howardwhite

Or Google Earth. The mapping photos for the area suck, but you can cursor around and see the Long/Lat display in the lower left.

I look forward to discussing these, and other equally pressing issues, with you in Barcelona next week. HW

LOS ANGELES—Ralph Bradshaw White, whose film footage of the Titanic provided the world with its first look at the underwater wreckage of the sunken ship, has died. White died Feb. 4 from complications of an aortic aneurysm at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, his daughter Krista Few told the Los Angeles Times. He was 66. The explorer and documentary cameraman was a member of the French-American expedition that discovered the remains of the Titanic in 1985. White returned to the site more than 30 times to film and recover artifacts from the ship's wreckage. He boasted that he spent more time on the Titanic than its captain had. "There's something truly magical about her lying down there, still beckoning after all these years," White told USA Today in 2000. "But I don't really know why the Titanic has such an allure for me. Does anyone ever understand why they fall in love?" Footage he captured of the ship appeared in James Cameron's 1997 Oscar-winning film "Titanic" and in the early 1990s IMAX documentary "Titanica." The footage was filmed using deep-ocean imaging technology, powerful lighting systems and deep-diving submersibles that allowed White's cameras to penetrate the darkness 12,000 feet below the ocean's surface, where the doomed oceanliner came to rest. As a contract cameraman for National Geographic, White also searched for the Loch Ness monster, filmed wild horses, whales and sharks and filmed the 153-year-old wreck of the Breadalbane under the Arctic ice cap. "I was born an adult in search of a childhood," he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 1998. "And I have been very successful at that." White was born Aug. 28, 1941, in San Bernardino and grew up on the Big Island of Hawaii. He learned to parachute as a Marine Corpsman and served with a reconnaissance unit in Vietnam. He opened a parachuting school in Lancaster after his discharge from the Marines in 1966 and went on to work as a free-fall cameraman for the TV show Ripcord. White is survived by Few, his son Randy Pixley of Atlanta and his fiance Rosaly Lopes. A memorial service was held Tuesday.

Here's another view of Booth with Boothwell. HW

I'll be there Saturday afternoon, rigless. HW

I thought the same, but I don't remember ripcord stops being used that early. I certainly didn't use one until much later. Although maybe a stow band, not a lead sinker, on the cable. HW (reviving my OFR rating scheme of several months ago, at least one Old Fart point is awarded to readers who have ever used a ripcord stop.)

Just for you, Doug, here's another picture from the same ad, showing the wrap nearly unwrapped. Happily for all of us, Bill Booth shortly thereafter introduced the three-ring release, and all of this funky stuff quickly disappeared. cya, HW

Daryl confirms the details as follows: "That commercial shoot in Florida was for a Canuck cigarette called Cameo..... Bill Cole photographed it..... and all jumps were three-ways, with Canadian team member Mary Lou MacDonald as my 'partner' in exchanging cigarette packs, and kisses. On one jump we climbed to 22,500 feet in Paul Poppenhager's 180, sharing O2, for what was then a Canadian altitude record." He also sent me the related print ad. HW

If you choose to "lose the PC1000," I (and a lot of other people) will be happy to take it off your hands, if it's NTSC. When you can find used ones on eBay, they go for big bucks. HW

Probably "Rod's Rebel." Anyway, Mark got it right. Rodriguez Parachute Systems was at 6107-A Yadkin Road. The ad ran in the September '78 Parachutist. For the Spanish Fly ($325) custom built, delivery time 14 days!!! HW

Yup HW

There's another Canadian film, "Another World," which was made sometime in the mid-sixties, I think. I have searched the National Film Board of Canada, as I think it was made for/distributed by the NFB, but have never been able to find out more. I have recently gotten a 16mm copy of it but haven't projected it yet because I want to make sure I don't damage it. When I get some time, I'll probably pay some big bucks to have it professionally transferred to DVD. I remember it as hauntingly beautiful. If anyone else -- especially Canadians -- remember it, I'd love to hear if it got any distribution. I'll also ask Daryl Henry if he remembers Bill Cole's film -- I'm sure he does -- and if he has a copy of it. HW

You guess correctly. Here's the rig, along with a view of the "Web-Lok Harness" ...."Secure, adjustable, comfortable, light." What was the rig called? (Unusual name.) HW

I don't guess. I either know or I shut up. It doesn't look like Chuck Embury or Daryl Henry and I don't know any other Canadians. HW

I don't remember that, but it's completely in character. He did make a widely reported (bandit) jump into Central Park in NYC, among many other things. HW

This was the Arender print ad. HW

Yup, from a late '77 Para-Gear ad. The ad copy is interesting: "The Single Point Release was conceptualized in the early 70's and has been in development long before other units. Just the right combination of components had to be developed, like special teflon impregnated webbing that won't freeze or stiffen, bind or distort. Marketing of the Single Point Release has been restrained until day in and day out testing was complete." (I didn't know people "conceptualized" in 1977.) HW

Arender was also at the 2006 one in Nevada. We had a long talk. He was a good friend of the late Hadden Wood of New York, whose exploits and stories would be interesting fodder for this forum if he were still around to share. HW

Since you asked, it was made in Fayetteville. Care to guess? To help you, here's a picture of its pull-out pilot chute. HW

Nope. This is a Boothwell. (There is a previous thread about the subject.) The Boothwell used a fork to join the two pieces, whereas the wrap kind of device (sometimes also referred to as "tapewells") wrapped webbing to unite two closed rectangular rings. And here (added) is the inventor displaying his product. (I did say this was minutia.) HW

O.K. This one is from an entirely different rig by an entirely different manufacturer. Is it the same thing? HW

The "Pioneers of Sport Parachuting" is a bunch of, well, old skydivers who get together once in a while and swap stories. The previous reunion was in Nevada in 2006; lots of low D-numbers, original Golden Knights, etc. This year's reunion will be in Salt Lake City in June. More info on the PIA web site here. HW

Minutia time. Who made it, when? HW (I'm really tired of DB Cooper)

I'm about to overtake Cajones and move into the #2 slot. HW

I dunno about New York state, but I think there is only one place in New England still offering S/L training. It's way up (down) in Maine. Edited to add that Vermont Skydiving Adventures in Addison, VT also offers S/L. It's a great DZ with spectacular views of the Green and Adirondack Mountains and Lake Champlain. HW