Newbie 0 #1 April 9, 2002 where did this originally come from, and why has it been so widely adopted? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChromeBoy 0 #2 April 9, 2002 Olav Zipster. I think he patented it too. Joking...I don't know. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #3 April 9, 2002 No idea. I do know it was in use when I started jumping in '90. I'll ask my coworker Purusha today - she started jumping in '65 and knows all kinds of useless skydiving related trivia... pull & flare,lisa Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChromeBoy 0 #4 April 9, 2002 I bet the term came when someone looked up into the sky and it was blue...thus, blue skies! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #5 April 9, 2002 Run a search on this its been discussed before.Its from the phrase "Blue skies, black death", its been around for a long time. Basically it means have fun but be careful...Okay?BSBDCyaD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 30 #6 April 9, 2002 QuoteBlue skies, black deathI take it as "have fun, death is near"RemsterMuff 914 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Billy 0 #7 April 9, 2002 ever notice the higher ya get the darker blue it become's too,, then it I guess turns black,, haven't been that hight yetDon't read this,,, Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kevin922 0 #8 April 9, 2002 Actually it dates back to the early days of the weather guy. He would say "and today we have blue skies, cool around 70 with a slight breeze out of the south" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Cornholio 0 #9 April 9, 2002 I wondered about this saying too.However, my question is a little different:Why do people (skydivers) say it when a fellow skydiver dies or goes in ?What does "blue skies" have to do with someone dying ? /me confused....__________________________________________If first you don't succeed....skydiving is not for you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Sebazz1 2 #10 April 9, 2002 QuoteWhat does "blue skies" have to do with someone dying?I might be wrong but whenever I step foot outside of my house work or whatever I look up. It's because subconciously or conciously I want to be up there. If a fellow jumper/buddy goes in you know thier endlessly flying around those blue skies above. When I die a long time from now look up cause I'll be there................Blue Skies Baby...........SEBAZZ....... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Viking 0 #11 April 9, 2002 "When I die a long time from now look up cause I'll be there................"ya probly mooning us too!!! I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Sebazz1 2 #12 April 9, 2002 Quoteya probly mooning us too!!!I'll be buck naked so yup i will be showin you my bare assSEBAZZ....... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites quade 4 #13 April 9, 2002 Wow. I can't believe people don't know this.Ok, for everyone that doesn't know the phrase "Blue Skies, Black Death" and what it means, you now have a homework assignment.Go read the on-line book, United We Fall and give me a short book report. Compare the attitudes of people within and without RW of the '70s to vRW at the present.quadehttp://futurecam.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites quade 4 #14 April 9, 2002 More specifically toward the original request. Let me quote a very great man, Pat Works, who has been in this sport for more than 40 years.quade*****************************************************************When sequential RW was just getting started in the mid 1970s it started in ST, AZ, CA, TX, KS, IL western USA. Jumpsuits were small. Most skydivers wore boots. Belly reserves and ripcords were the norm. Of course, good inteligent, cool skydivers never got caught dead. we beleived that until Jim Heydorn bounced with a double total. Poof, the myth of the right stuff vanished. If Heydorn could bounce, ANYBODY can bounce! Thus, the brighter pioneer sequential types began to notice that the quality/quantity of people getting killed by impact appeared random... good skydivers and bad skydivers both bounced about as high. We noticed that it was not that He screwed up but rather that fate is the hunter and there is a real element of chance in skydiving. We learned that the bright blue friendly sky was balanced, yin/yang style, by a dark forboding ground. Since the ground snuffed the life it was/is death. Unsafe practices, as a group were termed black death. The exit count used by my 8-way teams and several others was Blue sky/ Black Death. Sport parachuting became Sport Death. While the Black Death thing was an insider thing which translated to Hey yall, lets avoid danger up there it later got adopted and/or banned by folks who did not and do not understand what it means. So just as goodby means God be with you Blue sky/black death is a salute to the sky/earth that meanssomething like lovely up there/watch out.crazy pat**********************************************************http://futurecam.