tempretired

When did Doug pass away? Dick Lee put me out on my first jump but Doug was there and he later put me out on a few jumps. A few years ago (maybe 2yrs) I was thinking of those days and I looked up the skydive east phone number and called it just to see if anyone would answer. To my surprise someone answered the phone "hello". I asked if it was skydive east. The person responded that it had closed down. I asked whom it was speaking to and he replied "Doug Angel". I said hello and told him that he and Dick Lee had put me out on 5 SLs in 1992. I thanked him and we talked for a while about what we had been doing since that time. Then we said goodbye but I promised to stop by and see him sometime. That time never came. RIP Doug! Thank you for introducing me to the sport. Blue Skies!

Oh, you must know that Skydivers go down faster than non skydivers. It's a gravity thing!

Here is a picture of her taking off back in the fall 2012

I'm not an old timer (started in 1992 and retired in 2004) but I have 5 static line jumps on modified T10 rounds with belly mount 28' round reserves. I did 5 jumps at Skydive East in the summer of 1992 before transitioning to an AFF program. Loved it. Although the landings hurt on some of those hot summer days, I'm glad I experienced it. I loved the emergency procedures for a total mal. It went something like this (forgive me if I forget); "1 thousand, 2 thousand, 3 thousand.... nothing...... Look (by bending at the waist to look at the reserve on your belly. reverse the arch and go butt to earth), Grab (the silver ripcord), Close (your legs), Pull (the ripcord), Punch (the reserve pack to push the reserve out into the relative wind). I think that is pretty close to what they were. Fun times. I still have my photo of me in my jump boots, mechanic coveralls, and motorcycle helmet.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. I believe I first met Burt at a Herd Boogie between 1993 and 1995 and ran into him when he visited X-Keys through the mid 90s to early 2000's. I did not know him too well but he was fun to be around and always smiling. Truly a nice person. Blue Skies

Although I did my First Jump course in May 1992, somehow, I found (not intentional) as DZ that still used T-10s. It was at Skydive East in NJ. We had 30 people in the first jump course split between 2 Instructors, Doug Angel and Dick Lee. We PLFed for hours, as it was a pretty hot day. That landing hurt like heck despite doing a good PLF. Over 90 degree heat on a T-10 coming almost straight down. Harry, the ground instructor, was real serious about making sure our legs were squeezed together and we were looking out at the horizon. I remember there were 3 leg injuries on that day. I did 5 more T-10 jumps before moving to AFF at UPC.

"The best part of you ran down the crack of your mothers ass and became a brown stain on the matress" - Full Metal Jacket

My first 5 jumps were at Skydive East back in the Summer and Fall of 1992. 5 static line jumps on modified T-10s and belly mounted reserves. I believe they split up the first Jump Class into 2 classes. Doug instructed 1 class and Dick Lee instructed another. My class had Dick Lee but during some later jumps Doug was my jumpmaster. Both were legends and have some pretty low license numbers as written in my Log Book. A really fun guy there was Harry "The Ground Instructor". He was a PI and has some great stories.

My first H&P was my first jump. It was a static line jump in May 1992 at Skydive East in Pittstown NJ. They were still using surplus miltary gear. I didn't know any better. My rig was a Modified T-10 (35ft round) on my back with a belly mounted 28 foot round reserve. Our jumpsuite was a mechanics overall. Our helmets were Bell motorcycle helmets. They supplied us with real military Jumpboots. Did the 1st Jump Course and jump in the same day. Most of the course was practicing PLFs off of a 3ft high platform. We did front, sideways, and backward PLSs for hours. It was 95 degrees (hot for may in NJ) so they needed to drill us with PLFs because the landings were going to be hard on this hot day. My group was the last of 30 jumpers. 3 had already gone to the hospital with leg injuries due to hard landings. I have no idea what made me want to continue. All the way to altitude I prayed and promissed I'd never do it again if I got down alive. My climbout was strong and then it went to hell. My logbook reads "Reverse Arch, Hands On Helmet". Well after the parachute cam over my shoulder, it opened ok. I thought I was going to die. I landed about 200 yards from the target on the other side of a corn field. As I was getting close to the ground, the ground instructor just kept repeating over and over to look at the horizon and squezze my legs together and PLF when you feel the ground. Needless to say, I hit very hard and lucky for me the PLF worked but I did hurt my ribs. Couldn't breathe for a week. I landed directly next to my buddy. Never saw him until I peeled myself off of the ground, as I was afraid to look anywhere but the horizon. Glad I didn't land on him. He tells me that it hurt him when he saw me land. Despite all of it, I had to go back for more and more and more.

I have a postcard of the jump into the olympics hanging on my office cubicle wall. I believe that I bought it at either UPC or X-Keys back in the mid 90's. Rich "Fang" Fenimore is one of the participants and I remember him showing us pictures of his trip to the Olympics. I believe he was one of the people on the green ring. He use to jump with a green frap hat at x-keys. One of the pictures that he showed us was of him sitting on top of the stadium hanging out.

I believe they officially ended in 2000 when United Parachute Club moved from their location in New Hanover, PA (New Hanover Airport) to the Flying M Airport in Germansville. Maybe they had 1 or 2 at the new airport but I'm not sure. The new location closed after only a few years of operation. I believe they hold re-union type events at various places but nothing official.

GURU312, Surprised to here someone mention TC. There was only one TC at X-Keys that was an AFF Instructor there. Are you referring to TC (I'll leave his name out), the Navy Seal? Great guy and great instructor. I think that he is still pissed at me for something silly from back in 1997ish. I haven't seen him since he left x-keys. I started at X-Keys when they first opened it late 1993 when I had about 30 jumps and TC was one of the instructors.

I'm not sure about that one. He didn't work there when I knew him. However, it seems probable, as he spent most of his life in the skydiving and aviation field. Seems like there were many skydivers from UPC and X-Keys that have spent some time working at Para-Flite and SSE. I believe he grew up in the South Jersey area and began skydiving at Ripcords.

You mean she "used" to fly C-141's, right? You're correct. Looks like they retired them in 2006 and started using the C-17 (the internet is wonderful). The last time I spoke with her was back in 1999. Actually, she was on the skydive that I had my last malfunction on. I'm not sure where she is now.

In August 1995, we held the first annual Herd 8 way scrambles meet at x-keys. We had 3 teams and each did 3 jumps. Fang was captain for 2 of the teams and I was on 1 of them. A HERD buddy of Fang's was the captain of the other. He name our team "Spacely's Sprockets". Each jump of the event and many dirt dives and plane rides were video taped. Fang is the center of attention in much of it and was always doing something funny. One of Fang's many talent's was tracking and the video shows some of his great tracks (trying to get away from us newbies at breakoff). That scrambles meet was a few weeks prior to he passed away.