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[Parrotheadvol]

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Wow. 25,000 feet with no parachute.

[Shutter]

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Wow. 25,000 feet with no parachute.

you might enjoy this one 

[377]

The real deal happens tomorrow. Luke Aikens has balls of steel. God be with him.

His tech crew has devised a very cool system that uses position sensing linked VERY bright lights on the corners of his 100x100 ft net landing area. The lights let him know if he is centered or off to one side. He plans to roll onto his back at 200 ft and has practiced the roll extensively in wind tunnels to be sure that he doesn't move horizontally during the roll.

I sure wish he'd wear a chute. If it wasn't used and he landed in the net, would it be any less spectacular? A chute would give him a plan B if winds or a really bad exit spot made the net landing difficult or impossible. Also why complicate the jump by starting at 25,000 ft where hypoxia could seriously impair his brain function if the supplemental O2 faults. Would it be any less daring if he exited from 14,000 feet? Not in my book.

Whats coming next? The next stunt has to top the previous ones to get a sponsor. They just keep getting riskier and riskier. Sooner or later someone will be killed.

377

[RaoulDuke24]

Remember this one?




Me? No thanks!

[377]

Totally NUTS. Scary to watch and I've seen it a dozen times.

I jump 2 chutes wishing sometimes, like after cutting away, that I had 3.

There's no shame in safety, in my book.

377

[Shutter]

[Bruce A. Smith]

SOG is in the news:

A Sgt Rose, a medic in SOG, is getting a Medal of Honor for his work in Laos. Maj. John Plaster is cited extensively in this piece in the New York Times. But SOG is still being obscured. The NYT calls it "Studies and Observation Group," not Special Operations Group.

Plaster and Billy Waugh were two of the major contributors to the investigation of Ted Braden.

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[377]

I think Studies and Observation Group is the correct name.

A DC 3 jumpship pilot I knew flew for Air America in Laos. He dropped indiginous paratroopers. He said there was "all kinds of shit" going down in Laos that wasn't covered in any published records.

377

[Bruce A. Smith]

If you mean that "Studies and Observation Group" was the most often used cover name for MAC-V-SOG, then you are correct, 377.

As for their studies and observations as military analysts, as was their stated purpose, again that is the prevailing cover story. I think the true nature of SOG is as the many troopers who have written have described it: cause mayhem.

[Shutter]

R99, looks like it's my turn for the rain. it's been raining since yesterday. it's been pretty steady, and heavy this evening. 

[Robert99]

R99, looks like it's my turn for the rain. it's been raining since yesterday. it's been pretty steady, and heavy this evening. 

We have had light rain off and on all day.  But we have forecasts for some real bad thunderstorms through about Friday.  This week's rain could double the amount of rain we have had since the first of the year.  No further problem with the plumbing and at least one of my neighbors didn't have any problem in the first place (at least not that she noticed).

[Shutter]

It doesn't take much to soak up the ground here. I'm only 9 feet above sea level....

[Robert99]

It doesn't take much to soak up the ground here. I'm only 9 feet above sea level....

I'm 4600+ feet above sea level and we could definitely benefit from more light rains that permit the soil to absorb it.

But when a severe thunderstorm becomes stationary and then puts out 5+ inches of rain, and I have seen that happen plenty of times up near Phoenix, the term "gully washing" takes on a very real and dangerous meaning.  Bridges and cars are going to be headed downstream and, invariably, someone is going to drown.   

[Bruce A. Smith]

Anybody miss the DZ?

If you do, or you're a newbie that feels you missed the boat and don't want to wade through their archives, you can go to the Mountain News and dive in anew. It's just like Old Times! 89 posts follow the piece on the DB Cooper case closing, and the back and forth between Shutter and Blevs is classic. All we are missing is Jo!

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[Shutter]

It's not funny Bruce, I should of known not to respond to him, but it angered me seeing him on your forum. the guy has done nothing but trash you, and of course me, and a few others...