world free fall convention

[hudsonderek 0]

so, after sitting around many a bonefire and listening to many different skydivers I've come to this conclusion:

Most new skydivers (which includes myself) are a bunch of babies that cut away things like toggle fires and worry about landing on rears.

Most older skydivers are hardcore and in general more bad ass than the rest of us, which much more interesting stories.

From stories I've heard I wish I had a time machine to go back and be a jumper in the mid 90's when skydiving was booming, when gear was questionable, when the parties were more wild. like they say "when skydiving was dangerous and sex was safe"

any new jumpers share my same sentiments? it seems like the sport is full of a bunch of complacent babies that take their gear reliability for granted and never actually accept that they could die doing this? I used to work with a tandem master that told me of the days of "blue skies black death" and how it was more hardcore, you didn't see many computer technitians getting into the sport in the 80's, lets just put it that way.

it's be pretty awesome to have another World free fall convention that over 5,000 skydivers showed up to. perhaps the "glory days" are over sensationalized, but it defiantely seemed like it would have been a good time to be jumping.

[skybytch 273]

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it defiantely seemed like it would have been a good time to be jumping.

It was. Men were men, women showed their tits, AAD's were for students, helmets were for chicken shits, duct tape was the new baling wire, A license holders could spot and some skill at hand propping might get you a free beer.

[hudsonderek 0]

I can hand prop, my 1946 cessna 120 doesn't have a starter :) I desire to jump a round, but few places are excited about the idea.

[Squeak 17]

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it defiantely seemed like it would have been a good time to be jumping.

It was. Men were men, women showed their tits, AAD's were for students, helmets were for chicken shits, duct tape was the new baling wire, A license holders could spot and some skill at hand propping might get you a free beer.

In 20 years time today will be the good old days to someone, where everything will have been bigger better badder.

Cue Bruce Springsteen........
Now I think I'm going down to the well tonight
and I'm going to drink till I get my fill
And I hope when I get old I don't sit around thinking about it
but I probably will
Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture
a little of the glory of, well time slips away
and leaves you with nothing mister but
boring stories of glory days

Glory days well they'll pass you by
Glory days in the wink of a young girl's eye
Glory days, glory days

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[skybytch 273]

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I desire to jump a round, but few places are excited about the idea.

Find a dz owned by someone who jumped back in the day. Fairly likely that they will have or know of someone who has something old and round and uncomfortable.... err I mean a PC in a old school container with a belly wart that you could jump.

I'll help hand prop your plane for a ride in it!

[squirrel 0]

you can die doing .... anything. and people take that for granted every day. do people check there tires before they drive? do people actually pay attention driving? look at the motorcycle scene... chock full of posers. same with hot rods...people go out and "have one built" now a days... but do they know how to change the oil?

fact is, society is dumbing down, and it will spill into any sport.

________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?

[squirrel 0]

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I can hand prop, my 1946 cessna 120 doesn't have a starter :)

i have a pull starter on my weight shift trike.

________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?

[diablopilot 2]

I don't usually do this, but +1 on just about everything you said there. :-)

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[godfrog 2]

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I can hand prop, my 1946 cessna 120 doesn't have a starter :) I desire to jump a round, but few places are excited about the idea.

__________________________________________________

First learn how to throw a wind drift indicator, and learn how to spot veerryyy well, rounds don't fly, they just let you down!
And practice your PLF's

Experience is a difficult teacher, she gives you the test first and the lesson afterward

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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I can hand prop, my 1946 cessna 120 doesn't have a starter :) I desire to jump a round, but few places are excited about the idea.

Find a bunch of skydivers with gray hair. At least one will have an airworthy round rig in their closet, remember how to pack it, and provide instruction in its use. Catch a Cessna ride to hop-and-pop altitude, spot (or let the old guys do it), jump, and have fun. Easy!

[JerryBaumchen 1,363]

Hi Drew,

I do not know if that is you in those photos; if so, good job.

That is a StyleMaster that you are jumping. If people look real close you will see two straps just below the reserve container with an adjustable v-ring & an adjustable quick ejector. This is/was the chest strap. It was an entirely new concept; the adjustable diagonals on the harness then came back around, through those fittings and became the chest strap. It did not have a 'sewn-in' chest strap.

I wish there was a better, close photo, and without the reserve in place for people to see just how this works. It was quite revolutionary for the day.

However, it did not check on and later models had a sewn-in chest strap.

Just some trivia for a late nite around the fire,

JerryBaumchen

PS) The original Strong tandem had a StyleMaster harness for the passenger. I always thought it was odd but that is what the TSO tag said.

[keithbar 1]

thanks for that I have a ton of belly wart jumps back in the day. but I never saw a : chest wart"

i have on occasion been accused of pulling low . My response. Naw I wasn't low I'm just such a big guy I look closer than I really am .

