Where is this DZ in Florida ?

[Jim_Hooper 4]

Don't think it was Birdsong. Sod Farm, maybe?

[Joannie 0]

I thought you guys would find this interesting . . . 2 of the skydivers in this picture are still jumping now at ZHills. That would be Sky Huminsky (sitting in red) and Phil Smith (front w/rig on in red).

[lodestar 0]

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I thought you guys would find this interesting . . . 2 of the skydivers in this picture are still jumping now at ZHills. That would be Sky Huminsky (sitting in red) and Phil Smith (front w/rig on in red).

Along with all the ghosts of past times who still inhabit the place.....

[Jim_Hooper 4]

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I thought you guys would find this interesting . . . 2 of the skydivers in this picture are still jumping now at ZHills. That would be Sky Huminsky (sitting in red) and Phil Smith (front w/rig on in red).

Joannie--regarding the the guy in the red sweat shirt, here's what Ron Schott, who's also in that photo, wrote in an earlier post on this thread:

"The gentleman in the red sweatshirt is Ron Smith. He was an USAF CAPT stationed at MacDill."

Hoop

[SCR216 2]

Ron Brissey, now there is a name I sure remember. In the late 60's my car was trashed and all of my jump gear taken (along with my log books). Ron Brissey, Lyle Cameron and others from the Oceanside DZ got equipment together for me so I could still jump that weekend and into the near future. I still have the helmet Ron gave me.

If you ever run into Ron, please tell him hello for me.

Regards
Dennis Henley

[patmoore 14]

Hi folks.

When I joined the Tampa Sky Divers in 1967 we were actually located about a block away in a an old wooden building. A similar building next door was used as a pickle factory and later a home for gyro-copters. The MacDill AFB Club (of which I was also a member) moved to the Ranger bldg across from Bob Porter's place. Heading up that operation was Gene Ritchie and a guy named Jerry something or other. The Tampa Sky Divers moved to a sod farm in Brandon and then Riverview where Mac McGraw ran operations.

That indeed is Ron Smith in the picture. He was an AF Captain and the best man at my wedding (my first one).

Sorry I've been absent from this forum. In the winters my ski and snowboard racing pretty much take over my life. A week ago today I was in Winter Park at the NASTAR Nationals where I picked up my fifth National Championship in snowboarding. See photo.

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!

[Jim_Hooper 4]

Well done, Patrick!

Hoop
www.jimhooper.co.uk

[lodestar 0]

Ditto Pat!! Great Job on the slopes man!....
I can remember one time going to a pool party you were at, and I watched you walk across the bottom of the pool without weights on. Seems your muscle density is so great you couldn't float! We had been talking about diving and using weights to control buoyancy underwater and you demonstrated that you could walk without weights on the bottom.....

[RogerRamjet 0]

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Hi folks.

The Tampa Sky Divers moved to a sod farm in Brandon and then Riverview where Mac McGraw ran operations.

I'm not so sure about the bolded part of that. When it was at the Sod Farm, Cliff and Patty Dobson were running it (at least while I was jumping there). I know that Cliff moved to near Mulberry where he still is and it's still called Tampa Bay Skydivers. Not saying it might have been Mac's for a while, just don't remember that...

====================
Edited to add: Different name. I just looked up Cliff's place and it's called Skydive Tampa Bay. Maybe Tampa Skydivers moved to Mac's and Cliff took over the Sod Farm?

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

[muff528 3]

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Hi folks.

The Tampa Sky Divers moved to a sod farm in Brandon and then Riverview where Mac McGraw ran operations.

I'm not so sure about the bolded part of that. When it was at the Sod Farm, Cliff and Patty Dobson were running it (at least while I was jumping there). I know that Cliff moved to near Mulberry where he still is and it's still called Tampa Bay Skydivers. Not saying it might have been Mac's for a while, just don't remember that...

====================
Edited to add: Different name. I just looked up Cliff's place and it's called Skydive Tampa Bay. Maybe Tampa Skydivers moved to Mac's and Cliff took over the Sod Farm?

OK, here's a longshot question for one of you old geezers: Back in the early 90's I acquired an old rig from a pawn shop in Lakeland. I took it to Zhills where it was identified as a possible non-TSO'd "Sod Farm" container. Color is solid red, webbing and all. I still have the container somewhere and can get pics later. It was packed with a reserve (don't remember which) and a red and black Strato Star. The Strat had a "double" bridle and single pilot chute. It also had rings which maybe suggests that it was converted to slider reefing from r & r. I gave the canopies away years ago (now I wish I kept the SS). I wonder if anyone remembers this rig or the owner? Like I said.......long shot!

