longtall 0 #1 October 12, 2006 Does anyone know if there are tapes/dvds of the old tv show "ripcord"? (Superman taught me I could fly; ripcord showed me how).........................J............." 90 right, five miles then cut."---Pukin Buzzards Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RogerRamjet 0 #2 October 12, 2006 QuoteDoes anyone know if there are tapes/dvds of the old tv show "ripcord"? (Superman taught me I could fly; ripcord showed me how).........................J............. I'd start with airtwardo on these forums, he is a Ripcord enthusiast and has posted some still shots in the past of the series (at least I think it was him). ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #3 October 12, 2006 That and he has the theme music on his sig line! The whole series is available from time to time on Ebay, and Lyle Camron jr. has about the most complete library of Ripcord stuff around...his dad was a part of filming the show. He's on the 'Air Trash' website. ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lekstrom10k 0 #4 October 12, 2006 I have a copy of the book I got at a garage sale for $3 . It has a great line I will attempt to quote. "The sky divers in their brightly costumes were landing with the grace and dignity of a clown falling out of a tree". There is a scene where the hero hears a plane [J-3] passing over the top . He looks to see a girl get out and knows she is in trouble sky diving. He and the pilot drag a C-172 out of the hangar and he puts on a rig in the plane. they climb above her he jumps out and he catches her. they land MR BILL style as always just in the nick of time. Bob Sinclair can also help on any back ground info. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickDG 23 #5 October 12, 2006 Like others, "Ripcord" steered my towards skydiving, but it was a close one because I was a big "Seahunt" fan too. And when our Instructor was first explaining the gear to us I kept wondering where the gun went . . . NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #6 October 12, 2006 I kept wondering where the gun went . . . *** Thought I showed you that once! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbrown 26 #7 October 15, 2006 I just borrowed a VHS copy of two episodes from a friend yesterday. Sat down and watched it for the first time in 44 (?) years. Some of the worst godawful early sixties black & white adventure TV you can possibly imagine. But then again, there were those two guys in freefall, floating around like birds in the sky. Took me straight back to the seven year old who sat transfixed, vowing that someday I would do this. I think these episodes must've been from the first season, as they still weren't jumping those classy "Ripcord" logo lopo canopies that Pioneer made for for the show. Another interesting detail is that in the opening credits, the canopy appeared to have a "free sleeve", as the p/c and deployment sleeve kept right on going, just like one of today's reserve freebags. Sleeves were pretty new back then, maybe they didn't trust them enough yet to attach them to the canopy apex. The dramatic plots were atrocious, both had to do with overbearing fathers pushing their sons/sons-in-law to do manly things, like parachuting into a canyon that the Army was using for an artillery range (oh God, the humanity....). I'm not even sure if the show had a second season or went to color TV - the episodes I have are b&w, with predictably grainy image and poor sound quality. They're also followed up by a short interview with Lyle Cameron Sr., who enthuses about how skydiving is really catching on and that he has hhopes for it to become as big a sport as skin diving. I will make inquiries about the possiblity of getting some of this onto a DVD and perhaps get it loaded onto skydivingmovies.com. Personal note, in 1979 I made a few jumps with the late Terry Ward, who was actually still jumping an original "Ripcord" canopy - I had no idea until we were opened in the air, looking over and seeing that canopy in the air was a thrill I'll never forget. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sprtdth 0 #8 October 16, 2006 I'm not even sure if the show had a second season or went to color TV - the episodes I have are b&w, with predictably grainy image and poor sound quality. They're also followed up by a short interview with Lyle Cameron Sr., who enthuses about how skydiving is really catching on and that he has hhopes for it to become as big a sport as skin diving.*** Yea, the show did go a second season. I have some from the first season and some from the second, including one that was in color. That one is also in b&w, not sure which one was shown on TV tho. That interview with Lyle Sr. is only part of a much longer interview with out takes, ect., according to Jr.CRW Skies Frank CRW Diva #58 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickDG 23 #9 October 16, 2006 I remember "Ripcord" in color . . . Of course, we were the, "Just Say Yes," generation so I could be wrong on that . . . NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #10 October 17, 2006 QuoteI remember "Ripcord" in color . . . Of course, we were the, "Just Say Yes," generation so I could be wrong on that . . . NickD BASE 194 Well in my case, color TV was just a new fangled invention that wouldn't catch on...or so I was TOLD! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slotperfect 7 #11 November 7, 2006 tbrown has mentioned Ripcord cast member Ken Curtis in a couple of other threads . . . Ken was one of the Ripcord cast members that actually made some jumps. I recently found a picture and some info about his role in skydiving on this page. I watched Gunsmoke religiously when I was a kid on one of the two TV channels that would come in with our rabbit ears. Festus was one of my favorite characters. I use a line of his sometimes about finding out whether a pregnant woman is carrying a boy or a girl: tying her weding band to a piece of string and holding it over her belly while she is lying down . . . "clockerwise" means it's a girl; "contrary clockerwise" and it's a boy. I was flipping channels at home on Sunday and saw Gunsmoke start at the top of the hour. Not having watched it in years, I hung with it. I'll be damned if it wasn't the same episode that includes the "contrary clockerwise" thread I have remembered since I was a kid. As far as Ripcord is concerned, I have never seen it. Maybe they will get around to releasing it on DVD . . .Arrive Safely John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chutebuilder 0 #12 November 8, 2006 anyone remember the episode where the good guy (played by Lyle Cameron Sr) was lowered onto the tail of the bad guys airplane? the sudden change in the center of gravity caused the 2 planes to collide.i read some where that one of the pilots wasnt wearing his bailout rig at the time ,and put it on in freefall. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JerryBaumchen 1,362 #13 November 8, 2006 Hi chutebuilder, Quoteput it on in freefall. I think it was more of a case of grabbing a chest pack and snapping it on in freefall. Anyway, that was the 'story' back in the mid-60's. Jerry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skypuppy 1 #14 November 9, 2006 Go to parachutehistory.com and look it up in the Cliff Winters article....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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