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jtval 0 #15 April 10, 2002 OK I dont wanna read quades thread until after I post my thought..Blues skies , black death !!I never had anyone explian it to me but this is what I got out of it!yes, yes its havefun death is near but this is WHY i though it meant that. when you jump you are bathed in blue. you are living the HIGH life. If you see black that means you are on conscious= death!(before cypress)Blue= skiesblack=death....now lemme go read the thread!getting high is fun, but coming down is the best partJT Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jtval 0 #16 April 10, 2002 ok I was closegetting high is fun, but coming down is the best partJTI jsut didnt know "the legend of the fall" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites neural9 0 #17 April 10, 2002 No you weren't. But I like yours Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. 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Cornholio 0 #9 April 9, 2002 I wondered about this saying too.However, my question is a little different:Why do people (skydivers) say it when a fellow skydiver dies or goes in ?What does "blue skies" have to do with someone dying ? /me confused....__________________________________________If first you don't succeed....skydiving is not for you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sebazz1 2 #10 April 9, 2002 QuoteWhat does "blue skies" have to do with someone dying?I might be wrong but whenever I step foot outside of my house work or whatever I look up. It's because subconciously or conciously I want to be up there. If a fellow jumper/buddy goes in you know thier endlessly flying around those blue skies above. When I die a long time from now look up cause I'll be there................Blue Skies Baby...........SEBAZZ....... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Viking 0 #11 April 9, 2002 "When I die a long time from now look up cause I'll be there................"ya probly mooning us too!!! I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sebazz1 2 #12 April 9, 2002 Quoteya probly mooning us too!!!I'll be buck naked so yup i will be showin you my bare assSEBAZZ....... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #13 April 9, 2002 Wow. I can't believe people don't know this.Ok, for everyone that doesn't know the phrase "Blue Skies, Black Death" and what it means, you now have a homework assignment.Go read the on-line book, United We Fall and give me a short book report. Compare the attitudes of people within and without RW of the '70s to vRW at the present.quadehttp://futurecam.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #14 April 9, 2002 More specifically toward the original request. Let me quote a very great man, Pat Works, who has been in this sport for more than 40 years.quade*****************************************************************When sequential RW was just getting started in the mid 1970s it started in ST, AZ, CA, TX, KS, IL western USA. Jumpsuits were small. Most skydivers wore boots. Belly reserves and ripcords were the norm. Of course, good inteligent, cool skydivers never got caught dead. we beleived that until Jim Heydorn bounced with a double total. Poof, the myth of the right stuff vanished. If Heydorn could bounce, ANYBODY can bounce! Thus, the brighter pioneer sequential types began to notice that the quality/quantity of people getting killed by impact appeared random... good skydivers and bad skydivers both bounced about as high. We noticed that it was not that He screwed up but rather that fate is the hunter and there is a real element of chance in skydiving. We learned that the bright blue friendly sky was balanced, yin/yang style, by a dark forboding ground. Since the ground snuffed the life it was/is death. Unsafe practices, as a group were termed black death. The exit count used by my 8-way teams and several others was Blue sky/ Black Death. Sport parachuting became Sport Death. While the Black Death thing was an insider thing which translated to Hey yall, lets avoid danger up there it later got adopted and/or banned by folks who did not and do not understand what it means. So just as goodby means God be with you Blue sky/black death is a salute to the sky/earth that meanssomething like lovely up there/watch out.crazy pat**********************************************************http://futurecam.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtval 0 #15 April 10, 2002 OK I dont wanna read quades thread until after I post my thought..Blues skies , black death !!I never had anyone explian it to me but this is what I got out of it!yes, yes its havefun death is near but this is WHY i though it meant that. when you jump you are bathed in blue. you are living the HIGH life. If you see black that means you are on conscious= death!(before cypress)Blue= skiesblack=death....now lemme go read the thread!getting high is fun, but coming down is the best partJT Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtval 0 #16 April 10, 2002 ok I was closegetting high is fun, but coming down is the best partJTI jsut didnt know "the legend of the fall" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
neural9 0 #17 April 10, 2002 No you weren't. But I like yours Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
