Scary stories from the old days?

[airtwardo 7]

Quote

Quote

Any statutes expire lately???

Probably not until he croaks...

Hey...I heard that!




(Makes one of us anyway...)

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[BillyVance 34]

Quote

Quote

Quote

Any statutes expire lately???

Probably not until he croaks...

Hey...I heard that!




(Makes one of us anyway...)

I just KNEW you'd respond, if you were still around.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[skybill 22]

Hi Steve,

"Downwind Brady!!"
Brady Sanders used to jump So. Cal. and Otay back in the old Round Canopy Round Star daze, early 70's, PC's were the staple canopy. Unless you were doing comp. accuracy in the pit most people landed PC's into the wind for the max easy landing. Not always for Brady!! He'd come screaming "downwind!" over the hard ground in front of the manifest shed at Otay, give out a yahoo!, hit the ground, do about 3 or 4 PLF's get up and collapse his canopy while everyone looked on in disbelief with their jaws down to their knees!!!! After ya' seen him do it a couple of times it got to be old hat. Still, no broke legs!!! Brady was one of the jumpers that got killed in Spike's Beech when it crashed on takeoff at Taft in '82. Fly on Brady.

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[steve1 5]

It seemed like the best accuracy competitors landed down wind with their para-commanders.

I didn't know beans about accuracy. Most of us did RW and that was about it. I do remember trying to shoot accuracy a few times, with limited knowledge, and my MK 1 paracommander.

I figured if the pros shot accuracy down wind, I could do the same thing. Every time I tried it, I missed the entire pea pit. Crashed and burned. I'd limp off and try to pretend it didn't hurt.

Then there were those times when I'd try a radical turn at the last second, and again slam into the ground, outside the peas.

I finally gave up on accuracy. It was just to rough!....

[skybill 22]

Hi steve,
Know what you mean about downwind-PC-accuracy-don't miss the pit!!! Brady didn't do the downwind thing all the time, just sometimes. But when he did it was quite the show!! These downwinders of Brady's were NOT accuracy!! He'd hookturn and pick up as much horizontal speed as you could with a PC and power the landing with 2 or 3 rolls!! How he never broke any bones I'll never know!! Like I said at Otay in front of Jim and Nina McDonald's manifest shed on the hard dirt!! Too much fun!! If the people that jump at Otay now only knew???!!!!

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[airtwardo 7]

Our accuri pit back in Ill. was filled with sawdust & small wood chips....we couldn't afford peas.

Under the hot dry summer sun, that pit was like a trampoline.

What ever speed and energy you had got into it....it gave ya right back, throwing you out!


Made for some rather entertaining landings.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[BillyVance 34]

Quote

Our accuri pit back in Ill. was filled with sawdust & small wood chips....we couldn't afford peas.

Under the hot dry summer sun, that pit was like a trampoline.

What ever speed and energy you had got into it....it gave ya right back, throwing you out!


Made for some rather entertaining landings.

Did that pit ever go up in flames?

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[gvmck 0]

Here is a story that I have not read here, but I know it to be as accurate as I can recall because I lived it. Back in the late 7O's the Southern Cross Parachute Center was operated by George Kabella and his wife Betty in Downsville, Maryland (George's first location, not Chambersburg as opposed to what I read in another thread on this site).

At one point George has this Antonov brought in; I believe it was identified as an AN-2. It was a bi-plane with a large red star and experimental painted on it in a couple of places. It was a great addition the drop zone, which to that point had as many people as George could cram into a load on an old civil air patrol “Beaver”. I had between 150-200 jumps, at the time of this story, on my first rig which was "state of the art": a Wonder Hog with three ring release, a Strato-Cloud and a 26' Lo-Po reserve.

