blongb

This is the version used in the early 70's

Mike Gennis

Nice! I remember deploying my 26' conical at 500' following my messing around with a total (bent pin on a very low exit). Enjoyed watching the excellent fast deployment; had no time to play with steering or to judge decent rate. It was a less than terminal landing, so it was all good....... Thanks for bringing back that memory! Bill

First few seconds after exit, that weightless feeling; then the power of opening shock........

#338, Xenia, OH, 8-man star, Apr. 11, 1971, SCR705, No one in the group had their SCR previously. Pilots Dave Ellis, Jim West, pair of C-180 Bill

I chopped off 48" from each line on my MKI while watching TV in my mobile home. Not a rigger, just seems like a fun thing to do. I didn't sew the ends as was the factory method of finishing, just taped them. I made 900 more jumps on it, so I guess I knew what I was doing?!? It did make it more "sporty"

Ray told me he had his hand in the assist strap (to help getting into the cockpit from the main cabin. During the crash his arm was "stretched"; very nasty injury.

Boz, I was always on the up and up when I was back in Ky, plus I packed a lot of reserves under Kenn's license while trying to get my rigger's ticket, including my own (I have 5 or 6 pack jobs that were actually used; mine once, very cool) When I got to Calif., my attitude changed. I never forged your sig..............honest............ Yes, that's why I wasn't too concerned since my reserve was not silk. I began to think the worst thing to do was to mess with a perfectly good pack job. Bill

$5 in the late 60's in Ohio........moved to Calif in1973 and it was $10...found it was much cheaper to pencil pack it...60 repack cycle was ridiculous........... BL

August 1968 - Darbydale, OH - SL $35 - no certificate......

1969 - Darbydale, Ohio 2 SL 3 SL with dummy ripcord pulls 3 Clear and pulls 3 5 sec delays 3 10 sec delays 3 15 sec delays 3 20 sec delays 3 30 sec delays then on your own. I think you have to have 75 jumps before you could jump a PC.

There was a Greene County DZ in Jenkinsburg, GA in the 70's...

I jumped with Mike in at Pope Valley in the early 70's. One terrific genuinely nice guy! He was dating a cute flight attendant, CJ Saunders, at the time. I do believe he went in as described in any earlier post: 1981 as a jumpmaster trying to rescue a no-pull student. I believe it occurred at the old Fremont airport. Student survived, Mike did not.

I remember that day.............. Hey Gypsy Moths WAS state of the art.......... Bill

I always used dual MA-1's with my PC and never had a problem in 1200 PC jumps.. Always a positive opening. I started used the dual setup after not enjoying a couple of pilot chute hesitations. Did use my reserve twice, once due to my bad pack job, once due to the top pin bending as I scrapped the top of the C-180 door on exit. Bill