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From: kas@hp-pcd.UUCP (kas)
Newsgroups: net.rec.skydive
Subject: Re: Additional Boogie Tales
Message-ID: <41800040@hpcvlo.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 25-Sep-85 21:18:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: hpcvlo.41800040
Posted: Wed Sep 25 21:18:00 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 30-Sep-85 01:30:28 EDT
References: <41800036@hpcvlo.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard - Corvallis, OR
Lines: 148
Nf-ID: #R:hpcvlo:41800036:hpcvlo:41800040:000:8778
Nf-From: hpcvlo!kas    Sep 25 17:18:00 1985



Greetings Dane,
     Thanks again for your memory joggers.  They oughtta be good for another
chapter or two.
     Lessee, how 'bout some more comments on tube dives.  You mentioned the
"dual ferris wheel" with two 3-man tubes.  It seems to me that there was also
a recent picture of three 4-man tubes linked side by side.  They called it
"Rolling Thunder".  Maybe we're thinking of the same thing -- I don't know.
Anyway, you're right that it would be tough to lauch one from a C-182, but I
think it could be done from a twin beech with no problem.  We have one of those
at the local DZ, so I'm going to talk some folks into it when my canopy comes
home.  
     I still can't get over your description of the rodeo dive.  I keep re-
reading it and breaking out in smiles and giggles.  People must think I'm nuts.
     Floating on a DC-3 -- Yup, front float is definately more difficult. 
That's why I refused to take that position.  All but one of the '3s had no
handles for floaters, so I couldn't figure out how those guys managed to glue
themselves to the fuselage.  Oh well, I can practice the same sort of thing
from our twin beech, when I get brave enough.  We have handles though, so it
won't be as much of a challenge.
     Ok, now some news on the non-jumping activities you suggested.  When I
pulled into the camping area on Wed. afternoon, I shut down the ol' tin lizzy
and never fired 'er up again 'till Mon. morning, when I left!  Thus, I ate
all my meals at the airport restaurant, which wasn't bad, and the prices were
reasonable.  No, the port-a-potties were nowhere near the concession areas.
They were way over by that small building on the East side of the camping 
areas.  There were "real" restrooms and showers in the same building as the
restaurant.  I was told that they were "improved" since last year, but since
I wasn't there last year I don't know what was different.  With 800 jumpers 
and at least as many whuffos, you could forget about taking a shower or 
brushing your teeth in the morning or evening hours.  Zoo city.  I waited 'till
about 11 pm before attempting to shower, and even then I was never alone.
     Anyway, I didn't attempt to cook anything on my own.  In fact, the only
time I was near my tent was when I was sleeping in it.  During the day, it
was like an oven inside, so I just stayed under the video tent when I wasn't
jumping.  After all my plans to attend seminars, USPA meetings, and so forth,
I ended up doing none of it!  When the days jumping was over, I would stash
my gear in the car, maybe go chat with some of the jumpers I had jumped with
that day (different ones every day), then go get something to eat in the 
restaurant.  By that time, it was dark, and the beer kegs were opened up, so
I would go have one or two (I'm not a big beer drinker), and watch the days
videos on the three TVs they had set up.  I didn't see anything that would 
qualify as a "movie", but they did have some film of various competition
teams going through their paces.  Some pretty impressive stuff.  After that,
I would head for my tent, read a magazine by flashlight for an hour or so, then
head for the showers.  Sometime around midnight I would start sawing logs,
except when I was kept awake by thunderstorms (July 4) or loud bands (July 6).
I'm not into heavy partying, either.  I tend to be anti-social when I don't
really "know" anyone very well.  If you had been there, I probably would have
hung around you like a bad smell untill you got sick of me.  So, count your
blessings.  
     Ok, you wanted to know more about my wrap.  No, neither one of us got
mad at the other.  I think we both realized that it was fate, not stupidness,
that got us into trouble.  The only thing I could have done differently would
have been to track a little harder or longer.  But when I saw his pilot chute
go, I figured our vertical separation would keep us out of trouble, if the
horizontal separation didn't.  I figured wrong.  The probabilities of the 
whole thing happening are mind-boggling, but it did.  I don't know if he could
have done anything different enough to change the situation, either.  Hindsight
is always 20/20.  We were together for approximately a minute before he cut
away.  We really didn't talk that much, because we were both busy trying to 
figure the best way out of this situation.  Our conversation went something
like this (with several seconds between most exchanges):
	
