The Old Skydive Spaceland

[krkeenan 0]

I was jumping at Doc Anagnostos' DZ when Dave Boatman first started bringing the Otter out. He was the chief pilot for Houston Metro. This was before Spaceland opened. Doc's DZ was next to I-45 in Dickenson behind a bar. I remember pulling the seats out every weekend to jump the Otter. That may have been one of the first Twin Otters used for jumping in the US. Dave used to love showing off the STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) capabilities of the Otter by swooping it in for short landings - usually taxiing up with a tree branch or two stuck in the tail skid.

Those were the days...

kevin

======================
Seasons don't fear the Reaper,
nor do the Wind, the Sun, or the Rain...

[AggieDave 6]

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was jumping at Doc Anagnostos' DZ when Dave Boatman first started bringing the Otter out

Then you definatly know Don "Doc" Stewart! That's back when he was jumping there, back when Stewart was in chiropractic college.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[krkeenan 0]

Yes, I jumped a lot with Don. I got my rigger ticket at the loft he and Carl Maroon operated.
Is Don still around antwhere ??

kevin



Then you definatly know Don "Doc" Stewart! That's back when he was jumping there, back when Stewart was in chiropractic college.

[AggieDave 6]

Yup, he jumps (and flies his 182) at Eagle Flight in Granbury Texas. Every once in a while, he'll be in Aggieland jumping and flying his plane. He was one of my original jump masters and he took me under his "wing" after I got my A license to teach me all the important things. Like having fun and drinking beer at the end of the day.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[moodyskydiver 0]

I've met Kim Fuller.Hes a cool,very hilarious guy to hang around with at the DZ. My first tandem was at Eagle Flight.I don't know if the gear belonged to Kim, but the guy I was engaged to at the time jumped a PC at Eagle Flight the weekend before my first jump. But this was when Wayne still owned the DZ.

"...just an earthbound misfit, I."

[AggieDave 6]

Yeah, that was one of Kim Fuller's PCs.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[moodyskydiver 0]

Yeah I remembered that after I posted...he landed off and they went looking for him in Kim's truck. I actually ran into my ex today too. yuck yuck yuck!

"...just an earthbound misfit, I."

[INSANEDADDY 0]

Where was the DZ in Dickenson located? Behind a bar? Hmmmmmmm.

You dont't get to choose how you're going to die. Or when.......You can only decide how you're going to live........NOW.
-BASE 1605 Night BASE 227

[jaymundo 0]

The Lafayette crew used to jump there in the late 70s early 80s.Ill never forget the guy(Dennis I think) that could SNORT a raw oyster up his nose...cough it up into his mouth and spit it out! He did this for us at a resturant one night....Dwayne Brouette grabbed the spit out ,snorted oyster....and ate it!! That cleared the table of about thirty jumpers.

[krkeenan 0]

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....Dwayne Brouette grabbed the spit out ,snorted oyster....and ate it!! That cleared the table of about thirty jumpers.

I haven't heard Dwayne Brouette's name in a while. He was on my SCR load in '72 in Cleveland TX, and always great to jump with.

He used to flip upside down while descending under his PC, and hook his feet in the risers to hold himself that way until just before landing, when he would flip back over to feet-down position to land. One day he got hung up in the risers, couldn't get rightside up in time, and landed on his head. I think he had a hurt neck for a while. He didn't hang upside down too much after that.

Kevin Keenan
SCR-3022

======================
Seasons don't fear the Reaper,
nor do the Wind, the Sun, or the Rain...

[wmw999 2,121]

That would be either Bill (more likely) or Scott (less likely).

Most disgusting thing I ever saw.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[markd_nscr986 0]

If I remember correctly,I think I made skydives with all of you at some point (74-84 or so)Kevin,I think we made some dives into the "branding iron" .Lets see, we would work on to loads with the likes of Mcgurr,Billy Lee,Andy,Phil & Kathy,Umscheid,Mark Conrad,Mcmillian,Svec,Bob,Greg Lane,Sherri,Coker,Laird,Ron, Jenny,and many more......Bruette showed up at a meet with a roadkilled raccon hanging out of his jumpsuit,I think he made a skydive with it too.And unfortunately,I did witness the oyster snorting on more than one occasion.........

