" Parachute Jumpers of VX-6....
Dave,

I kept trying to jump out of airplanes, but they wouldn't let me do it.  I took all my training, packed all my chutes, and was ready to go the next day.  I returned from a 38 hour trip on the road to find all my gear packed and they shanghaied me back to ChCh (and from there to the States) to go to C-130 school.

The closest I came to jumping out of a perfectly good aircraft was this little tale:  I used to take 99853 to Lakehurst to qualify all of our jumpers.  One day at Lakehurst, there were three guys qualifying in the aircraft (of which I was the AC).  We had jumped one stick of jumpers.  (At this time I had done the training, packed the chutes, etc.)  We returned to send the second stick of jumpers out.  One of the students backed down and said he did not want to jump any more.  So, I took his chute, strapped myself in, and got in line.  I was wearing a very, very old flight suit that still had Ensign Dryfoose underneath my wings.  I was hooked up to the overhead static line and proceeding to the door when the Chief in charge of the jumpers spotted me and told me to get out of line.  I told him I had authorization from the Skipper to do this, given the opportunity.....but he wasn't buying it.  He made me get out of line. 

My co-pilot was Lt. Ron Stone, who was qualified in the aircraft, also.  Ron was also the OIC of the jump team that year. I returned to the cockpit and finished the flight. When we got back down on the deck, the jumpmaster took Mr. Stone aside and told him that he'd "better watch that young ensign on board the flight".  Ron said, "What young ensign?".  The Chief said, "That young kid over there in the flight suit and the red cap."  Ron told the Chief, "That is Lcdr. Dryfoose and he's in charge of this whole flight."  The Chief turned very red and said, "You keep him in the front of the airplane and I'll handle the rear of it."

No sense of humor.  I never did get to jump.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.......!!

Buz