The scary part of this story involved my 8th ride in the AN-2. On takeoff straight out from the run-way an oil line or something went unexpectedly wrong and the engine began to smoke and went out. The pilot tells everyone they needed to get out. The plane was loaded with fuel and as you might expect the pilot was not keen about landing a plane fully loaded with fuel and a bunch of skydivers in a corn field. There was only one component that he was capable of deep sixing (us). This ole boy who was setting at the cock-pit door literally climbs over my head and at least seventeen others to get to the back door. At this point my altimeter was showing just above 500 feet and my young mind was racing through the calculation, "this rig on my back opens within 550 feet at terminal velocity" so needless to say my tail was in close communications with my brain trying to figure the next step. The ole boy who climbed over my head did not get out of the plane. Apparently, the story had it that he was in a similar problem down at Z-Hills in which he rolled out of a plane, onto the runway, that failed on takeoff, this ole boy spent months recovering in the hospital and apparently several others in the plane were severely injured or burned with the plane. Whether that is true or not, I cannot confirm, but what he did that day I can. This man had quickly conceived the idea to stand at the door and "static-line" everyone on the plane by holding their pilot-chute as they jumped. I got out under that big beautiful blue canopy and as I was reached up to release the toggles I landed in the field before that could be accomplished. A few on the plane landed on Downsville Pike, one boy bounced off of a church roof and while there were a couple of broken ankles and legs everyone survived. I never did learn how that ole boy at the door took care of himself, but he was safe on the ground when the story telling started. Since that experience, I have counted that as the only time I had to actually jump out of a plane to save my life. The AN-2 glided into the corn field and was out of operation for a few months. Cubans had to be brought in to repair the plane (they apparently had a great deal of experience with the Antonov because of their close relationship with the Soviets).

While, I have hundreds of great stories, as many of you do - this was my scariest experience. I am looking forward to getting back into the sport; I took a bunch of years off to get some things done, like law school and starting a practice, raising some kids and the like. However, last month I had my license reissued (C-13630) and look forward to heading over to Chambersburg or down to Orange (daughters and granddaughters live in Charlottesville). Hope to meet many of you.
Mac

[steve1 5]

The following is a story about B.J. Worth. I hope I have all the facts straight because I'm telling it second hand. This is the story told to me by Bob Smith.

When I started jumping B.J. was one of my instructors. He wasn't always famous. At one time he was a college student like the rest of us in Missoula, Montana.

Bob Smith was a tad older. He was a college professor, jumper, and one of our main pilots. All students started out doing static line back then. Our club jumped a Cessna 180.

At any rate this story begins with B.J. jumpmastering a student while kneeling next to the door, with the plane on jump run.

The door was open, and the student was getting ready to climb out. Bob was flying. About then B.J.'s chest mounted reserve popped open. Luckily the pilot chute stayed in the plane. Bob saw what happened and he frantically tried to shut the door. B.J. was trying to grab arm-loads of nylon. In the midst of all this shouting, swearing, and slamming of doors the airplane was starting to exert G-forces on everyone inside, because noone was flying. The big-eyed student sat waiting patiently, wondering what all the excitement was about. Luckily noone died that day. Bob said that B.J. had nightmares for days after that.

If B.J. reads this, maybe he can add to the story. I hope I didn't butcher it too bad.

[Ugali 0]

just to keep this going , it is by far the best thread on the site in my opinion
i wasnt jumping in the old days but if heard a few while at the dz bar
the scariest one started off " no shit there i was spining around like an astronaut in a g- force machine after my cheapo decided to f--k up...."

Tom, Tom Tom, Tommy, Tom Love

[airtwardo 7]

Quote

just to keep this going , it is by far the best thread on the site in my opinion
i wasnt jumping in the old days but if heard a few while at the dz bar
the scariest one started off " no shit there i was spining around like an astronaut in a g- force machine after my cheapo decided to f--k up...."

Funny...we really thought hard cranking a PC was really spinning one up...

If I could only throw a couple of VX's into a time tunnel!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[mwabd1 0]

It's about time for another story...............

.......I hereby reject your reality and instead choose to insert my own!

[377 22]

Cutting away at Pope Valley CA knowing that I had just bought my reserve for only $25 was pretty scary.

I was a poor college student back then and had been renting reseves until I could find one cheap enough to buy.

As I watched the lines peel out of the stows (belly reserve) I remember wondering if a dirt cheap reserve was really such a great idea after all. I really never expected to have to use it (duhhhh).

It was a surplus Navy 26 foot conical and despite its low price, it worked like a million bucks.

Price really shouldn't affect confidence. After all, your gear is either good ot not good regardless of what you paid. Nevertheless, when I had to do a cutaway at WFFC decades later, I had complete confidence that my $1000 virgin PD 193R would work fine and of course it did.

377

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[377 22]

Quote

On my first trip down to Z-hills in '79 we had a crater party for a Canadian girl who'd gone in there within the last couple of years... She spun in on her back, no pull... This was the fatality that left H***** saying, "I may not have been her first, but I know for damn sure I was her last!!!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hmmmmm...this sounds like the same girl. My brother still has a pic of the crater she left...perfect box position.

