Most memorable aviation things you remember

[Skykid]

Hmmm... The my four best things in avaition....

 

1) First solo.

 

2) Going in a catty and being albe to sit in the "bubble" twice. Once with the other passangers and the second time was cause it was my 7th birthday I think.... I remember it was my birthday.

 

3) Going to my first air show in masterton.

 

4) Going to my first flying competition.

 

All of these memouies are so unbeleiveable.

 

 

[Tomo]

I've been thinking of what my best time's have been, so here go's -

 

1. A flight in a friends 182 at the age of 10, the view just consumed me, It was AWESOME... and that's what got me hooked on flying:thumb_up:

 

2. My first airshow at Amberley, seeing Pip doing his aero's, and the jet's doing low level passes over the crowd, I was probably about 14 then.

 

3. Going to the Temora Aviation Museum, seeing the various aircraft, but most of all the Spitfire... Even though I didn't see any of them flying, it still was a great time. (I would highly recommend Temora to everyone) I was about 16 then I think.

 

4. My first Lesson in the Drifter, It was the start to the learning to fly dream I'd had since I was ten... A great feeling. At the age of 17...

 

So Yeah, that's a few of my Experiences that I don't think I will ever forget, Obviously It will probably be first solo as well, but you'll have to wait a couple more weeks for that one:thumb_up:

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Clouddancer, yes I can relate to those early morning flights watching the sun rise in champange air...........definitly worth getting out of bed for !!!.

 

The bloke doing the aeros in the hangglider with the flares is a friend of mine from California. Actually put himself in a wheelchair by crashing a hang-glider in the early days, but still loves to fly, and makes his living doing the airshow routine in many places these days.

 

For his first night flare show the US, FAA insisted he have wingtip nav lights on the glider, even though he had an airshow license. They also wanted it to be signed off by an A&P mechanic to make it all legal. He just rigged up a couple of battery powered lights, with a little battery pack, and I was the guy who signed him off for it. I never actually saw the setup, as the show was that night, but I was happy to fax him the signiture.

 

Small world huh ? ...................................................

 

 

[skydog]

I`m a old jumper too Mr Millard.

 

LABERTOUCHE 1978- PAKENHAM-ETC

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

SKYDOG, Pakenham Nats 72 or 73 I placed 5th in accuracy. Broke my big toe doing it, but I got the disc !. I was good mates with Handles (whichfoot/Ian Handley) at the time, and I stole some of his tricks.......................Did you know Handles ?.....

 

 

[skydog]

Yeah I did meet him. He was in his dying days as a jumper and I was a newbie into relative work and photography rather than accuracy.

 

Claude Gillard the father of Australian Skydiving has a very good website about Labertouche I recommend you take a visit at. Labertouche Drop Zone History

 

Sure to be lots of names you will remember there Major.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Yes many of us were in our dying days as jumpers in the late seventies,(and some did die!) or went to the States like me and others, to do some really big rel. Handles now lives in the Gong and does the occasional demo I believe.

 

Mr Gillard was up in QLD recently for the sad passing of another old legend Jim Cox ,who we lost a couple of weeks back. Yes thanks, I will look at that Packenham stuff. Right now I'm off to bed.......Cheers Ross.

 

 

[winsor68]

The Labertouche Parachute sight is bloody fascinating...really really good reading.

 

 

[Tomo]

Maj, Do you know Al McVinish (I think that's how you spell his name). anyway he's a jumper, well has an aircraft business to take jumpers up, near Caboolture I think, not real shore where is now a days, but he used to live just down the road from us, and now my uncle farms his farm... He has a few maintenance shops around to I think, Moree/Toowoomba.

 

His aircraft was the one that crashed when one of the jumpers hit the tail, and got caught there... and the pilot was wearing a parachute fortunately and jumped out, but the door slide shut and broke his angle on the way out... You would probably remember that, because it was a pretty serious accident. They had the whole thing on video to....

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Yes I do recall the name, he would be a friend of Jim Cerwinskis' ?. I was out of the country many times long term, between 1977 and 1995 so there are bits that I missed as far as the local scene goes. Anyone know where Bob Barry is these days ? Cheers...........................

 

 

[Guest 3rd dimension]

My first solo

 

Seeing my father being handed his solo cerificate by Nancy Bird-Walton

 

Having beers in Narromine with Colin Pay

 

Hearing my Dad and the "old" boys tell of aviation around Narromine [ I was born there ]

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Skydog, I have been looking at the 'touch website and jumper listings, and it is just facinating, and just simply a bit of Australian jumping history. What a great bit of forsight to keep records of all who jumped there. I can, and intend to make some contributions to it when I get time. Thanks mate for turning me on to it. Cheers....

 

 

[skydog]

message to jumpers

 

Yes Claude has done a great job.

 

There are a few old jumpers now flying and on some on this site like Ozzie and it would be good if we could spread the message a little further mindful of the fact this is a recreational flying site, however having said that skydiving is rather recreational and always was for me the ultimate way to fly.

 

I am getting some photos together for the site but 99% are on slide so is going to be a 'XXXXty wet day' task.

 

This is a rare photo of [me with the camera on my head]some time in the early eighties.

 

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[winsor68]

Skydiving is totally recreational flying...We should all show respect for these guys who pioneered skydiving...Today it is an amazing sport with a history of safe operation...If you haven't already done so have a look at the Link to Labertouche above...a-bloody-mazing!!!

