chuckbrown 0 #1 November 7, 2006 The local paper did a fairly good article on the event; the reporter definitely captured Dave's personality. Copyright 2006 Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. Lancaster New Era (Pennsylvania) November 6, 2006 Monday SECTION: A; Pg. 1 LENGTH: 1022 words HEADLINE: 12,000 jumps; E-town's Dave DeWolf turned 74 on Halloween. On Saturday "Handsome Dave" celebrated - with a milestone skydive at Donegal Springs Airport. BYLINE: Anya Litvak, New Era Staff Writer DATELINE: Lancaster, PA BODY: A half-dozen Handsome Dave fans cup their hands over their foreheads and squint at the sky over the Donegal Springs Airport. A white dot is falling toward them, but instead of running, they just point and stare. "There he is," someone shouts. The dot expands into an arc and a human silhouette hatches below it. That's Dave DeWolf, they explain, or Handsome Dave, as he is known to friends and Internet admirers. Saturday was DeWolf's 12,000th jump from the sky. That's a feat attained by only 30 people in the entire United States, according to the United States Parachute Association. DeWolf did it just four days after he turned 74. The arc sways in the sky for a minute as the figure below it spawns arms and legs, a black helmet, goggles, and a face. The Elizabethtown man floats to the ground, his descent so seamless, so casual it seems his feet are surrendering into a cloud of cotton candy. "Congratulations!" people in the crowd shout. Folks swarm around DeWolf showering him with handshakes and hugs. A kiss from his girlfriend, Trudy Wilkinson, widens his smile. A celebratory spice cake awaits DeWolf in the evening. After the jump, DeWolf drags his parachute back to the hangar - the headquarters of the Maytown Sport Parachute Club, which he helped found three decades ago. Even though he landed after DeWolf, fellow diver and cameraman Terry Ross is already inside, clicking through the video of the jump. On a TV screen, DeWolf glides through the air, belly to the ground, eyes to the sun, a smile splashed across his face. His friend Ken Plankenhorn zooms towards him. He grabs DeWolf by the padded stripes on his arms and spins with him. Ann Ross falls in and makes a triangle. Moments later, her husband, Terry Ross, joins the group. The camera on his head records how the wind distorts their faces and after a few seconds the four-way breaks free. DeWolf pulls his parachute and manages a quick thumbs up to Terry before he's whisked toward the sun. Rewind. And again. The hangar is abuzz with cheer. "So how does it feel?" someone asks. "You know, feels just like yesterday it was 11,999," DeWolf laughs. For 45 years, DeWolf has been teasing the sky with his moves. The first time, in 1962, he jumped out of a Huey helicopter on an Army base in Fort Knox, Ky. His second time was later that evening. Since then, DeWolf has averaged between 300 to 400 jumps per year. He jumps at the Maytown club weekends, and on summer Tuesdays and Thursdays, several times each day. He jumps in two-ways, four-ways, with as many as 38 other Skydivers Over Sixty (SOS), or alone. He jumps from propeller planes, jet liners, helicopters and hot air balloons. DeWolf jumps because "it keeps me out of trouble," he chuckles. Always the joker, DeWolf's legendary one-liners are traded on Internet message boards. (An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either.) In truth, DeWolf says, he jumps because he dreams of the sky when his feet are on the ground. Because the adrenaline knocks as intensely as the first time and the freedom up there is inexhaustible. To do it, "you have to be big, brave, strong, handsome and modest," DeWolf likes to say with a wink. It's only when DeWolf steps out of his skydiving garb that his age becomes visible. DeWolf's helmet leaves strands of gray hair fanned out in different directions on his head. A few cracked veins rest on his nose and his back hunches slightly when he noodles his thin frame out of the parachute suit. Kind, blue eyes smile through thick-rimmed glasses strapped to his head with a black rubber band. His jaw bone is strong and his chin still an imposing presence on his face. Minutes after his milestone jump, Handsome Dave is crouched on the floor, flattening his parachute with his belly. It's a 15-minute task and he performs it dutifully. Along with his longevity in the sport, DeWolf's parachute packing and maintenance skills have earned him the iconic status he enjoys in skydiving circles. DeWolf is a master rigger, certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to repair chutes and train other riggers. The military sends him students, as do countries from around the world. The retired Veterans Affairs pharmacist, who lives alone and has never married, patches parachutes on 25 sewing machines scattered throughout his garage and house. In