Zing

No, but Bullit Bob cut a fart in a twin beech once that made the other jumpers so dizzy they decided to get out before we got to 12 grand. I think Bullit got 14 grand on the second pass' Zing Lurks

Yep, more than once. After growing up in a family of doctors and nurses, I've also stitched up a few serious cuts, reset dislocated fingers, pulled a couple of my own teeth and reset and casted a broken wrist once. Feels so much better when the pain stops. Never trust someone who "practices" their business. Zing Lurks

Thanks for the additional history. I hadn't really found much detail,even after reading through the pages of patents Peter posted. Calthrop appears to have had a wide range of interests that he dabbled in. Interesting stuff from the days of yesteryear. Zing Lurks

Would he be willing to autograph my copies of the books "The Long Lonely Leap," and "Man High"? I first read both of them when I was in grade school and after years of searching, I now have first edition hard copies of both. I had the pleasure of meeting the man twice, and he is an interesting fellow. He's done a lot more than the highest, longest jump in his life. Zing Lurks

I found this on one of the news wires during my morning perusal of the news from around the world. I don't think I'd ever heard, or read, of this fellow, but apparently he does/did hold a patent in Britain and Canada for some type of aerial device ... I just couldn't find what the actual patent was for. Nonetheless, its an interesting story from an historical perspective. Anybody else know anything about this man? Town to honour parachute inventor By Edmund Tobin THE former home of the inventor of the modern parachute is to receive a heritage plaque from Loughton Town Council. Everard Richard Calthrop used to live at Goldings House, in Clay's Lane, Loughton. The house is currently up for sale with the town council keen to approach the future owner for permission to erect the award. Environment and heritage committee chairman Chris Pond said: "He did a lot of things. He was an engineer who built light railways in India but he's most remembered for inventing the parachute. He saved many lives and is a very worthy person for this plaque." 11:01am Tuesday 10th July 2007 I found this listed under stories from a newspaper listed as "your Local Guardian." Zing Lurks

Get you're priorities straight, Billy, and ask the important question ... do they taste like beer? Zing Lurks

And ... despite all the rules and regulations, General Aviation still has a perfect record ... we haven't left a single one up there, yet. Zing Lurks

If you really like skydiving it costs the same as it ever has ... all your money and the rest of your life. Zing Lurks

My dad always wanted to go for airborne training when he was in the Army, but he never got to go. It was his talking about wanting to jump that planted the seed in me and my brother ... so we took dad out and tossed him out the airplane a couple times ... you might call it a generational thing ... in reverse. Zing Lurks

Giggle ... I'll never be able to talk with ATC again without wondering if this is one of the guys who wore a dress to work! Zing Lurks

You ain't even safe around the bonfire! The only fatality i had to deal with over the 7 years I ran Ghoulidge was a guy who was wrestling around with some friends and ended up falling into a deep pit filled with hot coals where a pig was being roasted. Zing Lurks