 

Obviously they are doing something right due to the fact that CASA lets them throw themselves out of perfectly good aeroplanes with a minimum of interference...

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Skydog, that's not a bad shot, I jumped Brian Quinns' Nikon F once mounted the same way, and as you know they had the potential to snap you'r neck on opening if you were careless.

 

Looking through the Touch' jumper listings I saw many old jumpers who have got into flying, and Ian Swinbourne comes up here occasionally, prev in a Baron but now I believe he's got an RV-7 ?. And then there's Annie and Andy Ski who became ag pilots.

 

I also agree with winsor68 that pure freefall is the ultimate flying, but those froggy barstards are showing us how to really do it now, with the winged suits. And by the way I can't ever really remember too many jump planes that you could really call " perfectly good aeroplanes" if you know what I mean. Cheers...........................

 

 

[skydog]

camera jumps

 

Talking about breaking your neck with cameras on your head during opening shock of the parachute.

 

I never jumped anything heavier than an old super 8 movie camera on my head which was fun and the Olympus OM1 I used was the smallest & lightest in its day.

 

The first video cameras I jumped were huge, you had to take a huge battery & recorder pack with you inside your jumpsuit.

 

This is nothing compared to the legendary Bruce Towers, God bless him who did lots of jumps with a full blown motion picture quality, 35 mm Bailleux film camera on the side of his head which weighed a ton in those days. He had to hold his head on opening so it didnt fall off (his head that is)

 

Simply amazing stuff.

 

 

[skydog]

Old Jumpers never die

 

Old Jumpers never die, they start flying planes.

 

Yes Major, lots of old and young Jumpers out there flying now.There`s a scourge of them. I heard Swinburne was flying when hes not fixing tin roofs.

 

Down this way in Victoria Duckworth took up flying jumpers and is now flying choppers up Nth somewhere I believe.

 

Rod Cullen, Russell Lee,[ who died flying into weather at Mt Hotham a couple of years ago.] BRUCE TOWERS IS ALWAYS FLYING EVEN NOW HE IS IN A WHEELCHAIR.

 

Andy Mulholland jumps and flys jumpers at Tooradin in the 206.

 

Scott Knowles, Holt, Bugsy, too many to write down.

 

Thanks for your interest and I will be returning to that LABERTOUCHE SKYDIVERS Website very often I reckon.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Yes me too !!....Didn't know Brucey boy was now in a wheelchair ??.....I ran into him a few years ago on the tarmac at Townsville, after he had just flown in. We had a quick chat as I instantly recognized him. Seems he was in town to do a jump into a marina, and film it for an ad. Did he stuff up a landing or something ??......

 

I was at the '74 Nats at Rylston Kandos when the two Canberra jumpers went in at 2am, during a drunken illegal night jump. The third jumper opened high and survived. The other two hooked up and sat there waiting for the third, and went in that way..They had pulled Bruce out of bed to fly the load in his Navajo..Don't know how he ever got a license back after that one !?....We were all very drunk that night............................................

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

some interesting names popping up here.

 

 

[skydog]

I was wondering when

 

I was wondering when you would chime in Ozzie!

 

Maj`

 

Bruce went 'in' about 18 months ago maybe less flying choppers in PNG. Lucky to survive. He is now flying again but in a piper rigged for paraplegic operation.

 

Bruce would fly again even if he had no arms or legs he would find a way somehow!

 

I heard about that Canberra incident from Tappy, although a couple of years before my time it was a big story around the campfire, he may have got 'done' for that but I dont know for sure but he has had many run ins with CASA over the years and a grounding or three.

 

More Victorian Jumpers turned pilots

 

Richard McCooey, George Creecy, Andrew Harris, Rob Bates, Natalie Faine, Ray Foster did some hours before he died in Norway.Bob Courtenay, Rob Paynem Sam Smalley.

 

There is a lot more but cant remember them

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

i remember Bruce getting a rotary wing ticket some time ago. Maybe Roy Marker has a few tips for him :) there is a big filing cabinet at CASA with Towers written on it. I heard that Knowles was met on the ramp by the Feds. does anyone visit him?

 

heaps of jumpers have turned pilots. seems that to be employable on a DZ you need every instructor and rigger rating, be a pilot willing to fly any weather. ect.

 

I really miss 'pelicans otters.

 

seems they have managed to just about stop jumpers bouncing but they have to work on canopy control. two fatals and a serious tandem injury in two weeks from hook turns. this type of fatality is like stall spin accidents on approach, they just keep happening no matter how much you preach about it.

 

is Andy Ski still around? loved watching his aeros in the skybolt.

 

ozzie

 

 

[skydog]

Ozzie

 

I wasnt aware of Knowles predicament but not surprised put it that way.

 

I liked the Otters too, and the Spanish CASA see attachment.

 

I havnt jumped for many years but it sure aint what it used to be from what I see at Tooradin, they are a more responsible lot it seems.

 

Did you see Claudes LABERTOUCHE Skydivers website, its really good.

 

Labertouche Drop Zone History

 

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

I've been browsing thru it. really good bit of history. Claude did a great job over the years. i remember jumping the CASA at corowa and rutherford in the eighties. good aircraft bit hard to spot from and really fast exits. I have been vouyering on the skysurfers forum and see that they are planning an attempt on the aussie 100 way record next year. Got a shock to see it will be attempted in Arizona USA!! don't figure. Tuddy rang earlier my rig is ready after a month of messing around so maybe a jump or two on the weekend. been a while.

 

ozzie