lekstrom10k

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Everything posted by lekstrom10k

  1. lekstrom10k
    I was the last new employee he had. He sold the business to Tom Campau, I was suppose to be Toms partner, but couldn't get a loan approved on unemployment. Dan was legally blind so he could only drive his tractor to the corner beer store. He would carry the beer back slung over his leg.His wife Goldie wouldn't give him messages so he would turn down the kilns after her pottery class went to lunch. He would turnit back up before they got back.Did you know the pens in back were from his turkey raising business? He packed test reserves at Wright Patterson USAC base in Dayton Ohio During WWII
  2. lekstrom10k
    The Lodestar Fellows Owned ended up in Michigan at the Yankee Air (Force) Museum. I was one of the first to jump 17 Garbage in Marshall MI. The museum burnt to the ground a few years ago . They couldn't drag it out in time. It was always funny to be in a museum and say " I jumped out of that plane" At Wright- Pat in Ohio you could say I jumped out of one of those and one like that too. Steve Finkelstein {Real last name}still owes me the money he borrowed to buy it from the mechanic school
  3. lekstrom10k
    If the plane doesn't have seat belts you cant jump it. FAA says so or by-by pilots ticket. FAA has also approved the seat belt for each person strength wise. Some one that lost his job shagging shopping carts for Walmarts because it was to confusing and is now a TI That person doesn't have the right to over ride that and say "Your attached to me and I am to the plane" Seat belts would then have to be out of 10000 lbs strength webbing and $150. Save your pilot do what the regs say.
  4. lekstrom10k
    I bought a Crossbow Yellow rig made in 1964 that had an RSL. It also had one-shots . It pulled the whole reserve housing off as it left. There was a heavy-duty elastic wrap on the left main lift web. The reserve flap had 4snaps. I converted my Wonderhog to BOC myself in 1976 or 77 to accommodate my Eddie Mosher Swing -Wing jump suit. The belly band pass thru wouldn't work.
  5. lekstrom10k
    The white plastic handles were banned after they would snap off in cold weather.Someone died when this happened the cable part remained in the pocket and no pull. The three ring rig looks like a Booth RWS Wonderhog. I cant tell if it had the belly band pilot chute pouch. I converted mine to a B.O.C. ti use with mt Eddie Mosher Swing -Wing in 76 or 77.
  6. lekstrom10k
    I just talked to Parachute Laboratory . [Jump Shack ] about some I want to make a flag attachment that's removable. You could then use any old riser and cut-away cable to eject the flying flag .They said they are like gold now.They would see if they have any to part with. I think it was 1981 when they had the distortion problem from a bad heat treat.
  7. lekstrom10k
    Try not to get a Navy rig as it had a goofy pin system. The third pin down had double grommets for the two pin hole pilot chute. If its Olive drab its Army . If its sage green it was Air force.
  8. lekstrom10k
    There is a 50th anniversary and reunion at Skydive Tecumseh on August 10th. Harold and Judie will be there too. Regular jumping all day it starts at 3PM. Ronda Cheever is the main person to contact.
  9. lekstrom10k
    I am waiting for my delivery from Barnes &Noble . I go the paper back version.Its called Print On Demand as they don't stock it.I was told 5 to 10 days. I have 3 more to wait. FB128
  10. lekstrom10k
    It might not be Mr. Neuman. There was a Suzie Neuman from that era. Look inside the reserve flap for a repack data card. It might give locations of repacks and the old owners name and address.
  11. lekstrom10k
    first is it a French Pappilion The American made one was a loser. The Crown lines are only a packing aid and do not affect the performance at all. They are quite similar to packing tabs on squares. The PC set could be attached if the original locations are still visible .
  12. lekstrom10k
    I made 120 'Rag jumps . I also made 1500 Para-commander jumps on all 5 sizes plus some pappilions too. Ihave 40= round reserve rides due to ropes and rings squares and Unit jumps. You can be just as accurate with a round. It just wasnt as forgiving. As my best friend Ray would say about down wind accuracy"You had to learn to miss a whole lot closer" By the way no cutaways on any round or my DeltaII Just Squares
  13. lekstrom10k
    Seems to me they have the year wrong. It was before Sept 8 1967 when I started. I talked to a jumper at Dan Walko's farm he told me if Im wanted to start jumping do it now as FAA was going to crack down on jumping.