" ... everyone at USPA Headquarters who wanted to had already jumped El Cap and that's all they wanted. Just an entry in their logbook, another notch in the belt ..." And there's the truth of the matter in a nutshell. Though the spray painted graffitti on the rocks and the trash jumpers left along the trail and on top of the cliff contributed to the end coming so soon too. On the night of June 28, 1980, at midnight, I made my third leap off El Cap along with 4 other jumpers from Ghoulidge ... and we jumped right into the waiting arms of NPS Chief Officer Bill Wendt and his minions who were forwarned of our prescence by a jumper who, along with her friend, had jumped off at sunset. The friend had problems and ended up landing in the talus with some injuries. When the friend couldn't locate her, she went to the rangers for help. Me and Charlie Hancock came strolling up to the rock cairn expecting to be the only ones up there, but, lo and behold, we found Mad Mark Tharp, Dead Fred and Timothy Bleary sitting there. They too were planning a night jump, as it was a full moon that night and Tim's birthday was June 29, so we sat down with them and waited for the midnight hour. There didn't seem to be any real activity visible in the meadow below after the sun went down, though the other guys told us about the two women who had jumped at sunset, but only one parachute was seen. At this time, a few people had been busted for jumping, but it didn't seem like a big deal. We all had a pull off the bottle of whiskey stashed in the rock cairn near the exit point, smoked a bit of attitude adjustment and I dug into a stash of shrooms I'd brought along for the occasion. The appointed hour came and off went Fred, then Mark, then Charlie and then me. Tim wanted to go last because it was his birthday and I didn't care, so off I went, but just before i jumped, I saw Charlie land and then two people with flashlights appeared to chase him as he headed for the getaway van, but I still hadn't figured out what the commotion in the meadow was about. I jumped, took about ten seconds to track and saddled out, low but high enough to cross the road and land in the meadow ... under a full moon wearing a white jumpsuit with a blaze orange rig and white canopy. I'm standing there in the middle of the meadow like a Japanese lantern in the moonlight when a car drives by on the road, and it occurs to me that maybe I should get my ass over to the van and stash my gear. I ran for the van, and there stands Mad Mark's wife watching me approach, not saying a word. I think I started to say something about what a great jump that was when this guy steps out from behind the van, levels a huge nickle-plated revolver at me head and says, "I'm Chief Officer Bill Wendt of the National Park Service, and you are under arrest!" So I drop my canopy, the other three arrestees are lead over next to the van and the interrogation begins, actually, more like a lecture about the error of our evil criminal activities etc. etc., but Wendt wants to know if there is anyone else up on the top ... "Uh, I don't think so," says us, but just as the rangers are getting ready to load us in the squad cars we hear a clear "Blue Sky ... Black Death," and here comes Tim off the ledge. The rangers scatter and run for cover like its an incoming artillery attack or something, leaving us standing there next to the van. I took that opportunity to get rid of the pouch holding the remainder of my safety meeting materials, thinking it might not be a good idea to have those found by a ranger when they finally got around to searching us. Tim lands, gets arrested and we're about to be loaded in the paddy wagon for the trip to the park jail when Ranger Bill finds that damn pouch laying on the ground about 30 feet from where we are standing, "Aha, what's this?" says he, and picks it up, opens it and sees what it is. Uh oh thinks I. Off to jail we go, and since it was Friday night, we got to be guests at the Natl. Park Service Hotel with bars on the doors and windows until Monday morning when we went to court. The court thing was all pretty mundane, we pled guilty to unlawful aerial delivery and Judge Pitt fined us $350 apiece, $100 more than previous jumpers got because we were the first bunch busted for jumping at night. Judge Pitt blew off Ranger Bill and the prosecuter's additional charge for interferring with a medical rescue when Ranger Bill admited that the injured woman had already been located and hauled out hours before we jumped and there never had been any intent to call in a Life-Flight helicopter that they initially claimed they planned, but canceled because there were more jumpers up on the ledge. So, we're about all finished up with the court proceedings, when Ranger Bill pulls out that damn little pouch and says, "We really need to know which one of you this belongs to." Apparently, nobody at the park service knew what those dried shrooms were and the other baggie held nothing but residue and a pack of rolling papers. "Hell," says I, "You picked that thing up more than 30 feet away from where any of us were that night. Its just as likely you dropped it as anyone of us judging by the vindictive attitude you've shown trying to add additional charges just because you don't like jumpers." "He's got a good point there," said Judge Pitt, "I think we're about done with this case." The good judge then told us that he happened to be there in the meadow that night showing some relatives from back east El Capitan under a full moon and had watched the whole thing go down as we jumped and were arrested. "I'd just finished telling my relatives about these crazy skydivers who keep sneaking up to the top and jumping off," Pitt said. "Oh, we'd love to see that," said the relatives, but Pitt explained that it was illegal and didn't happen all that often and probably not at night anyway. "About ten seconds later, you guys jumped," Pitt said. "My relatives loved the show. Just about then, a disgruntled Ranger Bill started in to this spiel about the USPA and the legal jumps that were in the works and how we had probably screwed that whole thing up for all the rest of the jumpers who might want to jump. Timothy Blaery says, "What's a USPA?' and we all giggled over that. After court was over, we went to collect our gear, as they hadn't yet started permanently confiscating rigs, and Ranger Bill starts in again about what a bunch of dangerous, reckless yahoos we all are, screwing up everything for everybody else etc. etc. I got my gear back in my hands and told Ranger Bill to go fuck himself and predicted right then and there that IF any legal jumps were actually granted, it would only be for a bunch of USPA high poobahs and that that wouldn't last more than a few weeks before "you assholes shut it down again!" It was no surprise when that proved prophetically true. A few years later, word spread that Judge Pitt was retiring and I sent him a card congratulating him on his retirement. About a week later I got a handwritten letter from Pitt thanking me and the many other jumpers who had since appeared in his court for "some of the most amusing court cases he'd ever presided over. Judge Pitt was a class act ... and Ranger Bill, should you happen to read this, you're still an asshole! Zing Lurks

The geek ain't yet logged on here who'll ever drive Sparky away! Zing Lurks

Hell, we held CG GodFrog hostage at Ghoulidge for a time ... and I've still got the "Fucking Toad Award" from the Ghoulidge Wreck Hall hanging on my wall. Zing Lurks

Being asked to make a donation of $100 for participation kind of takes the "Free" out of it, don't you think? Zing Lurks

