Who has influenced your skydiving career ?

[timber 4]

I first started hanging out at the local airport in Lompoc, Calif in 1979 when I was old enough to ride my bike to the airport. I would sweep hangars or wash airplanes to get a ride. My Dad was working two jobs and going to school as well as raising exotic birds so we didn't spend much time together. It wasn't until some guy in Ojai, California jumped out of a plane and met my father that our lives would change. My Dad went to Taft Dz in 1981 and made his first jump. From that day forward my Dad was my hero and best friend as well.

There are many people in life that cross our paths and influence our lives. To me Skydivers and Pilots are the people who I most admire.

Maybe some of these people have touched your life as well !!

Art Armstrong , Lea and Norm Van Pelt who tought my dad how to jump. Bob Sinclair, Jimmy Tyler, Pat Tierney, Howard, Ira, Dan Bardwell & George Meyer Who mentored me when I too young to jump and tought me how to pack and worship skydivers.

Theresa Thames and Joan Mahoney my jumpmasters who I still see on occasion.

Cathy Conklin (Worth) Judy Norton-Taylor, Laura Maddock and Kate Cooper who were the objects of my pubescent desires !

Jerry White, Ted Beumer and Jimmy Horak of Emerald Coast Skydiving. some of the best tandem instructors around. My dear departed friends John Foster, Mark Cooper and Ian Bellis, Milt Burton, James Layne I miss you !!

There are so many others who I have met along the way. Skydivers are my family and my idols. I feel lucky that life as blessed me with their presence.

Blue Skies, Timber

[katecooper 0]

So.... how YOU doing? :-)


I see Laura occasionally although I don't know if she is still jumping, Cathy (now Smith) lives with hubby Ryan and two sons in Pittsburgh and is still a regular skydiver. No idea about JNT... She was a short timer I think.

And to add to my list (in no order)--Tommy Piras, Bungee Wallace, BJ Worth, DOB, Guy Manos, Sandy (Taylor) Wambach, Bill Legard, Caroyln Clay, Brian Jasperse and a host more of wonderful humans: past, present and those who I will be destined to meet in the future...

kate

[jonstark 8]

Early on, while living in Pittsburg, my mentors were Mark and Paul Katich, Duck Sulkowski and Gordie Klinsic. I looked up to the jump pilots at Beaver too. Ed and Emil.

Later on while living in Georgia I was influenced by Bob Kempf, and our students at Skydive City. On trips to Florida Ken Coleman and two teams out of Deland, Snoots and Slots stood out. All of whom took me under their collective wings.

Other teams too... Exitus, Spaced Rangers, the Herd and Dem Toad Suckers. 1986 Knights.

When I finally moved to Florida there were a host of people responsible for my safe and successful carreer. Tom Piras, Mike Truffer, Bob Hallett, Carl Dogeater oops Daugherty, Mark Harrington, Joe Napute, John Norman, Bill Coe, John LeBlanc...

If I had time and y'all had the patience I could go on and on seein's how there are so many great folks out there and I have had so much fun. We haven't even touched on the BASE community which I was a small part of in the early eighties and again in recent years.

[AggieDave 6]

I'm very much a young'n in this sport, having started jumping in 2000, but a jumper who has been there and done that in skydiving had a very big impact on my jumping career.

Doc Stewart.

He put Moses out on his first 5-sec delay and I think the Schaffer Light he drinks he did actually buy in the '70s, but his dedication to jumping as well as his dediaction to his students showed me what skydiving really was all about. End of story, its about the low time jumpers, with out them we won't have a sport for very much time in the future.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[RogerRamjet 0]

A couple come to mind right away.

Jim Hooper, with him as ASO at Z-Hills in 73, you will follow the rules and jump safe.

Bill Booth, working for him (building the first 100+ Wonderhogs) really exercised by "out of the box" thinking skills.

Bill Buchmann, I worked for him next, building Eagle rigs. but what always stands out in my memory is his masterful piloting skills. Especially in difficult to fly aircraft such as the Loadstar.

