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patmoore

Lost Drop Zones Project

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Sorry to be so conspicuous by my absence. I broke my tib-fib in March when I lost an argument with my snowboard. I am comparatively healthy now other than two bum knees (five surgeries). I hope to retire in three weeks. Sometime after that I hope to launch the long-delayed website devoted to this topic.

Unfortunately my sister helped clean out one of our rooms a couple of years ago and all my log books are missing. That'll make it difficult for my own recollections. I'll be seeking your memories and pictures.

Help me out with one DZ. I don't know if it still exists but it sure is a vivid memory. I'm guessing the year was 1970. My wife (at the time) and I had done well at the conference meet qualifying for the Nationals at Plattsburgh and a DZ operator in (North?) Carolina generously offered us ten free style jumps each. He said he had a campground with hot showers. We got there and set up our tent. The ops center was under a large roof but had no sides. Industrial sewing machines, etc. were essentially outside.

The most remarkable feature of the airport was the runway. It was built vertically on the side of a hill. He had a Twin Beech and a 182. Regardless of the wind he took off downhill and landed uphill. I don't recall seeing any other jumpers that day but he did provide us with about a half dozen style jumps each before we resumed our drive north.

Without my logbooks I can't retrieve any more info than that. Does anyone have a clue where it was? We really appreciated the opportunity to get the free training jumps.
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!

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patmoore

Sorry to be so conspicuous by my absence. I broke my tib-fib in March when I lost an argument with my snowboard. I am comparatively healthy now other than two bum knees (five surgeries). I hope to retire in three weeks. Sometime after that I hope to launch the long-delayed website devoted to this topic.



What topic? Skydiving? Snowboarding? Retirement? Your accident?
( o Y o )

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Might PM Woody Binnicker. He's from down there. There was a place in Barnhill SC, but I don't remember it up/down hill. Had a hog auction place on the airport though.
U only make 2 jumps: the first one for some weird reason and the last one that you lived through. The rest are just filler.
scr 316

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It sounds like a place called Asteroid owned by Gene Mike Bland. I went there for a meet in the mid eighties. There was a yellow Porter there, I think it was Jimmy Godwin's, we had 11 jumpers on board and it sucked. Miserable ride to altitude. I remember it was out in the country but I can't remember much about the runway.

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If/when you set up the site, could you organize it by state or something so its easier to search than the unorganized list that's on here. I'm getting old and can't remember if I put down a DZ or not and don't want to clutter it up with the same place twice.
U only make 2 jumps: the first one for some weird reason and the last one that you lived through. The rest are just filler.
scr 316

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jackwallace

If/when you set up the site, could you organize it by state or something so its easier to search than the unorganized list that's on here. I'm getting old and can't remember if I put down a DZ or not and don't want to clutter it up with the same place twice.



Put it down again.... most of us are older and won't remember if you already listed it. :P
Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

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I'm thinking the DZ was called Trinity.

Yep, I'm in the process of designing drop downs that will cover Region, State, and DZ.
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!

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I am in the process of buying a lost drop zone. It is a private runway, hangar and house in south central PA, North of the town of East Berlin. The York Skydivers jumped there from 1966 until the mid Seventies. I will not be operating a commercial DZ but, I may occasionally jump there when I have the time. The last hurdle to jump is a zoning approval for my aircraft and auto restoration business to operate in the hangar. Hopefully everything will be approved and we will close on the property at the end of October. It has been a life long dream to live and work at my own airfield. It is now up to the zoning board. Some of the pioneers who jumped there include Joe Smith, Dave Dewolf, Mike Shultz, Wanda Cooper, Jack Demme, Lyle Goodin, and countless others. Many who made there first jump there are still active in the sport, The Selway brothers, Skip Eckert, Ted Barnes, Dave Demme, and Bill Martin just to name a few.

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Hey, Cliff!

I was back online today to do some reading and respond to your offer of jumping and saw this post first. All I can say is
Thanks for the Offer! & You're maybe getting your own airport!?

I definitely gotta figure out a way to get to PA. ;) I haven't turned wrenches on an aircraft in a while but I'm still an A&P.

As for our mutual cutaway a few years ago, I'm glad I took a delay and tracked a bit. ;) I remember hearing & seeing you go by. BTW, thanks again for finding my main. I jumped that Fury until 1999 before losing it on a 6 man intentional cutaway reserve load.

CYA

____________________________________
I'm back in the USA!!

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Six years after suggesting a website devoted to Lost Drop Zones I've finally pulled the trigger and created one. I retired last Friday and have been working ever since to get it up and running. I'm new to Dreamweaver so it's been a laborious process and I still need to iron out some wrinkles (I know Georgia isn't in the Southwest). I have over 300 lost DZs documented but nothing in the way of stories other than two I've submitted for Riverview and Lakeland Florida. Your mission is to dig into your memory banks and share your stories and photos from the early days of our sport. Send them to [email protected] along with your name, license (optional), the years the DZ was in operation, and anything else you think would be of interest to others. Definitely send pictures! And share the site with others from the early days.

DZGone.com
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!

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patmoore

Six years after suggesting a website devoted to Lost Drop Zones I've finally pulled the trigger and created one. I retired last Friday and have been working ever since to get it up and running. I'm new to Dreamweaver so it's been a laborious process and I still need to iron out some wrinkles (I know Georgia isn't in the Southwest). I have over 300 lost DZs documented but nothing in the way of stories other than two I've submitted for Riverview and Lakeland Florida. Your mission is to dig into your memory banks and share your stories and photos from the early days of our sport. Send them to [email protected] along with your name, license (optional), the years the DZ was in operation, and anything else you think would be of interest to others. Definitely send pictures! And share the site with others from the early days.

DZGone.com



i didnt see pahokee in the florida tab
Flock University FWC / ZFlock
B.A.S.E. 1580
Aussie BASE 121

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patmoore



... Can you tell me anything about the DZ so I can update the listing?

DZGone.com



I went to the "New Jersey" section and was surprised to see the towns where two DZs that I owned were located. One entry is a typo. You have "Fiarton" which should be Fairton.

When you wrote "...tell me anything about the DZ..." what kind of information are you looking for? How many words? Do you want pictures? Give us some guidelines regarding format.

Maybe a page such as "Guidelines for Lost DZ Owners/Operators" would be helpful for you and for us.

Great effort, Pat. Thanks.
Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

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Thanks for the heads up on the typo. I just fixed it.

I'd love to get a brief history and description of the DZ, regulars who jumped there, and any stories you think others might find of interest. Definitely would like photos.

Here's a sample I put together for Riverview, FL
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!

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Just want to thank all the folks who have been sending stories and photos. The volume of information is really growing. Check out all the states where you've jumped and send me old photos and short writeups about the DZs or even jump stories you think others would like to read. Share the site with others and save it in favorites. It's being updated daily.

DZGone.com
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!

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"Pat, you MUST be retired by now, how about scanning some more photos for us (please, please)?

-----------------------
Roger "Ramjet" Clark
FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519"
__________________________________________________
Retired a week ago. Can't believe how busy I am. On the "to do" list is to dig out the old Kodak Carousel and go through a dozen trays from back then.

Just updated the page for Indiantown. Check it out.
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!

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I'm not going to dig through the whole thread right now. I a thread regarding current and former Kansas DZs here in 2008. Not a real long thread, but seems to cover the history pretty well.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=3204702;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;
Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

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Thanks Martin!

I've updated the listing for Kansas. Do you have any short stories or photos from some of the old DZs?

Here's an example of a page from a DZ in Wisconsin. Pretty cool that there's a voucher for a lift ticket to 7200 feet for $3.50.
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!

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