Glideangle, the flag code is just that, a code of conduct relating to the proper use and display of the US flag, but it does not have the force of law behind it ... hence the ongoing attempts to pass legislation to criminalize activities like burning the flag. Its about respect ... act in a disrepective manner toward the flag and you risk criticism, but, as far as current regulation stands, you can't be prosecuted for dropping it on the ground, burning it, or improperly displaying it ... though you might suffer the wrath of someone who takes offense to the disrepect shown, and then that may become an issue that law enforcement will get involved in. Billy, referring to the flag code, only the commanding officer of the armed forces, the president of the USA can grant that exception you speak of, other than that, when the flag is dropped on the ground, its going to piss some folks off and leave a poor impression in the minds of others. There are other red white and blue banners that will be just as impressive as Old Glory on a demo jump, but aren't flags of the United States of America. A demo team is a very public representative for all skydivers. In my humble opinion, its bad pr to drop a US flag on the ground in front of a crowd, and there are other alternatives. The idea of an "exception" because it is dangerous or inconvenient just doesn't hold water, and skydivers aren't going to change the minds of the folks who take this issue seriously. Especially when it becomes a matter of which demo team is currently jumping the biggest flag. As noted in one of the posts above this, there have already been incidents when the huge banners proved to be more than the demo team could safely or properly handle. Zing Lurks

I think its one of those things somewhat unique to the United States. Perhaps it defies logic, but that doesn't change the fact that dropping the US flag on the ground is bad pr. In some parts of the world one never offers another person something with the left hand, in others, one never shows the bottom of the foot to other people, and in the US, you never drop the flag on the ground. Its just the way it is. Zing Lurks

Yup ... absolutley no doubt about it, Walt should get the nod. Zing Lurks

I've been trying to post this for a couple days, but this website has been screwed up ... AGAIN ... seems to be lot of that happening, but what I wanted to say is ... Here's something all potential flag jumpers should consider. While it looks spectactular to display an American flag under canopy, it is, by tradition and not law, that the flag of the United States of America should never be allowed to touch the ground. Folks with a military background usually have a better understanding of this tradition, but it is more well known by US citizens without military service than many jumpers understand. Demo jumpers who drop the flag on the ground, whether by accident or by intention, go from champ to chump in the eyes of many spectators at the demo the instant that US flag hits the ground. I've done a few flag demos myself, although not with the gigantic sizes being jumped today, but I can speak from personal experience as both a flag jumper and a spectator. I fell down landing a Paraplane with a US flag attached above the risers and failed to stop the flag from hitting the ground. I didn't mean to let it hit the ground but it did. The crowd cheered, etc. etc. and all seemed okay, but a while later, a military vet came over to talk to me. He didn't cop an attitude, was real polite about it, but he felt he needed to explain how much seeing the flag of his country dropped on the ground affected him. I stopped doing jumps with a US flag after that. Peoples' patriotism and their feelings and emotions about the US flag and what it represents to them isn't something any jumper is going to change, no matter how well it is explained about the complexities and potential dangers of catching a flag, especially the big ones. I flew loads for Jay Stokes' 640 leap jumpathon last summer. One of the teams that helped sponsor Jay's effort capped the end of the 24-hour jumpathon by jumping a huge American flag. There were probably 1500 to 2000 people who watched the flag jump and there were lots of oohs and ahhs, but when that flag hit the ground, dead on the landing mat the jumper was aiming for, there were more than a few people in the crowd of spectators who took offense. A few negative comments about that flag jump were about the only negative vibes that came out of Jay's jumpathon. A lot of folks can't or won't understand this sentiment, but that doesn't change the fact that dropping the Stars and Stripes on the ground is insulting to many citizens of the United States. There are other banners available that have all the same colors as the US flag, look just as good in the air, and won't piss people off when it settles to the ground because, even though that banner may have a blue patch with white stars and some red and white stripes on it, it isn't considered the flag of the United States of America. Just a little something for all you current and future demo jumpers to consider. Even if the demo goes perfectly, when the Stars and Stripes hits the ground, there will be more spectators than you will ever believe who will leave the demo site with the opinion that skydivers are a disrespectful group ... and nobody need to leave that sentiment in the minds of the folks who watched the show. Zing Lurks

I guess I'd be inclined to put something up, and it wouldn't be my hands. Zing Lurks

This classic shirt from way back when is one i'd like to see come around again. Zing Lurks

That would be a dobsonfly, Corydalus cornutus. The males have long, forcept-like mandibles, but the females can bite harder! The larvae are large predacious aquatic insects known as hellgrammites. What did I win? Zing Lurks

I did some checking with some folks who know spiders. Apparently, its a type of huntsman spider, most likely from Malaysia and they are being sold in the pet industry as giant crab spiders. If the eggsac is fertile, you're roomate should have several hundred eggs with legs somewhere between 45 and 60 days after the female spider made the eggsac. Zing Lurks

Its all a ruse ... that cat will still eat you if you die at home alone! Zing Lurks

"Can't swim? Hell, the fall will probably kill you! ... Ooooohhhhhhhhh shhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!" Zing Lurks