A man named Plumb was a fighter pilot in Vietnam who flew missions from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. Plumb was shot down by a surface to air missile and parachuted into the hands of the enemy, spending six years as a prisoner of war.

Plumb was released and many years later he and his wife were having lunch at a restaurant when a man from another table walked up and said “you are Plumb, the fighter pilot who flew missions in Vietnam from the Kitty Hawk”. Startled, Plumb replied “how did you know that?” The man replied, “I packed your parachute”. Of course both Plumb and his wife expressed their sincere gratitude to the man, but that evening Plumb could not sleep thinking about the man. Plumb realized that because this man was an enlisted sailor and he was an officer they had probably never spoken and Plumb realized how often we go through life without thanking or acknowledging people who pack our parachutes and help us in so many ways.

An interesting story.


In the mid 1990s I went to an intensive Russian class as a military officer. It was in Utah.


With some peoplewent to the Utah Sky Ranch (don't know if it's still in business) and tried to get a spot to add jumps as a part of my Class D license. I ended up going with another guy on a tandem test flight because there were no other spaces.


As it happened, I wore a camera for the parachute company and with the other guy, we jumped together to test a new type of heavy-duty parachute.


As it turned out, the parachute shredded and we cut it away and used the reserve chute.


In the bottom, was the name of the individual who had packed the reserve chute.


So yes, I know who packed the parachute...

PS I still have a copy of the short but event-filled VHS tape, plus a sweat shirt they gave me for free, lol/

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Strelnik
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1950 170SD
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You and the other guy were on one chute?

Yikes!

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

All sport parachuting reserve chutes have a pocket with a card that records the last inspection and repack as well as the licensed riggers name and license number.

The main chute is usually packed by the jumper him(her)self.