Tinkerbelle 5 #1 March 26, 2004 Bob Sinclaire is in Florida at DeLand! For all you skydiving history buffs or interested people, our most valuable resource in that regard, Bob Sinclaire, is currently at DeLand for perhaps a month or two. If you are in the area be sure to go to the DZ at DeLand and look for him in his green van or humungous tent. If you have an hour or two, ask to see his photo albums and have him tell you his personal experiences and history to accompany those photo albums. You might want to take a tape recorder, or video recorder or a notepad to keep up with all the names, dates, places, and events he describes in mind blowing detail. He is a walking, talking encyclopedia of jumping history from the early days. He has been jumping continuously for over 50 years, and remembers every bit of it, and hundreds of names to go along with it! Bob is simply amazing! He is no spring chicken either, almost 80, and still jumping at least a couple times/week. His accuracy is pinpoint! If you get to jump with him it will be truly memorable, something for your archives, something to tell your grand-children about. He is by far the most noteworthy jumper out there still jumping! He is a living superhero, a living dinasour. And his sense of humor and quick wit will blow your sox off. He is quite humble though, so he takes some prodding to get him going. Ask for a copy of the 2 pages of movie and hollywood credits he has to his name, jumping. He did all the stunt work and video for the old seried "Ripcord", etc... and even taught Johnny Carson to skydive! If you get on Bob's mailing list, he sends out detailed newsletters keeping up with all the happeneings and activities of all the old timers and young ones too. Bob keeps meticulous records. Also ask him to show you all of his gear modifications too. Bob is never satisfied with conventional gear, or conventional anything for that matter! He always has to take it apart and reengineer it! You can't miss his "House of Frankerstain" canopy! It is worth a trip out to DeLand, just to talk to a living skydiving icon, one of the true pioneers of our sport and especially of vidoe in the sky. I think he was the first to experiment with that! He has more skydiving wisdom than most anyone, having lived through and seen it all since the early 50s! And be sure to give Bob a big hug and a kiss from yourself and from Eloy Annie, his soul mate! Take your picture with Bob, and be sure to give him one. He especially treasures photos of girls sitting on his lap and giving him a kiss. Yes, he is proud to be a dirty old man, and lovin' it! It's a really great thing to be a FOB (Friend of Bob's) Tootles Tink! D#272 Rehab is for quitters. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airgord 1 #2 March 26, 2004 So Eloy Annie, how did you get your nickname? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tinkerbelle 5 #3 March 27, 2004 Bob Sinclaire gave it to me the first day I showed up in Coolege. To make a long story a bit shorter... What happened was that Al Gramando, the manager of Eloy at the time, figuring I could be persuasive enough to pull off the job, gave me 10 jump tickets to drive over to Coolege and rope up a bunch of people and bring them back to Eloy, or at least tell them about 10$ jumps out of the SkyVan, 'cause we didn't have enough people to get it flying for the weekend. Well, I took the 10 jump tickets and went to Coolege. I tried to be discrete telling people here and there about the deal. Of course, always having trouble hiding in a crowd, eventually I got noticed, surprize, surprize! Scotty Carbone caught wind of my clandestine mission, and got on the microphone announcing that there were 10$ jumps out of the SkyVan at Eloy. Then he asked the crowd, "Who Cares?" Everyone said in unison, "We don't!" Scotty asked, "Who's going to Eloy for 10$ jumps out of the SkyVan?" Everyone said again in unison, "No one, we all want to stay here!" "Why do you all want to stay here?" he asked. Everyone replied, "Cause it's way more fun!" About that time Mike Mullins approached me and asked me if I was just doing that on my own, or if I had been sent by the enemy? I told him about the 10 jump tickets, not wanting to take the fall all by myself. So Mike offered me 10 more of his jump tickets to stay there and not go back for a day or two. Steve Kelley offered up his trailer for me to stay in. Mullins called over to Eloy and told them they had captured the cute little spy and were keeping her! Of course Al Gramando and Larry Hill disavowed any knowlege of the scam, leaving me to take the fall, so I didn't feel so bad about taking the 10 jump tickets from Eloy for a job fait incomplete. I stayed in Coolege and used up my 10 jumps Mullins gave me to stay, and had a far better time there than I had at Eloy in a long time! Coolege has a much more collective, supportive, family atmosphere, all eating and drinking together when Scotty rang the breakfast, lunch, and dinner bell. Then after wards, he would jump with everyone. We all had a blast. In the evenings we all gathered together dancing around the fire. Scotty dressed up in his Devil outfit, and I had on a long black velvet dress. We danced for hours about the fire, occasionally knocking stuff over including Scotty and several onlookers and a bunch of furniture and other stuff. At one point someone asked me if that was what being on X was like. I just laughed 'cause I wasn't on anything, just my own native juices, which I suspect may be a bit different from most. I was rather afraid to go back to Eloy in fact, unaware of how I might be received by the management. Mikey McGowan, who I was staying with at the time, didn't help matters telling me I should be afraid. I did eventually return to Eloy many days later, and just tried to keep a low profile. Al didn't say anything about it, but has since always looked out the corner of his eye at me. I got 20 jump tickets out of the deal, had a blast, met lots of new friends, and found yet another really cool place to jump! And hence Bob Sinclaire, a resident Coolege person for the most part during the "on" season, coined the nick name for me as "Eloy Annie"! Ta da! Bon, Voila, l' histoire! Eloy Annie, AKA Tinkerbelle Rehab is for quitters. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve1 5 #4 March 30, 2004 Tinkerbelle, After reading your letter, I've decided I really need to move to Arizona for at least part of the year. I've only been to Eloy and Coolege once, but I can't wait to return. What a fun place and great people!.....Steve1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beerlight 0 #5 March 30, 2004 Tink, isn't it "Coolidge" or have I been incorrect all these years???? Buck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflygoddess 0 #6 March 31, 2004 Bullet Bob! He is awesome! I got to meet him in coolidge just this winter. He is so much fun to talk to and to watch land...lol...nm about that last remark. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elfanie 0 #8 March 31, 2004 QuoteTink, isn't it "Coolidge" or have I been incorrect all these years???? Buck No...you are correct...it is Coolidge. ) -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beerlight 0 #9 March 31, 2004 I would love to come by. But oops, I'm stuck in Houston. I just flew near Coolidge a last year ferrying a plane from Vegas back to Houston. Should've stopped by..... maybe next time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
