Kansas Drop Zone History

[skydived19006 4]

Out of curiosity, I tried to put together a list of Kansas DZs current and former. Am I missing any? I've been jumping since 1990, so a few obviously proceed me.

I'm also interested in any additional information on each, and especially why they closed down.

How many were in operation for 10 years? I know KSUPC, and SD Kansas have both passed 10 years, and are two of the three current DZs. OZ SPC also operated for over 10 years. Air Capital DZ is going on 7 years, might make 10, but I totally understand why DZOs burn out and move on, especially when DZO is a side to a real job!

Here's what I
come up with:
SD Kansas (current),
KSUPC (Current),
Air Capital Drop Zone (current)
OZ DZ Lyons
SD Wichita,
Sky Tours (Cook Field),
Jay Hawk Skydivers (Cook Field),
Air Capital Skydiving (Cook Field),
SD Suppesville, (still somewhat in operation)
Kansas Sky Ranch
Kansas City Skydivers (Name? Located on the Kansas side in/near KC)
Eldorado,
Cheney,
Sky Sports,
Garnett,
Jetmore,
Harrington,
Maize,
Savute's (to my knowledge just flew jumpers once in a while, never really a DZ.

Martin

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[mark 102]

Greene County, Wellsville (once part of Jim West's empire), through 1985 or 86. The guy who "bought" it from Rusty ran an operation at Paola for about a year after that.

I thought SD Kansas (Osage City) ran its operation for a while at Pomona. Is that right?

How about St Francis? The FBO there in the early 90's was Bob Grace, who had 1 or 2 thousand jumps. I don't recall if there was any regular jumping there, though.

Mark

[skydived19006 4]

Yes, SD Kansas was originally located on the Pomona/Lyndon airport. I think that they moved to Osage City after one year at Pomona/Lyndon

I had wondered if there was ever a DZ in NW Kansas, and St Francis is as NW as you can get. The short lived DZs of the 80s were before I started jumping, so never heard of them. I'm sure there are quite a few places where people had jumped but no "real DZ" existed. I saw a picture more than likely from the 70s of a guy in freefall over the Lyons airport, but there wasn't a "DZ" there until 1986.

All you need to jump (legally) is land owners permission, an airplane, pilot, skydiver/s, gear, and file the NOTAM.

Interesting info
Martin

Quote

Greene County, Wellsville (once part of Jim West's empire), through 1985 or 86. The guy who "bought" it from Rusty ran an operation at Paola for about a year after that.

I thought SD Kansas (Osage City) ran its operation for a while at Pomona. Is that right?

How about St Francis? The FBO there in the early 90's was Bob Grace, who had 1 or 2 thousand jumps. I don't recall if there was any regular jumping there, though.

Mark

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[DENNISA 0]

Martin

Way back in the old days Jim Garrison (around D-97 I think) had a DZ in the Basehor/Tonganoxie area. West of KC late 60's

We had a DZ at Edgerton close to Wellsville. Early to mid 70's

The Pittsburg State club had a DZ at Oswego, early 70's

You missed a close one at Benton, thats were they filmed "The Gypsy Moths" Late 60's

Woody Underwood ran one at Maize late 60's. Two at one time (Maize and Benton) in the Wichita area.

There was one just north of Valley Center for a short while.

There is a few more from the old guy.

Dennis Anderson
D-2759

[skyh2omedic 0]

I was going to mention Greene County at Wellsville. I was part of a group that went out there in 85 i think. Very laid back-somewhere i have some pictures. I jumped my first square there. Some of us were in the army on jump status-our class was basically here's how you climb out, toggles steer left/right ok let's go. This was in the days of no step. Left foot on the tire while the pilot held the brake-of course if you held on too long well the pilot just let off the brake. Bad spot, new canopy-long walk back to the dz-but a great picture with the railroad track and a large brush fire in the background-looked like i just ejected from a plane and was walking away from the burning heap. They had a Cool neon chartruse t shirt that said "jump" on it. Was wearing it on a FD call back and ended up talking a suicide patient off a bridge-the picture in the paper was pricelss-my shirt said Jump and talking down a suicide patient. Good memories.

