howardwhite

Here's the story and a couple of additional pix, all from Spotter, Sept.-Oct. '74, by Jerry Tyson. It's long but fun: --- "O.K., you Turkeys, you've got something to shoot for. Unless you can lay your hands on a C-97, I don't think you will get near it (the record) for awhile. Ours was success through talent and good organization--CALIFORNIA GRAND !" --- On July 19, 1974, 33 parachutists and three free-fall photographers in Southern California got a memorandum in the mail, to wit, that they had been selected to form a large star over the Ontario Motor Speedway for the benefit of what would be known as the Pre-Telethon Air Show for Muscular Dystrophy. There would be three jumps during the actual show on August 25th (later reduced to two) and two practice jumps over Elsinore on August 4th. The aircraft would be a four-engine C-97 (Boeing 377) Stratocruiser with a rear ramp door, owned and operated by the FAR (Foundation for Airborne Relief) . Everyone was invited to Long Beach Airport on July 20th to wash the plane...very few people showed up. Two weeks later, on August 3, again at the FAR ramp in Long Beach, there was a briefing. Everyone was introduced to the plane and its crew and most important of all, Al Kreuger and Bob Westover organized the mechanics of the jumps. They were good; just the right touch of authority and expertise, without being authoritarian and know-it-all. The exit was single file with three sticks of ten or so, standing abreast and starting on the right. The first ten (basically the Captain Hook 10-man team) had the backs of their helmets painted red (some used red reflecting tape) while the second stick had theirs painted yellow. The first stick, with three floaters, would form a fast, red-helmeted 10-man. The second stick, with their yellow helmets, would split two reds, while the last stick would split a red and a yellow whenever possible. The traffic problem was solved by giving everyone a consecutive number in the exit order: even numbers approached the right side, odd numbers the left side. To ensure good grips, each jumper was asked to sew an eight to twelve inch length of 5/8" heater hose inside the upper part of each arm bell. Bud Kruger spotted at the left hand side of the plane looking through a removed window panel. Jump run was at 134 m.p.h. with no cut. Hank Asciutto would open the doors about 10 miles out and Bud would start spotting. Three cameramen would be included on each load-- Ray Cottingham, Mike Jenkins and myself. Jerry Tyson. We took off from Long Beach; about 12 minutes later we were over Elsinore at 9000 feet. This aircraft really boggles the mind (it takes me an hour and 15 minutes to go the same distance in my van). The huge double-deckered plane had two loads aboard. The star attempt and a 24-man 'snivel' load which would go out on the second pass. There was room for two more loads!!! Hank opened the doors; Bud started spotting. We were about 14,800 feet above the ground. At what would be the 'cut' point, he dropped the mike, stepped into line and shouted "Ready:" We chimed in with the 3-2-1 count: on "TWO" the floaters popped their smoke, and on "GO" the avalanche began. Thirty three people cleared the aircraft in eight seconds. A 30-man was built: one man was in the slot when a grip was lost. SECOND JUMP--A 31-MAN We were in the air over Elsinore at 15,000 feet. There was another good spot by Bud Kruger and another eight second exit. The traffic was beautiful. At one point the star was heart-shaped with Mitch Poteet (30th) at the top, and Steve Fielding (31st) at the bottom. They entered, broke and the star became a righteous, round, good-flying 31-man. It was held for three to four seconds before a grip was broken. Was there screaming and shouting under the canopies? A little. AUGUST 25--ONTARIO MOTOR SPEEDWAY Two jumps were scheduled to be made before the crowd which was very small. The first jump built to a 24-man before it was destroyed by three jumpers in two slots. The second star attempt was moving nicely, until someone hit the 5-man and took it out. When I looked down, about 20 seconds out of the plane, there was not even a hook-up. But then things started happening. In 35 seconds these jumpers built a 30-man: In theory, the star could have been built by exiting at 8500 feet. It was a most unusual jump, and a fine comment on the talent of all those people involved in it. ========== The original picture and the one of the completed 31-way were by M. Anderson Jenkins; the additional exit shot by Jerry Tyson. HW

Yeah, or this one... HW

I dunno. I scanned it and don't have access to the original print at the moment (hope to find it.) But it's not just a spill or dirt on my copy of the source material. I thought about airbrushing it out, but didn't. HW (BTW, it's not Arizona.)