[SkydiveJack 1]

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Hi folks.

The Tampa Sky Divers moved to a sod farm in Brandon and then Riverview where Mac McGraw ran operations.

I'm not so sure about the bolded part of that. When it was at the Sod Farm, Cliff and Patty Dobson were running it (at least while I was jumping there). I know that Cliff moved to near Mulberry where he still is and it's still called Tampa Bay Skydivers. Not saying it might have been Mac's for a while, just don't remember that...

====================
Edited to add: Different name. I just looked up Cliff's place and it's called Skydive Tampa Bay. Maybe Tampa Skydivers moved to Mac's and Cliff took over the Sod Farm?

Cliff & Patty Dobson left Z-hills and opened an operation at the Sod Farm around 1979. From what I understand there used to be a DZ there in the past. A group of us that were into CRW at the time (me, Cilff, Ferd Boger, Frank Cater, Mike Lewis) moved there, did students, got involved with AFF and ended up winning the 4 Man Gold & 8 Man Silver at the First World Cup of CRW that Hooper hosted at Z-hills.

Then after I drove my motorcycle through fresh plowed and planted sod at the Sod Farm, we ended up having to move to Riverview, which I think was the original Tampa Bay Parachute Ranch. Mac McGraw did some of the flying there for us.

Roger, I'm trying to remember, did we met at Sod Farm or somewhere else?

Then later I moved back to Z-hills and became a proud grunger!

[patmoore 14]

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Ditto Pat!! Great Job on the slopes man!....
I can remember one time going to a pool party you were at, and I watched you walk across the bottom of the pool without weights on. Seems your muscle density is so great you couldn't float! We had been talking about diving and using weights to control buoyancy underwater and you demonstrated that you could walk without weights on the bottom.....

Yep. Used to be able to do that. Not a chance anymore!

Mac and Pearl ran Riverview. That's where I got my Diamond Wings, Richard Bach took up jumping, and Mac lost a wheel strut. I didn't meet the Dobsons until Ski and Donna introduced me to them at an air show in New Hampshire in the late seventies. I had already hung it up by then. That same air show was the last time I ever saw Steve Snyder.

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!

[RogerRamjet 0]

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Hi folks.

The Tampa Sky Divers moved to a sod farm in Brandon and then Riverview where Mac McGraw ran operations.

I'm not so sure about the bolded part of that. When it was at the Sod Farm, Cliff and Patty Dobson were running it (at least while I was jumping there). I know that Cliff moved to near Mulberry where he still is and it's still called Tampa Bay Skydivers. Not saying it might have been Mac's for a while, just don't remember that...

====================
Edited to add: Different name. I just looked up Cliff's place and it's called Skydive Tampa Bay. Maybe Tampa Skydivers moved to Mac's and Cliff took over the Sod Farm?

Cliff & Patty Dobson left Z-hills and opened an operation at the Sod Farm around 1979. From what I understand there used to be a DZ there in the past. A group of us that were into CRW at the time (me, Cilff, Ferd Boger, Frank Cater, Mike Lewis) moved there, did students, got involved with AFF and ended up winning the 4 Man Gold & 8 Man Silver at the First World Cup of CRW that Hooper hosted at Z-hills.

Then after I drove my motorcycle through fresh plowed and planted sod at the Sod Farm, we ended up having to move to Riverview, which I think was the original Tampa Bay Parachute Ranch. Mac McGraw did some of the flying there for us.

Roger, I'm trying to remember, did we met at Sod Farm or somewhere else?

Then later I moved back to Z-hills and became a proud grunger!

I started jumping at Cliff and Patty's Sodd Farm sometime in late 77 or early 78 and jumped there on and off until 1980. I'm sure we've met, but not sure if it was there or at Z-Hills. Here is a link to a photo of me at the Sod Farm in 1978 (at least it says 1978 on the back of the snap shot).

http://www.dropzone.com/photos/Detailed/Personal/Left_to_right_Roger_Clark_-_Traci_Trimble_-_Greg_Baker_110879.html Greg Baker jumped there quite a bit then also. Bob Todd was flying most of the loads I went on.

