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377

Pope Valley CA DZ pictures?

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Yeah Jeffy, I remember those movies and the chill up my spine everytime I hear Boston's stuff; like "More than a Feeling." Of course the next thing I remember (also with a chill up my spine) is watching those movies on the wall at OZMO next to some porn during somebody's batchelor party. :P(Damn, who's was that.............it'll come to me as soon as I hit send).

(Thank God, I've effectively blotted out the image of Rick True on the pool table with the stripper. :S

Ted
D6691 SCR 3975 SCS 2242 NSCR 698
On the road to wrack and ruin…………
but making damn good time.

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Holy Crap, Stevie's??? :o I was sure it was one of the young bucks. Emmett saw he and Molly recently. I'm sure you know they've got religion so those days are blotted out of his memory banks no doubt. But not out of Rick's, we can be sure those images are etched into his fragile egg-shell mind. ;)

Hmmmmm, is there a "what happened to Rozzo?" thread. There needs to be; that one would go on forever........ :P

Ted
D6691 SCR 3975 SCS 2242 NSCR 698
On the road to wrack and ruin…………
but making damn good time.

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Hi Tidlof,

***what happened to Rozzo?" thread. There needs to be; that one would go on forever........ ***

I saw him about 8 years ago at his dz in Las Vegas. It was his last day of ownership as he had sold it.

Later ( not sure when ) I have heard that he was working for some furniture place in LV doing deliveries or similar.

One unique guy though,

JerryBaumchen

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One unique guy though,


Boy Howdy. Tom's "gang" was so unique, each one of them, that someone should write a book about them. If it was a bit on the light hearted side, which I believe it should be, Jimmy Buffett would write it.

One of them, Mike Culler was "back in town" and visited Emmett (Florea) recently. Like Tom, Mike's keeping a low profile. Emmett said he was pretty guarded :ph34r: and not telling the real story like he so boldly used to. Either that or he's now just another guy like the rest of us. :);)
Ted
D6691 SCR 3975 SCS 2242 NSCR 698
On the road to wrack and ruin…………
but making damn good time.

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One unique guy though,


Boy Howdy. Tom's "gang" was so unique, each one of them, that someone should write a book about them. If it was a bit on the light hearted side, which I believe it should be, Jimmy Buffett would write it.

I worked as a TM for for Rozzo for five years. You sure said a mouthful when you said that group was "unique" . Just as you said BOY HOWDY !


bozo
Pain is fleeting. Glory lasts forever. Chicks dig scars.

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Recent article on Pope Valley, mentions the old DZ but also says:
Quote

“The airport was once the world’s largest parachute training facility during World War II.”



Is that correct? I had never heard that Pope Valley was used for WW2 parachute training.


http://napavalleyregister.com/star/news/opinion/columnists/jeff-warren/article_cb98779e-60ca-11e0-becf-001cc4c002e0.html

377
2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

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Speaking of old Bel helmets, have you seen how much old Bell 500s bring on eBay? Hundreds! I dont get it, what the deal?

Bet a lot of old skydivers still have theirs.

Sure miss jumping at Pope Valley, it was the best. Bill Dause said he'd take my unused $5 Pope valley jump ticket as full payment for a jump at Lodi. Now that's customer service!

377
2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

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I got my Bell helmet from jeannie McCombs just over the hill from Pope at Calistoga. Started jumping at Pope when Curt Curtis and Tim Saltenstal opened it just after Calistoga closed. Man, I sure miss both of those DZ's. I mean, where else could you jump, land and then walk over to your hotel several times before lunch, and then do it again in the afternoon + night jump, and then start the party at the local country joint? All within 100 yards of the target.

Damn, if Bill Dause is giving jumps at Lodi using Pope $5 tickets I better start digging through my old equipment bag. Do ya think I can also get a $5 reserve re-pack at Lodi?

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Damn Mark, I just checked out the going price for my old 1962 Bell helmet. Thanks for the tip. I almost gave this puppy away to a kid up here on the hill I don't even know. I think I'll just give him an old baseball cap and keep this baby a little longer. On second thought, buzz off kid, go get your own skull cap. Hell, with the price of things today, this helmet could pay for a reserve re-pack, a few 12.5's, and a 12-pack of beer (May not be in that order though). Thanks!

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The clip below is from the upcoming Joan Carson tribute film, "Beagle Boogie Babe". Joan used to skydive at Pope Valley in the early - mid 70's.

The scenes of PV were filmed in February, 2011. Pope Valley shut down operation in the late 70's. As you can see, the dropzone has been neglected since then.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Joan Carson's fatal skydiving accident at Lost Prairie, which she helped found. Two special tribute screenings of "Beagle Boogie Babe" are slated for this summer at the Lost Prairie Boogie.

http://youtu.be/Yn4Mr-AGXtU?hd=1

More information on the project is available on the Blue Skies Forum.

Paul Gorman
Writer/Producer/Director of "Beagle Boogie Babe"

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Pope Valley was a fun place.. Helped Bill change the left engine on his DC-3 so we could jump something besides the Beach 18.. Watched 'Unity' do some of the first octoplanes..The first weekend the Brits started doing crw! Foos ball in the bar! Better than avoiding wine vines in Lodi... Sco

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I remember one weekend where we had two DC 3s and a Lodestar at Pope Valley. What a great DZ. I am sure glad I had the pleasure of jumping there in the 70s.

I also saw the lowest opening I've ever witnessed, a Canadian girl trying to do a 2 way with her boyfriend. She couldnt find him and lost track of altitude. No AAD. Seemed like she had at most a five second main canopy ride. I didn't think she was going to make it when I saw her sleeve come out.

377
2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

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If Im correct it was New Years Weekend 1971, Ed Wilkes owner/pilot of the Yolo DZ Beach 18 and Maradoth sp with his 206 had made arrangements with the owners of the Pope Valley Ranch Resort to turn it into a DZ for the weekend. We loaded up at Yolo to transit to Pope. Aparently an unhappy neighboring farmer had gotten wind and set a T bar fence along the West side of the runway. I was on the Beech with about 8 others, we were the first to arrive, it was dusk and Ed didn't see the posts until we were about to touch down... then he did he powered up but still took one in the port wing....He took us up and we bailed. He went around this time landing off the runway to the east. No structural damage was found, Duct Tape, God Bless the stuff, made it possible to continue as planed through the weekend.

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I remember the Meredith Bros. and their 206. It used to land in farmer Jensen's field right next to the Cal Club DZ in Livermore when the ground was dry enough. I thnk they also owned the 182 that John Lewis crashed in that same field. He was killed in the accident.

Pope was the best DZ ever, at least for me. I sure miss it.

377
2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

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Pope Valley...You Bet it was the Fun.in the boonies...Sky Party Heaven. From time to time Igo past it and look and remember with Big Smiles. I have not made a jump in 30 years. Knees....But this Web site might just get me past that.

Thank You!

An airplane is just a one way Taxi to the Sky.....

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Pope Valley is closed and has been for some time. The runway is basically abandoned except for random local/private use. The "resort" is closed and has been in ruin/disrepair since the DZ closed. The world a we knew it in that area has sadly come to it's end.

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I believe that a mistake might have been made when saying: that Pope valley was once the "Largest Parachute training during World War II" Still there are many of us who will agree that is was one hell of a lot of fun during the 70's and 80's in a little hide away valley just east of Yolo DZ....Back in the days before Velcro....LOL.

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