Ex-president plans parachute jump in Maine

[Richard]

Any guesses on who pays this bill?

Richard's $.02

At 85, ex-president plans parachute jump in Maine
USA Today, 12 Jun 2009

Former President George H.W. Bush is poised to celebrate his 85th birthday by making a parachute jump in Maine, but the weather could dampen his plans.

Bush is scheduled to make a tandem jump Friday with a member of the Army's Golden Knights parachute team near his summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine. However, Friday's forecast shows a likelihood of rain in the area.

If the event is rained out, Bush's jump will be moved back to Saturday.

Bush's most recent jump was in November 2007 at the reopening of his library at Texas A&M University. He made his first jump as a Navy pilot when his plane was shot down over the Pacific during World War II. He also made jumps to mark his 75th and 80th birthdays and on two other occasions.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...hooModule_News

[JJ_BPK]

Go for it...

[greenberetTFS]

JJ,

I concur...... But then I asked myself do I still have the "jahones?" to jump from an airplane in fright again! I'm just a kid at 72, compared to the 85 year old who is willing to go for it on his birthday ........ To all you old farts out there,do you honestly think you can do it? I'm filled with all the bravado, my spirt is willing,but my body is ?????

GB TFS

[greenberetTFS]

When was the last time any of you old timers jumped? For me it was in 1966,that's exactly 43 years ago ........ Again,putting bravado aside......Is there a guy who has been jumping and what age was he when he quit ?.....

GB TFS

[koz]

I think George Sr. is a stud and glad he's still willing to do a jump.
I've taken several 80+ yr olds on tandems. The funniest was the woman who brought her entire church out to watch her.

There have been some really old ones:
Frank Moody, aged 101, accepted a dare from mates over a beer at his local football club.

They challenged him to make a sky-dive jump and Frank Moody was game.

He has now qualified for the Guinness Book of World Records after a successful tandem shy-dive from 3000m with skydiver and instructor, Karl Eitech.

Karl says it was bizarre jumping out of a plane with a man who was alive before planes were invented!

Frank says he was pushed!

--
George Salyer - Record-setting skydiver who holds the records for oldest male tandem jumper at age 91 and multigenerational jumper at age 94 when he skydived with his son, grandson and great grandson, died Nov. 3 in a house fire (yikes!) at age 101.

[Utah Bob]

Originally Posted by greenberetTFS

JJ,

I concur...... But then I asked myself do I still have the "jahones?" to jump from an airplane in fright again! I'm just a kid at 72, compared to the 85 year old who is willing to go for it on his birthday ........ To all you old farts out there,do you honestly think you can do it? I'm filled with all the bravado, my spirt is willing,but my body is ?????

GB TFS

My body is willing but probably not capable.
And if the jump didn't kill me, my wife would.

[greenberetTFS]

Originally Posted by koz

I think George Sr. is a stud and glad he's still willing to do a jump.
I've taken several 80+ yr olds on tandems. The funniest was the woman who brought her entire church out to watch her.

There have been some really old ones:
Frank Moody, aged 101, accepted a dare from mates over a beer at his local football club.

They challenged him to make a sky-dive jump and Frank Moody was game.

He has now qualified for the Guinness Book of World Records after a successful tandem shy-dive from 3000m with skydiver and instructor, Karl Eitech.

Karl says it was bizarre jumping out of a plane with a man who was alive before
planes were invented!

Frank says he was pushed!

--
George Salyer - Record-setting skydiver who holds the records for oldest male tandem jumper at age 91 and multigenerational jumper at age 94 when he skydived with his son, grandson and great grandson, died Nov. 3 in a house fire (yikes!) at age 101.

koz,

I've never jumped free fall and obviously I won't be the oldest... However I would love to try a tandem on my 73rd birthday....... I'm really heavy(290 lbs)... Would it be possible at that weight to go tandem?

GB TFS

[Tuukka]

Well, his first ever jump was bailing out of his shot up TBM Avenger, he completed his attack after his plane was hit and the engine was on fire..

[Go For Broke]

It is interesting to note...when Former President George H.W. Bush did his initial AFF jump, the Army would not allow it so C. Needels and A. Serrano took leave to do it.

Lew Sanborn? I think he is still jumping...

[JJ_BPK]

Originally Posted by greenberetTFS

koz,

I've never jumped free fall and obviously I won't be the oldest... However I would love to try a tandem on my 73rd birthday....... I'm really heavy(290 lbs)... Would it be possible at that weight to go tandem?

GB TFS

How many times did you push a pallet of "C"'s out the back door of a C119,,

They have a chute that will fit anyone,, including Me...

I think if I could chose,, I'd be a ink spot on Normandy, St Mere, Sicily, or ...

[koz]

Originally Posted by greenberetTFS

koz,

I've never jumped free fall and obviously I won't be the oldest... However I would love to try a tandem on my 73rd birthday....... I'm really heavy(290 lbs)... Would it be possible at that weight to go tandem?

GB TFS

You'd be really close. You'll probably go with a smaller Tandem instructor. Some places say 275lb, some say less but the number you're really looking at is the total weight - ie small tandem master, big jumper...

From where you are I think the best place would be Gold Coast Skydivers Call them and give them your specs (age /wt). They're pretty military friendly as well.

Another option is www.emeraldskydive.com - The owner used to be part of 20th Gp. The only have a cessna so that's where I think Gold Coast would be better - bigger airplane, bigger door.


One of the coolest things to ever see: There was an old guy who came out the civilian DZ when I was at Bragg, and expressed his desire to make a tandem. The girl at the office asked if he had ever jumped before, he said had made 6 total when in the military. Nothing spectacular. She jokingly asked if he had done his five (at jump school) plus his cherry jump and he said he only made two jumps at jump school. Someone asked if he had made his other jumps around Bragg and he said no, he had jumped Sicily, Italy, Normandy, Nijmegen... He was a member of the 505th made four combat jumps. We looked up him up and he was on the roster below. For the life of me I can't remember his name. This gentleman was a walking piece of history. Another TI did his jump, I'm just glad I was able to shake his hand.

http://www.505rct.org/4jumps.asp

[koz]

Originally Posted by Go For Broke

It is interesting to note...when Former President George H.W. Bush did his initial AFF jump, the Army would not allow it so C. Needels and A. Serrano took leave to do it.

Lew Sanborn? I think he is still jumping...

Lew Sanborn D-1 still makes jumps at Archway Skydiving center in Vandiala - or at least was last summer...

[swpa19]

My last time was at age 47. Strangely, my wife started skydiving at age 48 in Ohio and quit after she had more jumps than me. She was formally "pinned" with her USPA wings at a SFA Convention, by a 5th Gp CSM/Group SGM (Retired) who still jumps regularly at Raeford.

[JJ_BPK]

Just in,,

Jumping George at 85...

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...s-about-issues

[ZonieDiver]

Originally Posted by Richard

Any guesses on who pays this bill?

Richard's $.02

Just back to Ft. Lauderdale from the Bahamas - been out of contact - but, I'll personally write the check for GWH Bush to make this jump, if need be. Go for it, Bush 41!