Lost Drop Zones Project

[nndefense 4]

Pat, life's been good, I think. Married, seven grandkids, ex-security contractor, retired after I left Blackwater in '07. Writing a blog now to keep retirement from completely driving me insane. Understand you're in computers now. Update me. I don't jump anymore, but thinking about it. Living in Virginia since 1980.

Check out my blog. There's one story you love. You'll know it when you see it.

http://blog.iadmitit.info Oops!

Later, Mike

[patmoore 14]

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Pat, life's been good, I think. Married, seven grandkids, ex-security contractor, retired after I left Blackwater in '07. Writing a blog now to keep retirement from completely driving me insane. Understand you're in computers now. Update me. I don't jump anymore, but thinking about it. Living in Virginia since 1980.

Check out my blog. There's one story you love. You'll know it when you see it.

http;//blog.iadmitit.info

Later, Mike

Enjoyed the write up! (There's a typo in your URL, replace the ; with a :).

I have my ex's old Papillon and I've been tempted to air it out on a windy day. I think you've convinced me otherwise.....

DZGone.com
B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152.

If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

[nndefense 4]

Pat, thanks for the edit. Was in a hurry. Would love to see the old pic if you can find it without much trouble.

[RogerRamjet 0]

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When I first started jumping in Homestead FL, there was a place called "Kendall Glider Port"just north of Homestead which also had jumping & was run by a guy named Monty. He then had a place on the North side of Lake Okeechobee (north from Clewiston) for a while.

I made quite a few jumps at that Glider Port. I believe they had a Stinson with something like a 450hp engine on it, loudest aircraft I ever jumped from. Jumped out there with Bobby Grey, Pam Tayon, Beanpole, and a few others while working for Bill Booth. Would have been 1974/75.

Made one jump at Homestead airport from a Bell JetRanger owned (or rented) by Quinn Martin Productions. They were filming a TV series called Caribe Force and Pam made a stunt double jump for which I spotted. While talking about the jump back at the airport, I said I had always wanted to jump out of a helicopter at which point the Director looked at the pilot and said "I think we can arrange that." I stepped off the skid at 4K for my only helicopter jump (or ride for that matter). There was no jump operation there, so probably not legal

Edited to update the HP on the Stinson after an email from Hooper about it (thanks Hoop!).

-----------------------
Roger "Ramjet" Clark
FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

[patmoore 14]

Quote

Pat, thanks for the edit. Was in a hurry. Would love to see the old pic if you can find it without much trouble.

Found it. It was a shot of me making an accuracy jump. Note the nasty storm clouds in the background.

DZGone.com
B-4600, C-3615, D-1814, Gold Wings #326, Diamond Wings #152.

If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!

[nndefense 4]

Ah! Memories, good and not so good, arise. Thanks, Pat.
The storm? They could get particularly intense from time to time, but didn't interfere with things that much.

[muff528 3]

Quote

Ah! Memories, good and not so good, arise. Thanks, Pat.
The storm? They could get particularly intense from time to time, but didn't interfere with things that much.

Do you remember where in the Lakeland area this was? I can try to get a current photo of the place. Maybe at the current location of South Lakeland Airpark (Cliff's place is still there) or some other spot that is now used for some other purpose?

[JerryBaumchen 1,047]

Hi pat,

Neat photo, and that is exactly how we did it in those days; on the risers, stretching out flat for all you were worth &, of course, downwind.

But not many people these days know what we are talking about.

JerryBaumchen

[jimartle 0]

Back in the day (late 60's early 70's) those were the patients that I would get at the DZ (being the DZ paramedic). Students and jumpers reaching for the disc. Same injury... different mechanisim. Lying out for the disc, hurt the lower back. Students... classic 3 point landing, Heels, Ass and Head!

