vanair

That was fatal. It happened at the Ranch NY a few years ago during a pond swooping competition. I was doing tandems that day, Some people disagreed but I thought it was kinda bumpy and wouldn't want to fun jump in those conditions. Wind was from the south which was coming over the trees toward the pond, probably creating rotors.

where are you coming from? the ranch in in NY about 1+1/2 hrs from NYC between Newburgh NY and New Paltz NY

CHANGE

Not all weapons fire at supersonic speed. meaning the projectile is going slower than the sound of the gun firing.

Very cool, Hey anyone know how high he got out? Opened it looked like 2990' Snivel was about 1:15' I wonder what his vertical speed was. I guess about 70-80 MPH. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

My words. Many, Many times. I try to think before speaking, But have not always been successful.

For the other world people, the fact that I jumped from the World Trade Center. For the people here that when I was an 19 yr old kid I was the arm wrestling champion of the USS Guadalcanal. 1976 Mediterranean cruise. About 400 Sailors and about 1200 Marines. Or maybe that I was shot at by a cop.

Whenever I'm in a funk the best thing I can do is help someone. 14 years ago, my wife left a note telling me she was gone. She took a job in Hong Kong, saw her 6 months later in divorce court. Also lost my job 2 weeks before Xmas cause it was hard to sell Mercedes(decent job) when I was crying at my desk all the time. Got a job lined up at the Ranch as a Rigger come spring. So that winter while I was on unemployment waiting for spring I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I made it my full time job. Kept me sane. Try that a few hours a day once a week or so. It can't hurt. And they are usually very flexible, time wise.

Woodstock Ct. mid 80's C-182 SLer on the step at 2800'. Whats that? I hear a noise, look around left to right, look at student as JM slaps thigh and yells go. He goes, now I'm looking straight at a Piper Arrow(?) about 50'-100' below just about to fly under me. Fuuuuuccck. Cool picture from the ground, some one saw the near miss unfolding and took a pic. Me, Piper and opening student between us. If student had hesitated for one second he would have hit Piper. Picture spend many years on airport wall, wish I had a copy. Made all announcements to Bradley approach, They said Sorry that they really can't see anything below 3,000" on Radar.

Years ago they called it a BROKEN home. For good reason. The people realized that a family works best with two parents. More guidance and supervision. And without that, bad things will happen. And yes I am a dinosaur. I am from the age of, get in trouble at school, get in more trouble at home. And yes at that time the kid was a common criminal.

Brazil National Orgasm Day. and how do I get my reply to include the info from the post I am replying to? For continuity.

gotta love a country that has a national orgasm day!!!

WOW here are 2 more unforgetables. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Freeman http://www.foxnews.com/us/2009/12/03/decorated-veteran-fights-raise-flag-yard/

trying to up load pics, need my geek.

Ah yes, the big reason I got my ticket was my Safety-Star had the brakes tied wrong. Meaning the brakes would have released during opening. This was 1980. Never ran into anything major in others.

Why would they aim at the balloons? anything hurts that fast. Think Freefall thru rain. And why balloons attached to Branches??? Ouch, it's all fun and games till someone gets an eye poked out!

Cool posts, Me, I always knew. When I was a kid I watched Ripcord and Sky King. Always said when I grow up I'm going to fly and jump. 1964 when we were on vacation in Canada I was 7, we went to a Fair and 3 guys jumped in from a Cessna. I was in awe, Gods, landing right in front of me. Fast forward 1973 I'm 16 my brother is 19. He finds Lakewood NJ and we go, he makes a jump. Come home tell Mom and Dad. Mom freaks, Dad was like why didn't you invite me? A week later my Dad makes his first jump at 56. And after working on Mom a week later Aug 23 1973 I made mine. We started together. Which was cool. Also it really helped me cause I was better. For the first time in my life I could do something better than my big brother and my Father. I wasn't perfect but I progressed thru the SL and Freefall course faster then they did. To me that was something, see my Dad was almost super human to me. WWII 8th Air Force Heavy Weight Boxing Champ. So it really helped me, and we were doing it together. I had 200+ plus jumps by the time I graduated High School. Doesn't sound like much now but 36 years ago it was. Still a dumb kid though, Showed up at Marine Corp Boot Camp wearing a Russian Para-Commander T-shirt. Boy that hurt.

