game, but tandem customers get really torqued and then gripe on various review blogs. UPDATE MAY 07 Showed up after a long absence and was warmly greeted by Dail, the DZ mgr. Dropped of some gear for Mako (DZ rigger) to work on and suited up for a late afternoon jump. This DZ does great job of integrating tandems and up jumpers. You aren't made to feel like you are excess $22 baggage standing in the way of profitable $200 tandems. The modified (higher HP engines) King Air climbs unbelievably fast so even though only one plane is flying, it feels like they have a couple operating. Not much waiting. View of the ocean from 15.3K was incredible (they are always generous with altitude here). Great location and friendly helpful staff. Sunset always packs smooth openings for me. Treating up jumpers well has its benefits for the DZ. I have sent quite a few people there for tandems and even a few AFFs because I like the staff and the whole operation. I know my friends will have a good experience here. Be careful on the road to the DZ (Reservation road). Radar cops were nailing speeders the day I went. UPDATE JULY 06 Greg Nardi and his wife now apparently own and run SMB. The Twin Otter went to Taft, but before you get upset by that departure, it has been replaced by a King Air that is an Absolutely Spectacular climber. I have been in Mike Mullins rocket ship King Air, but believe me, this one actually climbs faster. Seemed like about six minutes from lift off to exit. When I visited last weekend it was a hummin tandem scene, but the staff was friendly and accomodating to me and another couple of fun jumpers who showed up. Dayle is now the DZ manager and she was a pleasure to deal with. The same old local climate situation exists which means if the coast looks fogged out don't dispair, there may be a clear area over the SMB DZ as there was the day I visited. I had a great time. With Nardi's hot rod King Air flying, loads cycle really fast so I didnt have to wait long at all even though the place was full of tandem passengers. The landing area is hazard free and big. Winds were about 15 kts out of the NW, but steady so it wasnt a problem. Even though it's primarily a tandem operation, SMB provides a good value for up jumpers. They are sure not stingy with altitude. I read 15,400 ft on exit! Give it a visit. I am sure coming back. UPDATE Sept 05 SMB now has added Greg Nardi's King Air to its fleet. This plane reportedly is the fastest climbing King Air jumpship anywhere, even faster than Mike Mullins' rocket. Gotta check this out. The Twin Otter is not used much any more although it is still on site. I recently dealt with the SMB rigger Tom and he is first rate. Really knows gear A-Z, not just a reserve packer. Old review: This is a first rate DZ which is run by seasoned skydiving pros. Their Twin Otter is a fast climber and seems to be very well maintained. They also have a big Cessna (206?) for weekday use. The views from altitude are unbelievable, just flat out spectacular. The landing area is about 1/4 mile from the DZ HQ and is hazard free. A very good place to learn skydiving from real pros. They make their living off tandems, of course, but they also pay attention to keeping fun jumpers happy. I have seen them send as few as six jumpers up in the Twin Otter on a slow day just so they wouldn't have to wait for more tandem cutomers to jump. They often give substantial extra altitude and also run specials on holidays (like $15 to 15K). There is a very good cafe within walking distance and the town of Marina is a 5 minute drive. They really emphasize safety and have occasionally kicked out jumpers who repeatedly do stupid things. They religiously check reserve dates so be sure yours is current. The rigger is top notch and is very reliable. If he says your reserve will be ready on a certain date it will. SMB is one of my favorite DZs. The weather is better than typical coastal stuff. Last Sunday it was foggy north and south of the DZ but beautiful clear blue skies above it. That happens a lot, so call. Even if you see fog along the coast, SMB is often clear and sunny. Summer afternoons can bring winds, but they die down towards evenings and rarely exceed 18 mph. Sunset views are superb, great photos can be taken with the coast in the background and the sunset out to the West. This is a great DZ, give it a visit.