  14. lekstrom10k
    I made 70 for my 70th birthday .Then I made on more to jump with my packing crew. It was a fund raiser fro Leader Dogs. At 60 I made 60 for 60 as a fund raiser for MS. I was handed a beer on landing . Then the sky cleared for 14000 but I was pulled off the load as there was to much news and TV people around. Pat Moorehead was my inspiration for my last ordeal. He always was a great guy.
  15. lekstrom10k
    As I have stated before why not just use a C-185 it already got all the mods done . A bolt on step to the regular step is easy. We used to do tandems out of C-180 . Have them swing their feet out whils you still kneel drop the right wing clear everything. Tip the wing back to normal for the second ste. With the C-185 you could take one video for sure ,two if small enough people.You would still have a fun jumper airplane too
  16. lekstrom10k
    By looking at the only guy with a three ring it was before 81 . That was the year the full round harness large harness was changed over to the one we know today. Jump Shack had a distorsion problem that require them being cut off.I agree with the load size being governed by how many you could put up the center aisle. Did you ever jump Steve Stewrarts with the plywood door and rope? You would slide it up the port side to exit. No $10,000 plastic doors for us
  17. lekstrom10k
    We static -lined jumpers out of a U-206 in 1969 until 1976. It worked OK Later we had a P-206 .It is very short with a jump door than a straight tail C-182 . The distance from strut to step is further than the same C-182 . We had some J/Ms say the students went between the step and strut. I never did . With out a floater bar on top its not much fun for launching 5 or 6 ways.There have been outside handles under the windows to get to a right wheel step. Check with Joe Webber at Skydive Oregon or Paul Fayards old place in NC forSTC's. The standard engine sucks but mods are expensive. A C-185 with a jump step will out perform it and easier to do all jumps.Check to see how much yoke mods you can do. Its not like unbolting a C-182 especially if you want left door U-206 exits. A step for them is just a right one on the left. Most jumpers didnt like left side . It was like jumping a right door DC-3 it worked but awkward.
  18. lekstrom10k
    There were boats in the water but didnt help. If you arent familiar with the area Canadas border is close. The guys in the boats might have been illegally there. Not to incriminate them selves they did nothing. We had an incident north of there in Lake St Clair . The fisherman were asked why they didnt help the jumper on a cutaway. They said the bastard was scaring away the fish.
  19. lekstrom10k
    I made many jumps on mine as it was rhe only steerable tri vent surplus you could get. Other than a 23 tri-con and the 28 foot front mount suitcase. With the ropes and rings squares you needed a good reserve.. My next favorite was my Strong 26 Lo-Po. That was much laterthough when I had my "Unit" that I parted company wiyh many times . Back yo back 4 times over our companionship.
  20. lekstrom10k
    I started jumping on Sept .* right afyer that. As advice of a Sky diver I met and said "Start as soon as possible as FAA will be cracking down on us". I did .
  21. lekstrom10k
    I made 70 jumps on my 70th birthday that turned into 71 as my ground crew wanted to do one with me . Pat Moorehead my hero made 80 on his 80th earlier. in California . Mike Spurgeon should be aroun 73 or 74 still doing tandems at Lodi CA . another of my heros too with Jerry Bird out of FL. jumps ocassionally
  22. lekstrom10k
    It wouldnt have been Orange as they were still using Rags. Pepperell Turner fall Taunton might be a try
  23. lekstrom10k
    1972 was the original "Boggie " . They misspelled "Boogie" on the T-Shirts. Boogie was a musical term for the 30' and 40's. .As the "Boogie woogie bugle boy of company B" WWII era. Richmond was a bit if rain out but no one cared it was a start of an era. Talked to Steve Stewart via FB we all miss great timesthere
  24. lekstrom10k
    There werent many Locheeds that didnt have Twin tails . They always had an extension out pass the vertical stabalizer. The easiest way ti tell a Non-Beech . In search of TV show always had a Twin Beech in the fly-by scene instead of a 10-E. The Connie had a triple tail so hangers at the Army Air Corps wouldnt be higher than the Tank Commanders buildings. Military Intelligence or lack of made great decisions.
  25. lekstrom10k
    Bob was in Oscedo MI this summer the week before Tommys Tawas Boogie. They are both on the west shore of Lake Huron directly west of the thumb tip. Bob got an article printed in the paper before we did. He used to live with a sister around Battl Creek. She had cancer then soshe may have passed away by now. .