	Me:  "You OK down there?"
	Him: "Yeah, can you drop me?"
	Me:  "No way, its a mess -- cut away!!"  (I'm rustling through his
	     canopy trying to get a view of mine). 
	Me:  "My canopy looks OK, do you want to ride down with me?"
	Him: "Can you untangle?"
	Me:  "No, I can't see anything -- cut away!"  (I'm still messing with
	     his canopy, trying to clear my toggles).
	Me:  (After finally getting to my toggles, and clearing a view ahead
	     of me)  "I've got control of my canopy now, and my brakes are
	     released.  Are you going to ride this mess down with me?  I think
	     I can land it OK now."
	Him: "Try moving your left leg to the right to clear some lines."
	Me:  "There's no way I can get out of this!  Either cut away NOW or
	     you're riding down with me!"  "You're running out of altitude!"
	     (I had just looked at my altimeter for the first time, and 
             realized we were at 1500'). 
	Him: "Do you want me to cut away?"
	Me:  "YES, YES, cut away, cut away!!"
	Him: "I'm gone!"  (And he was).

     He was a relatively experienced jumper -- that is, he claimed to have
had over 250 jumps.  But I found out (I don't remember if it was before or
after the wrap) that he doesn't log his jumps!  I jumped with him several
times, both before and after the wrap, and he always seemed to demonstrate
a level of proficiency that supported his claimed number of jumps.  The only
"odd" thing he did was his hesitancy to cut away from the wrap immediately.
As I said before, I think he was just hoping that he would slip off and 
reinflate, so he waited until the "last minute" to cut away.
     Well, believe it or not, I think I covered all of your memory joggers.
So, I'll sign off for now.  Can you think of anything else?  Bye!
						Ken

**************************************************************************
To: rice!hp-pcd!hpcvlo!kas
Subject: Re:  Chapter Eight
Status: RO

Ken, boy,
  Yep, I think you have covered the bases -- the only thing I seem to have
missed was actually being there.

  The thing about front floating out of a DC-3 is that you don't actually 
push yourself out there.  You just get in position with your right hand on
the door frame and your left hand and foot on the fuselage, and just lean
against the air.  Then, let the guy who backs into the door at the front
of the line-up actually push you out as he backs into position.  He will
hold you in place -- all you have to is be sure and not get lazy and let
that left hand or foot off that fuselage until it's time.  We actually
worked out a very reliable 4-man launch that started with a rear float,
front float, back in, and his facing partner.  We were able to work out
a series of grips that allowed us to put out a quick and stable 4 man
star that could transition into what we needed for the base.

  The "duel ferris wheel" that I saw was at least a year ago, maybe two.  
I don't seem to remember the triple 4-man tube, but I'm sure that it was
much more recent.  That does sound like a jump that could give one a
few jollies.

  I forgot to reply to your "Chapter One" which described your USA tour.
I was going to mention that I have spent some time in Rocky Mountain
National Park about 4 years ago.  We also drove (and later hiked) down
that Ridge Road and it was a wonderful sight.  The hilite of that trip
was our hike up Long's Peak -- the highest peak in that area at 14,400'
or so.  We did not actually make it to the peak, but we got up to spot
called the key-hole, which was just above the boulder field.  We were
pacing ourselves to use up most of our energy to get to the top.  We
did not realize that it was more fatiguing to come down!  My shins and
knees and feet took a real beating as we lumbered down the trail, trying
to beat some weather that was threatining to nail us.  That whole park
was really wonderful.  I'm sure that you would have enjoyed spending 
more time there.

  Well, I guess we have milked this event to the max.  But if you think
of any new material, pass it on.  Was the whole experience worth a
repeat -- i.e. do you think you will return?  That is such a major
trip for you that I'll bet you won't be back there for at least a 
couple of years.

  ... hope you get your rig back soon, and get it aired out.  I hoping
to sneak out there this weekend myself.

Dane