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

[dparker 0]

Lou Aug is alive and well, living in Traverse City, MI. He hasn't jump since the mid 70's but he is still an active pilot. I'm trying to get him out for a Tandem but he hasn't agreed to it yet.
Attached is a picture taken in September 2008 of a reunion of some of the founders of the Hinckley DZ.
Wally Mumper
Bob Federman
Roger (Pirate) Brink
Ted Ewert (newer jumper)
Brian Voss (newer jumper)
Dana Parker
Lou Aug
Ted Bonifas

Of the six originals in this picture Roger Brink and myself are still jumping.

[lodestar 0]

Damn! Federman is STILL alive!!! Whoa baby!......

[Wenger 0]

Thanks for the info on Lou, would love to meet up with him and Bob Ulm who also jumped at Hinkley during that time. When I started jumping there in 71 they helped me alot.

I don't think the Hinkley/James Gang ever recieved the the recognition that they deserved it all seemed to go to CA and FL. No offense Hoop

[Jim_Hooper 4]

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I don't think the Hinkley/James Gang ever recieved the the recognition that they deserved it all seemed to go to CA and FL. No offense Hoop

Gimme a break, Bill, I wasn't a Hinckley jumper, but I did give The Family/James Gang credit in my seven-part series in Parachutist last year, which is also on Bill Newell's site http://starcrestawards.com/history/fate.html
Though the Family did the first 8-man outside California, the main reason Hinckley didn't become a major RW center was because it was in the far frozen north. Back then - before the skills developed and spread - you needed year round good weather and at least a Twin Beech. Which is why those Yankees headed for Florida or SoCal in the winter. But I'll tell ya what, those Hinckley boys and girls could keep up with, and often exceed, the most hard core party people. They were awesome.
Hoop

[Wenger 0]

Yes you did Jim, but I was making a general statment. Most of the young jumpers have all heard about the CA and FL jumpers and what they did. If it wasn't for you and a few others writing about that midwest group they would be forgotten. You hit it on the head about the weather being a big factor since Hinkley wasn't a year round DZ they all headed south in the winter.

[Joannie 0]

Hey Steve - that building in the picture is still there! I drove over there the other day to check it out.

[patmoore 14]

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Well done, Patrick!

Hoop
www.jimhooper.co.uk

Universal Sports just released the footage of the Race of Champions. Since it aired live I hadn't had a chance to view it before now. The course is steeper than it looks and banked right to left as evidenced by the struggle I had with heelside turns.

Video

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!

[GTairhoss 0]

Hi Hoop,

I don't know where Warren Kauffman (D-263) was in '69 or '70, but I know where he was in February of '73. They had a small drop zone in Sun City (about 40 min SE of Tampa) with a pea gravel pit and a paved strip and that was it! The manifest was a card table. I made my first jump February 17, 1973 with the USF Sport Parachute Club and they took us to Sun City. Warren was still ASO and was pretty much in charge. As pilots we had Wes Mills (D-87) with a cherry C-185 and Jim Ellmacher with a C-180. I bought my first parachute from Warren (28' 7TU) and jumped it on my 4th static line jump - Warren was my jumpmaster. He was a great guy and we became fast friends. His house was skydive central - you never knew who would show up there and we spent many an hour listening to jump stories. When Mac McGraw opened the Riverview DZ we drifted apart as I was jumping with the USF club at the Sod Farm (doesn't sound like the same one that the Dobsons were involved in.)
I agree with you that Warren never seemed to get the credit he deserved. As you may know, (I just found out) Warren made his last jump - 2,463 - at age 74 and passed away peacefully at home in Largo Fl May 18, 2008 at age 82. The end of a long and storied skydiving career - may he Rest In Peace.

Blue Skies,

Gary Thompson
D-4616

[lekstrom10k 0]

I remember staying in that building in Dec.1969. There were places to get sheets and blankets ,then make your own bunk for $0,25 but be sure to return the bedding ti the right places. I also remember a sign on the shower door stating "If your a jumper this water is not cold". Even being from Michigan it was a taste towards the chilly side, after Lake Superior and such. Sporting Tuna signed my log book after a C-195-6 jump.

[lodestar 0]

Glad to hear I signed your log book.....lol....there was such a small water heater you could only get a couple showers till it ran cold....when you were there I was living in one of the two rooms partitioned off from the other bunks in the West end of the building, that room became a dorm of sorts and yes, you could get sheets and an army blanket and pillow for $1
I got in the habit of showering later into the evening when everyone else was drinking beer, only way you could get a warm shower.