the Maytown trailer, just as in DeWolf's home, pictures of human chains in the sky and newspaper clippings are thumbtacked to the walls. "I'm the good-looking one there," DeWolf says, pointing to a miniature T-shape in a web of three dozen divers. Thirty-five times he's had to use the reserve parachute when the main one didn't open. Once, neither chute worked and DeWolf plummeted to the ground, saved by a tree. Today, his chute is in top shape. He straps it on once more and marches outside for his second jump of the day. A small Cessna plane - or a box with a propeller - lifts him into the air, kicking up a plume of corn husks. This compulsive jumping, how does he explain it? "It's not for everybody," DeWolf concedes. "I'll tell you, when I tried brain surgery, I was messing it all up." All's quiet on the way up, except the buzz of the propeller. Silver duct tape sparkles along the door that will swing open for DeWolf once more today after this jump. The skydiving veteran locks his hands behind his head and leans back. His eyes are closed and his forehead slightly crinkled. He's thinking about a million normal things, he says. Below him, stripes of green and brown dance with the sun. "It's great being able to see the whole world scrambled," he says. At almost 10,000 feet, DeWolf snaps his goggles into place and slips on white gloves. The plane door swings open and deafening noise rushes into the cabin. "Have a good one!" the jumpers shout, pounding knuckles for luck. DeWolf steps onto a slab of metal outside the plane and grips the wing. The wind beckons him into the sky. A quick smile and one of his hands surrenders, then the other. His feet lift from the step and DeWolf falls away for the 12,001st time. If only for the next three minutes, he's flying. CONTACT US: [email protected] or 481-6020 LOAD-DATE: November 7, 2006 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peregrinerose 0 #2 November 7, 2006 Wow, that was extremely well written. Considering how many people get all fired up on here and write nasty notes to newspaper journalists and their less than positive portrayal of skydiving, I fired off a quick note to the paper regarding this one and how well done it was. The day after Dave's 12,000, he was on Rocky Radabaugh's 2000th... Rocky is also 74. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DBCOOPER 1 #3 November 7, 2006 I thougt this was going to be about womenReplying to: Re: Stall On Jump Run Emergency Procedure? by billvon If the plane is unrecoverable then exiting is a very very good idea. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ladyskydiver 0 #4 November 7, 2006 Very well written. And 12000 jumps? WOW! My hat's off to him! Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slotperfect 7 #5 November 7, 2006 Congratulations Handsome Dave!Arrive Safely John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RogerRamjet 0 #6 November 7, 2006 Contratulations to Dave! QuoteThat's a feat attained by only 30 people in the entire United States, according to the United States Parachute Association. Hmmm, that seems a little low or maybe some of them don't care to report it. There are two in this thread and I know two personally (Scotty Carbone had 12,500 two years ago and Carl Daugherty had 16,500 at that time). A major acheivement by any measure! ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
councilman24 36 #7 November 7, 2006 I thought you ment 12000 years old. Congrats Dave.I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlueSBDeath 2 #8 November 8, 2006 God Bless America and Dave DeWolf!!!! Two of my oldest friends Stay safe Dave, ArvelBSBD...........Its all about Respect, USPA#-7062, FB-2197, Outlaw 499 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydiveJack 1 #9 November 10, 2006 Dave DeWolf hits 12,000 I knew he was old but not that old!! ahhh ahhh ahhh Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jarrodh 0 #10 November 10, 2006 Damn at 74 if I have 12000 skydives ill be pretty happy. Good job dude!2 BITS....4 BITS....6 BITS....A DOLLAR!....ALL FOR THE GATORS....STAND UP AND HOLLER!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Usetawuz 1 #11 November 10, 2006 12000!!! That's a lot of times out the door. Congrats to the 'Pope', aka Handsome Dave. Stay safe, stay well, old friend. _________________________________________ The older I get, the better I was! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brokenwing 1 #12 November 17, 2006 DeWolf's helmet leaves strands of gray hair fanned out in different directions on his head. A few cracked veins rest on his nose and his back hunches slightly when he noodles his thin frame out of the parachute suit. damn!!!!! Dave hasnt changed at all -- he looked like that when i first met him somewhere around 36 years ago. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