[nndefense 4]

In the attached photo, you'll see a large white building to the east of the racetrack which, for some reason, is highlighted in blue. The airstrip, which was a rough dirt strip lay along the dragstrip. About 1800 ft. long as I remember. It was a very tight DZ. The road that lead to it was the road to Plant City as I recall. The DZ was northeast of Lakeland. Help?

http://www.rockgroupdevelopment.com/images/fl/Lakeland-Aerial-600w.jpg

[muff528 3]

Quote

In the attached photo, you'll see a large white building to the east of the racetrack which, for some reason, is highlighted in blue. The airstrip, which was a rough dirt strip lay along the dragstrip. About 1800 ft. long as I remember. It was a very tight DZ. The road that lead to it was the road to Plant City as I recall. The DZ was northeast of Lakeland. Help?

http://www.rockgroupdevelopment.com/images/fl/Lakeland-Aerial-600w.jpg

Been to that track, USA Int'l Speedway, many times. Until the track was closed it was used by some NASCAR teams for testing and was also used for Hooters Series racing. The road goes to Polk City and is not too far from Kermit Weeks' "Fantasy of Flight" facility. Not too far from where I live in Lakeland.

[skydived19006 4]

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On a drive across the US many many years ago, we came across a tiny little drop zone somewhere in Kansas, it was called Pegasus I think. We arrived and knocked on their mobile home door and the husband and wife dz owners looked really surprised and happy that someone showed up! We did a jump, three of us, from a plane I can´t remember the name of but it was made of fabric!
Anyone else remember that DZ? Think it was just a grass strip in the middle of nowhere!
Sweet memories of days long gone.......

Lena

That would have been Bob Swinson and maybe his ex wife, I don't know about the "Ol' Lady". Sounds like something out of Fandango. Anyway, Pegasus was at Jetmore Ks, Bob purchased land with or without a runway in Oklahoma I think in the early 90s, and moved Pegasus down there. He's still there doing his thing. "Interesting" guy, English transplant, old codger set in his ways, etc. I recently attended a IERC with him.

Anyway, here he is: http://www.dropzone.com/dropzone/Detailed/1094.shtml

Martin

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

AC DZ

[D22369 0]

Reading this thread makes me sad, all the places that I never saw, and the ones I did that are gone - all the memories compiled would take a lifetime to record. *also sad because I didnt see this thread till it got pulled back up.

but to add:

Skydive brownstown, or skydive yakima in brownstown *(dont recall) - owned by Dennis Williams and Leonard Kunz till Dennis went in chasing a student in trouble - 94' or 95'

Then Leonard opened skydive yakima and moved to zillah on a really nice private strip - made my first jump there, Leonard closed down some years ago, is still onery as hell and in better shape than most 30 year olds in spite of his advanced age. from time to time we talk about renting a cessna and pulling the door
Richland skysports - I worked there from 98 - 2004 full time, best group ever! - if you were there between that time we had to have met.

Roy

Ps: sorry for the necro on your post

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

[danchapman 0]

We jumped at Lakehurst, NJ also, for a MEPA meet, in spring '63. I don't know if this was a military DZ but it was the Navy Base that was the scene of the Hindenburg dirigible disaster, late 30's. In '63 you could still see the huge dirigible hangers at Lakehurst, so big that clouds would form inside them.
That meet was the result, in part, of the efforts of Navy's Mac McGraw, an all around great guy, who the old timers from NJ will recall.
The meet was for intermediate or expert jumpers who had logged over 100 jumps. At the time I had about 50, but was logging jumps in 2 log books as one of my instructors had lost his, and recommended we keep a dummy log books. Well, I had logged over a hundred jumps, and managed to be accepted. Actually, most of us knew each other, the MEPA meets were monthly, and the rules were not always enforced to the letter.
We jumped Navy C-47 (civilian DC3), the Navy Shootin' Stars regular jump ship. The last jump of the day was team accuracy and it got dark before all the teams jumped. Ground control radioed the plane to land with the remaining jumpers aboard. Mac was still abord with a dozen or so of us still left to jump when the orders came through. Mac assumed command and persuaded the pilot, instead of landing, to make a jump run at 10,5 and we made a mass exit from there.Also at that meet I met Ted Taylor (I believe that was his name), the first black jumper I'd met, a D license holder, Jumpmaster and I believe a Navy rigger. I always wondered what happened to Ted.

[beowulf 1]

I did my AFF at Williston in 1998. I really liked that little dropzone.