Marc SCR 6046 SCS 3004

[usedtajump 1]

Didn't Bruette almost lose a most valued part of his anatomy when he hit and slid down a guy wire while making a BASE jump from a TV tower back in 1980 or so?

The older I get the less I care who I piss off.

[markd_nscr986 0]

You're absolutely correct!According to several eyewitnesses and participants,he had a sloppy opening and swung into a guy wire,straddled it almost having a gender change the hard way.....never a dull moment with the Lake Chas. crowd!

Marc SCR 6046 SCS 3004

[scotttodaro 0]

naw. he just sprained an ankle.(maybe broke it)

just before he stepped off, he said "what ever you do, don't flip over on to your back".

then he stepped off and flipped on to his back and fired a round reserve about half way down.

the cross winds took him between the support cables . sprained his ankle and collasped his reserve , it reinflated , but hung in a tele pole.

a friendswood cop used it for a scooter cover after that.

[scotttodaro 0]

someone once said, " a picture is worth"

well Im trying to post a pic, but it's giving me a bad time.

I'm sorry about the poor resolution.

if you want a hi def jpeg drop me an email

look down there V open that

[wmw999 2,121]

I've got that one at home!
I'm the farthest left, 2nd row.

That jumpsuit was third hand; the first owner had made a night jump and opened WAY low -- broke both legs because he'd landed during inflation. The second owner had dashed out to buy the jumpsuit because it had already gone in, and what are the chances of the same jumpsuit going in again...
Then I bought it from him awhile later. Just heard the history a couple of months ago

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[usedtajump 1]

So long ago, but so far, in the above picture, I think I recognize Bobby Brown, Ken Gillespie, Bobby Coker, Phil Mayfield, Ron Mills and now that she pointed herself out, Wendy. Anybody care to name others?

The older I get the less I care who I piss off.

[scotttodaro 0]

Wendy

Was that the night jump where the only guy with an altimeter was on acid and was supposed to call the break but forgot and did not leave until 1500ft.

Then he got left out there until morning because they thought he was dead.

His name was "Charles" I think.

[wmw999 2,121]

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Bobby Brown, Ken Gillespie, Bobby Coker, Phil Mayfield, Ron Mills

I have Joe Svec in mine (top left -- got cropped out in this one), and I recognize lotsa folks; Mike Smith, Andy Smith, Sherry Scarborough (though not Scarborough yet then), Gary Scarborough, Phil Chapline, Billy Chappell, JC, Tenafly (Larry Feldman, I think), Mark Conrad, Dwayne Bruette...
But I had to put my glasses on to recognize some of them

And Scott, that's not the name I heard. I bought the jumpsuit and heard the story from Bill Lee, who was the second owner. But the story sounds similar.

Wendy W,

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[markd_nscr986 0]

Scott,

Thanks for the photo I recognized quite a few and I thought I would probably be in it(my wife is in it, hmmm...)I might be on the right side somewhere,I will post back next week.I have to dig back through some of my old stuff.I also have some old pix that I will scan in for people to look at.

Marc SCR 6046 SCS 3004

[scotttodaro 0]

Wendy

can you E mail me a copy of your photo

I don't remember who I got it from, but I photoed it and It was allready clipped.

Thanks Scott

[wmw999 2,121]

Scott, my scanner died when I tried to scan it in -- I'll find another and scan and send it. Honest!
So here's another old Spaceland picture I got in the mail today.

Front row, left to right (I think)
Bill Lee, Ron Mills, Jack Berke, Vernon Melancon, Mike Smith, Mike Turoff, Mick Sambacile, Ken Gillespie (thanks)

Back row, left to right:
Bobby Brown (thanks), Carl Nepute, Dewayne Bruette, Susie Smith, Lee MacMillian, John Hopkins, Terry Pike, Mike Mitchum, Linda Smith, Curly Roe, Frank Shepherd, Jim Parker (Pecker), Tony Loper

Scott Todaro said this is Dave Boatman's ash jump; the handkerchiefs have his ashes.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[AggieDave 6]

Can you put names to faces, I think I recognize a couple people, but since now they're *really* old its hard to tell from the young pic.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[usedtajump 1]

Back row left Bobby Brown (white jumpsuit). Front row right Ken Gillespie (white jumpsuit).

Haven't see a ZOO cap in a while and look the frog on Turoff's helmet

Wendy, do you know about when that pic was taken?

The older I get the less I care who I piss off.