Lost Drop Zones Project

[T10PCM1 0]

Tar Heel Sport Parachute Center, Trinity, NC.
Charles Spillman owned and ran the DZ.
Active fom the late 1960's and closed in the early to
mid 1970's.

The Thomasville Sky Knights, Thomasville, NC. just
a few miles as the crow, or the "Cessna 172-182" flies." They operated about the same time as the
before mentioned.

The Astroid Parachute Center, Hwy. 64, out of Asheboro, NC operated in the mid 1980's.
Most of the same jumpers were involved at these
DZ's. Mike Bland headed it uo.

[danchapman 0]

I have many memories of these DZ's, especially Manville, NJ, home of the flamboyant millionaire playboy of the 1950's Tommy Manville, and home of Johns-Manville, huge insulation mfger. I left home for the summer of '63 and hitchhiked from my home on Long Island to Manville with my rig- a B4, I was 15 and had about 50 or so jumps. Ray Guilfoyle was opening a DZ (Lee's brother) and needed some help. No pay, but sleeping on the packing table in an old Chicken Coop which I helped convert to a packing shed. Ray and his wife fed me and I got free jumps, got to pack chutes and teach first jump course. I would also stay up nights if there was a night flight coming in to Decker Field and needed runway lights turned on. I remember down the road was a college (AB White College, no longer in existance) whose total enrollment was about 50 students- Zarepath we called it, they lived communally and were pacifist/vegetarians. They would let me eat lunch with them, in the communal dining room, they grew their own food and were adept at making food look like meat. I would swear I was eating meat loaf but it was all vegetables. Got back to LI in time for preseason football practice.

[airtwardo 6]

Too COOL!

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

[goldwing 0]

Laredo Skydivers Laredo, TX circa 1968-69

Short lived DZ just South of Elkhorn, WI late 1970's might have been a Trevor Busst enterprise?

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

[jonstark 8]

Has anyone mentioned...

Greene County in Jenkinsburg, GA

Beaver Valley Skydivers in New Freedom, PA (Pittsburgh area)

Skydive City in Sylvania, GA (Savannah area)

[captain1976 0]

Here are some DZ's of the past.interesting stories. I was affiliated with Hebron where the Land of Lincoln Skydiving Club was located but I didn't come on until 1972.


http://www.searchour.net/lofl/history-sd.htm

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[jonstark 8]

Forgot...

Culmerville, PA near Pittsburgh and home to some fine a/c, jumpers and their antics. A rebel/RW DZ when there was a strong Style and Accuracy presence elsewhere nearby.

[lekstrom10k 0]

Cant think of the name of the DZ on the east side of Pittsburgh. The state took over part of the airport as a park . You took off going downhill with a ski jump bottom in a Howard ,then the plane landed going up hill.The owner always wanted us to stop at Put-in-bay for wine on our way from Detroit. He had warm Iron City Beers waiting for us. It tasted like it was strained through a bucket of rusty nails. Howards are fun to jump. And as always I wouldnt trade the good times for anything.

[patmoore 14]

Gosh. This thread lay dormant for a long time. When I started it over a year ago I mentioned a cool site called nelsap.org. Someone emailed me and said he was interested in creating a similar site for lost Drop Zones but never followed through. I design websites but don't have the time to pursue this project. Nevertheless I think it has merit and could really grow with all the input you folks could provide.

Anyone interested in spearheading it?

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!

[captain1976 0]

Quote

Gosh. This thread lay dormant for a long time. When I started it over a year ago I mentioned a cool site called nelsap.org. Someone emailed me and said he was interested in creating a similar site for lost Drop Zones but never followed through. I design websites but don't have the time to pursue this project. Nevertheless I think it has merit and could really grow with all the input you folks could provide.

Anyone interested in spearheading it?

Might have time coming up this summer, but I know as well as you do it takes a lot of time and effort. Makin a living comes first though.

Hats off to all the guys and gals who manage those sites.

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[lekstrom10k 0]

The name of the DZ was Kiski. Does anyone know what happened to "Fast Harry Grigget " . I think that was his last name . I think he was from the DZ on the south side of Pittsburgh

[trebilco 0]

I remember as a young boy early 60's Land of Linclon Skydivers had a loft / training center in Chicago on Milwauukee Ave by Montrose. I grew up a half block from that loft. I used to watch them pack looking thru the window. Does anybody know who ran that operation in Chicago? I assume the DZ was Hebron.

[psychoswooper 2]

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 did quite a few jumps at Utah Sky Ranch in Ogden Utah run by Larry Bagley, who was at that time Pres of USPA....
Then there was Crestview FL (Bob Sikes Airport) owned by Brigitta Holmgardd who then married Bob Hollar & they had it together for a few years.