"You can't teach what you don't know and you can't lead where you won't go"

[Krip 2]

Quote

All you need to jump (legally) is land owners permission, an airplane, pilot, skydiver/s, gear, and file the NOTAM

KAMO skyding club was jumping outside of Edgerton KS. The DZ was in operation at least from the late 60's to mid 70's. In addition to the above quote the facilities at the DZ included a plane tie down, one tree and a elevated fuel tank.

The person who started the club and acft owner was Danny Payne.

The other DZ at that time in the area was located in Desoto Ks area (close to lawrence and the SAAP) It had about the same facilities as KAMO's DZ. It was the home DZ of Jim Captain and Matt Farmer who later hooked up with Jerry Bird and in Ariz.

FWIW skydiving in Ks doesn't have to be a seasonal sport as long as you dress for success. Indoor packing .

R.I.P.

[skydived19006 4]

Thanks for the history Dennis,

Interesting how commercialization, primarily tandem, has changed Skydiving and drop zones. Seems that 30 years ago a DZ consisted of some sort of a runway, an airplane, and a tree, quite a few of them anyway. I have a little perspective with 18 years in the sport (7 as a DZO), seen DZs and skydivers come and go. It’s always interesting (annoying) to have what we refer to as “200 jump wonders” try to tell me how I should run a DZ. Hell, any DZ that’s been in operation for more than 5 years is an anomaly it seems. I often tell them that when they have 1000 jumps, or 10 years in the sport to get back with me.

Anyway, it seems that running a small DZ is in ways a lot harder than running a large one. Not that the medium, and large ones don’t have their own set of issues. Working a real job, combined with an all consuming DZ seems to kill DZOs, marriages, and families, and many small DZs fold after 1 or 2 years.

I started a similar thread in a local forum, more as a lesson in history, and in an attempt to give folks a bit of perspective. I did another one regarding the aircraft crash history on Derby Cook Filed (K50). In the 7 years before I owned the DZ, there were 5 airplanes crashed. In the 7 years since I’ve been DZO that number is zero. Maybe it has/had more to do with maintenance and pilots than “bad mojo”?

Martin
D-19006

Quote

Martin

Way back in the old days Jim Garrison (around D-97 I think) had a DZ in the Basehor/Tonganoxie area. West of KC late 60's

We had a DZ at Edgerton close to Wellsville. Early to mid 70's

The Pittsburg State club had a DZ at Oswego, early 70's

You missed a close one at Benton, thats were they filmed "The Gypsy Moths" Late 60's

Woody Underwood ran one at Maize late 60's. Two at one time (Maize and Benton) in the Wichita area.

There was one just north of Valley Center for a short while.

There is a few more from the old guy.

Dennis Anderson
D-2759

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[goldwing 0]

I think the Nationals were held at Olathe, KS back in the 60's and the Navy might have done some jumping as well at the Naval Air Station there.

You haven't lived until you've almost died"

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

Hi goldwing,

The Nationals were in Olathe, KS in 1962.

Jerry Baumchen

[howardwhite 4]

Quote

Way back in the old days Jim Garrison (around D-97 I think) had a DZ in the Basehor/Tonganoxie area. West of KC late 60's

I know from nothing about Kansas, but I was just looking (for other reasons) in the March '68 issue of DZ-USA and found:
-A For Sale ad for a rebuilt 16mm helmet-mounted Fairchild movie camera, offered by (and with a picture of) Jim Garrison, D-94.
-Notice of a meet at Tonganoxie, "..located about 15 miles west of downtown Kansas City, Missouri on Highway 24-40."
DZ-USA was published by C. E. "Gene" Hunnell of Wichita. He showed up on another web site a couple of years ago, looking to renew acquaintance with people who remembered him.

HW

[stratostar 5]

Don't forget the Kaw Valley Skydivers, to the best of my memory, were jumping in and around KC-Topeka in the late 60's. This club later became the Topeka Skydivers and was located north of Topeka @ mesa verda airport, or mesa dirty as us locals called it.