And, since it's pretty easy, where, when, and who? HW

The 1981 fatality report, published in the July '82 Parachutist, reports (without naming names): "An ASO with 1289 jumps, filming for PM Magazine, had a problem with his main, did a canopy transfer, and landed in a lake. He was observed standing in the shallow water. As he started to gather in his reserve, he stepped into a seven-foot hole, and the weight of the helmet-mounted camera plus the reserve prevented him from getting his head above water." HW

Here's a picture from Parachutist July '77 accompanying a story about the opening a year earlier of the Smithsonian A&S Museum. NickDG's account of the exhibit mostly squares with the article except for the people involved. At the 1 o'clock position is Jerry Bird, wearing the rig he designed and used as captain of the '74 US team, which won the world championship that year; his "Ripoff" reserve was kept closed by Velcro instead of pins. At left in the conventional rig and belly-mount -- donated by the Army Team -- is Dick Fortenberry, D-38, an original Golden Knight, world champion, and the first person to score a dead center in international accuracy competition. Opposite him, in the blue jumpsuit, is Bill Ottley; he's wearing a Super Swooper main and Pop-Top reserve. Closing fourth is Mike Johnston, who was then a member of the Exitus team; his rig is an SST. HW

This is how Security advertised it in the September, 1977, Parachutist. HW

I do. Thanks for the sharp eye. Attached is a partial registration history, dating from after the time of the original picture I posted (which suggests I knew to look for ZK but screwed up on the post . HW

And another picture -- perhaps from the same jump. Jumper is identified as Scott Brady of Littleton, CO and picture by Alf Humphries. It was published in the March, 1979, Parachutist, accompanying an article written by some local type. HW

Here is a Top Secret, direct from an Altitude Shop ad in the November '76 Parachutist. I'm still looking for a Classiflyer. And here is a (Strong) Eagle, from the September '78 Parachutist. Hope this helps. HW

Or, maybe, "descent" under inflated canopy. No suggestion of indecency here. HW

Beat me to it. But I don't have a manual. HW

Sure. Waiting for you. You can pick it up next time you're in Massachusetts. HW

I figured a Kiwi would chime in soon on this one. The picture came from the May/June 1979 issue of Free Fall Kiwi. It was owned by a club, made up mostly of jumpers, and was used at Whenuapai AFB near Auckland. Some stats: -3 Lycoming O-360 engines (180 hp); -Empty weight, 4,100 pounds; max T/O weight 6,600 pounds -Cruising speed, 103 knots It was one of about 20 built by DeHavilland Australia; Drovers were best known as flying ambulances. It was deregistered in NZ in 1988 and is now in a museum in Australia. (pic attached). HW

Well, if you feel you must jump this thing, here are a couple of other notes loosely translated from the manual: It is recommended that on opening, the parachutist be in a "diving (swooping) position, head down at a 45 degree angle to the horizon, with minimal inclination left or right. It is categorically forbidden for the parachutist to turn his head (up) at the moment of inflation, in order to prevent trauma." (See UT15 2) UT15 3 shows how the reserve is attached to the harness. "In the event of a (malfunction), use the reserve parachute only after completely detaching the main canopy." See UT15 4-6 for how one might do this. These things are emphasized in a couple of notes, in Poynter's handwriting, in the manual; I don't remember whether it was I who provided the original translation to him HW

Well, since I guess the rest of the reg number was on the door, I'll give you the full number. (Of course this will give the whole thing away, even though it's no longer registered in that country --it's NZ-DDD.) HW

Dan Poynter gave it to me because he knew I could (more or less) read Russian. It has his name on it, but I don't think he wanted it back. The stowing system at the top of the canopy is also interesting. And, common for the time, it has two pilot chutes. HW

Look again. HW

Good news and bad news.

This is perhaps the most obscure one yet. HW

Here's what it looked like at the '82 Nationals.. HW

As in crossports? I don't specifically remember about Stratostars, and I had a fairly early one, but I certainly remember using a soldering iron as a hot knife to crossport other canopies. HW

I just found these in an old Parachutist, illustrating an "official" Para-Flite story on the Stratostar. A drawing of the canopy and diagrams of the opening sequence. HW

Pop... And, of course you remember these pictures, published in Parachutist. HW

O.K., here's the deal on the picture. It was taken by M. Anderson Jenkins (the Godflicker) to accompany his article in the May, 1971, Parachutist. The story basically is about his effort to provide an opportunity for intentional cutaway training. What you can't see in the picture is that the jumper is actually wearing a piggyback with D-rings on the front. The chest-mount reserve risers are attached with Rocket Jet fittings (see picture), so that after deployment, the jumper can cut away and deploy the main normally, while still having a reserve if necessary The jumper in the picture is Chuck Baldauf, and it's over Elsinore. Jenkins notes: "Never being much of a masochist, I elected to make all my test jumps subterminal. The test jumps would go something like this: Exit the aircraft at 5500 on my back and deploy the chest-mount for a total malfunction at about 3-5 seconds out. "If you have never watched a reserve deploy in front of you in a non-stress situation, you have a good trip in front of you. The symmetry of deployment is absolutely beautiful." HW