[BillyVance 34]

I'm trying to remember where the old DZ near Mobile, AL used to be. I think it was before Gold Coast Skydivers took up residence at Moss Point, MS.

I found a grass runway airport called Roy E. Ray Airport located just west-north-west of Bellingrath Gardens. David Layne, can you confirm? I do not remember the name of the DZ.

My cousin did a Static Line jump there years ago, and one of his friends (who I met later), was a jumper back then, and fucked himself up pretty bad when he inexplicably spiraled in. He was a doctor. He reminded me a bit of Billy Bob Thornton (face only).

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[SkydiveJack 1]

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I'm trying to remember where the old DZ near Mobile, AL used to be. I think it was before Gold Coast Skydivers took up residence at Moss Point, MS.

I found a grass runway airport called Roy E. Ray Airport located just west-north-west of Bellingrath Gardens. David Layne, can you confirm? I do not remember the name of the DZ.

My cousin did a Static Line jump there years ago, and one of his friends (who I met later), was a jumper back then, and fucked himself up pretty bad when he inexplicably spiraled in. He was a doctor. He reminded me a bit of Billy Bob Thornton (face only).

Billy you are corect. I used to jump at Roy E. Ray when I was stationed at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS. John Cutts(sp?) started operating there in September 1976. Prior to that we were jumping out of Grandpa's Pecan Orchard near St. Elmo, AL. It was a great group of people with the Mobile jumpers, the Coonass Skydivers from Louisiana and some of the Pensacola Florida folks.

They operated a C-180 and a Twin Beech. Looking through my log book I see that I even made one Lodestar jump there. I learned a lot from those people.

[1888 0]

The below DZ's were all used by the Lejune and Cherry Point Marines along with any civilians who came along in the early to mid 60's.

Oak Grove NC
Washington NC
Fountain NC

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

See the enclosed picture... I found it while walking the desert around the "near point" (in the vicinity of the ol' Cal City Drop Zone) yesterday while waiting for some buds to show up to go shooting.

How about an "archaeology" section to the Lost Drop Zone Project?

[LloydDobbler 2]

Quote

See the enclosed picture... I found it while walking the desert around the "near point" (in the vicinity of the ol' Cal City Drop Zone) yesterday while waiting for some buds to show up to go shooting.

How about an "archaeology" section to the Lost Drop Zone Project?

Hey! I've been looking for that...

(I hope you're planning to mail it to Van & Alberta & asking to collect the finder's fee).

Signatures are the new black.

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

Oh yeah... I'm sure they'll be all over mailing me $5 for finding an old student rip-cord handle lost 3+ years ago!

[Guru312 0]

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in New Jersey we had :
Tri State Skydivers at Adams Airpark,Flemington (property is now owned,as i understand it , by Johnny Higgins,of the Chute Shop/North American Aerodynamics);
Manville,
Horizon Parachute Club Applegarth,
Asbury Park Skydivers,
Frenchtown,
RipcordParaCenter in Lumberton(1962-1986) ,
Lakewood P.I.,
Bridgeton(P.A.I.,circa 1980)

Jeesh, age is getting to be such a pain in the ass. I replied similarly earlier, up thread. Sorry!

Let us not forget the drop zone operated at the three runway WWII airport in Woodbine, NJ. DZ operational time period was 1969-1973. Located 10 miles inland from Sea Isle City, NJ in Cape May County.

Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

[scotto 0]

I learned to jump at astriod parachute center in Asboro NC. This was run by Mike Bland, HALO instructor #38! I'd love to know what happened to Mike. last I heard was he married, moved to Texas, and went to work for the FAA.

[drjump 0]

Would the "Mike", you speak of, be also called "Gene" Bland"?

[johnb250 0]

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

[nndefense 4]

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Hi Hoop. Guess I did create a monster.

I've managed to think of a few more. Lakeland, FL for one - I can't remember the name of the guy who ran it be we were getting hop and pops before noon for something like 75 cents.

I do web design but don't have the time to undertake this project. Surely there's someone out here who would like to spearhead the Lost DZ website. Each listing could have photos and stories.

That would have been me. Had to close it after I got busted for falsifying a log. I did more stupid shit back in those days. Glad I grew out of it. Two things are for sure: 1) That place had to have been a candidate for the worlds smallest DZ. 2) I had one of the best C180 around. Mike Marcon

[patmoore 14]

Quote

That would have been me. Had to close it after I got busted for falsifying a log. I did more stupid shit back in those days. Glad I grew out of it. Two things are for sure: 1) That place had to have been a candidate for the worlds smallest DZ. 2) I had one of the best C180 around. Mike Marcon

Hey Mike!

How's life treating you? Somewhere I have a photo taken at your DZ. I'll try to dig 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!