JohnRich 4 #1 September 21, 2008 Remember these? (See the attached image.) This was before we had fancy electronic gizmos to tell us exactly how much freefall time we experienced on any given jump. Back then, we consulted tables of numbers, based upon exit altitude, opening altitude and type of skydive. This little cardboard device featured here operated like a slide rule. You lined up the exit altitude on the top row, with the opening altitude on the sliding insert on the bottom row. Then in the two windows below, you had the calculated freefall time, depending upon the speed of the discipline in which you were engaging: either formation skydiving, or freestyle. (Head-down and sit-flying hadn't been invented yet either.) In the example shown in the image, exit was at 13,000 feet, and opening was at 2,500 feet, giving 70 seconds of freefall time for formation skydiving. Oh, and this was in the days of big jumpsuits too, so freefall speeds were a little slower then, than they are now. There were handed out by Action Air Parachutes, which was the pro shop at Skydance Skydiving, in California. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slotperfect 7 #2 September 21, 2008 I still have mine - I got it from Action Air at the PIA Symposium in Orlando in 1993.Arrive Safely John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #3 September 22, 2008 I still have one and Action Air still is the Pro Shop at SkyDance. ---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickDG 23 #4 September 23, 2008 I've got mine still . . . And it never needs damn batteries . . . NickD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #5 September 23, 2008 Quote I've got mine still . . . And it never needs damn batteries . . . Yeah, but does it beep in your ear at 3,500 feet? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #6 September 23, 2008 I don't know, I've always been too busy looking at it to bother holding it up to my ear. ---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjhdiver 0 #7 September 23, 2008 Quote I don't know, I've always been too busy looking at it to bother holding it up to my ear. I'm still shocked by the notion that Ray actually gave something away..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #8 September 23, 2008 QuoteI'm still shocked by the notion that Ray actually gave something away..... If you bought a PAC 750 from him, I'll bet he would throw in a freefall time slide rule for free. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
