Who started at a "Cessna" DZ

[Thanatos340 1]

Yep. Did my first 3 Jumps from a 152. Did not move UP to a 182 till later.

I really miss hanging a strut somtimes. Jungle Gym outside the door.

[Sky15 0]

Started in Cessnas, and ended up at 40 jumps at another Cessna dz that had a lot of Cessnas and flew 5 and even 6 in formation regularly. It was great. Then we had a Queen Air, sometimes a C-47 (DC 3 with big cargo door, fun!) and eventually a King Air. We did 40 ways from the King Air and C-47, and also flew the Cessnas and Queen Air or King Air in formation, very interesting. Cessnas would start out lead and King Air would fly up the middle of them timing it so it ended up lead right at time to jump, it was really neat to watch. We had some great pilots.

Jumped mostly Cessnas for years, love jumping an turbines now most of the time, but the good old fun days of Cessnas and the C-47 were still the best to me.

I do laugh a little at turbine babies that never really got experience spotting, all the above mentioned planes we spotted the old fashioned way. I actually feel some pity for anyone that hasn't had the pleasure of jumping a Cessna and also enjoying a small dz atmosphere.

[soberamprat 0]

first 100 jumps from a C172 with door removed and seats taken out

http://www.swoopstudios.com/videos/videos-rex.php

[SuperKat 0]

I did my first 15 static line jumps from a cessna 182 at SDLI. What a nightmare that was. You had to wait at least 4 hours to get manifested on a load. I would never ever ever do that again, even if it were the last plane on earth!!!

What's the most you ever lost in a coin toss, Friendo?

[masterrig 1]

Started at a Cessna DZ. Just like someone else here mentioned, I was crammed in the back with 3-mega-hulks. I had a hard time with the West Texas heat and the cramped quarters. My first jumps out of a Sky Van or Queen Air were fantastic... those planes were so 'roomy'!


Chuck

[ladyflyer77 0]

my dz has a C-180, C-182 (wide bodies) and our main jump plane is a Beaver.

Oh, you have to love the Beaver. She's a classic.

Then about 40 miles away is the good ol' Beech 18.

If I stand on my tip toes, I can see the weekend from here!

[Andrewwhyte 1]

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Yeah...
I started at a dz with a 206 with the door on the wrong side (the plane was used to haul dead people while it wasnt flying jumpers.... HAHAHAHA

Your 206 had a door! You lucky, lucky bastard. We had something called a wind deflector.

[livendive 8]

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Oh, you have to love the Beaver. She's a classic.

I do love a nice beaver, but there's a fine line between classic and over the hill.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[lekstrom10k 0]

We did a 16-way out of 2 1956 C-182 and a 1953 C-180 It was pretty common to put 5 in a C-182. That was before the oil embargo and FAA was less bothersome than now. Our biggest formation was a T-Bow a Beaver a C- u206 4 C-182's and a C-180 It even worked too

[skydivermom 0]

I trained at a small skydiving club with a blue C182. I'm definately familiar with "climb out and hang".

Cessnas are the jungle gyms of the sky.

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[raftman 12]

I started out at a Cessna DZ, a Cessna Caravan DZ. What does that make me? A skymutt?

[Zing 2]

Lekstrom, do you remember Clayton troutner's dz ... MSUSPCDZ at Charlotte? Sixteen ways with two camera jumpers out of the Cessna 182, Cessna 180 and the DC-206?
The good ole days.

Zing Lurks

[lekstrom10k 0]

That same U-206 is still in operation at Harry Brown Airport in Saginaw forWild wind Skydiving. He in fact opens this weekend there. Do you remember Rich Druillard from Charlotte days. he lives in Warren now. If yoy think of anyone else I might be able to track them.One thing about jumping Cessna's you could always make your money last the week end.Not like the oil burners and broke by 2PM Saturday

[Zing 2]

Good to hear the airplane is still around. I don't rememer the 180 owner/pilot's name, but he was a one-legged guy and quite a character.
Then there was Earl "Crash" Haines, who flew the 182 and the 206 at Charlotte.
Druillard's name sounds familiar. I'd have to find my old logbooks to dredge up some other names from back then. I do better at remembering faces than I do names.

Zing Lurks

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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Just wanted to see where were at right now....
I "was raised" at a cessna dz....
and i still love the smell of AV GAS in the morning....
I wish i could smell it more here at zhills

I made my first (tandem) jump out of a 182 and then managed to avoid them for 1500 jumps. Did make a few week day hop-and-pops out of a turbo-charged U206 (weekend loads were all out of a King Air or Otter regardless of altitude), and tried to make a freefall jump from a non-turbo charged 206 but gave up on getting to full altitude after 8 or 9000 feet AGL (it didn't work well starting at 5000 feet MSL).

[HeadLicker 0]

One of the best thing is to have a formation load with 5 cessnas in a V formation. In Vermont we have a cessna boogie (in memory of Rick Hustler). Having most people jumping from a chase plane where you can only time it from visual is a lot of fun and helps to hone skills in getting to a formation.

"Political change which ran ahead of social and psychological development was at best useless and at worst dangerous."
--George Eliot

[RevJim 0]

Started in '98 at a 3-182 dz. Traveled my fair share, finishing my training at a 206 & piston porter dz, hit many dz's with turbines, and now I'm back at a different 2-182 dz less than 45 minutes from my original one.

Love this community!

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1