[jumpwally 0]

Yoy listen well,,i like that in a noob...

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[grimmie 186]

Quote

so, after sitting around many a bonefire and listening to many different skydivers I've come to this conclusion:

Most new skydivers (which includes myself) are a bunch of babies that cut away things like toggle fires and worry about landing on rears.

Most older skydivers are hardcore and in general more bad ass than the rest of us, which much more interesting stories.

From stories I've heard I wish I had a time machine to go back and be a jumper in the mid 90's when skydiving was booming, when gear was questionable, when the parties were more wild. like they say "when skydiving was dangerous and sex was safe"

any new jumpers share my same sentiments? it seems like the sport is full of a bunch of complacent babies that take their gear reliability for granted and never actually accept that they could die doing this? I used to work with a tandem master that told me of the days of "blue skies black death" and how it was more hardcore, you didn't see many computer technitians getting into the sport in the 80's, lets just put it that way.

it's be pretty awesome to have another World free fall convention that over 5,000 skydivers showed up to. perhaps the "glory days" are over sensationalized, but it defiantely seemed like it would have been a good time to be jumping.

Nice post kid.

I was sitting around at LP this weekend discussing the current state of skydiving. I think that while our sport has moved into an incredible direction for flying abilities, it has really digressed in social abilities.

Regarding the WFFC. We all used to jump together. That's how we all met each other. Today we have four distinct groups of jumpers. Belly RW, Freefly, Wingsuit and Swoopers.
Sure, I know many of you that do all four, but that's pretty rare these days. We aren't meeting each other and forming those lifelong friendships anymore. (I know, que up the sad music soundtrack for the old guy)
I really enjoyed meeting some of the newer jumpers at LP. I'm also lucky that I get to meet a lot of jumpers by hosting a yearly boogie.

Maybe I'm just a sentimental old fart, but I think tradition in our sport needs to be preserved. Young jumpers like yourself are perfect candidates for upholding.


ps. There were computers in the 80's...who knew!

[JerryBaumchen 1,363]

Hi out there,

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However, it did not check on and later models had a sewn-in chest strap.

I have absolutley no idea what the h*** I was thinking when I typed this.

It should say: 'However, it did not catch on . . . '

JerryBaumchen

[hudsonderek 0]

many a persons have jumped my 140, and they didn't even have to prop it;)

[hudsonderek 0]

awesome pics of the PC:) I've been called an "old soul" before because the most fun I'd had driving was in a 1927 ford model A. I am one of those people who enjoys swooping, free fling, RW and CRW. it's all interesting and fun and different, why limit yourself to one discipline? I wonder if there would be interest in getting another world free fall convention going?

[JerryBaumchen 1,363]

Hi derek,

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because the most fun I'd had driving was in a 1927 ford model A.

You might want to revise that. The Model A was built in '28,'29, '30 & '31. The '28 & '29 versions were virtually identical. The '30 & '31 versions were virtually identical. It takes a trained to know the differences between the first two years & the 2nd two years.

JerryBaumchen

[hudsonderek 0]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Model_A_%281927%E2%80%931931%29

the owner of the truck described it as a 27/28 model A because so many of the parts where miss matched. it isn't the prettiest truck, and is certainly just a functional vehicle (tin roof added, converted over to vegetable oil, pitted body). the ignition advance and mixture/ choke control were fun as well as the floor push button starter. perhaps he wasn't sure of it's origin, he's just the head aircraft curator for the Owls Head Transportation Museum and isn't as much of a car buff as an airplane buff. Thanks for the history lesson though.

[jacketsdb23 49]

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Most new skydivers (which includes myself) are a bunch of babies that cut away things like toggle fires and worry about landing on rears.

You are wrong.
Us new jumpers are bad ass for several reasons:

We actually have to think about where we are going to land and fly there. The real old farts just got a round out and hoped they landed close to the LZ. (i'll give in that they were much better at spotting, we suck these days)

Of course, we also have the option now to swoop past the old farts still jumping their massive canopies. We start jumping a wingloading of 2.5 at 25 jumps. The old farts were too fucking scared to jump anything smaller than a Challenger 220 (Hi Dad!! ). My grandma would jump something smaller than that.

Our toggle fires could kill us if we can't get the damn slider off the other toggle in time. Good idea to cut away when you are spinning on your back at 1500 ft with the napkin above you.

Oh, and I landed my velo 96 on rears with a stuck toggle a couple weeks ago...so we are definitely bad ass. Jump on board or go buy yourself a Delorean and visit Doc Brown.

Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen
God is Good
Beer is Great
Swoopers are crazy.

[Tink1717 2]

It was an awesome time to be jumping. Thaose days are gone forever.

Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off.
-The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!)
AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717