There are other skydive radios, but the programming is not nearly so inspired. WFFC has its own FM station that you can hear for many miles beyond the DZ. Manifest announcements are made with recorded rock, reggae etc played in between. Who needs the FCC? We are the WFFC. Wish every DZ had their own station. You can have one legally with no license if the transmitter power is below certain limits (roughly 0.1 watt). A tenth of a watt? Hell, thats not enough Joe. Crank it up til it pops a Cypres or two then back it off a couple of watts. 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

They announced that about 500 had signed up. I think you need to register to get access to the downloads. 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Any riggers who live near Palo Alto CA (or anywhere on the SF Peninsula) who can do the job so I wont have to make a mid week trip to the DZ for a repack? Thanks, Mark 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

I agree, the shows are great and are providing an invaluable historical record when they interview the pioneers. They only have about 500 listeners but that should improve as the word gets out. 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Was the rear prop feathered for the Cessna Skymaster jump run? 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Remember the good old days? Well, you can escape those shrieking turboprops and step back in time at GCSPC. I jumped in the 60s and let me tell you, this place still has the non commercial laid back vibe that I thought was long gone from any DZ in the 21st century. The main lift is a DH Beaver which is a gorgeous classic radial engined bush plane and runs strong and sweet. A Cessna 180 hauls S/L jumpers. Prices are good, shade trees abound, yet the LZ is pretty much hazard free. People are friendly and the location is scenic KY countryside near Bardstown (it's not really in Greene County). No loudpeakers, no "corporate" vibe, just nice people who have been in the sport forever and want to share the joy.

Skip brought N26MA to Rantoul in 2004 and it was a sweet jumpship indeed. I made nearly every load, being a radial propliner fanatic. To this day I regret not having made the round trip to and from Elsinore. it was cheap and a golden opportunity to experience cross country flight in a DC 3. Bill Dause's DC 3 looks to me as if its fl;ying days are over. Last year I was at Lodi and the tail was raised on a stand to level the interior which was apparently being used as living quarters by someone. It had been chained down with a few holes hacked in the structure. I doubt if Bill would allow that if he intended it to fly again. but you never know, I have seen total derelict DC 3s come to life again. Any of you guys remember DC 3 flights at Pope Valley? I was there one day when they were doing DC 3 flyby sound recordings for the movie Islands in the Stream. The Hollywood guys were there with all sorts of boom mics and recording gear. One pass was REALLY low, gear up, with some guy being held by his legs, out the door upside down with his head not more than 10 ft above the runway. The good old days. I sure miss that DZ. 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Anyone ever see the Dumod Liner Beech 18 mod? Tri Gear with three tails, like a Lockheed Connie. There is only one still flying somewhere in TX. 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Naah, never jumped anything exotic, just surplus rounds, then PCs and now ramairs (Triathlon 190). Sure saw some strange stuff in the transitional years but didnt jump any of it. I couldnt afford good gear until much later. I was jumping cheapos long after everyone else had scrapped theirs. I remember seeing Dactyls, T Bows, etc. Very impressed with your 4968 jumps with no cutaways. I am nostalgic about the old gear but not so much that I want to jump it again. I'd be happy to look at it in a museum. 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

50 reserve rides in 1650 jumps? That appears to be about one reserve ride for every 33 jumps. What happened? 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

First, I love rounds, but I dont jump em any more. Keep the PC for nostalgia, but jump something modern. I got back into the sport after a long absence and was gonna jump my trusty shortlined MK 1 PC. Luckily I was talked out of it and I have never looked back. The new gear is much safer and with proper wing loading and a good flare, lets you down so much softer than any round could ever do. PCs seemed great after cheapos, but RAM air canopies are a quantum leap in performance over any round. Except for a very few Jumbo PCs, everyone jumped the same size. You get a much better "canopy fit" with modern gear. 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