Roger Nelson, what can you say, the man was good at everything and afraid of nothing. He introduced me to pre-stars before the term was even formed. Check it out at: http://www.cs.fiu.edu/~esj/uwf/uwf5.htm

Scroll down to: Pre-Stars? "Hey Man, You're Late..."
I didn't even know he wrote about me until 2003 just after he was killed.

There are others, some already mentioned above, but these come to mind first.

-----------------------
Roger "Ramjet" Clark
FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

[3331 137]

Jim West
Greene County, Xenia, Ohio.

I Jumped with the guys who invented Skydiving.

[upndownshop 0]

Jerry Schrimsher
Sherry Schrimsher
Bob Chaffin
John Berke
Richard (Condo) Whitehill

and all the folks from the Seagoville days in the 60's -late 70's

[377 22]

Perry Stevens, a rigger/instructor who ran Stevens paraloft in Oakland and ran the DZ at Antioch for a while. He really pushed safety during training. He had a setup in his training facility where slides of various canopy malfunctions (and some good canopy shots thrown in to confuse you) were projected on a screen on the ceiling. You were hung in a suspended harness while the instructors screamed at you, spun you, shook you etc. You learned to make a quick assessment and then actually cutaway from the risers and fall onto a foam mat if the canopy was no good. Lord help you if you waited too long, the tongue lashing was severe. The training came in real handy when I had my first malfunction on a surplus round. It all went just like the training, it seemed familiar and you knew exactly what to do and knew you had to do it RIGHT NOW. I wish they trained that way today.

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

[BillyVance 34]

I also count Sandy Wambach as one who heavily influenced my skydiving career, in two different ways.

One - getting started into the big ways under her leadership, earning 3 state records with her, and culminating in earning a slot on the 1998 300 ways at Chicago on her team.

Two - getting a helping hand from her in meeting another deaf skydiver for the first time - John Woo, also known as jkwskydive on here. This chance meeting led to the two of us beginning our intensive search for other deaf skydivers the world over. When we met, there were only 5 other known deaf skydivers in 1997. Now, there are over 40 world-wide. Not only that, but John and I co-organized three straight successful Deaf World Records in 2001, 2003 and 2005.

I dare say that John and I would have eventually met without Sandy's help, but we would not be this far along in our little niche` in this sport.

Blue Skies Sandy, you are still missed.... but one day we'll meet again.

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

[popsjumper 2]

My Brother Rick Whitlock - what to do and how to do it.

Scotty Carbone - How to have fun.

Arch Deal - what NOT to do.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[ibedano 0]

Well hello Timber my old freind! its good to see your all grown up. man I remember you as a pup running about the DZ, Im glad you took to jumping & your still current. I left the lower 48 in 94 for Alaska & sold my gear 4 yrs ago , I couldent stay as current as I wanted too. I currently own a shop building alaskan supercubs check out my web page & I hope you can make it up here some day your welcome @ my cabin & you can jump out of my cub in my front yard! Blue Skies.........

[mjosparky 4]

Almost every skydiver I have met along the way has had an influence on my jumping and in some cases my life. Some of it good, some of it bad. But mostly good. I think I have been able to learn something from each one, more from some, less from others. Its been one hell of a ride, I wouldn't change a thing.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[norman8791 0]

There has been many people that have influenced my skydiving over the Years. But the biggest influence has to be Art Armstrong. He probably has kept me alive at least a half a dozen times when I was young and wild. LOL.

Norm Van Pelt

[rapter 0]

Hey timber,
Some of the name you use are my heros too, others like Billy Reed, Bill Estes , Steve Stewart, Joe Crotwell, "The Bimblemen", and so many other to list. Say Hi to your Dad for me.
Cary

Only the good die young, so I have found immortality,

[javip82 0]

I concider myself very lucky to have found a skydiver who later became a friend(felipe Hurtado) just as I was going into the sport. Not many people have the chance of having someone look out for you everyday and teach you everything they know.
So, it's is pretty cool of you timber, to in a way say "thank you" to all the people who have influenced others in the sport. So, I guess what I am really saying is that if you never had te fortune of having a tutor, try to become one to someone that is new in the sport.
Help him/her and spend the time with the new people so the sport keeps groing and groing.

