Humboldt Hummers

[CReW 0]

I would like to hear something about the Humboldt Hummers.
From the stories we heard in the early 70's they were a somewhat renegade group that jumped in Humboldt Tennessee and were known for low pulls.
Anybody know anything about them?
T

[jonstark 8]

Jeez! That is a blast from the past. BZ should pipe up on this one. My memory of the time is too sketchy to try to re-tell anything.

[CReW 0]

Come on Jon,
I'm sure your memory is not as sketchy as you let on, tell us what you know.

Did the Humboldt Hummers really exist?

[jonstark 8]

Where are BZ Shaw and Tirebighter Galloway when I need them. Maybe somebody from Dalton, GA will help out or one of the Alabama Boys. I am honestly drawing a blank on where I ran across them but the stuff of legend can't all be ether.

As you recall the early to mid seventies were a time of experimentation and exploration of our limits. The limits of our gear, our egos and our image as total renegades with no regard for personal safety. The Humbolt Hummers were the personification of that ethos.

It'll take a better recollection of the time than mine to come up with names and places. I was too far removed living in South Georgia and only getting north to TN from time to time.

jon

[CReW 0]

Actually I do remember a story or two, it's just that they are so unbelievable.
I'm beginning to think the Humboldt Hummers really DID exist. Thanks Jon

T

[precision 0]

Quote

Where are BZ Shaw and Tirebighter Galloway when I need them

There was a DZ in Humboldt TN... early 1970's... most of the jumpers later moved over to Covington TN with a small door Beech 18 as I recall. I first jumped there in December 1973... The guy who ran Covington was named Ron Blanchard. I think the DZ closed when the DZO went-in with a main-reserve entanglement.

The old Humboldt Hummers might have included such jumpers as Greg "Long Death" Giles, and Ron "Dad" Carter, and perhaps Ray Hara started there before he later moved on to Birmingham where he started making the "Added Attraction", a modification that turned a 5 cell StratoStar into a higher performing 7 cell.

Oh now, my brain cell is starting to hurt. I have to stop thinking.

George Galloway

[JSBIRD 1]

Quote

Quote

Where are BZ Shaw and Tirebighter Galloway when I need them

There was a DZ in Humboldt TN... early 1970's... most of the jumpers later moved over to Covington TN with a small door Beech 18 as I recall. I first jumped there in December 1973... The guy who ran Covington was named Ron Blanchard. I think the DZ closed when the DZO went-in with a main-reserve entanglement.

The old Humboldt Hummers might have included such jumpers as Greg "Long Death" Giles, and Ron "Dad" Carter, and perhaps Ray Hara started there before he later moved on to Birmingham where he started making the "Added Attraction", a modification that turned a 5 cell StratoStar into a higher performing 7 cell.

Oh now, my brain cell is starting to hurt. I have to stop thinking.

George Galloway

I emailed George's post to a friend in Hawaii named Bud Germany, and here is his reply...

"that woulda been my (Bud's) beech D18S...N3451B...Tom Bullion, Mike Babineaux, Bill Minyard ,Me (Bud), Mike Chue (capt. Wierd) Al Hawthorn, Billie Bahr, Jim Gibbs, Steve Chalfant, Rocky Walker, Ray Hara... gettin' hard now... gimme a little time...
Humboldt Hummers... YEAH! took 7th at Z-hills in '73 10 man. beat out the Golden Knights as I recall. .... Buck (Bud's son) was born that weekend!
bg"

359

"Now I've settled down,
in a quiet little town,
and forgot about everything"

[jonstark 8]

I emailed George's post to a friend in Hawaii named Bud Germany, and here is his reply...

"that woulda been my (Bud's) beech D18S...N3451B...Tom Bullion, Mike Babineaux, Bill Minyard ,Me (Bud), Mike Chue (capt. Wierd) Al Hawthorn, Billie Bahr, Jim Gibbs, Steve Chalfant, Rocky Walker, Ray Hara... gettin' hard now... gimme a little time...
Humboldt Hummers... YEAH! took 7th at Z-hills in '73 10 man. beat out the Golden Knights as I recall. .... Buck (Bud's son) was born that weekend!
bg"

359

[JSBIRD 1]

Quote

I emailed George's post to a friend in Hawaii named Bud Germany, and here is his reply...

"that woulda been my (Bud's) beech D18S...N3451B...Tom Bullion, Mike Babineaux, Bill Minyard ,Me (Bud), Mike Chue (capt. Wierd) Al Hawthorn, Billie Bahr, Jim Gibbs, Steve Chalfant, Rocky Walker, Ray Hara... gettin' hard now... gimme a little time...
Humboldt Hummers... YEAH! took 7th at Z-hills in '73 10 man. beat out the Golden Knights as I recall. .... Buck (Bud's son) was born that weekend!
bg"

359

That helps jog some brain matter...

Is that the same Tom Bullion that is a FedEx captain out of MEM and flies a beautiful Staggerwing Beechcraft now?

Where are Steve and Bonnie Chalfont?

Last I saw these guys was in Dalton, GA. Might have seen them a couple times more in FL but can't remember when.

I'll try to get in touch with Bob Kempf for his recollections.

jon

[S1Chalfant 0]

I'm jumping at Skydive the Farm. Great place. We had Lee Garrard's Memorial today what a bummer. Too much weather for anything significant. We had to get out low and then the bottom fell out. It was still fun and always will be.

Humboldt Hummer's Now their were some dead heads.

Bungee Wallace. Capt. Weird. (mike chue), Jack Dead Man Morrison, Rocky Walker, Tommy Bullion, Billy Bahr, Mike Babineaux, Bud Germany when he wasn't flying, Bill Minyard, Al Hawthorne and Ray Hara Camera. Oh Yeah Me.

They threathen to give me the axe all the time for pulling at 2k. Weird pulled at a Grand on every jump. Scared the crap out of all the golfers next door.

The other team we had was just as bad as the Hummer's they were the Humboldt Express. Bill Brown and Ron Carter Dead Fred, Greg Giles, Frankie Pate. I can't remember all of them.

Chalfant.

[bozo 0]

Quote

Humboldt Hummer's Now their were some dead heads.

Bungee Wallace. Capt. Weird. (mike chue), Jack Dead Man Morrison, Rocky Walker, Tommy Bullion, Billy Bahr, Mike Babineaux, Bud Germany when he wasn't flying, Bill Minyard, Al Hawthorne and Ray Hara Camera. Oh Yeah Me.

They threathen to give me the axe all the time for pulling at 2k. Weird pulled at a Grand on every jump. Scared the crap out of all the golfers next door.

The other team we had was just as bad as the Hummer's they were the Humboldt Express. Bill Brown and Ron Carter Dead Fred, Greg Giles, Frankie Pate. I can't remember all of them.

Chalfant.

The kids today will never understand....this is what the old days were all about , for the most part.
We had a Dead Larry until he really got dead.

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