Douggarr

Rich Winstock, a USPA board member, now is a co-owner and operator of this DZ. If you're in the New York area, it's a must to get some jumps here in your log book. The staff is first-rate (I know them all -- refugees from another DZ). And if you're looking to do a tandem, I highly recommend Sussex because of the staff's experience.

Hammo's place is a gem. Jumped there in April for the first time with the SOS geezers. That week we were treated like royalty, from office to packing area. The vibe at the Bomb Shelter reminds you of the early days of DZs, where you hang out for hours just talking about skydiving. It's not as buffed as Perris, but that's the point. We don't need no swimming pool or full bar. (It would be nice, though.)

This comes with bias; I know the DZO -- Ray Maynard -- from the early days and we competed in Para-ski meets together. He's a first-rate skydiver, pilot, and knows how to run a drop zone as well as anybody. Finding the old Grumman field and getting the FAA and town fathers to agree to skydiving here was nothing less than a miracle. He's built it up into a place any skydiver can respect and call home. I've jumped all over -- including other countries -- and after a very long layoff, I made a couple of skydives here. It's a great place for students, first-timers, and sky gods alike. You have to love the two turbos, and Ray fires them up to make sure nobody waits too long for a load. Oh, and by the way, the views of Long Island from altitude are absolutely breathtaking and compare with any other place in the world.