howardwhite

Lew is 76, and still actively jumping whenever midwest weather allows. But (being pedantic), I think that doesn't answer Don's real question, which is who is/was the oldest person to earn an A, not the oldest person who has one. Lew made his first static line jump (military) jump in 1948, his first freefall in 1950, and first represented the U.S. in international competition in 1956. So by the time PCA got around to awarding licenses, he was about 30, and somewhat overqualified for the A, which required only that the applicant "have made at least 10 jumps". HW

Check out the Japanese manual at: http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/the-japanese-wii-safety-manual-is-crazy-219119.php

Dunno about mounting, but you can hack these cameras so you can suck out their contents and reuse them. There's a forum on how to do this at http://camerahacks.10.forumer.com/index.php and a magazine article about it at http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2005/08/how_to_cvs_vide_1.html Good clean geek fun...

Wasn't sure, but didn't remember a Twin Beech any time I was there. HW

I don't recall being asked this when I (successfully) claimed a DZ listing, and I don't recall ever getting an email about it. I just tried claiming a listing for another DZ and it didn't ask for an email address -- just noted my dz.com name. (But I didn't follow through to see what might happen.) HW

I have had a Ford Escape Hybrid for about a year and love it. All tricked out with good sound system, GPS, etc. The greatest MPG savings are around town, when you're going relatively slow and making lots of starts and stops. That means you're using the electric motor more of the time and also charging it more by breaking and idling. On the highway, MPG savings are minimal, as you're running only on internal combusion engine most of the time. I've done two ~1,000 mile round trips; average was about 29 mpg, and that's at 70 mph or so most of the time. HW

The DZ listing here is good for at least two reasons: it's global, so you can find dropzones around the world in one place, and it's not limited to DZs affiliated with national organizations -- listing, for example US DZs not affiliated with USPA. But it can be wrong or misleading, and one reason seems to be that there's no system in place to try to keep it updated. This year I've had two dead DZs removed simply by claiming the listing and explaining the situation. In a quick scan of posts here, I saw one from someone who wanted a listing changed, but the original poster had died. So here's a modest proposal: Periodically -- at least once a year -- everyone currently listed as responsible for a listing should get a PM asking him/her to review and update it. If there is no response within some reasonable time, either the listing should be pulled, or it should be flagged with a warning that the information may be unreliable. Judging from info on some DZs I've looked at, I suspect a fair number of people who claim listings either have forgotten about it or are no longer active at the DZ or on dropzone.com. I know some DZs in my area list aircraft or other stuff they no longer have. A periodic review wouldn't keep people from posting bad information if they wanted to, but at least it would remind them of their responsibility for that information. HW

This proves once again you shouldn't believe everything you read on dz.com. Boston Providence hasn't been open for a couple of years and isn't even listed on the dz.com database. Skydive New England Plum Island is a once-in-a-while experienced-jumpers-only operation (maybe a tandem once in a while.) In New England, you're better off waiting until March or April, when everyone gets back into full operation, and make a choice based on their web sites, calls or visits to them, and, yes, asking here again. HW

Pop... Thanks for the observation/correction. I've looked back at the logbook scans and indeed, Nate Pond wasn't there. I guess I assumed he was because Istel, Sanborn and Guilfoyle were, as well as Nona Pond. Muriel Simbro's signature is there for sure, but perhaps she was just there with Hank and didn't take part and maybe the same is also true of others in the logbook but not in the picture. I'll ask Bill McCarthy for comments on this. I want to get this stuff right. Best, HW

Yes. 1. The July, 2006, Parachutist says so, and there were no errors in historical details in that issue. 2. I have in front of me the Feb. 1967, Parachutist, "The Publication of the Parachute Club of America," and the Sept. 1967, Parachutist, "The Publication of the United States Parachute Association." My collection of back magazines is reasonably complete but scattered and I don't feel like going to the garage and rummaging for the intervening issues. Best I can tell, the name change was approved at the General Membership Meeting in Tahlequah, OK, in July 1967, (and I was probably there.) My C license, issued sometime in 1966, is the PCA version. I can only speculate that headquarters continued to issue the PCA variety for some time after the name change becase it had lots of license cards in stock. HW

Here is (I think) the L10E and the Pieces of Eight team from Massachusetts. Kneeling, l-r: Paul Cully, Dan Thompson, Bob MacDonald, Ken Carville, Ted Strong. Standing, l-r: Dan Poynter, David Adams, Don Mayer, Larry Overton, Bill Taft. Ted's shop was still in Massachusetts at the time and Dan was working there. HW

I have a similar thing; it basically allows you to project the film onto a little screen at a 90 degree angle from the projector. You then photograph the screen with your video camera. It works, but is hardly good quality. In the very old days I used it to project 35mm slides to be included in a video. There are better solutions now with scanners and software, so my gadget is gathering dust. (If anybody wants it, pay shipping.

