mccurley 1 #1 March 31, 2014 True story of smoke jumpers tragedy in 1949. Told from the point of view of one of the survivours. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgQNeGPJdcQ Not skydiving, but definitely historyWatch my video Fat Women http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRWkEky8GoI Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve1 5 #2 March 31, 2014 I can't get you-tube to work this morning. This must be the Mann Gulch fire. A good read on this is "Young Men and Fire" by Norman Maclean. He wrote "A River Runs Through It". When I trained to get my Senior Rigger's license I worked under Master Rigger Jack Nash. Jack was the assistant squad leader who dropped those smokejumpers on the Mann Gulch fire. Jack said he was the oldest Smoke Jumper ever to go through the training program at the base in Missoula. We were fortunate to be able to skydive out of the smokejumper aircraft in Missoula during the 70's. Jerry Bird's All Stars even came to one of our meets to jump out of those DC-3's and twin beeches. My Dad dropped smokejumpers out of Bob Johnson's Travel Aires and Tri-motors in Missoula during the 40's. One thing you never want to do is get above a burning fire on a steep hillside. You might not be able to outrun it. I think 13 smokejumpers died in the Mann Gulch Fire. I've known several Smoke Jumpers from Missoula, over the years. Most were real characters. I could tell stories about most all of them..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #3 April 1, 2014 steve1 I've known several Smoke Jumpers from Missoula, over the years. Most were real characters. I could tell stories about most all of them..... Then it would be a great idea to get those stories written down, before they're gone forever. I'd buy the book. "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
