Interesting read ...
I'm in central Virginia...left DC in '97.
Did my jumps while a student (VaTech) so was low on bucks but big in interest...
The way it used to be....
Cessna 172, with four guys (inc. Jumpmastr/spotter) stuffed in (and a pilot usually helped).
I had never been in an airplane before.
So my first flight I was just getting used to the ride when the door opened and "in the door called out"...
I jumped a little late..what a rush.
Stayed with the sport and interestingly enough never landed in an airplane until I took a jet flight to Chicago several years later (LOL)
Had the one day course, static lines, a few dummy RC pulls. Demo you had it together and then it was freefall time.
I packed my own T28 for that first freefall...what an experience.
Got maybe 30 jumps, freefalls to 10 sec, no RW, but had my jumpmaster chase me out the door once
in a tight frog.
I was open and unstowing the toggles watching him fall below and open a jetblack Paracommander. that was cool.