Well, open Google.You do know how to do that, right? Above the search window in the middle of the screen, click on more>>. That gives you a menu that says even more>>. From that screen, find Earth (a globe, part way down in the first column.) Click on it and read all about how to get it for your computer; it's free. You probably want the latest and greatest beta version. Install and play with it for a while. It's fun. Then download the .kmz files, open them so they show up in the listing on the left. Click on a place that interests you.. See what happens. By the way, if your internet access is limited to telephone dial-up, forget it; you will waste lots of time and money playing with GE. HW

Attached is Dan Poynter's picture of the 1970 "first" course. Jump suit already creeping in. Prizes awarded for IDs. HW

I think that is Hank Simbro. o.k. Looks like the Daryl Henry I met in October. Isn't that what I said? What you said is "Back row, 3rd from right is Ed Fitch" Just clarifying. I'll get the rest of the names from Those Who Were There. Thanks for your help. HW

You did pretty well. I have the advantage of a high-quality 8 x 10 print, you have the advantage of knowing more of them. 1. I have corrected my original post to include two other D

Well, no, not really. When I was at the Pioneers of Sport Parachuting reunion in Nevada in October (Parachutist story and pix coming in a month or so), Bill McCarthy, D-83, showed me his log book documenting that event. I scanned it, along with his picture of the participants. In it, he writes: "First Examiner Course Phoenix, Arizona, 2/62" and it's signed by, I guess, all participants. Perry Stevens was indeed among them, though Poynter was not. A partial list, arbitrarily limited to those with D

Hmm, not the same "first ICC" I was referring to. I have the picture somewhere. HW

And this is Sweet's Lodestar at (I think) Z-Hills. HW

While looking for something else, I just stumbled across an ad in the June, 1969, Parachutist advertising "This is a Sport?" I had forgotten that it was produced by USPA, written and directed by J. Scott Hamilton, then Assistant Director of USPA. It was on sale for $100 for affiliated centers, $150 for others, and $10 for centers to rent. So presumably USPA has a decent copy and the legal/copyright issues would not exist -- just the money to convert it to DVD. HW

From Parachutist, August, 1970: "The first USPA Instructor Certification Course was held in Manchester, Connecticut on 3 and 4 April 1970. Thirty-five jumpers from ten states were certified after two days of intensive lectures, written and practical tests." --- Among the faculty members and graduates was me. Among other graduates, such unknowns as Dan Poynter and Ted Strong. HW (olde person)

The NPR show "Only a Game" has a pretty favorably feature story on the U.S. Nationals today. For more information, look here. It's on lots of NPR stations at various times, on XM radio, and on the web site, though it looks as if the story itself is not available as a separate download -- you need to listen to the whole show. HW

I cancelled Earthlink DSL for the same reason. Haven't had to call Verizon support yet. Hope they speak English.

Sony. Period. Only question is how much you want/have to spend.

No clue as to their worth. I've seen all of them. I saw the original El Cap with sound at a USPA board meeting in the mid-70s, personally projected by Carl Boenish. (I seem to remember stunned silence among board members.) Probably the only way to amortize the expense of conversion would be to sell the resulting DVDs, but that would involve licensing/copyright issues with the holders of the property, assuming their availability and cooperation. Pepperell Skydiving Center in Massachusetts has copies of "Masters of the Sky," "Wings," and a couple of other old classics. At a boogie a few years ago I dragged out their projector (the only person around old enough to remember how to run it) and showed them. It was hard explaining over the PA that these were "movies," not videos. Steve Noonan (D-3331) was there and pointed out "that's me" in the sequence of jumpers all over the outside of the Beech 18. I think it's important to preserve these treasures. I don't want to project them much any more, because each time I do, they break in another place -- it's only a matter of time when they can't really be salvaged. Perhaps the National Parachuting Museum can serve as a vehicle for arranging preservation; I'd be happy to help organize such an effort. HW (BTW in a earlier post I said "A Sport is Born" was an Oscar nominee in 1962. In fact it was in 1960.)