There Goes Africa

[SteveConroy84]

Welcome aboard.

Your story reminds me of a Lab Analyst who worked for me 20 years ago.

Former Marine who loved to base jump.

Second time he busted himself up, I had a nice Marine to Marine talk with him. Said I needed him healthy and at work, not laid up 3 months of every year. Next time he base jumped I would do everything I could to get his butt fired!

There is a point where your hobby can unreasonably endanger your career and a choice has to be made.

I'm glad to say my Analyst hung up his chute.

I hear you. I enjoy BASE jumping as a Hobby. Skydiving has become part of my career so unfortunately I can’t exactly hang my chute up just yet.

 

[SteveConroy84]

So WTF is a "simple bad landing"?

Good luck with your recovery.

Basically a normal landing with some obstructions in the landing area that my ankle didn’t agree with.

 

[SteveConroy84]

Welcome Steve...and best wishes for your recovery. Now, about this jumping out of perfectly good airplanes: after 53 years and some 31,000 hours of flying lots of different airplanes I never found need to jump out of any of them! Perhaps this might make you think about it next time....awe, heck....go do it again when your leg heals....you got two of them anyway....get one of the trackers to wheel you through the bush in your custom chair while you sit back and relax....now you got it made.
All the above is tongue in cheek...get well soon and write more.

That’s a ton of hours. I recently got my Multi-Engine commercial add on with instrument rating. I’m currently studying for my King Air 350 Type Rating. After 3000 jumps I’d like to move into flying the jump plane instead of jumping as often. Who did you fly for?

 

[SteveConroy84]

Welcome aboard Steve. Sorry you got hurt, but the key question is how is the recovery going? You would hardly be the first guy that broke a leg and went on to lead a very fulfilling life.

It’s actually going pretty well. I’m not back to skydiving or doing stunts yet, but I’m healed up enough to do some of my side ventures.

 

[SteveConroy84]

The paramedic in me really wants to see those x rays. Pictures always make writing better!

I’ll see if I can message them over to you. The X-rays with the hardware in after surgery look pretty cool.

 

[SteveConroy84]

Unfortunately I know first-hand what you are going through. I had to have a previously fractured hip replaced prior to my scheduled 2016 safari. I had to postpone it to 2017, and was still nursing it while on my hunt.

Although I have never based jumped, I am airborne, air assault, and know enough about choppers to fly and land them, areo scout, OH-58 and Hueys. And once upon a time hang glidder qualified.

Obviously those who have felt the turbulence and heard the roaring engines of a C130 or C123, will never know the desire of wanting to jump out of a "prefectly good plane".

C141's and choppers weren't as bad, noise and turbulence, but a lot more fun to parachute out of.

Having only logged 140 jumps, military (mostly) and sport, and only 20 chopper repels, 8 from Blackhawks. I understand the thrill.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, with no lingering mobility problems.

Army Vet to Marine Vet Thank You for your service.

So we probably share many of the same aches and pains.

 

[Ridgewalker]

I’ve only done one static line jump. Next to almost drowning in a flooded river, it may have been the biggest rush of my life. Now my 13 year old granddaughter is trying to talk me into a tandem free fall. Not sure if at 72 it’s the wisest thing for me. Who knows what will happen this next year.
Best of luck in your recovery!

 

[tarbe]

I hear you. I enjoy BASE jumping as a Hobby. Skydiving has become part of my career so unfortunately I can’t exactly hang my chute up just yet.

I sure hope you recover quickly and can avoid a repeat!

As I am sure you know, with each year and each injury, you become more prone to lost time.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Basically a normal landing with some obstructions in the landing area that my ankle didn’t agree with.

That's a hell of a disagreement.

 

[sestoppelman]

That’s a ton of hours. I recently got my Multi-Engine commercial add on with instrument rating. I’m currently studying for my King Air 350 Type Rating. After 3000 jumps I’d like to move into flying the jump plane instead of jumping as often. Who did you fly for?

Hard to imagine jumping out of an airplane 3000 times! What did you do in your spare time? What little there was.

 

[Philip Glass]

There Goes Africa 8-22-2019



SNAP!!!!


“Shit” I said to myself as I tumbled to the ground. I looked down at my right foot. It didn’t look normal at all. The toes weren’t pointing to the 12 o’clock position as you usually see when looking at your feet. Instead the toes of my right foot were pointed to the 3 o’clock. “Thats definitely broken. There goes Africa.”