This dz was host or home to KUSPC for many years 1976 to 1982 or 83 when Rick Estrin sold out the Topeka Skydivers gear to KSUSPC and they moved to the current location. (Topeka Skydivers operated under a number of names from 1970 to 1983)

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

Hi howard,

Re: DZ-USA was published by C. E. "Gene" Hunnell

So do you know how a guy with the initials C.E. gets a name of Gene?

Some trivia for you,

JerryBaumchen

[howardwhite 4]

Quote

So do you know how a guy with the initials C.E. gets a name of Gene?

No.

HW

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

Hi howard,

Re: No.

Well, he actually told us once in an edition of his DZ-USA.

C.E. = Carlos Eugene => Gene

JerryBaumchen

[stratostar 5]

You know how these days you hear people bitchen about DZ's and their lack of swimming pools, bars, AC packing areas, and all kinds of other crybaby shit.

Well here are a few photos of Mesa Dirty DZ (Topeka Skydivers & KSUSPC) for the new kids to get an idea of what a lot of Cessna DZ's all across the US were like back in the day 60's & 70's, nothing fancy, just some rigs and a 172 or 182 (if your lucky) and grass strip.

#1. The view from the where the peas were located.

#2.The packing area view, (over grown now) some one once tried to correct me talking about a "flower pack" and thought I couldn't spell "flour", No I ment flowers, dirt clods, dust, rocks and some pea gravel for shits and grins, that other stuff always found it's way in when grass/dirt packing.

#3.The classroom, well, ok, it was the class room after you pushed out the 182. This also was the clubhouse, shade tent, manifest, rigging loft, bar, cafe and gear room.

#4. The hanging harness was hung in this location, at that time there was not any metal in place.

5. The old gear locker is still there much to my surprise and so bad not even the racoons want to live there.

#6. That is the place you would go if you had to take a dump or a wiz, if your lucky you might have some TP to wipe with or napkins left over from the lunch run, however with crop dusters on the strip you always steal the "auto flager" maker tissue or WDI tissue, but it leaves yellow streaks on your ass. Hey it was a long drive to town to take a shit.

Anyway the next time you hear people bitchen about how bad some place are today, well then they haven't really see a bare bones DZ.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[skydived19006 4]

That's cool. I assume that you don't have any vintage pictures? I wonder if anyone at Skydive K-State (recently changed from KSUPC), would have any old pictures from that DZ location.

I would think that they might like to have a few pictures from the Skydive Topeka DZ at their Wamego DZ. They're still operating with no running water, and a privy, so the pictures could be handy when someone complains about the outdoor facilities.

I know that a couple of the DZ locations Dennis mentioned are nothing more than a grass strip, and maybe a T-hanger similar to what you show here.

So, you're in Kansas?

Martin

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[howardwhite 4]

Quote

KAMO skyding club was jumping outside of Edgerton KS. The DZ was in operation at least from the late 60's to mid 70's. ...The person who started the club and acft owner was Danny Payne.

The 1970 USPA directory lists "Konitz, 2 mi SW of Edgenton, KS..." with Danny Payne as contact and LTC Joe Thomas as ASO.
Thomas is also listed as ASO for the Ft. Leavenworth SPC and the Tri-City Airport, Parsons, KS, (KSC Skydivers).

HW

[airtwardo 6]

Quote

Greene County, Wellsville (once part of Jim West's empire), through 1985 or 86. The guy who "bought" it from Rusty ran an operation at Paola for about a year after that.

I thought SD Kansas (Osage City) ran its operation for a while at Pomona. Is that right?

How about St Francis? The FBO there in the early 90's was Bob Grace, who had 1 or 2 thousand jumps. I don't recall if there was any regular jumping there, though.

Mark

I taught at Greene County-Wellsville for a while back in 81'...neat little operation.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[stratostar 5]

Quote

I assume that you don't have any vintage pictures?

