Flip - That is amazing (12,000 jumps). I barely made it thru 5 (four static line and then one free fall) when I was a kid. The old military chutes brought you down faster (so you weren’t shot, and less maneuverable it looks like). We used to pass the hat and everyone pitched in a dollar. The closest to the target got the kitty less one buck, and that always went to the guy furthest away. My first jump I got my buck back....landed in a corn field. I had barber polled, and by the time i got that worked out I had trouble finding the airport. I took four of us to pull my chute out (full of corn, etc.). Our Sargent (our jump master that had his twenty in) really reminded me ( in a PC way of course) of how to do it right next time. I always got it right after that.....good motvation!
Ron - I'm with you now, can't see the reason to jump out of a perfectly good aircraft.
Take care,