I know there are a lot of "girls from Canada" but I can't help but wonder if she might be the same girl from Canada who was kicked out of Pope Valley for a VEEEERRRY low pull. It was back in the early 70s as I recall. She was doing RW with a boyfriend and lost track of him. I saw her getting low, turning and looking, TOTALLY unaware of altitide. I was sure she was going in when she must have caught a glimpse of hilltops above her horizon. She pulled and I still thought she was going in. She got line stretch and then only a couple of seconds of hang time under an inflated canopy. You just couldn't get any closer.

377

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[jonstark 8]

The drug culture of the 70s permeated the sport to some extent. I remember admonishing a friend who had pulled low and her responding "I was looking with my eyes and everything." She was pretty toasted. Never came back after that.

A Rorer 714 addled friend stumbled up to me asking for help with her velcro. She would "straighten up in freefall" she claimed. We kept her out of the air that day and she continued with the sport for another couple years unscathed.

[bozo 0]

We had this guy named Karl at our little DZ in the very early 80s. He was sort of a body builder and used acid a bunch. Guys used to manifest on loads with Karl just to watch him in the plane.
It was...."wow , look at the colors ; or do I really have 12 fingers" ,shit like that. We knew for sure that he was gonna frappe but nobody did anything. Anyway he didnt....just went away one day after making 100 jumps or so. He sure was fun to watch though.

bozo
Pain is fleeting. Glory lasts forever. Chicks dig scars.

[Hammitt 0]

Two of my three cut aways were at Pope Valley. The first one at Pope(my second overall) was from the Yolo Beach. We flew over to Pope and jumped in to have lunch. That was a pretty cool thing to do.

Anyway, after I pulled and realized I had a wad of junk over my head, I cut away. When I looked for my blast handle I couldn't find it. I knew it was there somewhere, but I sure couldn't see it. I reached down and found the cable housing. I knew that the blast handle was at the end of it and sure a shootin it was. I pulled away and there was my beautiful Navy Coni fully opened up over my head. The four line release worked as advertised. I realized later that my harness was loose and that's why it shifted when I cut away causing my blast handle to be lower than I expected.

My second cut away at Pope was a Saturday night at the O out of the DC 3. I spotted the load and the spot was just about on top of Pott's Peak. I remember when I decided I had to cut away I was hoping that I had the spot right and that I was not over Pott's Peak at opening. Pott's Peak was about a half a mile or so south of the runway and the peak was about 1500 feet in altitude above the runway. For some reason I remember jeanne mcCombs being on that jump. As it turned out my spot was good and I was over the runway and not over Pott's Peak at opening. Did give me a few seconds distress though.

[skypuppy 1]

I know there are a lot of "girls from Canada" but I can't help but wonder if she might be the same girl from Canada who was kicked out of Pope Valley for a VEEEERRRY low pull.
______________________________________________

Don't think so, I had the impression she was a student. Went down with Harry G., but stayed with Hawkeye the night before her bounce.

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[crustySCSA69 0]

Quote

I know there are a lot of "girls from Canada" but I can't help but wonder if she might be the same girl from Canada who was kicked out of Pope Valley for a VEEEERRRY low pull.
______________________________________________

Don't think so, I had the impression she was a student. Went down with Harry G., but stayed with Hawkeye the night before her bounce.

That girl was never in Pope... she was just past being a student and went in after a total with no reserve pull or so I was told when I got back from town in the old green DZ pickup.

Z-hills used to write the manifested names on pages and mark pre-paids and use the list at night to yell at people to get their asses in and pay up, at end of day.

A couple hours later I was standing by the counter and Frasier gave me a look and grabbed the manifest and wrote something on there. I took a look and he had written 'N/C' beside her name.

People who looked said there were 3 craters (it was sand) .. a big perfect one, a less perfect one beside it and a little smudgy one by that ..

Next night, we are sitting at the back of the building (looked out at the scene, about 40-50 yds away) and a Norwegian strolled over there, lit up a doobie, and layed down in the crater and looked at the stars.
Another chick flyer sitting there said "what is he doing ?" (she didn't know about the crater) so we told her and she says "That's sick !!!"
and we said "maybe, but I bet he never bounces...." and he never has......

