Just curious. I used to jump down in Z-hills a while back. Does anybody know if Frenchy is still around? He used to come down from Canada every winter and just make solo jumps. He was also in charge of the fire every night.
Re: [SkydiveJack] Frenchy from Z-hills
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If he is the guy I am thinking about, late 40's early 50's, brown hair with gray and a beard, he went in several years ago. Don't remember the details of what happened.
Re: [SkydiveJack] Frenchy from Z-hills
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Hi! Jack
Last time we saw Frenchy was at Lake Wales about three-four years ago. He was still making one jump/day early morning, and getting wood for the fire. I think he had a room in the hanger.....the one thats gone.....
If Frenchy "went in" after that it was from old age. or his room just got blown away.
There were two Frenchies I think. One I met in Z-hills about 79 who went in.
Could you be referring to Jacque Charne <sp> who went in ,up in Oregon, in the early 80s? He always did solos and never missed an early load. Victim of a twisted bellyband that he had used 1000s of times. He had over 14000 jumps as I remember.
That would have been Jacques Charmet not Charne. He had a HUGE number of jumps and at the time I think he had more than any other jumper in the world.
You guys sound like you're referring to Frenchy who ALWAYS had the fire ready to go at night at Kabellers place. I'd be interested to know where he went too. I'd put him around 70+ years old now.
(This post was edited by jonstark on Dec 4, 2004, 8:27 PM)
>>Could you be referring to Jacque Charne <sp> who went in ,up in Oregon, in the early 80s?<<
And he always jumped with a small flower in his teeth. Paraflite ran an big advert in Parachutist after he made his 10,000th jump all of which were on the same old Strato Cloud. They then gave him a brand new canopy. And I'm not totally sure, but I thought it was said he'd never had a malfunction that caused a reserve ride using that old Strato Cloud. Some thought, after he died, this may have factored into him messing with the belly band too long . . .
It's funny, but we all thought belly band pilot chutes were the coolest thing when Bill Booth first introduced them. But, when used improperly they caused many reserve rides and some deaths. In no way is this Bill's fault however, as going straight to something like BOCs, if he had thought of it, would have totally freaked everyone out at that time.
Re: [SkydiveJack] Frenchy from Z-hills
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There may be several different Frenchies out there. I jumped with one a few years ago who was over 70 and still in great shape. He almost always jumped alone. He was in the French paratroopers during World War II, believe it or not. He has well over a 1,000 jumps. I can't recall his real name. He used to travel all over jumping, including down to Florida. He even tried farming here in Montana for a while. I don't know what happened to him. He used to spend part of every winter with Paul Juel in Scobey, Mt.....Steve1
I think Roche Charmet is the correct spelling of the fellow who went in due to the belly band problem in Washington State. At the time he had more jumps than anybody else in the world...over 10,000.
I believe that I recall the article in Skydiving said that he didn't have a twisted belly band but left the plane with the belly band unconnected and spent too much time trying to hook up his belly band rather than just pulling his reserve handle.
I don't recall the details of how he went in - just that he was a real neat guy! Rocky was in my first 3-way when I had ab0ut 20 jumps in 1979 at the old Z-hills.
Roche was ex-foreign legion, had jumped into Algeria twice and was once promoted post-humously, coming out of the jungle after a few weeks only to find he'd gotten a real nice wage and pile of retro-active pay to go through.
I don't think he did all 10,000 jumps on the same cloud, when I met him he had 7,000 jumps and was using borrowed gear. His 10,000 was on a specially created Vector III from Booth made out of mink? with gold-plated hardware or something...
As to Frenchy, I remember one year at Z-hills around 1981 over the Xmas holidays, there were so many people arouund the fire pit we were going through the beer kegs real fast. He and I and a couple of others (Gerry Lambert comes to mind) saw a full keg sitting at the edge of the fire pit and put a garbage can upside down over top of it. Once the other kegs were empty everyone else headed into town, at which time we pulled out the other keg and opened it up. A good Xmas, but I don't remember all of it...
Re: [SkydiveJack] Frenchy from Z-hills
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The Frenchy I am thinking of was not Roc Charmet. This is the Frenchy of Z-hills. He was tight with the Kabellers and probably went to Lake Wales when they did. He was from Canada and came down to Florida every winter. He would make maybe one solo jump a day and then make the bonfires every night that were such a great part of the spirit of Z-hills. His real name is Robert Rouveau. I think I got the spelling at least close! Anyway, I was thinking about him the other day and was curious if anyone had any news about him. Thanks for the input.