I was scheduled to fly to Tanzania and meet up with Nathan Askew of Bullet Safaris on June 3rd, 2019. The breaking of my leg on happened on June 1, 2019. Nathan had accepted to take me on as an apprentice a few months prior. I started texting a message to him while riding in the back of the ambulance. I was fighting back tears as I sent the text. The tears weren’t from pain of the injury, but from my dream of becoming a PH being lost or at the very least being set back a year.


“Well Mr. Conroy, you did a pretty good job at breaking your leg.” The ER doctor said as he walked in with x-rays. “You broke your fibula and tibia in 3 places and dislocated your ankle. You’re definitely going to need surgery.”



“Dammit, I was supposed to head to Africa on Monday.” I said visibly angry.


“The only place you’re headed is to bed rest for the next 1 to 2 months.”


Jumping out of airplanes and BASE jumping had finally caught up with me. I had been Airborne, Airborne Jumpmaster, Freefall, Tandem Instructor, AFF Instructor and PRO rated both in the military and as a civilian. After 7 years and 3000 jumps a simple bad landing was keeping me from my life long dream.





Nathan asked me to start writing a few things and posting it to AH. The intent is to brush up on my poor writing skills, share some information on my life that some of the members of this website may find interesting, and to hopefully attract some potential clients who would like to hunt with me in the future. This was a trial. I hope in future writings I’ll be able to share my experiences as a United States Marine, Hollywood stuntman, professional skydiver, commercial pilot, and security contractor. Please be brutally honest with me, I can take it.


Steve Conroy

Steve,
Hope you get well soon. As a guy in the “mid life crisis” years and approaching 50 my advice is to follow your dreams. Work hard, learn from every human being you can, and chase those dreams as far as they lead!
Blessings,
Philip

 

[norfolk shooter]

@SteveConroy84 Welcome to AH my fellow airborne brother. By the sounds of it you had a rather colourful service and civi life. Look forward to reading more of your tails. Dont forget never let a busted led stand in the way of your dreams. But you need ot be told that do ya

 

[enysse]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune but eventually you will be in Tanzania hunting. It sounds like a dreamy adventure!

 

[TROPHY SHIPPERS]

Welcome to AH Steve! Nice to have you on the posting side, looking forward to reading your posts.

 

[USAN]

Welcome @SteveConroy84! Enjoy the site!

 

[Dirtdart]

Welcome to AH Steve! Many years ago I did some mass tac static line jumping in the US Army hence my handle on AH, "Dirtdart". Some of my Namibian friends call us "meat bombs". A couple of years ago I was in Swakopmund Namibia visiting an old friend after finishing a hunt in the Caprivi and got an invitation to go skydiving. A fun way to top off an already great African experience.
May you have a speedy recovery and I look forward to reading your future posts.

 

[35bore]

Unfortunately I know first-hand what you are going through. I had to have a previously fractured hip replaced prior to my scheduled 2016 safari. I had to postpone it to 2017, and was still nursing it while on my hunt.

Although I have never based jumped, I am airborne, air assault, and know enough about choppers to fly and land them, areo scout, OH-58 and Hueys. And once upon a time hang glidder qualified.

Obviously those who have felt the turbulence and heard the roaring engines of a C130 or C123, will never know the desire of wanting to jump out of a "prefectly good plane".

C141's and choppers weren't as bad, noise and turbulence, but a lot more fun to parachute out of.

Having only logged 140 jumps, military (mostly) and sport, and only 20 chopper repels, 8 from Blackhawks. I understand the thrill.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, with no lingering mobility problems.

Army Vet to Marine Vet Thank You for your service.

Very respectful quote. Ditto to the OP. Thank you for your service, also Army to a Marine.

 

[ArmyAV8tor]

Steve and Ridge Runner
As a former US Army pilot and airborne qualified, I only jumped out of perfectly good airplanes and helicopters for the extra $110 a month. Ha ha! Best wishes Steve for a speedy recovery.

 

[Mort Hill]

Jumping out of perfectly good airplanes? What could possibly go wrong with that idea? In all seriousness, I enjoyed your first foray into story telling, so I think the future is bright. Good luck.

I said the same thing to my son when expressed he was going skydiving.

He looked at me and said so what part of hunting dangerous game, buff, lion, leopard, elephant, hippo, crocs do find normal? Boys got a point.

Best of luck in a full recovery, and share anything you find interesting as I am sure we will all also.

And thank you for your service to our country!

 

[TRAVEL EXPRESS]

Welcome to AH Steve! Nice to have you as part of our community, really looking forward to your input.