The Triathlon is a great canopy. Before I bought my first Tri I tried many different canopies. I have since owned 3 Tris and never regretted my purchases. Resale value is very high and you can swap old for new every couple of years without losing 75% of value like other less popular canopies. The newer Tris have a more linear flare than the old ones, but even the old ones can be factory upgraded with the "Beef Mod" named after their rigger who came up with the improvment. I flew through some REALLY MAJOR turbulence with my first Tri and their were two Sabres right next to me in the same crappy air. My Tri stayed fully inflated and rock solid stable while the Sabre guys were fighting end cell collapses and swearing loudly. It all turned out OK but that day sold me FOREVER on Tri stability in rough air. I don't see anything unique in the Tri design or construction that would make it unusually good in turbulence, but it IS so I just accept it. One great thing about Tri's is factory support of older canopies. Upgrades and relines are cheap and they often throw something in for free like a new slider. I have heard stories about Tris "blowing up" on opening, shredding and coming apart, but I wonder if those were sun damaged canopies or excessively high speed deployments. Remember, energy increases with the square of velocity, it is not linear. A little bit faster speed (like coming out of a track but not yet fully decelerated) can mean a LOT more energy to deal with on deployment. The Tri flight characteristics are just perfect for a conservative jumper like me. You can get the thing just on the edge of a stall and keep it there for getting into tight spots with high obstacles surrounding it. It wont go squirrely on you in deep brakes. You can regain speed very quickly when you need to set up for a flare. I have seen no weakness in the canopy and consider it a fine, evolved and proven design. You will not have buyers regret with a Triathlon. 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Get an Alti 2 Altimaster 2 large analog altimeter with a wrist mount. I own just about one of every altimeter ever made for jumping. If I could only jump one it would be this one. BIG, easy to read, thin, no batteries, easy to adjust and hard to knock out of adjustment in the plane. There are lots of the early SSE versions of this altimeter still going strong after more than 4o years. It is a rugged accurate unit. The SSE version will read to higher altitudes than the Alti 2 version, but has a more fragile shaft, so there are tradeoffs. Both are fine up to 18K. 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Just buy an old SSE Sentinel MK 2000. They are dirt cheap, typically about $30 because they no longer have SSE factory support.. They use cheap AA cells. Just short across the alt switch so that it thinks it's low, then any time the rate switch is activated you will get a fire signal at the output. No micrprocessor, no software, just two switches in series. 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Falcons fly a lot like Triathlons, very stable and predictable. Falcons have a surprisingly strong flare for an F 111 canopy. Construction quality is just flat out superb, very neat sewing on every single point, even bartacks are cosmetically perfect. The quality may be one reason Falcons seem to last so long and still fly and open well. If you cannot afford a Triathlon, buy a Falcon for your first canopy. You will not be disappointed. Used Falcons in great shape regularly sell in the 300-400 dollar price range.

copied from the LOCKHEED TWINS website: GIL HALPIN: Jumper "We hauled 16 parachutist's on Lodestar N43WT (2565) to 15,000ft 6 to 8 times a day every weekend(1973/1983), as well as operating out of a 2800ft runway! She was quite the celebrity around the local township and many people would come out just to see her take to flight!" 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

I recently (late 2005) got a new Eclipse freebag and reserve pilot chute from Skydive Monterey Bay. Pricey, but just glad to get the stuff. Tom, the SMB rigger said they had a stock of original STUNTS spare parts and could probably make what they did not have from approved drawings. 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Jack, Sure wish I were there for that load. I was sure that the last Lodestar jump load was flown in the 80s. Now I have to recalibrate. If you ever hear of another chance let me know. I'd travel for a chance to jump a Lodestar in the 21st century. Do you know the N number of the plane? See: http://tinyurl.com/cw8rg 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

That crash analysis report is chilling to read. What a tragedy. Wonder why they couldnt arrest the spin and recover? Perhaps CG was too far back towards tail. The Learstar is reputed to have nasty stall characteristics, worse than a stock Lodestar. There is only one Learstar still airworthy. Still quite a few Lodestars. See: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/m.zoeller/Learstar.htm 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

Webb's 1983 Lodestar jump surprised me. I thought they were all out of jumping by then. Wonder if we could get one to come to WFFC 2006? That would sure be a rare one to add to the logbook. Does anybody remember the VERY derelict Lodestar that was at Antioch CA in the early 70s? I heard it flew out, amazing considering that it looked beyond economical repair. I heard they were superb drug runners. Heavy payload and good short field performance. 2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.