[dks13827 3]

Intentional water jump, Ft Gibson, OK, August 1975. We were jumping the club student gear wearing helmet, bathing suit, and tennis shoes. The first load got to fire the CO2 cartridges and inflate the water wings while the rest of us weenies got to blow up the water wings after we opened ( mistake ! ). The wet T-10 I jumped slumped in the sleeve, opened very very hard into a complete ball of trash. I pitched that ripcord away and went for the risers and then that baby started to spin on me. I thought, no way I am playing that game, I am outta here and cutaway within a half turn of the spin. Pulled the wet belly reserve open and it showered me with rain drops as it opened quickly ( thank you ! ) although with line twists ( who cares). Pitched that reserve ripcord away and I remember thinking, I am in a pickle but if I do everything right I can make it. I frantically blew up the water wings, kicked out the line twists then went into the water downwind ( zero time to steer the reserve ) although I had checked to make sure I would land in the lake, not in the trees or houses. Could not easily get free of the harness but luckily I was not dragged at all by the light wind. John Combs C-9774 finally arrived in his 14 foot boat that was swamped by the first jumper's wet T-10, that boat could hardly move and we had no backup boat ( mistake ). Back on land pilot Dave Pitts D-2359 said, "hey Stephens, after the first one did that, what did you think the second one would do ?" I had to laugh but I said.. " yeah I thought about that, but I had NO CHOICE !!"
Still here !!

[skybill 22]

Hi DK,
Great story, like the old sayin' 'bout keepin' yer' powder dry (as in gunpowder!!) ya' kin' say the same fer' yer jump gear!!! Wet chutes can give you a wack!!...in more ways than one!! Dipped gear definitely needs to be dried out before the next jump!! A hint for rounds, a flag pole makes a great drying tower!! At Parker AZ 04JUL75 we were partyin, skydivin and waterskiin' and did a couple of H2O jumps. When we got back to the airport from the river, I hung up my 28' LL and 24' reserve to the dog hook for the flag on the flag pole and hoisted them up. In that "DRY AZ AIR!!" they were bone dry in 10 minutes!!

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[Niki1 1]

Next night, we are sitting at the back of the building (looked out at the scene, about 40-50 yds away) and a Norwegian strolled over there, lit up a doobie, and layed down in the crater and looked at the stars.
Another chick flyer sitting there said "what is he doing ?" (she didn't know about the crater) so we told her and she says "That's sick !!!"
and we said "maybe, but I bet he never bounces...." and he never has......

[kkeenan 14]

One of my freakiest jumps was a water jump that didn't end up in the water. Early 80s at Homestead FL, we were all going to jump into a local lake for a party. The load I was on was a 4-way from the Cessna. We were all wearing shorts and diving fins, figuring that we could use the fins in the water and they would certainly be interesting during the 4-way RW. Hilarious was a better word for the RW. I'm here to tell you that swim fins have about a zillion times more drive than booties (which hadn't been invented yet). We were all zooming around like crazy and laughing our asses off at the sight of each other flying with these things on our feet.

I had borrowed an old rig with a PC and a 24' reserve because I didn't want to take my Strato Star into the lake. After tracking off, which was pretty awesome with the fins, I pulled the ripcord. The opening shock felt like a baseball bat hit to the head, so I was very surprised to see a big wad of nylon up there instead of an open PC. I still had the main ripcord in my right hand, but was easily able to operate the Capewells for a cutaway and pull the reserve with my left hand. The 24' opened fine, and I held both ripcords in my teeth as I popped loose the 4-line release. Then I looked down to see that I wasn't even going to make it to the water.

In several places around that area were "redneck landfills", where people dumped stuff like old refrigerators, air conditioners, building supplies, etc. I was coming down right in the middle of one. All I could see was piles of trash, concrete blocks and re-bar. I was wearing nothing but shorts and giant swim fins. I figured that those fins were going to break both of my legs, even if I survived the cement and rebar, so I started taking them off. Not wanting to loose my fins, I held those between my knees. So, there I was, ripcord handles in my teeth, fins between my knees, steering a 4-line release 24' reserve, aiming for a small patch of clear ground I spotted in the middle of the crap. Luckily, my experience with steering 28' Cheapos paid off, and I was able to do a stand up in the little clear patch. Apparently, fear of a rusty length of rebar up the ass can actually inspire great accuracy ability.

It's like Rosanne Rosanadana used to say, "Ya know, it's always something..."

Kevin K.

_____________________________________
Dude, you are so awesome...
Can I be on your ash jump ?

[councilman24 37]

Hey, my comp PC turned faster than my Strato Cloud! Of course it 'spun up' during deployment. I remember several jumps where I had to wait 1000' to work the line twists out before I could fix the frontal tuck.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[low_pull1 2]

John Combs C-9774 finally arrived


........ i have not seen this name in a long time, is he among the living?