____________________________________
You know what's out there.
Take it, it's your's INMORTALITY!!!

[airtwardo 7]

Bert Beverley for teaching me accuracy.

J.T. Hill for teaching me demos.

Dave Verner for teaching me how to teach.

Mike Mcgowan showing me professionalism.

Joe Smith, Ted Strong, Jerry Borquin, Mark Limond....to many to list I guess!

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

[timber 4]

Giving back to the sport and its people is what it is all about my brother !!!

There are so many more who I havn't mentioned yet Like Mongo from Elsinore. Bruce Gieky, and Sandy Wambaugh, Bungee Wallace And Rob Harris who left us way early.

Blue Skies, Timber

[airtwardo 7]

Like Mongo from Elsinore


***


I miss jumping with Mongo!

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

[mjosparky 4]

This was posted on Air Trash web site.

Sparky

Message Posted 11/27/05 from: John Bull

re: Mongo Scare

Okay, here's the update on Mongo. He got blood poisoning from a urine catheter. They rushed him to Hoag Hospital. They got him stabilized & squared away just in time. The doctor said, two more hours & he would have died.

His sister is trying to find a new care facility for him. He can't stay at Hoag, and he can't go back to the care facility he was at before. If anybody wants to visit him today, he's in room 727 Building West, at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach.


UPDATE!
Hi Larry. I just got back from visiting Mongo a few minutes ago. We had a good time. We watched part of a football game & I updated him on all current Air Trash News. He was in a really good mood considering how close he came a few days ago, to visiting the big DZ in the sky. His sister Diane was there & is attempting to find a new care facility to move him to, possibly as soon as tomorrow. He says to say hello to everybody & wishes everyone a Merry Christmas. What a guy .......

Bully

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[timber 4]

I am glad to hear that Mongo is doing better. He has been an inspiration to many new skydivers over the years. I remember some friends and I with about 100 jumps each would go to Elsinore and have him organize our jumps. He gladly put up with all of our backsliding and zoomie passes you know full contact RW !!! We soon became much better flyers Thank You Mongo !!

Blue Skies, Timber

[airtwardo 7]

Yup!

When I move to Ca. and first started jumping at Elsinore, in the 80's...

Mongo took one look at my harness with the D rings on the front...Demo Jumper? he asked....and I was "IN"!

Got to make a lot really great dives with him and the 'regulars' which I soon became a one of.

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

[airtwardo 7]

This is a PIC I received via Email today from an old time jumper that indeed influenced many...

He is currently traveling the country on his scooter, doing God's work...STILL influencing many.


Anyone remember ~Leon "Spike" Richie?

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

[kallend 2,106]

Roger Nelson, who showed me that I could do things that I didn't believe I could do.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Xtremeopal 0]

Thought Id bump this thread, as it seems like a good'un!.

Here's mine:

Brian Vacher. For beating 'The Fear' out of me,on his canopy course. Up untill Brian's course, I'd only ever done 1 hop'n'pop at a very sunny Perris Valley from 7500ft.
Brian had us hop 'n' poping from anywhere between 2500 and 4000ft at a very dark and miserable Westen on The Green!.

Other big influences have are: Clare 'Sparky' Scott, Mark Brown, Jon 'Woof' Irving and Rick Boardman.

Your body; Use it, amuse it. Because one day, you're gonna lose it.

[muff528 3]

Being fortunate enough to have been introduced to the sport at Zhills, I've had the opportunity to be influenced by, and jump with a lot of folks ...famous and infamous. But if I were to name a couple I would have to say Nigel Turner whose patience and critiques brought uncounted jumpers from flailers to reasonably proficient skydivers, first at Phoenix/Zhills and then at Skydive City. The other would be Johnny Gates who always helped me keep the sport in perspective as far as taking things too seriously is concerned.