Skydiving

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Probably my greatest Love in life is the act of "falling" out of Airplanes! What I and others refer to as "Skydiving" has been an interest of mine since about the age of 6 years old (so my mother tells me). Unfortunately, I waited until I was 26 years old before I made my first Free Fall!

My first jump was made in the Arizona Desert at a place called Wild Horse West on March 16, 1985. I made my 1st free fall jump on February 18th, 1990 and was sold before I even boarded the aircraft (which, by the way, was a British Westland Scout Helicopter). In 1989, I was fortunate enough to get enrolled in an Accelerated Free Fall course at the Army Base on Fort Lewis, Washington. 9 months later I celebrated my 200th jump and had my civilian Jumpmaster rating under my belt teaching new static line jumpers how to safely "fall" out of planes.

Now, some 12 years later with over 2800 jumps, I have achieved an Army Static line Jumpmaster rating, an Army Master Parachutists badge, a Military Free Fall (HALO) rating, a civilian Tandem Instructor, Static Line Instructor and Accelerated Free Fall (AFF) Instructor rating, I am a USPA Coach Course Director, Skydive University Coach Course Graduate, served as a Safety & Training Advisor, and I am a freefall videographer and a former member of the Fort Lewis Command Parachute Demonstration Team and former Coach of the West Point Military Academy Parachute Team. In 1999, while training with the Golden Knights, I had the privilege of taking my skydiving Idol and Instructor/mentor "Jay Stokes" on a Tandem skydive. It was a real treat "acting" as instructor with Jay - a sort of "coming full circle" on my journey in skydiving.

My home is in the Great Northwest, but I now jump as an Instructor & Videographer for the Blue Sky Ranch in Gardiner, New York. I have over 2800 exits from an aircraft in flight, have experienced 2 malfunctions which I safely recovered from (knock on wood). I also have a 17 year old daughter who just finished her student jump training last summer. I met the love of my life, ironically, through skydiving when she was a Tandem Student, she currently holds a USPA C license and has over 180 jumps.

On July 15th, 2000 my daughter Amie made her 1st skydive over Kapowsin, WA. Tom Hili and Shelly Sallee were her AFF Instructors and I took the photos and video.

Amie's 1st Skydive! Kapowsin WA. photo by Mike Lanfor 2000

My daughter and I over the Ranch, NY 2001. photo by Carol Sternberg 2001

In 1999 I was offered an opportunity to participate in a World Record Attempt at the Ranch Skydiving Club in New York.

The result was a 2 point 49-way formation at Night and a new World Record!

Here is a Jump I did for my retirement from the Army. Using a surplus MC-4 that I rebuilt with the help of a Master Rigger I went out with Johnny "Love" Skinner for this shot. Photo by Carol Sternberg 2001.

Jimmy Lynard & I doing AFF level 1 with Charlie from the West Point Auto Craft Shop. 2001

Here is a photo I took and modified of my buddy Mike Rook trying to win a prize from Browning.

Mike Rook & I taking mikes Mom on her first Tandem Skydive, summer 2001 Blue Sky Ranch.

This is a shot of me exiting a Casa barefoot over Lake Wales, FL December 2000.

Here is an "I wish" version of the USPA Parachutist cover that never happened. Me jumping at Paraki, Hunter Mountain NY.

My most memorable jumps include an exit from an Air force C-130 at 28,000 feet AGL at night with an 80 lbs rucksack, 65 lbs parachute, oxygen bottles, and weapon over the city of Yakima, Washington, all 3 of my jumps into Husky Football Stadium, and my first (TEST) jump from the C-17 Globmaster over Edwards Air force Base, California.

Mike in SL Rig.JPG (30259 bytes)

MSG Bob Spears on a HALO Jump!

This is a picture I took of a friend of mine doing a "HALO" jump from over 24,000 feet over Yakima Washington back in 1993. The jump was made from an Air force C-130 and was part of "level one" training for an Army "HALO" Team. Level one is a readiness level for Combat Operations.

Here is a photo I took of Tandem Master Geoff Parks and a student who got the "Arch" all wrong!

Me and a Tandem Passenger

This picture of me was taken by free fall photographer "Jim Owens" over Blue Skies Skydiving in Shelton, Washington. I don't remember the name of my passenger, but he sure was having fun!

(Photo: Summer 1996).

Me and Sheri in Free Fall over Louisburg, NC

Sheri & I over Louisburg, NC after exiting a Letz-410. Photo by Jim Owens.

A direct descendent of the famous "Thayer" of West Point Fame, Thayer Rudd makes his 1st Tandem Skydive with me at age 80 - Happy Birthday! (photo by Carol Sternberg, 2000)