[fcajump 153]

Attached please find a consolidated list of the dropzones I've gotten thus far from this thread.

I guarentee:
- omissions
- incorrect classifications of town names / DZ names / airport names
- typo's
- incorrect states assigned when the author was not clear (or even if they were)
- much missing information

If folks wish to send me corrections, additions, etc... I will repost the file as it grows.

If someone does get the notion to turn this data into an online web site of lost DZ's, go for it.

JW

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[johnb250 0]

Thank you for that info! Yes, now that you mentioned it, I do recall the guy was British - which was extra funny since my boyfriend is also British and it was a bit of a blast to walk into a little dropzone in the middle of Kansas - to find another Englishman as the DZ owner! I seem to remember his wife flew the plane and he jumped with us!

[howardwhite 4]

Massachusetts:
Norfolk (fix spelling)
Add:
Turners Falls: 1959? - 1996
Shirley
Fitchburg (early 60s)
Northampton - ? - 2004
And more to come.

New Hampshire
Moultonboro
New Boston
Berlin

And more to come.

HW (who might actually get around to doing the site.)

[wmw999 2,120]

I think Northampton started around 1980; it wasn't there when I was packing at Turners in 1978, and I think it had already started when I was back for a day in 1981,

Wendy P.

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)

[fcajump 153]

Updated -

Attached please find a consolidated list of the dropzones I've gotten thus far from this thread.

I guarentee:
- omissions
- incorrect classifications of town names / DZ names / airport names
- typo's
- incorrect states assigned when the author was not clear (or even if they were)
- much missing information

If folks wish to send me corrections, additions, etc... I will repost the file as it grows.

If someone does get the notion to turn this data into an online web site of lost DZ's, go for it.

JW

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[fcajump 153]

More changes.
Thanks to several people for input.
JW

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[murrays 0]

Here is a Google Maps link to the three Prairie Skymasters Parachute Club locations from 1978 to 2006.

PSM Locations

The club was in existence from 1976 to 2006. I will have to double check on the years of operation at Colonsay. I think it was 1978 but may have been earlier than that.

--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

[steve1 5]

Montana has had a lot of drop zones come and go. Some relocated. I have fond memories of the drop zone in Kalispell. That is where the Osprey Club started. They relocated to Lost Prairie. Several of the old timers are still there. Several live next to the D.Z.

Missoula had a drop zone in the 60's and 70's. Possibly even the 50's. That's where B.J. Worth started. It moved to Stevensville and then Hamilton. As far as I know it is still in operation. It is supposed to be the oldest collegiant club in the nation. The only thing is I don't think there's any college kids in it now....

Many people remember Williston. I thought they were talking about Williston, North Dakota. It's long gone now.

I heard there was once a drop zone in Glasgow.

There may have been a small club in Helena. I know some jumping went on there for a while in the 70's.

Bozeman had a college club. I knew one guy who burned in there. There may still be some jumping there now with Jeff Swab.

Not too many years ago there were two drop zones at Laurel.

Now about the only Sport Jumping that remains in Montana is in the Western part of the state, at Lost Prairie, Ronan, and Hamilton....(possibly Bozeman)....

[howardwhite 4]

More, this time New York.
Frontier Skydivers still exists, it's just moved to Newfane.
Sha-Wan-Ga and Shawanga are the same.
I don't think Lake Placid was ever a full-time DZ; it was used for Labor Day meets for several years in the late 60s.
The West Bloomfield DZ was "Gift of Wings" Skydiving.
Seneca Falls was just Seneca Falls Skydiving Center or something like that.
The Malone skydivers still exist, but have moved to Swanton, VT.
Stormville was, I guess, Stormville Skydiving Center. It had a Lodestar and was the site of considerable numbers of early SCR/SCS jumps.
Java and Arcade were two separate DZ; once one, until the owners argued and one set up another DZ only a few miles away.
More to come.
HW

[jerry9461 0]

Hello Howard:
Java, NY was Gift of Wings
Arcade was Wyoming County
Frontier was at Akron, NY for a long time in the 70s

In OH, there was Grafton, and a DZ called Telstar(?) near Mansfield for a few years in the 70s