So how did it look from the outside? And what happened to the pilot? was he fired? Reminds me of another incident at Orange. 1977-80ish. C-185 load of jumpers, pilot just started to taxi out, he later said he just started to think, "Now where are those gas pumps?" BBBRRRRAAAAAAAAP. He found em. Taxied right into them, I was near and looked when I heard the noise. The engine stopped. the prop chopped the gas pump pretty bad, sliced the hose off,mangled the pump etc. There was a couple of seconds of brain fart with gas pouring out of the pump. Then the pilot yelled "GET OUT". Fastest 5 way exit I ever saw, followed by the pilot. I think what saved them from a fire was the fact that it was an aluminum prop, so it didn't spark. The prop was mangled,destroyed, as was the gas pump. It was an accident waiting to happen. 4' or 5' high gas pump sitting out in the middle of the apron. No flag sticking up to warn taildraggers that can't see low right in front of the plane. Really lucky, no fire, no injuries. Later at the Bar "Mikes Place" A bunch of us were hanging out. The pilot came in, can't remember his name. Sits at the bar, some of us say sorry, tough break etc. but for the most part we left him alone at the bar like he had some kind of bad karma that might rub off on us. Wonder what happened to him also?

In 1974 Orange Mass, DC-3 takeoff. I, 17 yr old novice jumper. Takeoff roll were all sitting cool no helmets or seatbelts , all normal, tail comes up, all of a sudden the plane swerves violently from side to side, I think the pilot was trying to steer with brakes. We all pile on the floor, a mass of bodies in the fetal position. Pilot chops power, comes to stop. 5,000' + runway. Copilot come back, goes outside comes back in with the rudder lock. We all cheer hoop and holler and generally Raz them. Next T.O we all have our seatbelts and helmets on, all goes well. Funny I forget the jump but I'll never forget that T.O. attempt. Things happen, people are human. Yes the pilots screwed up, but all of us climbed up into that plane past the rudder with lock on. I was a kid but I'm sure some of the jumpers were pilots, or just an experienced jumper could have said, " hey, shouldn't that thing be off?" I think that was the pilots last day, not sure.

I believe in turning the other cheek. That way I have 2 good reasons to kick ass.

I remember reading I think 10-20 yrs ago a pilot writing to flying mag. That he was a pilot for Bill Cosby for a short time. Bill supposedly said to them "you guys are only here till we can get black pilots" Some one out there must have more info on this or find something on google. As I recall at the time I was surprised that they printed it. I think it was a letter to the editor in response to an article on hiring quotas. Anyone??? Bueller?

one of which was a very brave chopper pilot. keep flying and dumping load after load of cement on it, to encase it. Knowing that this will kill him. And id did within days. I'm sure he can be googled.

Hi Kim, it's me Van. I know the talk, but what do you mean by $100 or $150? As you know I am probably the first experienced TI to stand down cause of winds, I need to remember that I had a canopy collapse in turbulence and break my students back. Murphy is out there, the worst tandem landing I had in over 3,000 was with the worst possible student I could have had it with. She had lied on the waiver, had Spinal bifada, (weak spine). broke her back. Good thing, healed not paralyzed. I want to use my judgment so I don't have to use my skill cause sometimes skill is not enough.

Some guys did put another card inside to see if it was honest, but not THE card. Like PDs marking the tail. About 12 yrs ago I got a rig for repack at the Ranch NY. Guy getting back in the sport, it had been packed for 11+1/2 YRs. Pulled the handle POOF, looked like it would have worked as advertised. Forget what it was other than at the time it was a 15 or so YR old sport rig.

don't know where you got that but here in NJ it is the law to keep right unless passing, and sometimes they do crack down.