Re: [SkydiveJack] Frenchy from Z-hills
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Skydive Jack, Call Paul Juel in Scobey, Mt. I'll bet this is the same Frenchy I know. If anyone knows where he's at Paul should. Paul used to spend every winter jumping in Florida and I think that's how he came to know Frenchy.....Steve1
I met a "Frenchy" at the 1980 Easter Boogie in Z-Hills. Since I drank a lot during that vacation, I don't remember all the details. Hee! Hee! Then I met "Frenchy" again in Beiseker, Alberta during May 1992. He was about 60 years old, and chatted about evenings around the bonfire at Z-Hills. He explained that he lived on farm a few miles away, but still wintered in Florida.
Thanks for the input everybody. I got a private e-mail from someone who told me Frenchy was still kicking around. I believe he is expected at Lake Wales again. I have lots of good memories around those bonfires he builds!
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I was talking with Gord White last night at the Calgary Parachute Club Chirstmas get together. As of this moment Frenchy is in Rockyview Hospital here in Calgary recovering from a prostrate operation. Gord didn't think that Frenchy would make it down to Lake Wales this year for the first time in a long time. Apparently his trailer got hit with the hurricane and combine that with his health, well you know how it goes. When he gets out of hospital he will be returning to his home in a senior's complex in Crossfield, Alberta.
Apparently he did make a jump this past spring so for a 79 year old guy, he doing pretty good.
Just checked my logbook, Roch Charmet, Instructor 119 stamp and then two signatures Frenchy CXM 195, and Frenchy POPS # 280 dated 21/12/79, Z-Hills. DC3 probably 40T or maybe (although I think it was one year later), SkyTrain. (Anyone remember the blue Skytrain t-Shirt?)
Just checked my logbook, Roch Charmet, Instructor 119 stamp and then two signatures Frenchy CXM 195, and Frenchy POPS # 280 dated 21/12/79, Z-Hills. DC3 probably 40T or maybe (although I think it was one year later), SkyTrain. (Anyone remember the blue Skytrain t-Shirt?)
CXM 195 = Canadian Ten Man 195 for those who don't know.
Re: [SkydiveJack] Frenchy from Z-hills
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HI Jack, I received a letter from Frenchy (Robert Rouvreau) on June 15th. His address is Suite 18 Dr Whillans Manor Box 189 Crossfield, A.B. T0M 0S0 Canada It is difficult to read Frenchy's handwriting and hope the address is correct. Frenchy isn't feeling very strong at the moment. I bet he'd be entertained if people would write to him. I'm sure he must miss Florida and the jumpers. Later Paul
Re: [SunbumPaul] Frenchy from Z-hills
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HI Jack, I received a letter from Frenchy (Robert Rouvreau) on June 15th. His address is Suite 18 Dr Whillans Manor Box 189 Crossfield, A.B. T0M 0S0 Canada It is difficult to read Frenchy's handwriting and hope the address is correct. Frenchy isn't feeling very strong at the moment. I bet he'd be entertained if people would write to him. I'm sure he must miss Florida and the jumpers. Later Paul
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Frenchy lives near the Beiseker, ALberta DZ, at least that is where I met him Spring 1992. I may try to look him up when I go to Beiseker in July.
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The Frenchy I know jumped up and down the east coast and all over the world(US Army) in the late 60's and early 70's. I do not know his last name but his first name is Bob. I was over at his house a couple of weeks ago and he showed me all his old skydiving pics with Bill Booth and others.....great guy.
Re: [SkydiveJack] Frenchy from Z-hills
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Jack -
On top of Paul's update, here's a photo taken at the Reno Air Races I received from Frenchy a few weeks ago (along with an EatFuckSkydive T-shirt from the '77 Turkey Meet. Can't you just hear him muttering, Merde! Putain!? I don't think the Lear and Bimmer are his, but you never know.
When I sold the center to Kabeller, I insisted on a clause in the contract that Frenchy was guaranteed a roof and bed whenever he came down for the winter. What would the evenings have been like without his campfires?
One of my favorite stories about the irrascible Frenchman was his finding a wallet that had been lost by a jumper from up north on a no-suiter load. (Remember how he'd scour the DZ and surroundings every morning, looking for lost ripcords?) Inside was $900. I rang the guy, who confirmed that the amount was correct, and then asked me to give Frenchy $300 and mail the balance to him, which I thought was a class act. Hoop
(This post was edited by Jim_Hooper on Jan 2, 2008, 10:04 AM)
or his room just got blown away. 
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