Blue Skies, Black Death (Roger Nelson)

[tigra 0]

I thought about Roger a LOT this past weekend. We had a lot of "old timers" at SDC, lots of folks who were there 10 years ago at the 1st 4th of July we celebrated there. Plus a lot of new people a little in awe of the DZ Roger built.

Blue Skies Roger! You are still very much missed but at the same time, your presence is still felt every day out there.

[wannabediver 0]

I'm truely sorry for everyone's loss. What is going on in the skydiving community lately? We need to stop losing our friends and loved ones to the sport. PLEASE everyone, take care! God bless you all~Blue Skies...Tanya

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I am sad to inform you all that Roger Nelson, DZO of Skydive Chicago is dead. He was hit by another skydiver landing today and is now dead. My sincerest condolences so all his family, especially my friend and fellow pro swoop competitor, Rook.

"It's better to burn out than fade away!"

Chuck Blue
D-12501
Raeford Parachute Center

"Wanna cookie little boy?"

[Bolas 5]

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Plus a lot of new people a little in awe of the DZ Roger built.

I'm glad someone bumped this because I'm definitely one of them.

I never met Roger, but have heard lots of stories of him and his magical DZ. I finally got to experience it for the first time.

[jdobleman 0]

I played the "Freak Brothers" video last night, great to see his smiling face again. I learned a lot from Roger that I'll continue to pass on.

Stay sharp out there,

madjohn
FB#2136

Main goals in life: Be on the "Jumpers Over Eighty" (JOE) World Record and attend the Lost Prairie Boogie once after I'm gone.

[RogerRamjet 0]

I just read through this thread about my friend Roger. We met in 1975 and stayed in touch on and off until just a couple of months before he was killed. We even exchanged letters while he was incarcerated.

As others have said here, he brought a lot to the sport and to those he knew. I miss him and his brother Carl both.

It was he who bestowed the nickname "Ramjet" on me due to not being able to outrun me on the way down to the formation. Perhaps he did it to keep from getting tagged with it himself since we share the name Roger
I was in Aurora IL. for the summer of 75 when we met. We jumped in Hinkley mostly, but also went over to Michigan for the East Coast record attempts, to Richmond for the boogie, and to South Bend for a weekend boogie that Roger organized. We became friends almost instantly and made quite a number of jumps together. We did some of the first pre-stars ever which Roger wrote about in Pat Works book "United We Fall." http://users.cs.fiu.edu/~esj/uwf/uwf5.htm (Scroll down to Pre-Stars? Hey Man You're Late...)

Roger (and Carl) came down to my home DZ at Z-Hills for the Turkey meet and we made many more jumps together there. To me, he was a totally natural free faller. It seemed he could do anything he chose to with comparative ease.

When Carl was killed, Roger backed off from jumping for a while. But, the sky eventually called him back. He continued to help advance the sport until his death and all skydivers entering the sport today owe something to his foresight on how students should be trained.

I still think of Roger and Carl often and with great fondness. The experiences I had with them will remain with me to my own death. I am forever grateful for having known them both!

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Roger "Ramjet" Clark
FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

[vstone 0]

I only send this to you cause ---- oh what the hell

CALL ROGER A BELLY FLYIER
HELL HE INVENTED FREEFLY
check out 10-spot
Damn he will be missed
Stoney D4754

vancejstone

[vstone 0]

tks for pics

him ----roger

Stoney

vancejstone

[vstone 0]

GREAT PICS
Thanks for the visuals
HIM
ROGER

Stoney D4754 FB1755

vancejstone