The only vintage images I have are in the air & an old Topeka newspaper story from 1976 and I don't think it would scan well and I would have to find it. I know people who might have some old images on the ground, but that would be like hearding cats to get copies.

Quote

I wonder if anyone at Skydive K-State (recently changed from KSUPC), would have any old pictures from that DZ location.

You'd be surprised to find that a lot of the members these days don't even know about the years spent there and they act dumb founded or like they don't believe ya if you talk about it. But I was there and lived it and trained many a K-state jumper there, I used to have a lifetime membership card, but it was lost in CA, when my wallet was taken, now days they don't have them.

That's ok, Rock Chalk Jayhawks!

Quote

So, you're in Kansas?

Yep, Topeka, for a few days seeing some old friends before returning to the road.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[stratostar 5]

I always loved the runway that crossed the county road, even had airplane crossing signs too.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[airtwardo 6]

Quote

I always loved the runway that crossed the county road, even had airplane crossing signs too.

I was kinda working my way cross-country, stopped there for a weekend spent a spring & summer...

I loved the way the folks there adopted me, not just at the DZ ...but the wonderful little university full of rich Bettys!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Krip 2]

Quote

Quote

KAMO skyding club was jumping outside of Edgerton KS. The DZ was in operation at least from the late 60's to mid 70's. ...The person who started the club and acft owner was Danny Payne.

The 1970 USPA directory lists "Konitz, 2 mi SW of Edgenton, KS..." with Danny Payne as contact and LTC Joe Thomas as ASO.
Thomas is also listed as ASO for the Ft. Leavenworth SPC and the Tri-City Airport, Parsons, KS, (KSC Skydivers).

Quote

Hi HW

I'm thinking "Konitz" was the name of the cattle farmer that owned the property and let the Jump club use his property for jumping, airplane tiedown, elevated fuel tank.

Ft levenworth Ks was the home of Army war college so the army folks in the area were usually only assigned to the area for 1 yr. The ASO whn we got there was a navy enlisted swine vet & rigger.

Edgerton/KAMO DZ Facilities?

Bldgs: Nope
Shade: One tree
Classroom: Club members house during the week
Gear storage: car trunk
Manifest: Girlfriend/wife & Pencil, Paper
Water: BOW
Phone: Go to town
Electricity: High voltage
Privy: Go to town
Pea gravel:Danny Page started the club and was old school Acc & Style sooo the DZ had a nice pea gravel pit.
Runway
The DZ was so retro "back in the day" it was pre camera so sorry we don't have any pics.

FWIW "KAMO" stands for Kansas Misouri with the majority of the jumpers coming from Kansas city 30-45 miles away.

[diverdriver 5]

Quote

Martin

Way back in the old days Jim Garrison (around D-97 I think) had a DZ in the Basehor/Tonganoxie area. West of KC late 60's

We had a DZ at Edgerton close to Wellsville. Early to mid 70's

The Pittsburg State club had a DZ at Oswego, early 70's

You missed a close one at Benton, thats were they filmed "The Gypsy Moths" Late 60's

Woody Underwood ran one at Maize late 60's. Two at one time (Maize and Benton) in the Wichita area.

There was one just north of Valley Center for a short while.

There is a few more from the old guy.

Dennis Anderson
D-2759

Didn't Jim Garrison jump in Gypsy Moths? The story I was told was that he did the low pull scene and that the director kept saying "lower, lower, gotta pull lower". So, Jim pulled so low he was basicly going in and the director was shaking in his shoes as Jim walked up and said "that fucking low enough for you?"

It's what I was told.

Chris Schindler
www.diverdriver.com
ATP/D-19012
FB #4125

[wikid14141 0]

I have some pictures of my uncle Doug when he lived in the loft and used to jump at a DZ in Hutchison or near Hutch back in the late 70's or maybe early 80's. Is one of those DZ's listed in Hutch? I'm not sure of everything he said about those pics but I do remember him saying that they were from Hutch.

[stratostar 5]

Quote

Is one of those DZ's listed in Hutch?

Sky Sports

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo